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Ancientforests

All articles tagged with #ancientforests

science-and-environment2 years ago

"Unveiling the Ancient Roots: Discovery of the World's Oldest Forest"

Scientists have discovered the world's oldest known forest in Cairo, upstate New York, dating back approximately 386 million years. The forest, which extends over 400 kilometers, was mapped by a team from Binghamton University, New York State Museum, and Cardiff University. It features early plant species such as cladoxylopsids and Achaeopteris trees, as well as an unidentified tree type, all of which reproduced via spores. This discovery provides significant insights into the early ecology of forests and their role in carbon dioxide absorption, marking a pivotal point in Earth's transition to a forested planet.

science-and-environment2 years ago

"Rediscovery of 22-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Forest Buried by Ancient Volcanic Eruption"

Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have discovered the fossilized remains of a 22-million-year-old megaflora forest in the Panama Canal. The newly identified extinct mangrove species, Sonneratioxylon barrocoloradoensis, suggests that ancient trees were significantly larger than today's mangroves. Radiometric dating places the forest in the Early Miocene era, and it is believed to have been buried by a lahar—a volcanic mudflow—leading to its exceptional preservation. The discovery, made on Barro Colorado Island, provides valuable insights into Earth's geological and biological history and was facilitated by the sediment removal for the Panama Canal expansion. The findings are detailed in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.