New paleozurocas

2007/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia
• Botanika
• Ekologia
• Paleontologia
• Arkeologia

In recent times we have received two news related to the trees and forests of millions of years ago. The first says they have discovered the fossil of a tree that lived three hundred and eighty million years ago. And the news is that the tree is complete. In fact, the fossil trunks of this tree (Eospermatopteris) have been found earlier in the state of New York, but they did not know what kind of cup it had. Now they know, with a cup of broad flattened leaves, like some current palms.

In addition, thanks to this fossil they have realized that already fossils of the tree cup of this species were found, but they did not relate with the Eospermatopteris trunks, and they thought they were another plant species.

The second news is that they have discovered in Illinois a spectacular forest that existed about three hundred million years ago. It is the largest fossil forest ever seen, with an extension of ten hectares and found in a coal mine. Once the coal has been removed, the fossils of trees and plants of a forest have been discovered on the walls of the mine.