A 400-million-year-old fossil plant found in Scotland
In a geological formation in Scotland, the remains of one of the first plants on Earth were found. Its age was estimated at 400 million years, according to eLife .
This finding allowed scientists to consider the earliest known example of a root system. They developed a three-dimensional construction of the ancient plant in order to study it in every detail.
The plant was classified as Asteroxylon mackie. The ground part consisted of stems covered with numerous small leaves.
After examining the new fossil, scientists came to the conclusion that it had developed roots. At the same time, the root system developed in a completely different way than that of modern plants.
“These are the oldest known structures that resemble modern roots, and now we know how they formed,” the authors of the scientific work noted.
Research has shown that the lower shoot of the plant once split into two. One part remained a shoot, while the other took over the functions of a root. This does not happen in living plants, from which we can conclude that this mechanism of root formation is now extinct.
Scientists noted that the evolution of terrestrial plants is one of the key moments in the history of the Earth. The development of terrestrial flora has globally changed the surface of the planet and led to the emergence of new ecosystems. Root plants have reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, stabilized the soil, and created a new water circulation system on the continental surface.
The study of ancient plants helps to better understand how exactly this happened. Earlier it was reported that traces of the ancestor of all reptiles were found in Argentina. He lived 231 million years ago.
