View source for National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox park
| name = National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai
| photo = File:National Fossil wood park.jpg
| photo_width =
| photo_caption =
| map = India Tamil Nadu
| map_width =
| type = [[Fossil park]]
| location = [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| coords = {{coord|12|01|09|N|79|39|12|E|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref =
| area = {{convert|247|acre}}
| created = {{start date and age|1940}}
| operator = [[Geological Survey of India]]
| visitation_num =
| status = Protected area
| open =
}}
The '''National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai''' is a notified [[National Geological Monument|National Geo-heritage Monument]] located in the [[Villupuram District]] in the [[Indian state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]] and is maintained by the [[Geological Survey of India]].<ref name=gsi>{{cite web |title=Fossil Wood parks |url=http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/portal/page?_pageid=127,529552&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |publisher=Geological Survey of India |accessdate=4 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013102730/http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/portal/page?_pageid=127%2C529552&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |archivedate=13 October 2013 }}</ref> The park was established in 1940<ref name="ago">{{cite news|last=Kodinhi |first=Hussain |title=Millions of years ago, there lived a tree |url=http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=10&edlabel=TOICH&mydateHid=06-10-2012&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar01000&format=&publabel=TOI |access-date=4 June 2013 |newspaper=The Times of India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706210636/http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes |archive-date= 6 July 2009 }}</ref> and is located 1&nbsp;km east of [[Thiruvakkarai]]<ref name=tr2>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/vck-candidate-vows-to-put-vanur-on-tourism-map/article8588308.ece | title=VCK candidate vows to put Vanur on tourism map | newspaper=The Hindu | date=12 May 2016 | accessdate=4 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=tr3>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/these-trees-speak-but-not-many-hear/article6632592.ece These trees speak, but not many hear], The Hindu ne village on the road between [[Tindivanam]] and [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]].wspaper, 2-Nov-2014</ref> village on the road between [[Tindivanam]] and [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]].<ref name=hin1>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/lifeless-air-hovers-over-fossil-wood-park/article2898907.ece Lifeless air hovers over Fossil Wood Park, The Hindu newspaper, 1-Feb-2012]</ref>
==Wood fossils==
[[File:Tiruvakkarai fossils.jpg|thumb|Map of the region and cross section described by [[Henry Francis Blanford|H. F. Blanford]] in 1858]]
The park contains [[petrified wood]] [[fossil]]s approximately 20 million years old, scattered throughout the park,<ref name=air>{{cite news|title=Lifeless air hovers over Fossil Wood Park |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/lifeless-air-hovers-over-fossil-wood-park/article2898907.ece |accessdate=4 June 2013 |date=16 February 2012 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921074315/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/lifeless-air-hovers-over-fossil-wood-park/article2898907.ece |archivedate=21 September 2013 }}</ref>  which covers about {{convert|247|acre|ha}}. The park consists of nine enclaves, but only a small portion of the 247 acres (approx 1 square km) is open to the public.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prasanna |first=Srinivasan |title=Forest of Brown |url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/01/17/stories/2004011700020100.htm |accessdate=4 June 2013 |date=17 January 2001 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060204/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/01/17/stories/2004011700020100.htm |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |archivedate=21 September 2013 }}</ref> Officials of the GSI believe the fossils were formed during massive flooding that occurred millions of years ago.<ref name=preserve>{{cite news|last=Yamunan |first=Shruthisagar |title=A repository of spectacularly preserved fossilized trees |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/a-repository-of-spectacularly-preserved-fossilized-trees/article794856.ece |accessdate=4 June 2013 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=25 September 2010 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922191459/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/a-repository-of-spectacularly-preserved-fossilized-trees/article794856.ece |archivedate=22 September 2013 }}</ref>
The park hosts about 200 fossilized trees. They range in size from {{convert|3|to|15|m|ft}} meters in length, some of which are up to 5 meters in width.<ref name=gsi/> They are strewn and partially buried in the park grounds.<ref name=air/> No branches or leaves remain on the fossilised trunks.<ref name=preserve/> <!--They belong to the Pliocene age.<ref name=preserve/>-->
Scientists speculate that the trees did not originally grow at the site, but were transported before they had petrified.<ref name=preserve/> M. Sonneret, a European naturalist, gave the first detailed account of the fossils in 1781.<ref name=ago/>
===Quality of the fossils===
The fossils are well preserved due to extensive [[petrifaction]].<ref name=preserve/> The trees' [[annular ring]]s and pit structures are clearly visible, allowing their age to be determined by counting the rings.<ref name=preserve/>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Fossil wood preserved in cuddalore lime stone.jpg|20 million year old wood fossil from the [[Miocene|Mio]]-[[Pliocene]] age preserved in [[Cuddalore]] sandstone.
File:Fossilwoodparkthiruvakarai-2.JPG|Fossilised wood of [[Mesembrioxylon schmidianum]] ([[gymnosperm]]) and [[Peuce schmidianum]] ([[angiosperm]]).
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Mandla Plant Fossils National Park]]
*[[Shivalik Fossil Park]]
*[[Ghughua Fossil Park]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category|National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131013102730/http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/portal/page?_pageid=127%2C529552&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Official Government Website]
{{Petrified forests}}
[[Category:National Geological Monuments in India]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Petrified forests]]
[[Category:Cenozoic paleontological sites of Asia]]
[[Category:Fossil parks in India]]
[[Category:Paleontology in India]]
[[Category:1940 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1940]]