Fossil from a forest that gave Earth its breath of fresh air
April 19, 2007
A fossil tree with its roots and leaves still attached has provided a tantalising glimpse of what the Earth’s first forests looked like long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Wattieza trees covered vast swaths 385 million years ago, before even amphibians managed to clamber on to land, and had such an impact that they helped to change the planet’s atmosphere.
They were the monsters of their age and are thought not only to have changed the face of the planet but also to have altered even the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
The plant, which grew to at least 26 feet (8m) in height and probably to more than 40 feet, looked similar to a tree fern with a long, bare trunk that was crowned at the top with branches and leaves.
...
The Gilboa Forest was discovered originally in the 1870s but until now no one has been able to say what the trees looked like because the stumps from the base of trees were all that were left.
...
click LINK for entire article.
Fossil from a forest that gave Earth its breath of fresh air
Moderator: Super Moderators
-
Divinorumus
- Pirate
- Posts: 3712
- Joined: 08-09-2004 10:17 PM
