In article .com,
wrote:
It is does not seem logical to suspect Quercus virginiana to be the
type of wood used in Noah's ark because Q. virginiana is native to
North America. The name gopherwood comes from the Bible so its origin
would seem to have no relation to gophers native to North America.

The origin of plant common names is often not as simple as the name
seems to suggest. More logical candidates would be Old World tree
species known to be used in ship-building by ancient peoples.

One suggestion is that gopherwood referred not to a specific tree
species but to "laminated wood", a technique that may have been
required for such a large ship. Another suggestion is that it was
referring to "pitched wood", which is wood waterproofed with pitch.
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/gopherwood.html

Note also that the Bible was not written in English, and the most popular
English translation was performed several hundred years ago by scholars
unfamiliar with botany, including field botany of the eastern Mediterranean
area. Too bad Iris Cohen isn't around any more -- she could probably
identify the most likely species. At any rate, it certainly wouldn't
be a North American one.

Biblical translators have made real bloopers in translation, as well as
some disingenuous "improvements" on the text to support their agendas.
Translators also crib from their predecessors, propagating errors instead
of correcting them.

Note also that "gopher" refers to tortoises only in a limited area
of the US. Elsewhere it usually refers to several species of ground
squirrels.

Garry Denke wrote:
Gopherwood Range Theory
John Denke, Biologist
University of North Texas
Fall Semester, 1999

Abstract:

[snipped]

Other biologists suggest three of the four known Gopherus living
species: G. agassizii, G. berlandieri and G. flavomarginatus. However,
all three range in deserts (no forests). Ancient stone anchors, similar
to 5,000-year-old anchors found at Bimini and the Middle East, are
common along U.S. Gulf Coast hurricane "flood" zones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher_wood

Parentheses around "flood"?
Should "zones" be "areas"?

Thanks for helping.

The second half of the paragraph has no relation to the first. Note
also that the notion of using stones for anchors no doubt occurred
independently in many parts of the world, and is not evidence for
the historicity of Atlantis, ancient Egyptians in Central America,
nor Mormon mythology.

I'm also pretty dubious about identifying all these "common" stone
anchors as such. Maybe they are just stones, or shaped stones used
for other purposes.