The quarry surface our team has surveyed represents an ancient paleosol (ancient forest soil horizon)

that preserves dramatic evidence of one of the oldest forests known on Earth. Age of this horizon is approximately 387 million years b.p. and represents the latest part of the Middle Devonian Epoch.

Photo: Eospermatopteris root system in overwash sediment.
Credit: William Stein.

The earliest fossil forest to date is recovered from the Devonian of New York.

Photo: Overview of well-preserved Archaeopteris root system, left, possible Stigmarian Isoetalean lycopsid, right.

Credit: William Stein & Christopher Berry.

At a fossil site in Cairo, New York, researchers found the extensive root system that shows evidence of leaves and wood during the Devonian Period, which occurred from about 416 to 359 million years ago…

Photo: KathodeRay Media, Inc.

The oldest forest in the world was just discovered in upstate New York, just west of the Hudson River and a bit south of Albany.

Photo: Archaeopteris root system at the Cairo fossil forest site at first discovery.
Credit: Charles Ver Straeten.