Discover the
Oldest Known Fossil Forest
What is the significance of the Cairo fossil forest site?
This fossil forest dates back 385 million years. The origin of trees and forests in the Mid Devonian Period was a turning point in Earth's history. It marks permanent changes to ecology, carbon dioxide levels, and climate. The fossilized advanced root system is comparable to modern seed plants and suggests a unique ecological role. It is believed that a flood killed most of the trees in the forest and preserved the root system as fossils.
Photo above: Overview of Archaeopteris in greenish overwash sediment. Credit: William Stein & Christopher Berry.
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Photo: Cleaning the surface at the Cairo fossil forest site.
Credit: William Stein
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Photo: Oblique view of the site showing large rooting systems.
Credit: William Stein & Christopher Berry