Upper Jurassic Period c.140 million years ago. A large segment of Silicified fossil wood from a large Cypress like Conifer tree. This section of Fossilised Wood is from the Isle Of Portland, Dorset and from a Hampshire Geologists collection. It is from the from the Gymnosperm tree "protocupressinoxylon purbeckensis". It measures approx. 110mm x 95mm across its widest points x 90mm high. These trees were growing in Dorset, approximately 140 million years ago. At that time sea levels were falling. That left this part of Southern Dorset was quite different from today. Then this part of Southern England had a warm Mediterranean climate. The landscape here was one of lagoons and tropical rain forests. The Gymnosperm Tree was similar to the Cypress trees that grow today. There are also similarities to the araucaria araucana or Monkey Puzzle Trees. A good sized and well defined example, a nice display piece,
