{"product_id":"petrified-wood-specimen-1","title":"Petrified Wood Specimen","description":"\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eDirectly sourced from Texas, this modest specimen of petrified wood exhibits exceptionally well-preserved structural markings, including growth rings and cellular details, that have undergone silicification, effectively capturing the original botanical features in mineral form as if frozen in time. The Yegua Formation, a Middle to Late Eocene geologic unit (approximately 37–40 million years old) exposed along the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, is renowned for its abundant and diverse petrified wood deposits. These fossils originated in ancient tropical forests buried in fluvial, estuarine, or near-shore sediments, often associated with volcanic ash that provided a rich source of silica. Petrified wood forms through a gradual process of permineralization and replacement. Fallen trees are rapidly buried under sediment or ash, shielding them from oxygen and rapid decay. Groundwater enriched with dissolved silica (typically from weathered volcanic materials) then permeates the wood's cellular structure. Over millions of years, silica minerals—such as opal, chalcedony, or quartz—precipitate within cell walls and voids, replicating the organic template while progressively replacing the original cellulose and lignin. This meticulous mineralization preserves intricate details, including annual growth rings, bark textures, and even vessel elements, transforming the wood into durable stone while retaining its three-dimensional anatomy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"On This Rock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48173447348453,"sku":null,"price":4.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/4763\/1077\/files\/PXL_20251218_220626586.jpg?v=1766095734","url":"https:\/\/onthisrock.shop\/products\/petrified-wood-specimen-1","provider":"On This Rock","version":"1.0","type":"link"}