Tree fossils discovered in a 290 million-year-old forest
Scientists have found tree fossils in a forest in the state of Parana in southern Brazil, dating back 290 million years, that is, before the emergence of dinosaurs, and described this discovery as a "window into the past" to study the evolution of plants.
And the stratigraphy scientist at Parana University, Tami Mutin, explained that the discovery of this petrified forest consisting of 164 lycophytes trees (without fruits, flowers or seeds) of a previously extinct species is “the most important in the southern hemisphere” in terms of Preservation quantity and quality.
The scientist, who conducted her research in partnership with the University of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil and the University of California in Davis in the United States, added that "these plants, which are estimated to be 290 million years old, represent very primitive life forms in the history of the Earth."
She explained that this forest, which grew near the current site of the city of Ortigueira, "shows how the first plants spread and distributed in the place and the nature of their interactions" with other forms of life.
Similar rare discoveries have previously been made in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul or in Argentine Patagonia, but on a much smaller scale.
The Parana Petrified Forest was discovered by chance at the end of 2018, during geological studies that preceded the planning of a route to a factory.
Its discovery was followed by the launch of a long-term study, the results of which were published last February in the scientific journal "Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology", issued by the Dutch Elsevier Group, and recently reported by the Brazilian press.
Tami Motin explained that the factor that allowed the forest to be preserved in this exceptional way is that the trees were “buried when they were still alive, and then gradually covered by sediment.” Then "the forest remained almost the same" after it was submerged by a frozen river.
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