'Pretty weird forest' could be world's oldest, scientists claim

The forest would have had plants with hundreds of twigs on their branches rather than leaves

Scientists have discovered what they believe is the world's oldest fossil forest and it's millions of years old.

It was uncovered in the cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast and potentially dates back some 390 million years.

The forest is about four million years older than the previous record holder, which was found in the US.

Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff said the ancient plants in the forest would have been "prototypes" of trees around today.

This artist's impression shows a forest of Calamophyton trees

The remains of the forest were discovered in the Hangman Sandstone Formation near Minehead.

Researchers say the fossilised trees would have looked similar to modern day palm trees, except with thin trunks and hollow centres.

They were an ancient type of plant called Calamophyton, that were quite short with branches covered in hundreds of twigs rather than leaves.

Professor Neil Davies, from the University of Cambridge, said it was a "pretty weird forest, not like any forest you would see today".

The cliff was uncovered in the cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast

The forest dates back to a time called the Devonian Period, which was between 419 million and 358 million years ago.

This was a time when marine animals started to diversify and plants with seeds first appeared.

Scientists previously thought this stretch of coast in south-west England did not contain significant plant fossils.

But the researchers say their findings show how ancient trees helped stabilise riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago.