Eohostimella

Eohostimella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: incertae sedis
Genus: Eohostimella
J.M.Schopf (1966)[1]
Species: E. heathana
Binomial name
Eohostimella heathana
J.M.Schopf (1966)[1]

Eohostimella heathana is an early, probably terrestrial, "plant" known from compression fossils[2] of Early Silurian age (Llandovery, around 440 to 430 million years ago[3]). The chemistry of its fossils is similar to that of fossilised vascular plants, rather than algae.[2] Its anatomy constitutes upright, cylindrical tubes,[2] with a thickened outer cortex,[4] which may have contained traces of lignin or a similar compound,[2] even though no tracheids or similar vessels have been found;[4] the lignin-like compound was presumably associated with its thick outer cortex.[5] It was probably affiliated with the rhyniophytes;[4] it branched dichotomously and may have borne small spines.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Schopf, J.M.; Mencher, E.; Boucot, A.J. & Andrews, H.N. (1966). "Erect plants in the early Silurian of Maine". In Pecora, W.T.. Geological Survey Research 1966 : Chapter D. Geological Survey Professional Paper 550-D. Washington: US Government Printing Office. pp. D69–D75. OCLC 429539130. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Fk7wAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 2011-04-07. 
  2. ^ a b c d Niklas, Karl J. (1976). "Chemical Examinations of Some Non-Vascular Paleozoic Plants". Brittonia (New York Botanical Garden Press) 28 (1): 113. doi:10.2307/2805564. JSTOR 2805564. 
  3. ^ Edwards, D. & Wellman, C. (2001), "Embryophytes on Land: The Ordovician to Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) Record", in Gensel, P. & Edwards, D., Plants Invade the Land : Evolutionary and Environmental Perspectives, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 3–28, ISBN 978-0-231-11161-4 , p. 4
  4. ^ a b c Niklas, Karl J. (1979). "An Assessment of Chemical Features for the Classification of Plant Fossils". Taxon (International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)) 28 (5/6): 505. doi:10.2307/1219787. JSTOR 1219787. 
  5. ^ Niklas, Karl J.; Gensel, Patricia G (1976). "Chemotaxonomy of Some Paleozoic Vascular Plants. Part I: Chemical Compositions and Preliminary Cluster Analyses". Brittonia (New York Botanical Garden Press) 28 (3): 353. doi:10.2307/2805800. JSTOR 2805800. 
  6. ^ Taylor, Thomas N. (1982). "The origin of land plants — a paleobotanical perspective". Taxon (International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)) 31 (2): 155–177. doi:10.2307/1219982. JSTOR 1219982. http://paleobotany.bio.ku.edu/taylorPDFs%5C%5B1982%5D%20Taylor-The%20origin%20of%20land%20plants-A%20paleobotanical%20perspective.pdf.