Science
Related: About this forumFirst Photos of China’s 298-Million-Year-Old Buried Forest
These are the first photos of some of the countless treasures found in the extraordinary 298-million-year-old forest discovered under coal mine in Wuda, Inner Mongolia, China.
The beautiful images show "the exceptional preservation of the fossil plants of the peat-forming swamp forest." The research team has found entire plants and trees, allowing them to confirm previously published reconstructions. It's also the first time ever that they have found fossilized tree and plant communities arranged in a forest.
A volcanic eruption buried the entire forest under ash, preserving it in this exquisite state, never seen before. The lead scientists classify it as a "Permian vegetational Pompeii" in the title of their research. According to University of Pennsylvania paleobotanist Hermann Pfefferkorn, it's an extraordinary "time capsule."
Here is the excavation site, located on the northern Helanshan Mountains of Inner Mongolia, 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Wuda. The ash-covered area itself is estimated to be 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from North to South, but scientists have only been able to work in a 10,763-square-foot (1000-square-meter) area. The entire mine is 7.72 square miles (20 square kilometers).
Asterophyllites longifolius (A) and associated Paleostachya type strobili (B); Sphenophyllum oblongifolius (C) and associated strobili (D); Sigillaria cf. ichthyolepis leaf (E),
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http://gizmodo.com/5887454/first-photos-of-chinas-298+million+year+old-buried-forest
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)Well worth going to the link to see them all.
This is an amazing discovery considering the size of the forest remains.
Thanks for the link.
northoftheborder
(7,565 posts)greiner3
(5,214 posts)I am also referring to the colors. Of course the greens but also the reds and yellows. Amazing.
These examples show the possibilities for animal fossils to have vivid colors left in them. A few dinosaur fossils have had their colors intact but I'm sure there are many, many more to be discovered that will show the diversity of the use of colors within the dinosaur, and other phylum, fossils.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)Yavapai
(825 posts)Oh, wait, I am a senior citizen also....
itsrobert
(14,157 posts)The Earth is only 6000 years old. Something is wrong with these calculations. Did someone fat finger the calculator?
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)I am such a geek when it comes to discoveries like this.
Boudica the Lyoness
(2,899 posts)Thanks so much for posting this!
Wonderful.
Paper Roses
(7,468 posts)donquijoterocket
(488 posts)MinneapolisMatt
(1,550 posts)Exquisite!
DallasNE
(7,390 posts)And what does this tell us about the climate of China at the time. Also, since plants were preserved were any animals also found? I find this to be a very interesting development and hope there are follow-up stories.
drm604
(16,230 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)ermasdaughter
(85 posts)Thanks for posting this!!