Gilboa fossil forest
Encyclopedia
Gilboa Fossil Forest, New York
, USA, is cited as home to the Earth
's oldest forest
. Located near the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County, New York, the region is home to tree trunks from the Devonian
Period, which occurred roughly 380 million years ago. The fossils, some of the only survivors of their type in the world, are remnants of the Earth's earliest forests. This location has been of great interest to paleobotanists since the 1920s when New York City began a water project and excavation for a dam. The project turned up large upright tree stumps from a fossil forest, some of which are on display at the Gilboa Dam site and the New York Power Authority
Blenheim-Gilboa Visitor's Center in Schoharie County and at the New York State Museum
.
. William Stein, associate professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University
and colleagues at the New York State Museum
in Albany, NY and Cardiff University
in the United Kingdom have found an intact tree more than 26 feet tall with a system of frond-like, but leafless branches resulting in a superficially tree fern or palm tree-like form. These findings have helped to determine that Eospermatopteris belongs to the Cladoxylopsida class, which were big vascular plants with spectacular morphology for their time.
One reason scientists are so fascinated by these trees is that they were part of "aforestation," the original greening of the earth. That process had a major impact on the planet's climate, carbon cycling and, ultimately, what kinds of animals evolved in these ecosystems.
Dr Berry, of Cardiff's School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, said: "This was also a significant moment in the history of the planet. The rise of the forests removed a lot of carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere. This caused temperatures to drop and the planet became very similar to its present-day condition."
(DEP) and Kristen V. H. Wyckoff of the Gilboa Historical Society. The rare fossil trees will be loaned by DEP to the Gilboa Historical Society for a new exhibit and educational kiosk on land owned by the town of Gilboa.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA, is cited as home to the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's oldest forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. Located near the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County, New York, the region is home to tree trunks from the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
Period, which occurred roughly 380 million years ago. The fossils, some of the only survivors of their type in the world, are remnants of the Earth's earliest forests. This location has been of great interest to paleobotanists since the 1920s when New York City began a water project and excavation for a dam. The project turned up large upright tree stumps from a fossil forest, some of which are on display at the Gilboa Dam site and the New York Power Authority
New York Power Authority
The New York Power Authority , officially the Power Authority of the State of New York , is a New York State public benefit corporation and the largest state-owned power organization in the United States. NYPA provides some of the lowest-cost electricity in New York State, operating 17 generating...
Blenheim-Gilboa Visitor's Center in Schoharie County and at the New York State Museum
New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol...
.
History
An international research team has found evidence of the Earth's earliest forest trees, dating back 385 million years. Upright stumps of fossilized trees were uncovered after a flash flood in Gilboa, upstate New York, more than a century ago. However, until 2007, the crowns of the trees and overall morphology were unknown. They were located along the coast of an inland sea that covered what is now the southern part of New York and western PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. William Stein, associate professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...
and colleagues at the New York State Museum
New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol...
in Albany, NY and Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
in the United Kingdom have found an intact tree more than 26 feet tall with a system of frond-like, but leafless branches resulting in a superficially tree fern or palm tree-like form. These findings have helped to determine that Eospermatopteris belongs to the Cladoxylopsida class, which were big vascular plants with spectacular morphology for their time.
One reason scientists are so fascinated by these trees is that they were part of "aforestation," the original greening of the earth. That process had a major impact on the planet's climate, carbon cycling and, ultimately, what kinds of animals evolved in these ecosystems.
Dr Berry, of Cardiff's School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, said: "This was also a significant moment in the history of the planet. The rise of the forests removed a lot of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
from the atmosphere. This caused temperatures to drop and the planet became very similar to its present-day condition."
Recent updates
Nine 370 million year-old fossil trees are being moved to a new site half a mile away from the overlook at the Gilboa Dam, according to an announcement by Commissioner Joel A. Miele Sr., P.E. of the New York City Department of Environmental ProtectionNew York City Department of Environmental Protection
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is a City agency of nearly 6,000 employees that manages and conserves the City’s water supply; distributes more than one billion gallons of clean drinking water each day to nine million New Yorkers and collects wastewater through a vast...
(DEP) and Kristen V. H. Wyckoff of the Gilboa Historical Society. The rare fossil trees will be loaned by DEP to the Gilboa Historical Society for a new exhibit and educational kiosk on land owned by the town of Gilboa.
Additional Reading
- Staff Writers, Binghamton, NY (SPX) Apr 23, 2007 , Mystery Of Oldest Trees Unraveled
- Geoff Ryan (718/595-6600), September 25, 2000, Rare Fossil Trees To Be Moved To New Site In Gilboa http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press/00-49pr.html
- Staff Writers, Cardiff. NY (SPX) Apr 20,2007, Mystery of Fossilized Trees Is Solved
- Michael Hill, Albany, NY (AP) June 3, 2007, Fossilized tree found in N.Y. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/06/03/4230234-ap.html
- Rachel Coker, Binghamton Univ.,NY April 19, 2007, Volume 28, No.27., Faculty member helps unravel mystery of Earth's oldest forest http://inside.binghamton.edu/news/newspage.cgi?issue=2007apr19&id=2