Fossil forest of the Miocene era found in Japan, which rose to the surface (photo)

A scientific discovery that surprised scientists more than 25 years ago has been described in detail. We are talking about a fossil forest that was discovered on the banks of the Kiso River in 1994 and has once again come into the focus of the scientific world.

Scientists from the University of Cape Town have conducted an additional thorough study of this unique find, Science Alert reports.

During a severe drought in 1994, more than 400 fossilized stumps fell out of the water of the Kiso River, located northeast of Nagoya. The unusual nature of the forest find was that plant fossils are very rarely preserved in such a complete state. Scientists were able to study 137 stumps and the fossilized leaves around them.

Read more: Remains of a spider that lived on Earth more than 300 million years ago found in Germany (photo)

The forest was unique in that it was inhabited mainly by one species of tree - Wataria parvipora. More than 90% of the studied stumps belonged to this species. The fossilized leaves were also identified as Byttneriophyllum tiliifolium, which is a fossil species of the mallow family.

The scientists found that the leaves fell from the trees, being deposited on the forest floor and preserved as fossils next to the trunks.

This research has become really important for the study of ecosystems of past eras. The data on the preserved fossil forest gives scientists a unique opportunity to better understand the climatic conditions and biological development of ancient ecosystems.

Information about the forest preserved for centuries at the bottom of the river is expected to help scientists better understand the ecological processes of past eras and the impact of humanity on nature in general.

As a reminder, an 1800-year-old marble nymph statue was discovered during excavations in Spain.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!