BBC Inside Science

World’s oldest forest fossils


Listen Later

The world’s oldest fossilised forest was uncovered in Somerset last week. We head to palaeobotanist, Dr Christopher Berry’s, lab at Cardiff University to learn about these cladoxylopsids. They lived 390 million years ago and although they are not the ancestors of today’s trees, they reveal some extraordinary evolutionary secrets.

Also, Marnie speaks to Dr Chris Thorogood of the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens about his new book Pathless Forest: The Quest to Save the World’s Largest Flowers. Called “Rafflesia” plants and found in the remotest parts of South East Asia, their flowers burst from the rain forest floor the size of pumpkins and are critically endangered. Chris talks of his world of extreme fieldwork and hair-raising expeditions, braving leeches, lizards and lethal forest swamps, to discover the rarest of rare blooms.

Plus, the Wildlife Trust’s Making Friends with Molluscs campaign starts today, and I’m sure many gardeners will declare this an impossible task! We visit some allotments in Bristol to find out how people are managing slug and snail populations. And chat to Brian Eversham from the Trust of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, who explains why these garden creatures should be considered our friends, not foes.

And finally, Dr Stewart Husband from last week’s programme returns to answer more of your burning questions about your tap water.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

BBC Inside ScienceBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

279 ratings


More shows like BBC Inside Science

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,445 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

599 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,653 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

421 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

530 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

345 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

108 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

894 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

958 Listeners

Ask the Naked Scientists by Dr Chris Smith

Ask the Naked Scientists

73 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

288 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,078 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,054 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

724 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

228 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

355 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

757 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

480 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

627 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

357 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

326 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,057 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

111 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

93 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

596 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

1,000 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

509 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

608 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

116 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

121 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

271 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

29 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

104 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

4 Listeners