Sculpted Stone

Here is a HUGE Araucaria mirabilis cone from the Jurassic of Patagonia. This specimen was recently acquired from the Richard Busch Collection. Busch was the Preparator/Asst. Curator at the North Museum in Lancaster, PA from 1965-1992. Araucaria is closely related to the modern-day monkey-puzzle tree. This giant cone has been cut in half and both halves have been highly polished for optimal display. The fossil has been totally replaced by silica in a multitude of wonderful orange-brown colors. The exterior of the cone displays amazing detail - the distinct scale pattern is clearly defined, and the long stem and bottom "nipple" are readily observed. The interior of the cone is also incredible - the individual seeds are very distinct and easily seen. This is a huge, top quality example of a gorgeous fossil cone from the Araucaria tree of South America.

Note: Argentina has now banned the export of all fossils. We will strictly abide by and enforce this law - we will not acquire new fossils from Argentina. However, this fossil was in the Busch Collection for many years - it was collected and exported prior to this law, and can be sold legally.

A Certificate of Authenticity from EXTINCTIONS is included with this specimen.