Mummified leaves offer a glimpse of Earth’s ancient climate—and our future
New Zealand, where the fossilized leaves were found (Tyler Lastovich/Pexels/)23 million-year-old mummified leaves might give us a peak at how plants might respond to our changing climate in the distant future. In a study published on August 20 in the journal Climate of the Past, Biologists and geologists examined exceptionally well-preserved fossils from a lakebed in New Zealand and found evidence that they thrived in a time when the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was higher than it is today. Compared with those of modern plants in similar environments, the ancient leaves may have absorbed carbon dioxide more efficiently while minimizing water loss.“Leaves are in direct contact with the atmosphere all the time…a plant is not like an animal; it can’t hide from the elements,” says Tammo Reichgelt, a geologist at the University of Connecticut and a coauthor of the new findings. “It’s really sensitive to changes in...