Early Plant Evolution Before Dinosaurs
Ordovician Period (Around 470 Million Years Ago)
The first land plants appeared during the Ordovician, consisting of tiny moss-like bryophytes. These early plants did not have true roots or leaves, but they began the important process of colonizing land. Their presence helped to alter soils and create conditions that allowed later plant groups to thrive.
Devonian Period (419–359 Million Years Ago) – Age of Plants
The Devonian is known as the Age of Plants due to the emergence of the first vascular plants, which developed specialized tissues called xylem and phloem for water and nutrient transport. Ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails spread widely across land. Tall trees such as Archaeopteris formed the first true forests, providing complex habitats. By the late Devonian, early seed plants, the precursors to modern gymnosperms, began to appear.
Devonian Period (419–359 Million Years Ago) – Age of Plants
The Devonian is known as the Age of Plants due to the emergence of the first vascular plants, which developed specialized tissues called xylem and phloem for water and nutrient transport. Ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails spread widely across land. Tall trees such as Archaeopteris formed the first true forests, providing complex habitats. By the late Devonian, early seed plants, the precursors to modern gymnosperms, began to appear.