Welcome to the Jungle...in Illinois?

April 24, 2007 5:13 PM

Geologists have discovered the remains of one of the world's oldest tropical rainforests , near Danville IL. The four square miles of fossils are in a coal mine 250 feet below the surface.
posted by Green Eyed Monster (11 comments total)

Fascinating article. Thanks!
posted by cerebus19 at 5:24 PM on April 24, 2007

Amazing ! It's like a time machine.
posted by elpapacito at 5:35 PM on April 24, 2007

So it is 6000 years old?
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:59 PM on April 24, 2007

Somewhere, Sufjan Stevens is really, really upset he missed out on this.
posted by unregistered_animagus at 6:53 PM on April 24, 2007 [2 favorites]

Kewl, "the earthworm's view." Humans need that.
posted by Listener at 7:36 PM on April 24, 2007

"kewl" ?
posted by longsleeves at 7:48 PM on April 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

Since we're using sk8er talk, did you come to this epiphany after a faceplant?
posted by longsleeves at 7:56 PM on April 24, 2007

pictures?
posted by sexyrobot at 7:58 PM on April 24, 2007

It was the age of insects, with 6-foot-long millipedes and dragonflies with yard-long wingspans.

Bugs today are cool, but they got nothing on this.
posted by lekvar at 8:08 PM on April 24, 2007

That's awesome; thank you.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:16 PM on April 24, 2007

Yay! Thanks.
posted by agregoli at 11:23 AM on April 25, 2007