Publications by authors named "William E Stein"
Article Synopsis
- The Mid Devonian period (393-383 Ma) marked a significant shift in Earth’s history, drastically transforming terrestrial ecology, climate, and geochemical cycles due to the emergence of trees and forests.
- Recent findings from fossil soils in the Catskill region of NY indicate the existence of the oldest known forest, featuring treefern-like Eospermatopteris and extensive root systems belonging to the lignophyte Archaeopteris.
- Archaeopteris exhibited advanced root systems similar to modern seed plants, suggesting it played a crucial role in ecological dynamics and global processes far beyond its physical size.
Unique growth strategy in the Earth's first trees revealed in silicified fossil trunks from China.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
November 2017
Cladoxylopsida included the earliest large trees that formed critical components of globally transformative pioneering forest ecosystems in the Mid- and early Late Devonian (ca. 393-372 Ma). Well-known cladoxylopsid fossils include the up to ∼1-m-diameter sandstone casts known as from Middle Devonian strata of New York State.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe origin of trees by the mid-Devonian epoch (398-385 million years ago) signals a major change in terrestrial ecosystems with potential long-term consequences including increased weathering, drop in atmospheric CO(2), modified climate, changes in sedimentation patterns and mass extinction. However, little is known about the ecology of early forests or how changes in early terrestrial ecosystems influenced global processes. One of the most famous palaeontological records for this time is the 'oldest fossil forest' at Riverside Quarry, Gilboa, New York, USA, discovered in the 1920s.
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