Where Is the World's Oldest Known Forest?

In 2019, scientists confirmed that a fossil forest near Cairo, New York, dating back approximately 385 million years to the Middle Devonian period, is the world's oldest known forest. The site preserves the root systems of ancient trees in a former quarry. The forest contained at least three types of trees, including Archaeopteris (a precursor to modern seed plants) and cladoxylopsids (fern-like trees with hollow trunks). This forest is about 2 to 3 million years older than the previous record holder at Gilboa, New York, just 40 kilometers away. The discovery of these ancient forests helps scientists understand how trees transformed Earth's atmosphere by drawing down carbon dioxide levels.