Silurian-Devonian terrestrial revolution in South China: Taxonomy, diversity, and character evolution of vascular plants in a paleogeographically isolated, low-latitude region

Xue, Jinzhuang; Huang, Pu; Wang, Biao; Xiong, Chenyan; Liu, Le; Basinger, James F.

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.03.004

Cited by 46 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 185 publications

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“…The Silurian–Devonian terrestrial revolution saw the evolution of vascular plants with complex bodies comprising distinct roots, root-bearing organs, shoots, and leaves from morphologically simpler ancestors characterised by networks of undifferentiated axes ( Bateman et al, 1998 ; Gensel and Edwards, 2001 ; Kenrick and Crane, 1997 ; Stewart and Rothwell, 1993 ; Xue et al, 2018 ). The 407-million-year-old, Pragian–?earliest Emsian, Early Devonian ( Wellman, 2006 ) Rhynie chert fossil site provides a unique insight into the structure of plants during this key time in plant evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

Hetherington

Bridson

Jones

et al. 2021

eLife

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The Early Devonian Rhynie chert preserves the earliest terrestrial ecosystem and informs our understanding of early life on land. However, our knowledge of the 3D structure, and development of these plants is still rudimentary. Here we used digital 3D reconstruction techniques to produce the first well-evidenced reconstruction of the structure and development of the rooting system of the lycopsid Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant in the Rhynie chert. The reconstruction reveals the organisation of the three distinct axis types – leafy shoot axes, root-bearing axes, and rooting axes – in the body plan. Combining this reconstruction with developmental data from fossilised meristems, we demonstrate that the A. mackiei rooting axis – a transitional lycophyte organ between the rootless ancestral state and true roots – developed from root-bearing axes by anisotomous dichotomy. Our discovery demonstrates how this unique organ developed and highlights the value of evidence-based reconstructions for understanding the development and evolution of the first complex vascular plants on Earth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

Hetherington

Bridson

Jones

et al. 2021

eLife

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show abstract

“…Raw data were collected from a variety of sources. Initially, we used review papers that listed plant fossil diversity for specific time intervals, such as Wellman et al (2013) for the Silurian, or a specific geographic location, such as Xiong et al (2013), or more recently Xue et al (2018), for South China. Special mention should be made of the exquisite monographic study of the Early Devonian fossil record by Barrett (2016).…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The terrestrialization of plants (embryophytes; Janvier, 2010;Gerrienne et al, 2016;Servais et al, 2019) during Ordovician-Devonian times altered early land ecosystems, instigating the development of soils, and causing major pCO2 fluctuations and changes in geochemical cycles (Algeo and Scheckler, 1998;Beerling, 2007;Kenrick et al, 2012;Morris et al, 2015;Xue et al, 2015Xue et al, , 2016Qie et al, 2019). These changes were triggered by key diversification events among plants linked to the appearance of evolutionary innovations, such as vascular tissues, leaves, seeds and secondary growth (i.e., wood), which together culminated in the establishing of the earliest forests (Decombeix et al, 2011;Kenrick et al, 2012;Xue et al, 2015Xue et al, , 2016Xue et al, , 2018Cascales-Miñana et al, 2019a;Wang et al, 2019;Stein et al, 2020). Since the 1980s, various researchers have focused their attention on documenting the diversity pattern of this early vegetation (e.g., Banks, 1980;Knoll et al, 1984;Edwards and Davies, 1990;Raymond and Metz, 1995;Meyer-Berthaud et al, 2010;Stein et al, 2012;Cascales-Miñana, 2016;Xue et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A factor analysis approach to modelling the early diversification of terrestrial vegetation

Capel

Cleal

Gerrienne³

et al. 2021

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Data from a new comprehensive macrofossil-based compilation of early plant genera are analyzed via a Q-mode factor analysis. This compilation ranges from the Silurian to the earliest Carboniferous and illustrates the key vegetation changes that took place during the configuration of early terrestrial ecosystems. Results reveal that four factors can be used to explain more than 90% of the variance in the data. These factors are interpreted as the major phases of the early land plant evolution: a first Eotracheophytic flora (Silurian-Lochkovian) dominated by basal eutracheophytes and rhyniophytoids, an early Eophytic Flora (Early Devonian) dominated by zosterophylls, a transitional late Eophytic Flora (Middle Devonianearliest Carboniferous) dominated by lycopsids and cladoxylopsids, and finally, the earliest phase of the Palaeophytic Flora (Late Devonian-earliest Carboniferous) dominated by the first seed plants. These floras present different but complementary diversity patterns, which help us to understand the overall trajectory of changes in plant diversity. Results further show how the maximum peaks of diversity appear linked to the rise of each new flora but, interestingly, these diversifications are not associated with any exponential declines of the previously dominant one. This new four-phase diversification model reflects the early steps of Earth's greening.

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“…The Silurian-Devonian terrestrial revolution saw the evolution of vascular plants with complex bodies comprising distinct roots, root-bearing organs, shoots and leaves from morphologically simpler ancestors characterised by networks of undifferentiated axes (Bateman et al, 1998;Gensel and Edwards, 2001;Kenrick and Crane, 1997;Stewart and Rothwell, 1993;Xue et al, 2018). The 407-million-year-old Rhynie chert fossil site provides a unique insight into the structure of plants during this key time in plant evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

Hetherington

Bridson

Jones

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The 407-million-year-old Rhynie chert preserves the earliest terrestrial ecosystem and informs our understanding of early life on land. However, our knowledge of the 3D structure, and development of these plants is still rudimentary. Here we used digital 3D reconstruction techniques to produce the first complete reconstruction of the lycopsid Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant in the Rhynie chert. The reconstruction reveals the organisation of the three distinct axes types — leafy shoot axes, root-bearing axes and rooting axes — in the body plan. Combining this reconstruction with developmental data from fossilised meristems, we demonstrate that the A. mackiei rooting axis — a transitional lycophyte organ between the rootless ancestral state and true roots — developed from root-bearing axes by anisotomous dichotomy. Our discovery demonstrates how this unique organ developed, and highlights the value of evidence-based reconstructions for understanding the development and evolution of the first complex plants on Earth.

show abstract

Silurian-Devonian terrestrial revolution in South China: Taxonomy, diversity, and character evolution of vascular plants in a paleogeographically isolated, low-latitude region

Cited by 46 publications

References 185 publications

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

A factor analysis approach to modelling the early diversification of terrestrial vegetation

An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

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