Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have made a surprising finding in Panamanian territory by digging up a 22 million-year-old mangrove forest that was devastated by a massive volcanic eruption.

This ancient forest, once overflowing with imposing trees and lush vegetation on an island in the Panama Canal, came to an end due to natural disasters, according to the DailyStar newspaper.

The discovery was made by scientists who stumbled upon fossilized remains of trees on Barro Colorado Island, a fundamental part of the Panamanian landscape. They did not find only a few pieces; they dug up a total of 112 fragments of fossilized wood remarkably preserved.

Researchers believe that this ancient mangrove forest dates from the beginning of the Miocene period, approximately 23 million years ago, when the land masses of South America and the Caribbean plate collided, giving rise to the Panamanian landscape, including Barro Colorado Island. Along the edges of the island, an imposing mangrove forest bloomed, with trees that reached heights of up to 130 feet.

While this discovery sheds light on the past of the mangrove forest, the research is in its early stages and the findings will be published in the March 2024 issue of the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.