What looks like wood is stone. Sandstone laid down in alternating layers of light and dark once carved and polished has the appeal of wood and the steadfastness of stone. The "fossil" in the limestone base I made by carving with a diamond chisel and backfilling with black epoxy. It is so life-like (well fossil-like anyway) it is often confused for the real thing. There are real fossils anyway, contained in the limestone. One just need look closely to find small snails and shells a few hundred million years old.