In an unexpected corner of the southwest of England, a group of researchers has discovered the oldest known fossilized forest, with an age of 390 million years.
This finding in the coastal sandstone cliffs reveals primitive ecosystems that dominated the Earth during the Devonian Period, a crucial era for the evolution of terrestrial plants.
The Oldest Forest: A 390 Million-Year-Old Treasure
Identified by experts from the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff, these fossils represent the oldest fossilized trees found to date.
This discovery not only sets a new historical record, but also highlights the importance of preserving and studying these natural relics to understand the origins of modern terrestrial ecosystems.
The Fossilized Calamophyton Trees
The fossilized trees, known as Calamophyton, resembled current palm trees, although they were a “prototype” of modern trees. They had thin and hollow structures instead of solid trunks, lacked leaves, and their branches were covered by twig-like structures.
These trees, ranging from two to four meters in height, shed their branches during growth, leaving a vegetation-covered ground that supported the forest invertebrates.
Significance of the Discovery
This ecosystem belongs to the Devonian period, an era that marked the expansion of life onto land, with the appearance of the first seed plants and arthropods as the first terrestrial animals to establish themselves.
Studying these fossils provides a valuable insight into how ancient nature shaped the world we live in today.
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