One of the world’s oldest known timber fossils has been discovered in Cambodia. It dates to a time so long ago that it predates the breakup of Asia from Africa (some 200 million years ago). It comes as researchers from the Ministry of Environment revealed that the ancient wood unearthed in Banteay Meanchey province is estimated to be between 252 and 299 million years old.
According to Khvay Aditya, a ministry spokesperson, the fossilised trees were found at Kang Va Mountain deep in the Seri Saophaon town last month after researchers excavated several layers of soil and rock.
Experts have previously studied the Kang Va Mountain site, and through comparative studies, the fossilised timber could belong to an island or landmass from a period known as the Permian era, which dates back 252 to 299 million years during the Paleozoic era.
Khvay Aditya, spokesperson from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment who made the announcement yesterday.
Mr Aditya said the fossil was one of many discovered in the 14 protected natural areas in Ratanakkiri, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Koh Kong, and Banteay Meanchey after five years of extensive research in the provinces. This discovery comes after the research team (in 2021) discovered Cambodia’s earliest known examples of dinosaur fossils, dating back 65 to 190 million years ago.
What are the oldest known examples of fossilised forests and timber?
The find comes after Wood Central revealed that scientists have discovered what they believe is the world’s earliest known fossilised forests (dating back 390 million years) off the sandstone cliffs of Somerset, in the heart of the UK.
Researchers at Cambridge and the University of Cardiff made the find, which is thought to belong to an extensive forest covering the “Old Red Stone Continent”—when the UK was connected to continental Europe:
“When I first saw pictures of the tree trunks,” Dr Christopher Berry, the report’s co-author, said, “I immediately knew what they were, based on 30 years of studying this type of tree worldwide.”
Before that discovery, the earliest known fossilised forest was found in New York State. It can be traced back 385 million years – when a 2019 study revealed fossils discovered in an abandoned quarry in upstate New York had leaves and woods similar to modern-day trees.
- To learn more about the earliest known forest, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
