The oldest known forest fossils, dating back at least 390 million years, have been discovered in the sandstone cliffs that rise along the coast of Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The analyzes were conducted by teams of scientists from the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff.
According to researchers, it is the oldest known fossil forest on Earth. It is about four million years older than the previous record holder, from New York State in the United States of America.
The history of the forest dates back to the Devonian period (419 million – 358 million years ago), when life began its great expansion on Earth. At the end of this era, seed plants appeared and arthropods settled on Earth.
At first glance, petrified tree fragments appear to be palm trees. Their trunks, instead of solid wood, were hollow inside. It was also missing leaves, and the branches were covered in what looked like small twigs.
The trees were much shorter than their descendants. The largest of them was two to four meters high. As trees grow, they shed their branches, leaving plenty of leaf litter for invertebrates to live in.
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