Scientists in Greece Find 20-Million-Year-Old Tree
2021-02-01
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1Greek scientists on the volcanic island of Lesbos say they have found a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree.
2The rare find was discovered during roadwork near an ancient forest on the eastern Mediterranean island.
3The area was petrified millions of years ago.
4Digging, or excavating, at the site began in 1995.
5It is the first tree in the area to be found in such good condition complete with branches and roots, said Professor Nikos Zouros.
6He is with the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos.
7The roots and branches of the tree were still unbroken after 20 million years.
8Zouros said it was a special find -- one that he had never seen before.
9"It is a unique find," he said. "[It] is preserved in excellent condition.
10And from studying the fossilized wood we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from."
11The 15,000-hectare petrified forest of Lesbos is a protected site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO.
12The forest is the result of a volcanic eruption 20 million years ago.
13Lava from the volcano covered the island's ecosystem, which at that time was subtropical forest.
14The fossilized tree is about 19 meters long.
15It was preserved by heavy amounts of volcanic ash after it fell.
16A large number of fruit tree leaves also were found nearby.
17The trees and animal bones found in the same general area add to the history and understanding of life that once existed there.
18"During the excavations, the various forests that existed between 17 and 20 million years ago on Lesbos are being uncovered," said Zouros.
19He and his team plan to rebuild the "ecosystem that existed during that period."
20For further study, he and his team transported the tree from the site using a special support system and metal structure.
21I'm Anna Matteo.
1Greek scientists on the volcanic island of Lesbos say they have found a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree. 2The rare find was discovered during roadwork near an ancient forest on the eastern Mediterranean island. The area was petrified millions of years ago. 3Digging, or excavating, at the site began in 1995. It is the first tree in the area to be found in such good condition complete with branches and roots, said Professor Nikos Zouros. He is with the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos. 4The roots and branches of the tree were still unbroken after 20 million years. Zouros said it was a special find -- one that he had never seen before. 5"It is a unique find," he said. "[It] is preserved in excellent condition. And from studying the fossilized wood we will be able to identify the type of plant it comes from." 6The 15,000-hectare petrified forest of Lesbos is a protected site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. The forest is the result of a volcanic eruption 20 million years ago. Lava from the volcano covered the island's ecosystem, which at that time was subtropical forest. 7The fossilized tree is about 19 meters long. It was preserved by heavy amounts of volcanic ash after it fell. A large number of fruit tree leaves also were found nearby. The trees and animal bones found in the same general area add to the history and understanding of life that once existed there. 8"During the excavations, the various forests that existed between 17 and 20 million years ago on Lesbos are being uncovered," said Zouros. He and his team plan to rebuild the "ecosystem that existed during that period." 9For further study, he and his team transported the tree from the site using a special support system and metal structure. 10I'm Anna Matteo. 11Elias Marcou reported this story for Reuters news agency. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn edited it. 12__________________________________________________________ 13Words in This Story 14fossil - n. a trace or print or the remains of a plant or animal of a past age preserved in earth or rock : fossilized - adj. having been changed into a fossil 15petrified - adj. used to describe something (such as wood) that has slowly changed into stone or a substance like stone over a very long period of time 16branch - n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk 17unique - adj. very special or unusual 18preserved - v. to keep alive, intact, or free from decay 19lava - n. molten rock that issues from a volcano or from a fissure in the surface of a planet (such as earth) or moon 20eruption - n. the bursting out of material from a volcano 21subtropical - adj. of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone