- Mississippi Petrified Forest
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Mississippi Petrified Forest is a petrified forest located near Flora, Mississippi in the United States. It is currently privately owned and open for public visitation. The forest is believed to have been formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to the current site where they later became petrified.[1] It is the only petrified forest in the eastern United States. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in October 1965.[2][3]
The site features a museum with examples of petrified wood found in every state and from other countries. The samples include a variety of plant materials, including leaves, fruits, cones and bark. Other fossils and fossil casts are on display, including dinosaur footprints, whale bones and turtle shells.
References
- ^ "National Natural Landmark Summary". National Park Service. February 5, 2004. http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/Mississippi/NNL/MPF/index.cfm. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ "Mississippi Petrified Forest". Mississippi Petrified Forest official site. http://www.mspetrifiedforest.com. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
- ^ "20 New Landmarks Approved by U.S.". The New York Times. December 5, 1965. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0715FB3B5D1B728DDDAC0894DA415B858AF1D3. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
External links
Coordinates: 32°31′15″N 90°19′23″W / 32.520727°N 90.322959°W
Categories:- Mississippi geography stubs
- Fossil museums
- Parks in Mississippi
- Geography of Mississippi
- National Natural Landmarks in Mississippi
- Natural history museums in Mississippi
- Dinosaur museums in the United States
- Museums in Madison County, Mississippi
- Forests of Mississippi
- Protected areas of Madison County, Mississippi
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