国内英语资讯:Chinese scientists discover oldest fossil forest in Asia
<p><span word="WASHINGTON">WASHINGTON</span>, <span word="Aug">Aug</span>. 8-- <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="discovered">discovered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oldest">oldest</span> <span word="fossil">fossil</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>, <span word="lending">lending</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="clues">clues</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="evolved">evolved</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="coal">coal</span> <span word="finally">finally</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="published">published</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Thursday">Thursday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="journal">journal</span> <span word="Current">Current</span> <span word="Biology">Biology</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="patch">patch</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Devonian">Devonian</span> <span word="period">period</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="was">was</span> 419 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="to">to</span> 359 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="of">of</span> 250,000 <span word="square">square</span> <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fossilized">fossilized</span> <span word="lycopsid">lycopsid</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="Xinhang">Xinhang</span> <span word="Town">Town</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="east">east</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Anhui">Anhui</span> <span word="Province">Province</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="lycopsids">lycopsids</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fossilized">fossilized</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="resembled">resembled</span> <span word="palm">palm</span> <span word="trees">trees</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="coastal">coastal</span> <span word="environment">environment</span> <span word="prone">prone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="flooding">flooding</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="normally">normally</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> 3.2 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="tall">tall</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tallest">tallest</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="at">at</span> 7.7 <span word="meters">meters</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>.</p><p><span word="Giant">Giant</span> <span word="lycopsids">lycopsids</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="later">later</span> <span word="thrive">thrive</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="followed">followed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Devonian">Devonian</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coal">coal</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="mined">mined</span> <span word="today">today</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Xinhang">Xinhang</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Anhui">Anhui</span> <span word="showed">showed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="root">root</span> <span word="systems">systems</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="height">height</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Carboniferous">Carboniferous</span> <span word="period">period</span> (359 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="to">to</span> 299 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>), <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="contributes">contributes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="atmospheric">atmospheric</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="dioxide">dioxide</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="coastal">coastal</span> <span word="consolidation">consolidation</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="density">density</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="Xinhang">Xinhang</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sugarcane">sugarcane</span> <span word="field">field</span>, <span word="although">although</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Xinhang">Xinhang</span> <span word="forest">forest</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="distributed">distributed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="patches">patches</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paper">paper</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="lead">lead</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="Wang">Wang</span> <span word="Deming">Deming</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="School">School</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Space">Space</span> <span word="Sciences">Sciences</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Peking">Peking</span> <span word="University">University</span>.</p>
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