Talk:Lesvos Petrified Forest

Comments
copy edit: minor grammar, spelling changes (68.150.38.79 05:38, 6 August 2006 (UTC))
 * That's what you should have typed in the edit summary field instead of leaving it blank. —Keenan Pepper 05:47, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

Removed material cut/pasted from copyrighted site
The great majority of this page was cut/pasted directly from here. I've preserved it below, there are good bits of info in it, but there is no attribution and no record of permission to use this text. RainbowCrane 01:32, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Neogene volcanic rocks dominate the central and western part of the island, comprising of andesites, dacites, rhyolites, ignibrite, pyroclastics, tuffs and volcanic ash. The fossilized plants in Lesvos are silicified remnants of a sub-tropical forest that existed approximately 15 to 20 million years ago on the northwest part of the island.

== Development of the Petrified Forest == The fossilized forest developed during late Oligocene to Lower-Middle Miocene due to intense volcanic activity in the area. Volcanic eruptions during this time produced lava, pyroclastic materials and volcanic ash, which covered the vegetation of the area. The rapid covering of tree trunks, branches, and leaves led to their isolation from atmospheric conditions.

Along with volcanic activity, hot solutions of silicon dioxide penetrated and impregnated the volcanic materials that covered the tree trunks. Thus the major fossilization process started with a molecule-by-molecule replacement of organic plants by inorganic materials. In the case of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, the fossilization was near perfect due to favourable fossilization conditions. Therefore, the morphological characteristics of the tree trunks such as the annual rings, barkers, as well as the internal structure of the wood, are all preserved in excellent condition.

== Palaeoflora of the Petrified Forest == The study of the fossil tree trunks, leaves and seeds gives useful data about the Palaeoflora, the climate and the relative age of the Petrified Forest. In addition to the large number of fossilized leaves, the genus or species of the trees can also be determined from micro-analysis of the internal structure of the fossil wood. The erect tree trunks with their roots and branches are evidence that the fossilization took place in situ.

Despite the fact that the systematic study of the petrified forest has not yet been completed, the classification of the fossils permits certain conclusions to be drawn. All of the genera and species determined, belong to higher plant groups: Angiospermae and Gymnospermae. Complete development of the flora was achieved in the presence of Angiosperms, the most evolved plants.

The following taxa have been determined:

* Cinnamomum polymorphum HEER sensu GRANGEON * Laurus sp. * Litsea primigenia (UNG.) TAKHT. * Lindera ovate KOLAK. * Oreodaphne heeri GAUD. * Quercus apocynophyllum ETT. * Quercus crutiata AL.BR. * Carpinus pliofaurei RATIANI forma helladae n. f.	* Carpinus uniserata (KOLAKOVSKI) RATANI (?) * Alnus cycladum UNGER fo parvifolia n. f. * Populus balsamoides GOEPP. * Populus sp. * Tilia sp. * Diospyros brachysepala AL. BR. * Myrsinites sp. * Rhus sp. * Daphnogene polymorpha AL.BR. * Pinoxylon paradoxum SUSS & VELITZELOS (sp.nov.) * Pinoxylon pseudoparadoxum SUSS & VELITZELOS (sp.nov.) * Taxaceoxylon biseriatum SUSS & VELITZELOS (sp.nov.) * Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (GOPPERT) KRAUSEL

From phytogeographical point of view, the above mentioned plants can be distinguished into two main groups. The first group contains subtropical plants such as Laurus (laurel), Cinnamomum (cinnamon), whose related species are found in the forests of south-eastern Asia. The second group includes plants that prefer mild temperatures like Alnus (alder), Carpinus (hornbill), Populus (poplar), Querqus (oak), Pinus (pine), Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (sequoia), etc. Related vegetation flourishes today in the warm continental zones of South-eastern Asia and North America.

A comparison of the stratigraphic expanse of the plant fossils with other European flora and with the Palaeoflora of Greece leads us to the conclusion that the Palaeoflora of Lesvos developed during Late Oligocene - Lower Miocene, under subtropical or warm temperate seasonal climatic conditions.

== Protection and Preservation == The Greek State recognised the exceptional palaeontological and geological value of this unique Natural Monument.

To protect the Petrified Forest and ensure its proper management, five terrestrial and marine areas with fossil accumulations, as well as all the isolated fossils were declared as Protected Natural Monument with a special Presidential Degree (443 /1985).

The need for further research and protection of the fossils led to the establishment of the Natural History Museum of Lesvos' Petrified Forest in 1994. Its scope is to undertake scientific research on the petrified forest as well as to preserve and to promote this natural monument.

In addition, the museum organizes special environmental education programs in order to cultivate a widespread sense of respect to the Earth's Heritage and the Natural monuments, among young students.

The museum, therefore, is potentially a centre for palaeontological and other scientific research. Further research in the Petrified Forest will provide new data concerning the stratigraphy, palaeoecology, palaeoclimatology, and palaeogeography of the Southeast Mediterranean area, at the Cross-roads of Europe and Asia.

== The significance of the Petrified Forest == The high proportion of upright petrified trees trunks, with well preserved roots in the fossilized soil, allows us to infer that the petrified forest of Lesvos Isl. represents a complete autochthonous (fossilized in situ) ecosystem.

The fossilized forest was developed from the end of the Late Oligocene to Lower - Middle Miocene (ca. 20 - 15 million years before present), in contrast to most well known fossilized forests on Earth, which developed in earlier geological periods. According to recent scientific data, the composition of the fossil flora is characterised by a high proportion of angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (conifers), and a low proportion of Pteridophytes (ferns).

The silicified tree trunks and their organs - especially the wood - are very well preserved. Furthermore, fossilized leaves, cones and seeds provide the raw data for important scientific studies.

Taxonomic study of the flora shows that they do not grow today in the Mediterranean, but only in tropical to subtropical regions such as Asia and America.

All of the above mentioned criteria certify that the Petrified Forest of Lesvos represents an important stage of the Earth's evolutionary processes. It is considered as a unique natural geological monument which offers rare scientific information, like no other analogous monument from this time period and stage of plant development ever existed.
 * Good catch! And to think I wasted all of my time editing such poorly written text...the same that appears on the website. Uggh. So much for trying to help...hehe.(Cherylktardif 23:25, 21 August 2006 (UTC))

Lesvos or Lesbos?
The name of this article is Petrified forest of Lesbos, but in most of the text of the article, the island is referred to as Lesvos. The Lesvos wikilink itself leads to the article on Lesbos. Which is it? Is this just a case of vandalism or the result of some disagreement? Lesbos and Lesvos can't both be right. I suggest we change all uses to Lesbos or provide some sort of justification for the use of Lesvos instead. As it stands, interchanging one for the other doesn't make any sense. &mdash; Fr&epsilon;ckl&epsilon;fσσt | Talk 13:22, 31 August 2011 (UTC)


 * "can't both be right" ... hmm, I'm afraid they can. There is more discussion on this under the island's main wiki page. However, in brief, the name is spelled in Greek with the letter beta which is translated as a 'b' in English, but which Greeks pronounce as a 'v'. Hence the confusion. I'm tempted to change the remaining 'v' on this page to a 'b' for the sake of consistency, but these days you can never be sure that some pedantic idiot somewhere out in the aether is going to insist on some sort of citation in a book somewhere. John2o2o2o (talk) 09:39, 20 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I've changed the remaining 'v' to a 'b' except for the links. It probably ought to be spelled with a 'b', as that is the conventional way of translating the Greek beta into English, but I'm not going on the links page to change the other article it as I'm fairly sure someone will get upset. John2o2o2o (talk) 09:44, 20 November 2015 (UTC)

A source that someone with more time could put in
Morning lads and not-lads - I recently found this source, which covers some of the unique finds of the forest and the people who have been excavating it slowly over the years. If anyone's got the time, it could do with going in to expand the article. Thanks! --Ineffablebookkeeper (talk) 11:31, 25 February 2021 (UTC)