Plants
The study of plants is also called Paleobotany. Life on land occurred much later than life in the oceans. On land the first organisms were lichens and algae. The first plants occurred in the lower Silurian period. In the middle Devonian fern trees and the first forests occurred. In the upper Devonian the first seedplants like seed ferns and fern palms originated.
In the Carboniferous period there was lush plant growth. The thick coal layers from this period are a worldwide witness to this. In swamps thick layers of peat formed. Due to compression the coal was formed. In the Carboniferous many new plant groups evoluated. Conifers first occurred at the end of the Carboniferous. Famous fossils from the Carboniferous period are Calamites, Neuropteris, and Lepidodendron.
Flowering plants first occurred in the lower Cretaceous period. Deciduous trees and palms evaluated. Flowering plants still dominate the plant kingdom. |
