350 Million-Year-Old Tree Fossil Stuns Scientists

The unearthing of a 350 million-year-old tree fossil has opened the door to plants of the past. Five of these fossils were found in New Brunswick, Canada. Discovered close to a quarry, they are believed to have fallen during an earthquake. 

Stone–Set Sanfordiacaulis Densifolia

We may not have much proof of this, but we do know that trees, and other plants, have been around since the beginning of time. Recently, some new evidence of this has come to light. Five tree fossils have been unearthed, apparently showing some resemblance to the illustrations of Dr. Seuss. However, I am pretty sure the conclusion was not that the world of Dr. Seuss is based on historical fact. These tree fossils are said to have been buried during an earthquake 350 million years ago. 

The Unearthing 

The fossils were discovered by coauthors Olivia King and Matthew Stimson. The unearthing happened in 2017 after they came across the fossils whilst looking into rocks at the New Brunswick quarry. The fossils were found in 3D form with fossilized branches and leaves still intact. Not many botanical fossils from this time have been found, so this discovery provided insight into the unknown, making it an exciting find for scientists.

Remains of Natural Disaster

The Sanfordiacaulis was named after Laurie Sanford, the owner of the land where the fossils were found. It is said that the fossils were most likely caused by an earthquake that resulted in a landslide. The landslide would have collapsed the trees, quickly burying them. It is a rare occurrence to find tree fossils fully intact, in fact, more dinosaur fossils have been found than plant fossils. 

Fantastical Trees

According to scientists, these fossilized trees look similar to Dr. Seuss’s illustrations of trees. The trees have a large top, going down into a narrow trunk. It’s fun to think that there used to be Dr. Seuss-looking trees on Earth! Sadly, this style of tree is no longer seen. These trees were part of the Paleozoic Era when plants emerged from water to land. Our view of the world 350 million years ago has dramatically changed with the discovery of these fossils.

From Fossil To Future

The past, present, and future all link to one another. These fossils help scientists learn more about plant life. This information will in turn help them speculate on where plant life is heading in the future. These fossils indicated a history different from what we expected/speculated. The occurrence of the earthquake provides scientists with a deeper insight into the happenings of the Earth at the time.

Frozen in Time

Standing at least 8.5 feet tall, with over 200 leaves reaching 5.5 feet long. The discovery of these fossils was a big deal for scientists as it is not common to find fully intact fossils, especially in the case of plants. Fossils hold the past, frozen in time. We have learned so much from these ancient images, not only about the past but the future too. We don’t know what the future holds, or even fully the past, but by putting them together we can get a glimpse into the future.