The Fossil Forest is the remains of an ancient submerged forest from Jurassic times, located to the east of Lulworth Cove on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. It lies on the Jurassic Coast, on a wide ledge in the seaside cliff. The site is within the Lulworth Ranges and thus has restricted access.
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Huge petrified cow pats but definitely nothing to do with trees. More interesting than that for you will notice that three examples are nearly 2 meters across each and are virtually touching. My theory is they are the petrified remains of those ancient living forms that are neither animal or vegetable like modern fungi but grew in warm shallow tropical seas.
Thrombolites are ancient forms of microbial communities that photosynthesize. They are clotted accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding, and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria. They are now only found in a few places in the world. Stromatolites are similar but consist of layered accretions. The ancestors of thrombolites and stromatolites are thought to have contributed to the increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. Wikipedia
”At some point in the first billion years of life, cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, learned to tap into a freely available resource –the hydrogen that exists in spectacular abundance in water. They absorbed water molecules, supped on the hydrogen and released the oxygen as waste, and in so doing invented photosynthesis. As Margulis and Sagan note, photosynthesis is ‘undoubtedly the most important single metabolic innovation in the history of life on the planet and it was invented not by plants but by bacteria.” Bill Bryson: A Short History of Everything.
I believe that some still exist in a shallow, warm sea water cove in Northern Australia today.
Steps down being refurbished during MOD April...
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The Fossil Forest is an amazing place to visit. It is a remnant of an ancient submerged forest that was buried by mud and silt millions of years ago. The trees were preserved in the rock, and today they can be seen standing upright in the cliff face.
The Fossil Forest is located near Lulworth Cove in Dorset, England. It is accessible by a short walk from the cove. The walk is steep in some places, but it is worth the effort to see the forest.
The forest is a quiet and peaceful place. It is a great place to learn about the history of the Earth and to see some amazing natural formations.
When visiting the Fossil Forest, it is important to read the signs carefully. The forest is located on Ministry of Defence land, and there are times when access is restricted due to...
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08.2019 Officially closed and i wouldn't recommend climbing down the cliff but it's possible to see the fossil forest from the top.Not too many people venture this far.Great views and it's peaceful.If you have walked from Lulworth Cove i'd like to suggest you walk another mile to where the gunnery range ends.There is a circular route but the hill path is ridiculously steep and i don't have the lungs of a mountain goat but there are seats and a great view of the cliffs below the hill that not many...
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