Editing Palmoxylon (section)

== Distribution ==
A number of species from the [[Cretaceous]] and [[Cenozoic]] have been described from the [[Patagonia]] region of [[South America]].<ref name="Ottone">Ottone E. G. 2007 "A new palm trunk from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina" ''[[Ameghiniana]]'' v.44 n.4</ref>  There have been a number of species reported from [[Egypt]] which are dated to the [[Eocene|Late Eocene]] and [[miocene|Early Miocene]].<ref name="Egypt">EL-Saadawi, W., Youssef, S. G. & Kamal-EL-Din, M. M. 2004 "Fossil palm woods of Egypt: II. Seven Tertiary Palmoxylon species new to the country" ''Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology'' '''129'''(4):199-211</ref>

Specimens from the [[Oligocene]] epoch (34 - 23 [[Mya (unit)|mya]]) can be collected from many scattered sites in east [[Texas]] and western [[Louisiana]]. [[Fossil]]s found near fossil palmwood include [[coral]]s, [[sea sponge|sponge]]s, and [[mollusk]]s, indicating that the palms grew along prehistoric [[beach]]es. For millions of years, the [[Gulf Coast]] shoreline has been moving farther south.

In Texas and Louisiana, petrified palmwood is most common in the [[Toledo Bend Reservoir|Toledo Bend]] area, which is shared by both states. It was left by trees that grew when the [[Gulf of Mexico]]'s shoreline was much farther north from its present-day position. In Louisiana, petrified palmwood is found in the parishes of Rapides, Natchitoches, Grant, and Sabine.