117:
104:
446:
consisted of several hundred to more than a thousand strap-like roots of 2–6 millimetres (0.079–0.24 inches) in diameter and, for the larger trunks, in excess of 300 millimetres (12 inches) in length. The roots were approximately straight, undivided, and extended almost directly downward into the
420:). As the xylem bundles grew in diameter, they would split apart from one another near the apex of the trunk, thus limiting the overall height. The trunk apex was domed rather than tapered, and like the trunk base, wider than the midsection. Some trunks may have forked.
430:
for the plant. As the trunk grew, the lower branches would be shed; a mature tree might in the course of its growth shed as many as 700 to 800 branches, creating a thick carpet of decaying twigs on the ground below, with few
487:, England. As of the reporting date, it is the earliest forest yet discovered. At an age of 390 million years, the forest pre-dates the previously oldest-known example—a root system probably belonging to
968:"Earth's earliest forest: fossilized trees and vegetation-induced sedimentary structures from the Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Hangman Sandstone Formation, Somerset and Devon, SW England"
1077:
795:
620:
1005:
426:
did not have leaves, but rather small branches consisting of twig-like structures that grew only at or near the trunk apex, and which were the site of
1064:
670:
575:
896:"A Reconsideration of Hyenia elegans Kräusel et Weyland and Hyenia `complexa' Leclercq: Two Middle Devonian Cladoxylopsids from Western Europe"
834:
567:(Pseudosporochnales, Cladoxylopsida) Based on Exceptionally Complete Specimens from Lindlar, Germany (Mid-Devonian): Organic Connection of
1141:
1136:
972:
1131:
508:
fossil forest, with trees still in the positions where they grew, allows a direct, and unprecedented, examination of the local
713:
116:
476:
749:
866:
657:
344:
938:
512:. Of particular interest is the sedimentary system, in which the plants are seen capturing and stabilizing
1032:
504:
According to
Christopher Berry, one of the scientists involved in the discovery, the preservation of the
1103:
791:
387:
447:
soil. The fossil record indicates that in spite of their small diameter, they were stiff and hardy.
871:
766:
709:
687:
352:
180:
111:
1108:
309:
193:
1090:
1082:
967:
513:
289:
103:
1095:
412:, the tree trunk was hollow, and composed of multiple interconnected longitudinal strands of
977:
907:
758:
679:
653:
584:
332:
242:
494:
413:
313:
285:
501:
forest was alive, the
Somerset region would have been adjacent to Germany and Belgium.
468:
427:
409:
167:
141:
1125:
1006:"Scientists have discovered the world's oldest forest—and its radical impact on life"
616:
489:
61:
625:
456:
391:
321:
151:
532:
Root dimensions given here are based on the specimens of up to 2 metres in height.
966:
Davies, Neil S.; McMahon, William J.; Berry, Christopher M. (23 February 2024).
368:
36:
1055:
895:
432:
359:, United States, by James M. Schopf in 1964. It has since been suggested that
81:
46:
317:
86:
621:"World's oldest fossilised trees discovered along Devon and Somerset coast"
435:
plants observed. Where other cladoxylopsids shed their branches smoothly,
1049:
484:
480:
373:
297:
76:
71:
56:
51:
41:
982:
939:"Strange trees in world's oldest forest ripped themselves apart to grow"
386:
The genus has been described as having an unusual—and unusually complex—
1069:
770:
740:
691:
661:
509:
336:
91:
66:
497:—by about four million years. In the Middle Devonian period, when the
1026:
762:
683:
562:
455:, one of several characteristics suggesting a relationship with the
911:
588:
452:
417:
356:
281:
128:
835:"World's 'newest' oldest forest, recently discovered, is full of
648:
646:
644:
443:
1030:
308:
The genus was established in 1926 from specimens collected by
894:
Fairon-Demaret, Muriel; Berry, Christopher M. (May 2000).
961:
959:
284:
of tree, or "tree-sized plant", that was extant in the
408:
feet) and 4 metres (13 ft) in height. Like other
1012:. American Association for the Advancement of Science
714:"Plant Paleontology in the State of Maine - A Review"
471:
reported the discovery of an intact fossil forest of
666:, a New Species from the Middle Devonian of Belgium"
1039:
861:
859:
556:
554:
552:
550:
548:
745:: The Complex Morphology of Its Fertile Appendage"
371:. All specimens date to the Middle Devonian, some
561:Geisen, Peter; Berry, Christopher M. (May 2013).
300:, England, represents the earliest-known forest.
796:University of California Museum of Paleontology
703:
701:
563:"Reconstruction and Growth of the Early Tree
8:
712:; Forbes, William H.; Andrews, Henry N. Jr.
932:
930:
928:
1027:
102:
20:
981:
343:, also found in Belgium, by Leclercq and
611:
609:
607:
605:
900:International Journal of Plant Sciences
867:"World's oldest and most complex trees"
828:
826:
824:
822:
820:
818:
816:
814:
812:
671:Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden
576:International Journal of Plant Sciences
544:
525:
439:left small stubs behind on the trunk.
288:period. As of 2024, a well-preserved
224:
7:
792:"Introduction to the Cladoxylopsida"
394:. Specimens are between 0.8 metres (
629:. Guardian News & Media Limited
1004:Barras, Colin (19 December 2019).
14:
973:Journal of the Geological Society
937:Irving, Michael (13 March 2024).
451:reproduced not by seeds, but via
115:
571:Branches and Duisbergia Trunks"
213:R.Kräusel & H.Weyland, 1925
739:Leclercq, Suzanne (Aug 1969).
320:, Germany, who identified the
1:
833:Ralls, Eric (7 March 2024).
477:Hangman Sandstone Formation
316:, in Hardberg and Kirberg,
1158:
750:American Journal of Botany
493:, discovered in 2009 near
720:. Maine Geological Survey
223:
218:
112:Scientific classification
110:
101:
23:
1142:Prehistoric plant genera
1137:Plants described in 1925
255:(Leclercq & Andrews)
664:Calamophyton bicephalum
347:in 1960; and a fourth,
231:(Kräusel & Weyland)
1132:Middle Devonian plants
743:Calamophyton primaevum
708:Kasper, Andrew E. Jr;
325:Calamophyton primaevum
1104:Paleobiology Database
658:Andrews, Henry N. Jr.
463:Earliest-known forest
16:Extinct genus of tree
374:385 to 395
327:. A second species,
296:trees discovered in
983:10.1144/jgs2023-204
710:Gensel, Patricia G.
331:, was described by
872:Cardiff University
353:Mapleton Sandstone
339:in 1940; a third,
181:Pseudosporochnales
1119:
1118:
1091:Open Tree of Life
1033:Taxon identifiers
875:. 23 October 2017
654:Leclercq, Suzanne
514:fluvial sediments
376:million years ago
290:fossilized forest
273:
272:
267:
266:
257:
256:
247:
246:
233:
232:
214:
1149:
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1111:
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619:(7 March 2024).
613:
600:
599:
597:
595:
558:
533:
530:
416:woody material (
407:
406:
402:
399:
390:, superficially
377:
333:Suzanne Leclercq
264:
263:
254:
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240:
239:
230:
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155:
120:
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33:
29:Temporal range:
21:
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1122:
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1120:
1115:
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798:
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789:
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773:
763:10.2307/2440597
738:
737:
733:
723:
721:
707:
706:
699:
684:10.2307/2394614
652:
651:
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632:
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615:
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603:
593:
591:
560:
559:
546:
542:
537:
536:
531:
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495:Cairo, New York
469:paleontologists
467:In March 2024,
465:
404:
400:
397:
395:
384:
372:
306:
286:Middle Devonian
211:
203:
190:
177:
164:
153:
114:
97:
95:
94:
89:
84:
79:
74:
69:
64:
59:
54:
49:
44:
39:
32:Middle Devonian
31:
30:
27:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1155:
1153:
1145:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1124:
1123:
1117:
1116:
1114:
1113:
1100:
1087:
1074:
1061:
1045:
1043:
1037:
1036:
1031:
1024:
1023:
996:
955:
924:
912:10.1086/314267
886:
855:
808:
783:
757:(7): 773–781.
731:
697:
640:
617:Devlin, Hannah
601:
589:10.1086/669913
583:(4): 665–686.
543:
541:
538:
535:
534:
524:
523:
521:
518:
464:
461:
428:photosynthesis
410:cladoxylopsids
383:
380:
305:
302:
280:is an extinct
271:
270:
269:
268:
258:
248:
234:
221:
220:
216:
215:
201:
197:
196:
188:
184:
183:
175:
171:
170:
168:Cladoxylopsida
162:
158:
157:
149:
145:
144:
139:
132:
131:
126:
122:
121:
108:
107:
99:
98:
90:
85:
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70:
65:
60:
55:
50:
45:
40:
35:
34:
28:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1154:
1143:
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1007:
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997:
984:
979:
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969:
962:
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956:
944:
940:
933:
931:
929:
925:
913:
909:
905:
901:
897:
890:
887:
874:
873:
868:
862:
860:
856:
844:
840:
838:
829:
827:
825:
823:
821:
819:
817:
815:
813:
809:
797:
793:
787:
784:
772:
768:
764:
760:
756:
752:
751:
746:
744:
735:
732:
719:
718:Digital Maine
715:
711:
704:
702:
698:
693:
689:
685:
681:
677:
673:
672:
667:
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659:
655:
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539:
529:
526:
519:
517:
515:
511:
507:
502:
500:
496:
492:
491:
490:Archaeopteris
486:
482:
478:
475:trees in the
474:
470:
462:
460:
458:
454:
450:
445:
440:
438:
434:
429:
425:
421:
419:
415:
411:
393:
389:
381:
379:
375:
370:
366:
365:C. bicephalum
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
342:
341:C. bicephalum
338:
334:
330:
326:
323:
319:
315:
311:
303:
301:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
278:
262:
259:
252:
251:C. bicephalum
249:
244:
238:
235:
228:
225:
222:
217:
210:
209:
202:
199:
198:
195:
189:
186:
185:
182:
176:
173:
172:
169:
163:
160:
159:
156:
150:
147:
146:
143:
142:Tracheophytes
140:
137:
134:
133:
130:
127:
124:
123:
118:
113:
109:
105:
100:
93:
88:
83:
78:
73:
68:
63:
58:
53:
48:
43:
38:
26:
22:
19:
1041:Calamophyton
1040:
1014:. Retrieved
1009:
999:
987:. Retrieved
971:
946:. Retrieved
942:
915:. Retrieved
903:
899:
889:
877:. Retrieved
870:
846:. Retrieved
842:
837:Calamophyton
836:
799:. Retrieved
786:
774:. Retrieved
754:
748:
742:
734:
722:. Retrieved
717:
675:
669:
663:
660:(Feb 1960).
631:. Retrieved
626:The Guardian
624:
592:. Retrieved
580:
574:
569:Calamophyton
568:
565:Calamophyton
564:
528:
506:Calamophyton
505:
503:
499:Calamophyton
498:
488:
473:Calamophyton
472:
466:
457:Pteridophyta
449:Calamophyton
448:
441:
437:Calamophyton
436:
424:Calamophyton
423:
422:
385:
364:
361:C. primaevum
360:
348:
340:
328:
324:
322:type species
307:
294:Calamophyton
293:
277:Calamophyton
276:
275:
274:
260:
250:
236:
227:C. primaevum
226:
208:Calamophyton
207:
206:
152:Pteridophyta
135:
25:Calamophyton
24:
18:
444:root system
382:Description
369:conspecific
349:C. forbesii
261:C. forbesii
1126:Categories
906:(3): 473.
540:References
433:understory
388:morphology
345:H. Andrews
329:C. renieri
314:H. Weyland
310:R. Kräusel
237:C. renieri
194:Hyeniaceae
148:Division:
943:New Atlas
843:Earth.com
520:Footnotes
392:palm-like
351:, in the
318:Rhineland
304:Discovery
154: (?)
125:Kingdom:
1056:Q1026227
1050:Wikidata
1016:18 March
989:14 April
948:18 March
917:21 April
879:18 March
848:18 March
724:18 March
678:(1): 2.
633:17 March
594:18 March
485:Somerset
481:Minehead
414:vascular
298:Somerset
265:(Schopf)
243:Leclercq
219:Species
187:Family:
1096:3865997
1083:1062496
1070:4890894
1010:Science
801:7 April
776:7 April
771:2440597
692:2394614
510:ecology
403:⁄
337:Belgium
200:Genus:
174:Order:
161:Class:
129:Plantae
1109:249932
839:trees"
769:
690:
453:spores
312:&
1078:IRMNG
976:(4).
767:JSTOR
688:JSTOR
418:xylem
357:Maine
282:genus
136:Clade
1065:GBIF
1018:2024
991:2024
950:2024
919:2024
881:2024
850:2024
803:2024
778:2024
726:2024
635:2024
596:2024
442:The
367:are
363:and
37:Preęž’
978:doi
908:doi
904:161
759:doi
680:doi
585:doi
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335:in
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794:.
765:.
755:56
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668:.
656:;
643:^
623:.
604:^
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547:^
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952:.
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