Slice of fossil wood (US)

This beautiful slice with its growth rings is indeed a slice of tree. But a tree that stopped its growth 200 million years ago! The most colorfull fossilized trees come from Arizona. A place that was covered with a forest of Araucaria Mirabilis, a giant conifer that reached 100 meters high! These trees that looked like the current "monkey puzzle tree" were the dominant variety on the American continent. These trees fell naturally into swamp areas, and the combined action of water and volcano ash allowed excellent conservation in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic) and therefore no degradation of the wood. The ashes brought many oxides of iron, sulfur, manganese... which tinted the silica as it replaced the wood fibres, over thousands of years. But if you find this slice impressive, wait until you see its big sister: PUFO454.