North America's oldest conifer tree and some ancient scorpion parts are among the fossil treasures found in a newly discovered cave in Illinois.
Scientists date the specimens to nearly 315 million years ago, according to initial findings presented last month at the regional meeting of the Geological Society of America in Lawrence, Kan.
Needles of a conifer tree, 2 million years older than any conifer previously described
Nearly pristine plant spores of lycopods, the main coal-forming plants of the period
Evidence of a general drying trend in the area.
The cave, which geologists estimate runs underground for miles, could provide scientists with years of research material.
clipped from: news.yahoo.com