Oak trees were once rooted in the southern hemisphere

plant fossils areFossils found deep in Argentine forests suggest that close relatives of oak trees evolved from the southern hemisphere, rather than the northern hemisphere as previously thought. The results were published in the journal Science.
is one of the most important flowering plant groups, including oaks and beech, and its trees are the cornerstone of the rainforest throughout Southeast Asia. The family's rich fossil record has only been found in the northern hemisphere before. But the discovery of a pair of 52 million-year-old fossils in Laguna del Henko, Patagonia, leads researchers to the hypothesis that one of the family's genus originated in the southern hemisphere.
since working in Laguna del Henko in 1999, researchers have found hundreds of leaf fossils that look like crustaceans, but these fossils alone are not enough to form strong evidence.
, however, suspicions were confirmed when an international team found two samples in areas partially covered by the fruits and flowers of thegenus plant. "At that point, the evidence became overwhelming." Peter Wilf of Pennsylvania State University said his team was "quite shocked" because the most recent fossils ofgenus plants were found in New Guinea, 8,000 miles away.
fossils are theof the genus of the Genus, dating back to the 1990s. At that time, the Earth's land had not yet split, allowing them to spread to the modern northern hemisphere continent.
the idea that some crustaceans originated in the southern hemisphere means that researchers will begin searching previously unknown places for fossils of other members of the family. This may help to understand how other shrubs and trees have evolved. Mark Chase, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, said the study showed that crustaceans were "more diverse in the past than they are now, especially in today's southern hemisphere continent, but now they have disappeared." The
also had an impact on tree species conservation in Southeast Asia. At present, Southeast Asia has the highest rate of species extinction and deforestation in the world. "Paleontology (the study of fossil flora and fauna) provides information for species conservation and is widely used as a basis for conservation around the world by showing us the origin and environmental history of existing plants and animals." Wilf says