A recent fossil discovery has shed light on a world where trees had a peculiar and whimsical appearance, unlike the ones we see today. Most fossils of trees found in the record dating back over 400 million years only preserve the trunks. However, this rare find includes leaves that reveal the unique shape of the tree’s canopy, resembling something out of a Dr. Seuss book or a scene from the movie Avatar.
The tree, named Sanfordiacaulis densifolia, is described as “a strange growth form in the history of life” by Robert Gastaldo, a paleontologist and co-author of the study published in the journal Current Biology. This tree comes from a period when intact trees were extremely rare, as plants shed their leaves, branches, and reproductive structures, which are more prone to decay.
The fossilized tree was discovered in New Brunswick, Canada, and is surrounded by more than 250 partially preserved leaves. Each leaf extends about 5.7 feet from the trunk and grew approximately 3.3 feet before terminating. This means that the dense canopy of leaves extended at least 18 feet from spiraling branches around a 6-inch diameter trunk.
Gastaldo describes the appearance of the tree as “startling,” comparing it to an upside-down toilet brush. The tree existed in the “sub-canopy zone,” occupying the space between ground-level plants and taller trees. Its unusual shape allowed it to capture maximum light while reducing competition for resources from plants below.
The researchers believe that this unique growth form suggests that plant life in the Early Carboniferous period was more complex than previously thought. It indicates that plants were experimenting with different evolutionary forms and growth architectures during this time of biodiversification in forests.
The first fossil of this peculiar tree was found seven years ago by Olivia King and Matthew Stimson in an active quarry within the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark. Over the years, additional Sanfordiacaulis fossils were discovered nearby and dated using spores from the surrounding rocks.
The exceptional preservation of these fossils is attributed to a catastrophic earthquake that triggered a landslide, burying and preserving the trees and other vegetation in a rift lake. Rift lakes are formed when the ground sinks due to underground movement.
Most of the fossils analyzed for the study are currently housed at the New Brunswick Museum of Natural History, where they are available for public viewing. This discovery offers a glimpse into the fascinating and diverse world of ancient forests, reminding us that the evolution of plant life has taken many unexpected forms throughout history.