World's Oldest Forest in Cairo, NY

摘要

Scientists have discovered fossils of what they believe is the world's oldest known forest in an abandoned quarry near Cairo, New York. The find provides researchers with evidence that forests developed 2 to 3 million years earlier than previously thought. The site contains fossils of at least three unique root systems, showing that ancient forests were comprised of several different trees and plants that were previously thought to grow in mutually exclusive habitats. At the time the Cairo forest existed, no birds or vertebrates lived on land. The forest is also about 140 million years older than the first dinosaurs. Researchers and scientists believe that the remains of this ancient forest reveal a key milestone in Earth's climate history. This important discovery could also help provide information about the relationship between deforestation and modern climate change.