Lesvos Fossilized Forest museum opens new exhibition in Mytilene

The Lesvos Fossilized Forest Natural History Museum has inaugurated a new exhibition titled ‘Lesvos Fossilized Forest: A Monument Revealed’ at the renovated Old Port Authority in Mytilene. The exhibition showcases significant new fossilized plant findings identified through recent large-scale excavations in the Fossilized Forest area.

These findings provide new insights into the composition of Lesvos' forest ecosystems from 18 million years ago during the Miocene epoch. The research is a collaborative effort involving museum staff, the University of the Aegean, the University of Patras, and international researchers from the Beijing University of Geosciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

According to Museum Director Professor Nikos Zouros, the exhibits include ferns, banana trees, palms, cinnamon trees, and new species of oak, pine, and fir. The exhibition aims to allow the public to engage with the latest scientific data regarding the island's rich subtropical environment.