The oldest known forest fossils, dating back at least 390 million years, have been discovered in the sandstone cliffs that rise along the coast of Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The analyzes were conducted by teams of scientists from the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff.
According to researchers, it is the oldest known fossil forest on Earth. It is about four million years older than the previous record holder, from New York State in the United States of America.
The history of the forest dates back to the Devonian period (419 million – 358 million years ago), when life began its great expansion on Earth. At the end of this era, seed plants appeared and arthropods settled on Earth.
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