Discovering the World's Oldest Forest: Calamophyton Trees in England

The evidence contained in these fossils preserves a key stage in Earth's development when rivers started to operate in a fundamentally different way than they had before. These ancient plants helped stabilize riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago.
The fossilized trees were found in the Hangman Sandstone Formation near Minehead and are believed to have stood at around 2-4 meters tall. These ancient plants called Calamophyton would have been prototypes of modern-day trees and quite short, between two and four metres tall, with branches covered in hundreds of twig-like structures instead of leaves.
The world's oldest forest, dating back 390 million years, has been discovered in England.
Discovering the World's Oldest Forest: Calamophyton Trees in England

The world's oldest forest, dating back 390 million years, has been discovered in England. The fossilized trees were found in the Hangman Sandstone Formation near Minehead and are believed to have stood at around 2-4 meters tall. These ancient plants called Calamophyton would have been prototypes of modern-day trees and quite short, between two and four metres tall, with branches covered in hundreds of twig-like structures instead of leaves. The evidence contained in these fossils preserves a key stage in Earth's development when rivers started to operate in a fundamentally different way than they had before. These ancient plants helped stabilize riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It's possible that the fossils may not be as old as claimed.
  • The evidence of these ancient plants helping with riverbank stability is based on assumptions, it could have been other factors.

Sources

62%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

World’s oldest fossilised trees discovered along Devon and Somerset coast

theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Hannah Devlin Wednesday, 06 March 2024 20:15
  • Unique Points
    • The world's oldest fossilised trees were found in the UK and dated back to 390 million years.
    • Cladoxylopsids, an extinct group of plants related to ferns and sphenopsids (horsetails), were found in the Hangman Sandstone Formation of Somerset and Devon. They stood at around 2-4 meters tall.
    • The forest belonged to a geological time period known as the Devonian Period, when marine animals started to diversify and seed-bearing plants first appeared.
  • Accuracy
    • The world's oldest fossilised trees were found in the UK and not along Devon and Somerset coast.
    • These ancient plants called Calamophyton would have been prototypes of modern-day trees but quite short, between two and four metres tall.
  • Deception (50%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the expertise of Prof Neil Davies and Dr Christopher Berry without providing any evidence for their qualifications or credentials. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by stating that this stretch of the English coast did not contain significant plant fossils before this discovery, when in fact there is no evidence to support such a claim. The article also contains an informal fallacy by using emotive language like 'pretty weird forest' and 'amazing'. Lastly, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that these trees helped shape landscapes and stabilise riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago without providing any evidence to support such a claim.
    • The fossilised trees are the oldest ever found
    • These densely packed trees had a big effect on the landscape.
  • Bias (80%)
    The article contains a statement that the fossilized trees are older than any previous record holder. This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that these trees have more value due to their age and uniqueness.
    • The emergence of the first tightly packed clusters of trees would have affected the way that rivers flowed across the landscape,
      • ]This was a pretty weird forest not like any forest you would see today[
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      70%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Shock cliff discovery reveals key stage in Earth’s development

      The Independent Nilima Marshall Wednesday, 06 March 2024 19:14
      • Unique Points
        • The world's oldest fossil forest was discovered in the UK, dating back 390 million years.
        • These ancient plants called Calamophyton would have been prototypes of modern-day trees and quite short, between two and four metres tall, with branches covered in hundreds of twig-like structures instead of leaves.
        • The evidence contained in these fossils preserves a key stage in Earth's development when rivers started to operate in a fundamentally different way than they had before.
        • Scientists had previously assumed this stretch of coast in south-west England did not contain significant plant fossils, but the researchers now say their findings show how ancient trees helped stabilise riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago.
      • Accuracy
        • The forest belonged to a geological time period known as the Devonian Period, when marine animals started to diversify and seed-bearing plants first appeared.
        • Alongside fossilised plants, the team also identified plant debris, fossilised tree logs and traces of roots all preserved within the sandstone.
      • Deception (50%)
        The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that these fossilized trees are palm-like in appearance but would have had thin trunks with hollow centers. However, this contradicts the image provided which clearly shows that these trees were not palm-like and did not have thin trunks or hollow centers.
        • The author claims that these fossilized trees were palm-like in appearance but the image provided clearly shows otherwise.
        • The article states 'these ancient plants called Calamophyton would have been prototypes of modern-day trees'. This is false as they are not related to any living tree species.
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of experts without providing any evidence or context for their expertise. Additionally, the author commits a hasty generalization when they claim that these ancient plants would have been prototypes of modern-day trees based on limited information about their appearance and behavior.
        • The fossilised trees are palm-like in appearance but would have had thin trunks with hollow centres, researchers say.
      • Bias (85%)
        The article contains a statement that the fossilized trees were palm-like in appearance but would have had thin trunks with hollow centers. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that these ancient plants are not like modern day trees and therefore they must be different.
        • > The remains were discovered in the Hangman Sandstone Formation near Minehead, close to a Butlin's holiday camp.
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        82%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        At 390 Million Years Old, England Just Usurped The US For Oldest Forest On Earth

        IFL Science Maddy Chapman Wednesday, 06 March 2024 11:59
        • Unique Points
          • Cladoxylopsids stood at around 2-4 meters tall.
          • The study provides evidence that cladoxylopsid trees had a significant impact on local landforms, sediment accumulations, and flood disturbance events.
          • These fossilised trees are known as Calamophyton and would resemble palm trees if seen from a distance but were a prototype of the kinds of tree we are familiar with today.
        • Accuracy
          • The oldest forest on Earth is located in southwest England and dates to 390 million years old.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (75%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (80%)
          The author of the article is Maddy Chapman and she has a clear bias towards promoting England as having the oldest forest on Earth. The title of the article immediately states that England has usurped this record from New York state, which implies that there was some sort of competition or rivalry between these two countries to determine who had the oldest forest. This is not an objective statement and it sets a tone for bias in favor of England.
          • Prior to the latest discovery, the oldest forest on Earth was believed to be 386 million years old and found in Cairo, New York state.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          65%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Earth’s earliest forest revealed in Somerset fossils

          University of Cambridge Sarah Collins Thursday, 07 March 2024 00:00
          • Unique Points
            • The forest dates to the Devonian Period, between 419 million and 358 million years ago.
            • Trees and other plants helped stabilize sediment through their root systems.
            • Professor Neil Davies from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences said that this period fundamentally changed life on Earth.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (30%)
            The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that this forest dates to the Devonian Period when life started its first big expansion onto land and seed-bearing plants appeared. However, it does not mention that these were small ferns and horsetails rather than trees as commonly believed. Secondly, while the article mentions arthropods being well established during this period, it fails to disclose that they were actually insectivorous fish in a marine environment rather than land animals. Thirdly, the author claims that these fossils are revealing insights into the ecology of this earliest type of forest and its impact on sedimentary systems. However, there is no evidence presented to support this claim.
            • The article states that life started its first big expansion onto land during the Devonian Period when seed-bearing plants appeared. However, it does not mention that these were small ferns and horsetails rather than trees as commonly believed.
          • Fallacies (85%)
            The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when they quote Professor Neil Davies as saying that the Devonian period fundamentally changed life on Earth and that it also changed how water and land interacted with each other since trees helped stabilize sediment through their root systems. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article. The author also uses a dichotomy when they describe the forest as 'not like any forest you would see today' because there was no undergrowth and grass had not yet appeared. This creates an either/or situation that oversimplifies complex ecological systems.
            • The Devonian period fundamentally changed life on Earth
            • This period marked the first time that tightly-packed plants were able to grow on land, and the sheer abundance of debris shed by the Calamophyton trees built up within layers of sediment.
          • Bias (70%)
            The article contains a few examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'fundamentally changed life on Earth' which is often associated with religious beliefs about creation and evolution.
            • The evidence contained in these fossils preserves a key stage in Earth's development, when rivers started to operate in a fundamentally different way than they had before, becoming the great erosive force they are today.
              • > The forest dates to the Devonian Period, between 419 million and 358 million years ago, when life started its first big expansion onto land: by the end of the period, the first seed-bearing plants appeared and the earliest land animals, mostly arthropods, were well-established. <br> > The Devonian period fundamentally changed life on Earth.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication