Two fossilized logs, 38 million years old, were unearthed in a mine in Poland
Fossilized logs, approximately 38 million years old, have been discovered at the Leszkowice amber mine in the Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland, as reported by RMF FM radio station.
According to their information, the find consists of two 1.5-meter-long trunk fragments. BJ Minerals, the company whose employees discovered the logs, has submitted them for analysis to the Department of Biology at the University of Gdańsk, the radio station notes.
"They are silent witnesses to events that occurred at least 38 million years ago, when magnolias grew alongside pine trees in this area, and mangrove thickets possibly grew on the seashore," stated biologist Błażej Bojarski, who participated in the research. "For the first time, we are dealing with such large fragments of fossilized wood that can tell their story—that is, in what environment the parent tree of this forest lived, where and how it died, and how it ended up in the same rock strata as the fossil resin of the Lublin region," he added.
According to the expert, the find will help understand the climate changes that occurred millions of years ago. "We hope that these samples will help answer questions about the genesis of fossil resin deposits in our country, which will allow for research not only in the field of invertebrate paleozoology, but also, perhaps, help interpret paleoecological and paleoclimatological data", the researcher said.
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