New York's Fossil Forest: When Manhattan Had Tropical Trees and No Rent - discoverwildscience

Long before Manhattan became the iconic urban center it is today, it was a rich subtropical forest roughly 385 million years ago. During the Devonian period, the landscape was dotted with towering trees, giant ferns, and an abundance of wildlife. The area was much closer to the equator, creating a warm and humid environment where crocodile-like creatures thrived among giant insects. This natural history of Manhattan highlights the remarkable changes that have occurred over millions of years and reflects the power of nature's transformations beneath the modern cityscape.

The true, forgotten story of New York's fossil forest unveils a lush, subtropical environment once teeming with life, contrasting starkly with today's urban landscape.

Imagine a New York where crocodile-like creatures swam through swampy waters, and the air buzzed with enormous dragonflies—an almost unrecognizable world.

Read at discoverwildscience