"Panama's Hidden 23-Million-Year-Old Petrified Mangrove Forest Unearthed"
A 23 million-year-old petrified mangrove forest has been discovered on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, preserved by a volcanic mudflow. The fossils, including a previously unknown species named Sonneratioxylon barrocoloradoensis, reveal that the ancient mangrove trees grew up to 130 feet tall, much taller than modern mangroves. The forest likely existed before the Isthmus of Panama formed and was wiped out by a single volcanic eruption. The stunningly preserved wood samples offer researchers a rare opportunity to study the past.
