A 390 million-year-old fossilized forest has been unearthed by researchers, marking it as the oldest forest ever discovered. Located in southwest England, this ancient forest contains small, palm-like trees and tracks of arthropods dating back to the Middle Devonian period. The find supersedes the previously known oldest forest, the Gilboa fossil forest in New York state, which dates back 386 million years.
This groundbreaking discovery, detailed in a study published in the Journal of the Geological Society on Feb. 23, sheds light on the evolution of forests. Lead author Neil Davies, a professor at the University of Cambridge, emphasized the significance of this find, noting the transition from primitive to well-established forests within a few million years.
The forest is dominated by cladoxylopsids, now-extinct plants resembling palm trees but unrelated to them. These plants had long central stems with palm-like fronds, which were actually clusters of twiglets rather than true leaves. Standing between 6.5 and 13 feet tall, this forest wasn’t particularly tall.
Preserved as hollow trunks filled with sediment and flattened fallen logs, the fossil trees offer a glimpse into ancient ecosystems. The discovery, made during fieldwork in the Hangman Sandstone Formation, indicates a warm and dry climate during the Middle Devonian period.
Although plants colonized land 500 million years ago, this find represents the earliest example of a forest with closely spaced trees growing en masse. In addition to the trees, researchers found trackways of small Devonian creatures, suggesting a burgeoning terrestrial ecosystem.
While initially investigating sediments, the unexpected discovery of the fossil forest suggests a rapid expansion of forest environments around 390 million years ago, providing valuable insights into Devonian plant ecology.
