Now Reading: Wyoming fossils reveal ancient forests collapsed after warming
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Wyoming fossils reveal ancient forests collapsed after warming
A new study published in Science on August 13, 2026, using Wyoming fossils, reconstructs how forests responded during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) 56 million years ago. Forest canopy cover declined by…
The Story in Brief
A new study published in Science on August 13, 2026, using Wyoming fossils, reconstructs how forests responded during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) 56 million years ago. Forest canopy cover declined by about 60% as heat and reduced moisture pushed vegetation beyond its limits.
The researchers analysed microscopic leaf cuticles to estimate canopy density. The canopy remained substantially open for more than 100,000 years, showing that extreme global warming can alter ecosystems for exceptionally long periods before recovery.
The Indian Opinion
Doomsday narratives about the PETM as a perfect preview of modern warming are exaggerated, as that event was slower than today's rise. Still, dismissing it as just a natural cycle ignores the lesson: even without human influence, warming caused a 60% canopy collapse that took over 100,000 years to reverse. The real test is whether vegetation's adaptive capacity can keep pace with today's far faster CO₂ rise.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
