Early global greenhouse event gave rise to fire-adapted trees
Conifers that were living at the South Pole show an extreme adaptation to forest fires.
Until now, the origin of this ability has been unknown from the fossil record. But scientists have now found fossil evidence showing that many tree species from 100 million years ago were not only protected from fire, but they may have required fire to reproduce during one of Earth's most intense greenhouse periods. This was also a time of extreme fire risk around the globe.
"In Australia, much of the flora is highly flammable, and have evolved strategies to cope," said Dr Chris Mays, a researcher at the Monash School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, and lead author of a study published recently in Geology.
"But some modern conifer trees in Australia, as well as Africa, North America and along the Mediterranean, have an advanced adaptation to fire."
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-early-global-greenhouse-event-gave.html#jCp
