Was a massive root system discovered under Devils Tower in Wyoming?
By Christiana Dillard
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NO
There is no "incredibly large petrified root system" under Devils Tower in Wyoming, contrary to a social media post.
The post has reappeared after being debunked when it was first posted four years ago. That debunk established that a picture of the "root system" under the 800-foot-tall rock formation was actually a diagram of root growth in sweet corn, and the post had come from a satirical website.
The post claimed scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department had discovered the purported root system. But Devils Tower is a designated national monument, not a state park.
A spokesman for Wyoming state parks confirmed to Lead Stories that the original post came from a satirical site and that the "petrified root system" claim is not true.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Soil & Health Library Sweet corn
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