Researchers have uncovered 350 million-year-old tree species that resemble something from “Dr. Seuss’s imagination” and are unlike any other tree species that exist on Earth today. When studying a fossilized tree species from New Brunswick, Canada known as Sanfordiacaulis, researchers uncovered the unusual three-dimensional crown-shaped tree. The species is thought to have flourished beneath the taller trees in the forest canopy.
“The way in which this tree produced hugely long leaves around its spindly trunk, and the sheer number over a short length of trunk, is startling,” Robert Gastaldo of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, was quoted as saying by the Independent. “The fossil on which we report is unique and a strange growth form in the history of life. It is one of evolution’s experiments during a time when forest plants underwent biodiversification, and it is a form that seems to be short-lived,” he added.
One example showed a striking break in the leaves from the top of the tree, which made it “absolutely unique”
One example showed a striking break in the leaves from the top of the tree, which made it “absolutely unique.” It’s one of the rare cases, according to researchers studying over 400 million years of fossil records, in which a preserved trunk with its crown leaves still attached is found. The crown leaf’s preservation in these old tree’s fossils is another amazing feature. “Any fossil tree with an intact crown is a rarity in the history of life,” said Gastaldo. According to the researchers, the tree most likely used its unique growth pattern to maximize light absorption and reduce competition with plants growing at ground level. They propose that it is the first indication of smaller trees sprouting under a larger forest canopy, pointing to a more sophisticated plant life during the Early Carboniferous epoch.
This finding suggests that Sanfordiacaulis existed during a time when plants were exploring various forms or architectures. Scientists note these fossils serve as a reminder of the unconventional trees that existed millions of years ago. “Rare and unusual fossils, such as the New Brunswick tree, is but one example of what colonised our planet but was an unsuccessful experiment,” Gastaldo concluded.