Ancient Roots: The Hidden World of Deep-Time Forests Reveals a Secret of Global Change

Ronny Rößler

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.036

Ancient Roots: The Hidden World of Deep-Time Forests Reveals a Secret of Global Change

Curr Biol. 2020 Feb 3;30(3):R125-R127. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.036.

Author

Ronny Rößler¹

Affiliation

¹ Museum fuer Naturkunde, Moritzstrasse 20, D-09111 Chemnitz, Germany; TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Geological Institute, Department of Palaeontology/Stratigraphy, Bernhard-von-Cotta Strasse 2, D-09599 Freiberg, Germany. Electronic address: roessler@naturkunde-chemnitz.de.

PMID: 32017883
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.036

Abstract

As seen from its buried soil, the Earth's oldest forest was diverse and grew on a periodically dry substrate, a new study shows. The sophisticated roots in this forest are reminiscent of modern seed plants, but come from Archaeopteris and, thus, predate the impact of seed-plant rooting on global forestation.

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MeSH terms

Forests*
Fossils*
Plant Roots
Soil

Substances

Soil