Runcaria, a Middle Devonian Seed Plant Precursor
@article{Gerrienne2004RuncariaAM, title={Runcaria, a Middle Devonian Seed Plant Precursor}, author={P. Gerrienne and B. Meyer-Berthaud and M. Fairon-Demaret and M. Streel and P. Steemans}, journal={Science}, year={2004}, volume={306}, pages={856 - 858} }
The emergence of the seed habit in the Middle Paleozoic was a decisive evolutionary breakthrough. Today, seed plants are the most successful plant lineage, with more than 250,000 living species. We have identified a middle Givetian (385 million years ago) seed precursor from Belgium predating the earliest seeds by about 20 million years. Runcaria is a small, radially symmetrical, integumented megasporangium surrounded by a cupule. The megasporangium bears an unopened distal extension protruding… CONTINUE READING
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