# Scientists discover Europe's ancient forests were nothing like we imagined

Source: [Earth & Climate News -- ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261104012333.htm) · 2026-11-07 · Earth & Climate
Page: https://themorning.science/story/scientists-discover-europe-s-ancient-forests-were-nothing-like-we-imagined-186947cb61d4ee9b
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- Scientists report evidence that Europe was dominated for more than 20 million years by open woodlands, colorful meadows, and large grazing animals.
- This challenges the long-held view that dense forests were Europe's natural state.
- The findings are presented as a challenge to modern reforestation approaches.

## Why it matters

Reforestation goals often assume dense forest is the natural baseline. If Europe's ancient landscapes were open woodland shaped by grazing animals, that assumption may need revisiting in conservation planning.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-07: Findings reported by ScienceDaily

## Coverage

- [Scientists discover Europe's ancient forests were nothing like we imagined](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261104012333.htm) — Earth & Climate News -- ScienceDaily, 2026-11-07

Tags: paleoecology, forests, europe, reforestation, grazing

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science