"Unearthed: Bizarre 350-Million-Year-Old Tree Astounds Scientists"

A rare fossil dating back 350 million years has been discovered in New Brunswick, Canada, showcasing an ancient tree with a peculiar pom-pom-like canopy of long, spiky leaves that extends at least 18 feet from spiraling branches around a 6-inch diameter trunk. Named Sanfordiacaulis densifolia, the tree existed in the "sub-canopy zone" and is considered one of evolution's experiments during a time of biodiversification in plant life. The fossils, preserved due to a catastrophic earthquake, offer insight into the complex and varied forms of plant life during the Early Carboniferous period.