Could This Fossil Rewrite the Story of Ancient Forests?

A 377-million-year-old tree fossil now unveiled at Torquay Museum is challenging everything known about early forests. The ancient specimen, identified as a primitive lycopsid, was discovered in the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark and excites international science communities.

Standing just four meters tall and resembling today’s palms, early lycopsids were ancestors of the giant trees that helped form later coal beds. The fossil, excavated from Saltern Cove, shines a light on the existence of forests on volcanic islands in the Devonian, an era previously documented only by marine fossils in the region.

How was the fossil discovered and preserved?

During a 2024 field survey at Saltern Cove, Dr. Kevin Page recognized the fossil as an exceptional find. The discovery was kept confidential at first while the team coordinated recovery and conservation plans due to the specimen’s scientific and cultural value.

After nearly a year of meticulous preservation work and multi-agency planning, the fossil was safely transferred to Torquay Museum for study and display, where it became the highlight of their ancient collections.

Expert geologists, accompanied by safety professionals, executed a challenging winch operation to extract the fossil from the clifftop site. The collaboration ensured the fragile specimen could survive environmental threats, including storm erosion, and remain available for research and public education long-term.

Did you know?
Lycopsid trees, ancestors of modern clubmosses, once towered over early landscapes but rarely fossilize in volcanic island settings.

Why is this find globally significant?

The fossil presents the world’s oldest concrete evidence of trees living on volcanic islands. According to Dr. Page, never before have researchers found proof of Devonian period vegetation thriving outside continental settings.

This groundbreaking discovery fundamentally alters our understanding of early plant colonization and suggests that primitive trees adapted to a broader range of environments earlier than previously believed.

The international scientific community is now drawn to the site, with further research expected to clarify how early forests contributed to shaping both local climates and ancient ecosystems.

The fossil represents a pivotal addition to the global fossil record by documenting rapidly evolving land flora at a crucial time in Earth’s history.

What does the fossil reveal about ancient environments?

Until this discovery, Devon’s geological record pointed strictly to marine habitats during the late Devonian. The identification of preserved lycopsid roots and bark at Saltern Cove confirms these islands supported unique forest ecosystems.

These findings add a new dimension to prehistoric geography and suggest ancient volcanic archipelagos could foster early plant life under challenging conditions.

Melanie Border, Geopark Coordinator, noted that this opens an entirely fresh chapter in regional geological history. The evidence forces scientists to reevaluate the Devonian’s environmental transitions and better understand the evolution of landscapes, flora, and even the early climate’s transformations.

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How did experts collaborate to protect the discovery?

An urgent, multidisciplinary recovery effort brought together scientists and authorities from Natural England and universities in Exeter, Plymouth, Cardiff, and Lille.

Health and safety, land access, and curatorial expertise were required to ensure the successful extraction and transfer of the fossil to Torquay Museum.

Responsibility for the project included securing special permissions under the UNESCO Global Geopark designation and SSSI status.

Public access to Saltern Cove was closed during removal operations to safeguard both the fossil and the local environment, symbolizing an exemplary scientific and conservation partnership.

What questions remain about Devonian island forests?

Researchers continue to study the fossil to determine how these small but resilient trees colonized volcanic islands surrounded by ancient oceans. Did lycopsids disperse by floating spores, or did land bridges exist between islands? Scientists are also analyzing soil and rock samples from Saltern Cove to reconstruct climate and surface conditions at the time of the fossil’s life.

The Torquay Museum curatorial team expects the specimen to yield many insights as further analyses progress.

The discovery points to the need for continued protection, exploration, and cooperation to uncover and interpret Earth’s earliest terrestrial life.

The future of paleobotany now looks brighter. As new fossil finds come to light, the scientific picture of Earth’s transformative Devonian period will keep evolving, and with it, collective understanding of the roots of terrestrial life.