Paleontologists are excited by a new "alien plant" fossil that was discovered just outside an abandoned town in Utah. The fossil is unlike anything that has been found thus far and has scientists perplexed.
"Alien Plant" Fossil
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The NY Post shared that an "alien plant" fossil was discovered in an abandoned town in Utah 55 years ago. The fossil is unlike any species that has been discovered so far. While scientists originally believed that the new species could be related to ginseng recent discoveries contradict that belief.
Steven Manchester, a fossil expert, recently came across an unidentified fossil while visiting the University of California. Experts determined that this unidentified fossil was from the same area as the "alien plant" fossil. After further analysis, it was determined that both fossils were from the same species. The NY Post shares what the world was like during the fossil's time.
"Nearly 50 million years ago, the landscape in the area included a sprawling lake ecosystem and active volcanoes." They continued "Sediment produced by the lake and volcanic ash proved to be the perfect material for fossilizing parts of the ecosystem."
What Is It?
So if it is not related to ginseng, what is this new "alien plant" fossil? While the two new fossils proved to be from the same species, they showed any differences. Manchester's fossil had leaves, flowers, and fruits attached to it. None of which appeared on the 1969 fossil. Similarly, ginseng does not appear that way.
Unfortunately, scientists did not find the answers they were seeking. "The researchers couldn't match either fossil to more than 400 families of flowering plants existing today." While the lack of answers is frustrating, Manchester has faith in modern technology.
