The world’s oldest forest is discovered near Butlin’s in Somerset: fossilized forest dates back 390 million years, beating the previous record holder in New York by 4 million years
A Butlin’s in Somerset might not seem like a natural backdrop for groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
But researchers have now discovered the world’s oldest forest, hidden in the sandstone cliffs near the resort.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge and Cardiff University discovered the fossilized remains of an ancient forest that once stretched across Devon and Somerset.
This fossil forest is believed to be 390 million years old, beating the previous record holder in New York by more than four million years.
Lead author Professor Neil Davies from the University of Cambridge said: ‘People sometimes think that enough has been looked at British rocks, but this shows that revisiting them can yield important new discoveries.’
Scientists have found the fossilized remains of tree trunks (photo). As this cross-section of a tree trunk shows, these trees would have been hollow in the middle
Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest forest in an ancient sandstone formation near Minehead, Somerset, now home to a Butlin’s holiday resort
In the study, the researchers studied the rocks of the ‘Hangman Sandstone Formation’ – a 1.4 km thick band of rock from the Devonian period, stretching between 419 million and 358 million years ago.
It was during this period that life began its first serious expansion into the country.
Until now, the cliffs on the south bank of the Bristol Channel were thought to contain no plant fossils.
However, by climbing England’s highest sea cliffs – some of which are only accessible by boat – the researchers discovered the remains of tree trunks and twigs from an ancient forest.
These are the oldest plant fossils ever found in Britain, dating back more than 350 million years.
Before this discovery, the oldest known forest in the world was located in Green County, about a two-hour drive north of New York City.
This forest grew about 385 million years ago and survived long enough to have been seen by dinosaurs.
The fossils contain fallen tree trunks (pictured) in remarkable detail, showing the patterns that would have covered their bark
Here scientists study the fossil of a large stump. Although not as tall as their modern descendants, these ancient trees could grow between two and four meters in height
However, the fossil trees found in Somerset would be nothing like the forests found today in nearby Exmoor National Park.
These trees, called Calamophyton, would have looked a bit like modern palm trees, according to the researchers.
Unlike modern trees, they were thin and hollow in the middle, growing hundreds of branch-like structures instead of leaves.
Compared to a modern forest, they would also have been a lot shorter, with the tallest reaching between two and four meters.
Professor Davies said: ‘This was a pretty strange forest – not like any other forest you would see today.
‘There was no undergrowth yet and no grass had appeared yet, but lots of twigs were falling through these densely packed trees, which had a major effect on the landscape.’
These fallen twigs would have provided homes for some of the earliest animals, with the researchers even discovering the fossilized tracks of one of these early invertebrates on the forest floor.
The fossil trees found in Somerset would look nothing like the forests found today in nearby Exmoor National Park. These trees, called Calamophyton, would have looked a bit like modern palm trees, according to the researchers (artist’s impression)
Fossil remains show the twigs (pictured) that fell to the ground and helped change the landscape of the Devonian period
The fallen debris from the forest was home to some of the first invertebrates to venture onto land. This photo shows the fossilized tracks of one of these early animals
The researchers hope that by studying the forest’s remains they can gain insight into how ancient forests changed the landscape around them.
According to Professor Davies, this forest would not only have provided a home for early animals, but would also have had a powerful influence on the shape of the land.
“The Devonian period fundamentally changed life on Earth,” he explained.
‘It also changed the way water and land interacted, as trees and other plants helped stabilize sediment through their root systems.’
At the time this forest was growing, the area of rock that now forms Culver Cliff, Selworthy Sand and Porlock Weir was not actually connected to England.
Instead, it was part of modern-day Germany and Belgium, where other Devonian rocks are found.
The terrain itself would have been a semi-arid plain, crossed by small rivers flowing from the mountains to the northwest.
The areas near Minehead would once have been a semi-arid plain, crossed by streams and stabilized by early woodlands. Today it is the site of a major holiday resort of Butlin (pictured)
This map shows how the cliffs of Devon and Somerset (marked by the black box) were once part of the landmass that is now Germany and Belgium
Although scientists know that trees have played a role in shaping this ancient environment, until now there has been no opportunity to study their impact in such detail.
Co-author of the study, Dr Christopher Berry from Cardiff University, said it was astonishing to see these fossil forests so close to home.
“The most revealing insight comes from seeing these trees for the first time in the positions where they grew,” he concluded.
‘It is our first opportunity to look directly at the ecology of this earliest type of forest, interpret the environment in which Calamophyton trees grew and evaluate their impact on the sedimentary system.’