It started with a tree...

Did you know that global communications became possible because of the extraction of a tree? Gutta-percha, a latex-like material, was harvested from Palaquium trees, and used to insulate undersea telegraph cables, protecting them from saltwater corrosion. In the making of the telegraph network, Palaquium gutta trees were brought close to extinction. Even though not used for the production of telegraph insulation, a neighbour species called Palaquium ellipticum can be found in India's Western Ghats.