'Significant' tree fossil find at Devon cove

A "groundbreaking" fossil has been discovered in part of south Devon, council bosses say.

Torbay Council said the fossils of trees, known as lycopsids and believed to be about 377 million years old, were found by Dr Kevin Page during a survey of Saltern Cove, near Paignton, which is part of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark.

The council said lycopsids looked like palm trees and were the ancestors of giant trees that once contributed to coal formation.

Dr Page, president of ProGEO [the International Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage] and honorary senior research fellow at Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, said the discovery was a "remarkable find".

Dr Page said: "These fossils are incredibly significant as they provide valuable insights into the prehistoric environment of Torbay, including the presence of volcanic islands with trees growing on them.

"This could potentially be the first record of a Devonian desert island with trees."

Geopark coordinator Melanie Border said the fossil could open a "new chapter" of changing environments and conditions at the site.

She added: "To date, our Devonian age rocks have only provided evidence of a marine environment. But it's very exciting to think we now have evidence of volcanic islands and trees too."

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