Ancient Clones

Ancient Clones. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. , This family circle of fossilized redwood stumps grew out of the single trunk of an older parent tree. The three trunks are ancient clones, or genetically identical copies, of that parent tree. Modern coastal redwoods also reproduce by stump sprouting. If a redwood is toppled or burned, a ring of new trees often sprouts from burls around the trunk's base. In the coastal redwood forests, family groups are common. But this trio of stone stump is unique in the world's fossil record., Redwoods Were Widespread , Most people would consider the sight of a coastal redwood forest as a special event! In the Eocene when the Florissant redwoods were growing, redwood tree species were common around the globe. The band of green in this map (left) shows where the trees were growing.This map was developed by analysis of of fossil foliage, wood, and pollen. , [Captions:] , If the main trunk of a redwood is damaged, the dormant stems begin growing rapidly, using the parent tree's root system for nourishment and support. , Harry D. MacGinitie, shown standing by a modern redwood trio in California, was a paleobotanist who excavated fossils at Florissant in 1936 and 1937. His published work remains the most comprehensive study on Florissant's fossil plants. MacGinitie was the first to compare these fossils with modern forests in order to reconstruct past climate, ecology, and elevation.