Scientists discover world’s oldest fossilised forest

London: The oldest fossilised forest ever found, dating back 390 million years, has been unearthed along the Devon and Somerset coast in South West England.

Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff made the discovery, marking it as the oldest known fossil forest on Earth, surpassing the previous record-holder in New York State by four million years.

These ancient trees, ranging from two to four meters tall, shed branches, creating a forest floor rich with vegetation litter that supported invertebrates.

Published in the Journal of the Geological Society, the discovery offers insight into the Devonian Period's impact on Earth's ecosystem, highlighting changes in land plants and their influence on sedimentary systems.

The fossil forest, part of the Hangman Sandstone Formation, reveals a glimpse into a semi-arid plain crisscrossed by river channels during the Devonian era.