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Since the fossil is in such good condition, it gives scientists a better picture of the region's climate in the early Eocene. By measuring the ratio of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons) in the wood's well-preserved cellulose, the researchers found that western Canadian subarctic temperatures were 21 to 30 degrees F (12 to 17 degrees C) warmer and four times wetter than they are today.
Read more: 50-million-year-old redwood chunk found in diamond mine | Fox News