A recent Ph.D. A graduate excavation in an ancient forest near Strahan in western Tasmania exceeded expectations. Discovery of new varieties of plants.
A recent graduate of the University of Adelaide, Dr. The remains were discovered during a 2020 excavation led by Miriam Slodonic. The goal of the dig was to “understand Tasmania’s ancient ecosystem,” Slodonic told Fox News Digital in an email.
Slodonic’s research was published in the American Journal of Botany on August 27, 2024.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that the regions near the poles, the regions we associate with extreme cold and ice, were once covered in dense forests,” Slodonic said. “To study this, I looked for places where we could find rocks that were formed at the right time and in the right place.”
“Tasmania turned out to be a perfect location, not only because it was accessible (unlike Antarctica, which is very difficult to reach) but also because previous research had already suggested that Presence of Relics” Slodonic continued. The remains were previously discovered in 2003 during excavations by the University of Tasmania led by Professor Gregory Jordan, Slodonic said.
Despite past findings on the Slodonic side, the success of more recent excavations has turned out to be greater than previously expected.
The goal of understanding the ancient ecosystem was surpassed even by discovering new plant species along the way.
“We didn’t expect to find new species,” Slodonic told Fox News Digital.
Notable fossils found include relatives of living plants such as Aerocaria, Slodonic noted, as well as relatives of the Wollemi pine, an ancient and extremely rare plant. Fewer than 100 mature trees exist today.
Fossils often tell great stories about the conditions of the world around them at the time they lived.
This in the forest Plant remains were found According to a news release about the discovery from the University of Adelaide, it dates back to 53 million years ago.
“Fossils tell an incredible story. About 50 million years ago, a lush, ‘tropical-like’ forest flourished near the Arctic Circle. This was during a time of peak global temperatures, so that even the areas near the poles, areas we now consider icy and barren, were densely vegetated,” Slodonic explained.
“At that time, Tasmania was located on the Arctic Circle and was still connected to Antarctica, which served as a land bridge to South America. Because of this connection, many of the fossil plants we find in Tasmania are similar to plants of the same age found in South America, ” Slodonic continued.
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“Overall, these fossils give us a fascinating glimpse into how Earth’s climate and continents have changed dramatically over millions of years,” Slodonic concluded.
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