Could there have been giant trees on earth, say, about 400 million years ago? No one is totally sure. There has been lots of speculation about Prototaxites (pro-toh-tax-eye-tees) fossils found on Schunnemunk Mountain in New York's Hudson Valley region.
Scientists found the fossils in 1843. They didn't know what they could be. At first, they thought the fossils came from cone-bearing plants. The shape looked like a hunk of wood. But researchers discovered the fossil spires weren't made of wood. For over 150 years, there were all kinds of theories about what the fossils could have been. Algae, fungi, lichens, something else?
What was confusing was that the fossils were almost 29 feet tall. How could algae, lichen or fungi be that tall?
A Smithsonian article published in 2013 and updated in January 2025, discussed a 2007 study of the fossils by Kevin Boyce, Francis Hueber and others. They used chemical analysis to examine the ratio of two carbon isotopes (carbon-12 and carbon-13) in fossil Prototaxites samples. If the organisms were plants, then the ratios of those two carbon isotopes would be the same as plants that existed during that ancient time. To see the article, go to https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giant-mysterious-spires-ruled-the-earth-long-before-trees-did-what-exactly-are-these-odd-looking-fossils-13709647/
The results didn't agree with the plant theory. The ratio of the two carbon isotopes was quite different from other plants. Instead, they were more like fungi. Could they have been giant mushrooms? Maybe, but they didn't look anything like mushrooms on earth today.
The test results didn't convince some researchers, who came up with other theories of what the fossils might be. Boyce and others were convinced the fungus theory was the most likely.
The Prototaxites fossils may not have been trees. Even so, discoveries around the globe from present-day Scotland to the American Southwest point to the possibility that ancient trees may have grown on earth sometime during the late Paleozoic era, 542-251 million years ago, and the early Mesozoic era, 252-201 million years ago. Fossils indicate the trees would have been a whole lot bigger than today's California redwoods.
Modern paleobotanical research techniques, such as 3D imaging and isotopic analysis, have helped researchers reconstruct things such as the fossils' anatomy and growth patterns. Even so, some researchers aren't sure what the fossils found in those areas could be. Norse mythology and Native American folklore both talk about colossal trees. To learn more, read Alexander Clark's article, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-find-evidence-earth-once-had-giant-trees/ar-AA1LfW8M?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U5318cvid=68c56d077a024311ad684c61a2b9f708&ei=33
The discovery of fossils that go back so many millions of years leave researchers and scientists with more questions than answers. But as more studies of the pre-historic fossils reveal additional information, the results could help us better understand our planet's history.