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Giant cladoxylopsid trees resolve the enigma of the Earth’s earliest forest stumps at Gilboa

Author

Listed:
  • William E. Stein

    (Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000, USA)

  • Frank Mannolini

    (New York State Museum, Albany, New York 12230, USA)

  • Linda VanAller Hernick

    (New York State Museum, Albany, New York 12230, USA)

  • Ed Landing

    (New York State Museum, Albany, New York 12230, USA)

  • Christopher M. Berry

    (School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK)

Abstract

Forest stump is crowned The evolution of the tree habit was fundamental to the Earth's terrestrial ecosystem. The earliest known evidence for forests consists of fossil tree stumps, about 385 million years old, from Gilboa in Upstate New York. These have been known since the 1870s and named 'Eospermatopteris'. But in the absence of the aerial portions of these trees, the affinities and significance of these stumps has remained unknown. Stein et al. now describe a spectacular tacular fossil tree from Schoharie County, New York, showing for the first time an intact crown belonging to a previously known plant type called Wattieza, attached to an Eospermatopteris trunk and base. This complete fossil of a tree-like fern provides the evidence needed for a detailed reconstruction of the appearance of the world's earliest forests.

Suggested Citation

  • William E. Stein & Frank Mannolini & Linda VanAller Hernick & Ed Landing & Christopher M. Berry, 2007. "Giant cladoxylopsid trees resolve the enigma of the Earth’s earliest forest stumps at Gilboa," Nature, Nature, vol. 446(7138), pages 904-907, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:446:y:2007:i:7138:d:10.1038_nature05705
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05705
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    Cited by:

    1. Shailee Bhattacharya & Shikha Sharma & Vikas Agrawal & Michael C. Dix & Giovanni Zanoni & Justin E. Birdwell & Albert S. Wylie & Tom Wagner, 2024. "Influence of Organic Matter Thermal Maturity on Rare Earth Element Distribution: A Study of Middle Devonian Black Shales from the Appalachian Basin, USA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-23, April.

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