Fossil wood collected by Charles Darwin

BGS image ID: P776114

This microscope slide shows a piece of fossil wood that Charles Darwin collected from the Island of Chiloe, Chile in 1834 during his voyage in HMS Beagle. It became part of the Joseph D Hooker slide collection.

Darwin wrote about Chiloe:

"In winter the climate is detestable, and in summer it is only a little better. I should think there are few parts of the world within the temperate regions where so much rain falls."

Andrew L Morrison  

Fossil wood from Tasmania collected by Sir Joseph D. Hooker in 1840

BGS image ID: P776111

Tamrin fossil tree; Microscope slide from the Sir Joseph D. Hooker Collection, BGS.

This slide is of piece of fossil wood from Tasmania collected by Hooker in 1840. The Expedition leader, James Clark Ross recorded that the fossil trees were found encased in ancient lava flows and were preserved as 'most beautiful agate'. Age: Tertiary Period, 40 million years old.

From Collection A: Joseph Dalton Hooker collection. Hooker's collection comprises material collected during his 1839-1843 circum-Antarctic voyage in HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. 

Bob McIntosh