What best describes Glossopteris?
What best describes Glossopteris?
Glossopteris, genus of fossilized woody plants known from rocks that have been dated to the Permian and Triassic periods (roughly 300 to 200 million years ago), deposited on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana. Its most common fossil is that of a tongue-shaped leaf with prominent midrib and reticulate venation.
What does the discovery of Glossopteris in five continents suggest?
The distribution of Glossopteris across several, now detached, landmasses led Eduard Suess, amongst others, to propose that the southern continents were once amalgamated into a single supercontinent—Pangea. Glossopterids were, thus, one of the major casualties of the end-Permian mass extinction event.
Why is Glossopteris important?
Glossopteris fossils provide important evidence for currently accepted distribution of continental plates in the Permian period that ended 250 million years ago. The mass extinction that marks the end of the Permian period is believed to have led to the disappearance of Glossopteris.
Who discovered Glossopteris?
During the first half of the 20th century, geologist Eduard Suess discovered that fossils of the extinct seed fern Glossopteris could be found on three different continents.
Why is Glossopteris so widespread?
Importance and Extinction of Glossopteris They were so abundant for so long that accumulations of the dead plants eventually formed massive coal beds that are mined in Brazil, India, Australia and South Africa and also found in Antarctica.
What is the habitat of Glossopteris?
Glossopteris was a genus of woody gymnosperms that was common through out the continent of Gondwana, providing another piece of evidence for the theory of continental drift (Fossil Museum 2010). They were found in wet, swampy habitats, much like bald cypress (Fossil Museum 2010).
How did the discovery of Glossopteris support?
How did the discovery of Glossopteris support Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis? It shows its was spread around in all different continents whose climates are all different now. They found more rock, fossils and climate evidence because of today’s technology.
What type of organism was the Glossopteris?
Glossopteris was the most common genus of an extinct family of seed-bearing, or flowerless, plants collectively called Glossopteridales. The genus name means ‘tongue fern,’ a reference to the shape and general appearance of its leaves.
What kind of organism was the Glossopteris What did it look like what type of climate did it live in?
Glossopteris is an extinct type of plant referred to as a seed fern. These plants most likely thrived in warm tropical climates.
How do Glossopteris fossils support Pangaea?
WEGNER’S EVIDENCE FOR CONTINENTAL DRIFT Evidence from fossilized organisms and mountain chains can be used to reconstruct the positions of today’s continents and landmasses to form the supercontinent Pangea. Glossopteris ferns had very heavy seeds that could not move by wind or drift on ocean currents.
What is Glossopteris flora?
Glossopteris flora The fossil flora that succeeds the Permian glacial deposits of South Africa, Australia, South America, and Antarctica. It grew in a cold, wet climate, while the flora of North America and Europe existed under warm conditions.
How were Glossopteris fossils found on four different continents?
Now, the Glossopteris seed is known to be large and bulky and therefore could not have drifted or flown across the oceans to a separate continent. Therefore, the continents must have been joined at least one point in time in order to maintain the Glossopteris’ wide range across the southern continents.
