The oldest known forest fossils, dating back at least 390 million years, were discovered in sandstone cliffs rising along the coast of Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The analyzes were carried out by teams of scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Cardiff.
According to researchers, this is the oldest known fossil forest on Earth. It is approximately four million years older than the previous record holder, from New York State in the USA.
The forest dates back to the Devonian period (419 million-358 million years ago), when life began its great expansion on land. At the end of this era, seed plants appeared and arthropods settled on land.
Petrified tree fragments look like palm trees at first glance. Their trunks, instead of solid wood, were hollow inside. They were also missing leaves, and the branches were covered with lots of what looked like tiny twigs.
The trees were much shorter than their descendants. The largest were from two to four meters high. As the trees grew, they shed branches, leaving plenty of leaf litter for invertebrates to inhabit.
2024-03-08 06:06:26
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