Still Waters Posted August 12, 2011 #1 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Two 400-million-year-old fossil plants are the oldest known examples of wood. They are small herbs, suggesting that wood did not evolve to help plants grow tall.Both fossils date from the early Devonian period, by which time simple plants had long colonised the land and begun diversifying.One was found in France and dates from 407 million years ago, while the other, from Canada, is 397 million years old. According to lead researcher Philippe Gerrienne of the University of Liège, Belgium, they predate the previous record-holders by at least 10 million years. Read more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozner Posted August 12, 2011 #2 Share Posted August 12, 2011 It's strange to think that there was a time when there where no trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dreamer - Hybrid89 Posted August 14, 2011 #3 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I have to agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquatus1 Posted August 14, 2011 #4 Share Posted August 14, 2011 An entire forest made out of fungi...creepy, except you know that there wouldn't be any animals either...or even bugs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted August 14, 2011 #5 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) An entire forest made out of fungi...creepy, except you know that there wouldn't be any animals either...or even bugs... Heh, I was thinking about these giant fungi too as soon as I read the OP. But the OP is not about fungi, as you can see from the photo published with the article. "Trees would not evolve until about 385 million years ago, at which point they began scrambling to grow taller in order to capture more light. Wood was crucial for this, because it made their trunks sturdier." Well, the next is old news, but it shows fungi (=NOT plants) had no problems growing tall: Scientists have identified the Godzilla of fungi - a giant, prehistoric fossil that has evaded classification for more than a century. A chemical analysis has shown that the 6-metre-tall organism with a tree-like trunk was a fungus that became extinct more than 350 million years ago. Known as Prototaxites, the giant fungus has intrigued scientists, who originally thought it was a conifer. In 2001, Francis Hueber at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, US, first suggested it may be a fungus, based on an analysis of the fossil's internal structure. But he had no conclusive proof. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11701-mystery-prehistoric-fossil-verified-as-giant-fungus.html . Edited August 14, 2011 by Abramelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted August 14, 2011 #6 Share Posted August 14, 2011 An entire forest made out of fungi...creepy, except you know that there wouldn't be any animals either...or even bugs... Re: "Bugs". If we are using the circa 400 million yr. figure, it would appear that insects were already present: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/02/12/1043512.htm http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v427/n6975/full/nature02291.html Aged and persistent rascals. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXHellkittiesXx Posted August 14, 2011 #7 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Herb? Smokable herb? Imagine smoking an 400 million year old herb...I bet they had good stuff back then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j23w Posted August 15, 2011 #8 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I am a new christian struggling with their idea of new age earth. These articles fascinate me but wish they would explain how they date things. By what process etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dreamer - Hybrid89 Posted August 15, 2011 #9 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I am a new christian struggling with their idea of new age earth. These articles fascinate me but wish they would explain how they date things. By what process etc... Theres a lot of ways of dating fossils. Although its been a number of years since I did history or even anything close to it, Carbon dating is but one way of dating a fossil as far as I remember. Google 'how do you date fossils' and you'll find what your looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xCrimsonx Posted August 15, 2011 #10 Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) Herb? Smokable herb? Imagine smoking an 400 million year old herb...I bet they had good stuff back then LOL Ya'd wanna hope your not allergic to penicillin coz I reckon a 400 million year old herb would be well funky man! Ya know they say Herbs "etc" where waaaaay better in the sixties ya dont know what ya smoking nowadays! Edited August 15, 2011 by xCrimsonx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xCrimsonx Posted August 15, 2011 #11 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Theres a lot of ways of dating fossils. Although its been a number of years since I did history or even anything close to it, Carbon dating is but one way of dating a fossil as far as I remember. Google 'how do you date fossils' and you'll find what your looking for. Carbon dating only really gives the calculation within a particular time period and not an actual date so to speak! Compared to what they find now, forensically and scientifically we are pretty much on the mark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now