Ancient GoM forest predates pyramids

Predating the arrival of humans in North America and the pyramids of Egypt by more than 50,000 years, and 60 feet underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, is a unique relic of Earth's past. An ancient cypress forest is some 60,000 years old, according to a team of scientists who have studied it. It is the only known site where a coastal ice age forest been preserved in place, with thousands of trees still rooted in the dirt of a millennia ago. It is a treasure trove of information, providing new insights into everything from climate in the region to annual rainfall, insect populations, and types of plants that inhabited the Gulf Coast before humans showed up on the scene. The scientific analysis is ongoing. The team’s work is detailed in a new documentary, “The Underwater Forest” co-produced by ‘This is Alabama’. Sea levels at that time were hundreds of feet lower, and the Earth was cooler than today, with much of the water on the planet locked up in glaciers. One of the key findings may hint at a world where seas rose more quickly than worst-case predictions for the near future. Scientists believe the forest was buried beneath GoM sediments for eons, until Hurricane Ivan-produced waves uncovered it in 2004. (Source: AL.com 06/27/17)