Not all is known about fossilization, and less is realized. E.R. Milton describes his examination of a petrified tree trunk in Alberta, Canada. From The Lately Tortured Earth, Ch.26: Fossil Deposits - Part 6 Biospherics:
The piece … was pure clear silica inside, it was coated with a
rougher opaque crust of partially fused sand. The tree whose stump was
petrified was alive five years ago! After the tree was cut down to
accommodate the right of way for a new power transmission line, an
accidental break allowed the live high-voltage wire to contact several
tree stumps still in the ground. The power was cut off within hours of
the break. All of the tree roots which contacted the broken wire were
fossilized … Obviously, electricity can metamorphose matter quickly.
It doesn’t appear that the experiments required to either support or refute the anecdote have actually been funded. It’s not exactly an idea that would even occur to a lot of scientists to check. It would also be interesting – if such an experiment were done – to submit the sample for dating.
