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Relatives Near and Far:
Towering trees, flowering shrubs, the thrumming of thousands of insects... the ancient forest community of Florissant was tremendously diverse. But in today's world, this particular community of plants and insects can no longer be found. Although Florissant fossil species have become extinct, many have living relatives scattered around the world.
The end of the Eocene Epoch, about 34 million years ago, was marked by a global cooling trend. Lower temperatures dramatically changed the Florissant ecosystem. The ancient redwoods could no longer survive here. But coastal redwoods, modern relatives of the fossilized stumps, now grow in a narrow strip along the California coast. |