"Belle Isle Tree Reveals Ancient Animal Relationship"
Scientists have discovered that the giant thorns on honey locust trees, such as the one growing on Belle Isle, were likely an evolutionary defense mechanism against ancient megafauna like mammoths and mastodons. These animals helped disperse the tree's seeds by eating its fruit, and fossilized manure containing honey locust seeds has been found. This ecological relationship between plants and ancient animals may have played a crucial role in the spread and survival of certain tree species, although scientists caution that such relationships are complex and not always straightforward.