Silurian Trilete Spores and Spore Tetrads from Gotland: Their Implications for Land Plant Evolution

@article{Gray1974SilurianTS,
  title={Silurian Trilete Spores and Spore Tetrads from Gotland: Their Implications for Land Plant Evolution},
  author={Jane Gray and Sven Laufeld and Arthur James Boucot},
  journal={Science},
  year={1974},
  volume={185},
  pages={260 - 263}
}
Land-plant type spores occur in argillaceous limestones and platform graptolitic mudstones of Wenlock-Ludlow age in Sweden. Analysis of the stratal sequence demonstrates that occurrence of abundant spores is a function of depositional ecology, particularly water depth and shoreline proximity. This ecological analysis and the seeming absence of any correlation between the first appearances of abundant spores and megafossils of land-plant type raise the possibility that land plants evolved far… 
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Plant microfossils from Llandoverian and Wenlockian rocks of Pennsylvania

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References

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TLDR
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Evolution and extinction rate controls

Table 1) were provided by S.L., who had previously noted resistant spores in a number of his Gotland chitinozoan preparations

  • Forty-three fresh rock aliquots from localities in Gotland and Scania (Fig. 1

Older trilete spores and spore tetrads are reported in

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Fossils Strata, in press

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although their botanical affinities remain in considerable doubt [see B. Lundblad

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