A new fossil wood of Shoreoxylon from Flores Island, Indonesia Available to Purchase

Fossil woods have been excavated and commercialized in Indonesia. However, studies on their botanical identity and historical value still need to be completed. Recovered silicified woods from Flores Island have been investigated to discover the botanical identity, geographical aspect, and mineralization process. The botanical identity was revealed by observing the anatomical features of fossil woods and comparing those features to existing wood species databases. Geological map of the Komodo quadrangle was used to estimate the geological age of fossil wood. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze mineral content, while analysis for the major and trace element of fossil wood was undertaken using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). The results showed that the overall anatomical characteristics of the specimen demonstrated the affinities with the extant wood Shorea, tribe Rubroshorea, of the Dipterocarpaceae family, regardless of the fact that members of Shorea do not exist living in the present-day natural forest in Flores Island. Shoreoxylon was characterized by the presence of axial intercellular canal in long tangential lines, vasicentric parenchyma, simple pit fibres, 1-3 ray width, idioblast cell in ray cell, alternate and vestured intervessel pits, and tyloses. This wood fossil was living in volcanic rock formation during the Middle Miocene period. The major mineral component and chemical formula were quartz and SiO₂, while the main elements in fossil wood was Si. The specimen could be differentiated from other Shoreoxylon spp. previously discovered in other areas such as Pakistan, Java, and Sumatra Island. Therefore, it might be considered into a new taxon, Shoreoxylon floresiensis. However, more investigation on fossil wood from other potential areas on the Flores Island need to be undertaken more comprehensively to reconstruct the past floristic composition.