A hidden cradle of plant evolution in Permian tropical lowlands

We present mixed plant-fossil assemblages from Permian equatorial lowlands in present-day Jordan that harbor precocious records of three major seed-plant lineages that all became dominant during the Mesozoic, including the oldest representative of any living conifer family. These finds offer a glimpse of the early evolutionary origins of modern plant groups in disturbance-prone tropical habitats that are usually hidden from observation.

Source: ScienceNOW - December 20, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Blomenkemper, P., Kerp, H., Abu Hamad, A., DiMichele, W. A., Bomfleur, B. Tags: Botany, Paleontology reports Source Type: news