In the Leningrad region, paleontologists from St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU) discovered a tree trunk dating back approximately 385 million years, dating back to the Devonian period, TASS reported.
According to the assistant of the Department of Regional Geology of SPbSU, this find is probably the oldest specimen found on the Russian platform, where for the first time such a developed root system was recorded in direct connection with the main body.
He added that the find is of great importance in the study of prototaxis, as the nature of this plant species has been a subject of debate among scientists for 150 years.
The trunk of the tree was found in the Shalovo-Perechitskiy sand mines of the Luzhsky district. The excavations have been ongoing since October 27, and scientists initially thought it was another discovery, but during the work, a wide root system was revealed.
Experts say that a detailed study of the find:
- to determine its taxonomic affiliation,
- a deeper understanding of the geography and age of the earliest plants on Earth,
- studying the mechanisms of their adaptation to land,
- and their role in the formation of early soil layers.
After the completion of the research, the 385-million-year-old tree trunk will be placed in the Paleontology Museum of St. Petersburg State University.
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