The Greening of the Earth: Plant Evolution and the Fossil Record with Eric Fuselier
Join Eric Fuselier as he brings the history of plant evolution to life with this introduction to paleobotany. Learn how plants have evolved on land since the first algae appeared over 750 million years ago. In addition to this presentation, participants will see real fossil specimens from the Eric’s private collection, showcasing many of the species and geological time periods discussed in this program.
Eric Fuselier is an environmental scientist in Northwest Arkansas and self-described “plant geek.” Eric enjoys collecting plant fossils and learning about paleobotany and plant evolution and paleobotany in his spare time.
01:17 The floor is given to Eric Fuselier.
01:58 Geological units of time.
03:03 Archean eon, Beginning of Life on Earth. Stromatolites.
05:05 Photosynthesis: cyanobacteria, purple sulfur bacteria.
07:03 Proterozoic eon, Great oxidation event.
08:32 Eukaryotes, Primary endosymbiosis.
10:11 Green algae. Charophyta. Proterocladus antiquus.
11:38 Phanerozoic eon. Paleozoic era.
12:49 Cambrian period.
14:26 Girvanella fossil (porostromate cyanobacteria).
15:16 Ordovician period.
16:30 First land plants were sporophytes. Spores typical of Bryophytes.
18:20 Late Ordovician mass extinction.
19:06 Silurian period.
20:36 Appearence of vascular plants. Tracheaphytes: Cooksonia, Salopella.
24:58 Devonian period.
27:15 Aglaophyton. Rhyniophyta. Trimerophytes: Psilophyton.
29:55 First trees: Progymnosperms, Cladoxylopsida, Wattieza, Archaeopteris, Callixylon.
36:04 Polypodiophyta (ferns).
37:26 Developing roots. Late Devonian extinction as a consequence.
38:24 Carboniferous period.
40:54 Equisetidae. Calamites.
43:49 Lepidodendrales: Lepidodendron, Lepidofloios, Sigillaria.
49:06 Seed plants (spermatophytes): Seed ferns (pteridospermatophyta), Alethopteris.
51:40 Mid carboniferous.
52:34 Gymnosperms: Conifers (Walchia).
53:57 Permian period.
55:57 Ginkgos. Cycads. Gnetophytes. Glossopteridales. Conifers: Voltzealeans.
58:58 Extinction of Progymnosperms. Mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic transition.
1:00:00 Mezozoic era, age of Cycads.
1:00:44 Triassic period. Permian extinction consequences and recovering.
1:02:11 Bennettitales: Williamsoniaceae. Conifers. Tree ferns.
1:03:32 Jurassic period.
1:05:35 Conifers: Araucariaceae, Cephalotaxacea, Pinaceae, Podocarpacea, Taxaceae, Taxodiaxeae.
1:07:43 Probably the earliest Angiosperm found: Nanjinganthus.
1:08:57 Cretaceous period.
1:10:30 Gnetophyta. Angiosperms: Magnoliophyta, Archaefructus, Operculifructus lopezii.
1:13:07 Amber.
1:14:43 Ferns: Tempskya (tree), modern ones.
1:16:16 Trees: Magnolias, Sycamores, Sycads (decline), Conifers (decline): Metasequoia.
1:17:44 Cenozoic era. Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Age of savannas starts.
1:20:55 Paleogene period.
1:21:31 Paleocene: Acer, Zizyphoides flabellum. Eocene: desiduous forests and grasses. Oligocene: modern terrestrial ecosystems are forming.
1:26:53 Neogene period.
1:27:56 Modern seed plants. Grasses spreading. Fossils: Pinus, Podogonium knorri, Zelkova zelkovifolia, Taxodium dubium.
1:31:58 Quaternary period (Antropogen). Age of flowers.
1:32:59 Modern gymnosperms. Modern Tree ferns. Gnetophyta.
1:33:47 Supplemental reading.
1:35:37 Questions.
Пікірлер: 24
Thank you for such an exhaustive presentation! Here I mark some episodes just for ease. 01:17 The floor is given to Eric Fuselier. 01:58 Geological units of time. 03:03 Archean eon, Beginning of Life on Earth. Stromatolites. 05:05 Photosynthesis: cyanobacteria, purple sulfur bacteria. 07:03 Proterozoic eon, Great oxidation event. 08:32 Eukaryotes, Primary endosymbiosis. 10:11 Green algae. Charophyta. Proterocladus antiquus. 11:38 Phanerozoic eon. Paleozoic era. 12:49 Cambrian period. 14:26 Girvanella fossil (porostromate cyanobacteria). 15:16 Ordovician period. 16:30 First land plants were sporophytes. Spores typical of Bryophytes. 18:20 Late Ordovician mass extinction. 19:06 Silurian period. 20:36 Appearence of vascular plants. Tracheaphytes: Cooksonia, Salopella. 24:58 Devonian period. 27:15 Aglaophyton. Rhyniophyta. Trimerophytes: Psilophyton. 29:55 First trees: Progymnosperms, Cladoxylopsida, Wattieza, Archaeopteris, Callixylon. 36:04 Polypodiophyta (ferns). 37:26 Developing roots. Late Devonian extinction as a consequence. 38:24 Carboniferous period. 40:54 Equisetidae. Calamites. 43:49 Lepidodendrales: Lepidodendron, Lepidofloios, Sigillaria. 49:06 Seed plants (spermatophytes): Seed ferns (pteridospermatophyta), Alethopteris. 51:40 Mid carboniferous. 52:34 Gymnosperms: Conifers (Walchia). 53:57 Permian period. 55:57 Ginkgos. Cycads. Gnetophytes. Glossopteridales. Conifers: Voltzealeans. 58:58 Extinction of Progymnosperms. Mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic transition. 1:00:00 Mezozoic era, age of Cycads. 1:00:44 Triassic period. Permian extinction consequences and recovering. 1:02:11 Bennettitales: Williamsoniaceae. Conifers. Tree ferns. 1:03:32 Jurassic period. 1:05:35 Conifers: Araucariaceae, Cephalotaxacea, Pinaceae, Podocarpacea, Taxaceae, Taxodiaxeae. 1:07:43 Probably the earliest Angiosperm found: Nanjinganthus. 1:08:57 Cretaceous period. 1:10:30 Gnetophyta. Angiosperms: Magnoliophyta, Archaefructus, Operculifructus lopezii. 1:13:07 Amber. 1:14:43 Ferns: Tempskya (tree), modern ones. 1:16:16 Trees: Magnolias, Sycamores, Sycads (decline), Conifers (decline): Metasequoia. 1:17:44 Cenozoic era. Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Age of savannas starts. 1:20:55 Paleogene period. 1:21:31 Paleocene: Acer, Zizyphoides flabellum. Eocene: desiduous forests and grasses. Oligocene: modern terrestrial ecosystems are forming. 1:26:53 Neogene period. 1:27:56 Modern seed plants. Grasses spreading. Fossils: Pinus, Podogonium knorri, Zelkova zelkovifolia, Taxodium dubium. 1:31:58 Quaternary period (Antropogen). Age of flowers. 1:32:59 Modern gymnosperms. Modern Tree ferns. Gnetophyta. 1:33:47 Supplemental reading. 1:35:37 Questions.
@arkansasnativeplantsociety7550
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! We've added this information to the video caption.
Great lecture! Thx
Thank you so much, Eric et al. I learned a lot. 🙏
The picture in 16.30 from early Devonian, painted by Z.Burian, was the first picture about paleozoic plants I have ever seen. It was in an old paleo book from the 1950s wich belonged my grandpa, but I loved it! Of course there were a lot of wrong things in this book, so all the Silurian and early Devonian plants were called by the same name "psilophytales". But there were many beautiful pictures from the Devonian and Carboniferous in this old book, and they made me getting interested in paleontology and paleobotanic. And the Carboniferous is still one of my most favourite periods in earth history, I would love to have some of the trees like sigillaria or lepidodendron in my garden. And also some Devonian plants, like Asteroxylon or archeosigillaria....😊 I would also like to know more about the Evolution of the angiosperms in the mesozoic, but there are still a lot of unclear things I guess... Best wishes to you all from Germany, and I hope to see more of your videos!
I just love listening to these kinds of videos
Thank you sir.For this informative video..Respect from Bangladesh...❤
The universe seems to have provided everything needed for the development of life on all levels.
Imagine rummaging through boxes and boxes of plant fossils, and helping yourself to whichever one you fancy.
@thejdmguru621
6 ай бұрын
Why not build a “Time Machine” that transports you to an alternate universe in which earth was still in the Jurassic. That way you’ll have the real deal XD
@Wavy_Gravy
26 күн бұрын
@thejdmguru621 All life exists at the same time, yet dimensions aren't hindered by such.......but, the real question is, Honda? Lol.
That was fascinating! Just one point of critique; To have the Eric Fusilier visible in a box at the margin of the slides would make it easier to follow the presentation. As I am a typical member of the ape family, eye contact helps me to focus my concentration. Anyway, thanks and greetings from Munich, Germany.
Lecture catering to my current interest. I was specially interested of Devonian plants. Carboniferous had also fascinating shapes.
Well done, interesting. Thank you, I will save it for reference.
So interesting ! Thank you.
Hello i have an urgent question: When the plant life exploded in the carbonferous and the CO2 was reduced drasticly from the atmosphere, why did the temperatures not change? Only untill ~50 millions later with the Karoo ice age? At 18:40 it is said that the CO2 reduction is caused by the few cambrian plants and this lead to the Andean-Saharan glaciation. That is not only uncertain but unlikely in it's drastic effect and not in line with the jurassic CO2 decline with temperature rise for example. The cold itself is the major reductor of CO2 due to the absorbing oceans. The real reason for these drsatic temperature changes is the continetal distribution. When Antarctica left the south pole in the permian, the hot mesozoic began and when Antarctica turned back to the pole, our ice age began. Snow can not accumulate to large ice shields on the open seas.
@ethannelson8592
19 күн бұрын
There are many different factors that contribute to temperature changes globally, with the continents affecting ocean currents being only one of many. The main factors are usually atmospheric composition and milankovitch cycles, but there’s always nuance to every natural phenomenon.
@nyoodmono4681
18 күн бұрын
@@ethannelson8592 Ok. But if one tries to find out what is the most dominant factor with an ockham razor atempt, i think it is clear that the continental distribution comes first. The Karoo ice age ends with Antarctica moving north, eventually losing it`s ice, which peaks in cretaceous maximum seal level. Then Antacrtica moves back to the pole and our current ice age began. The Milankovic cycles are on the smaller scale, responsible for the interglacials within such ice age period.
@ethannelson8592
16 күн бұрын
@@nyoodmono4681 These same massive climatic changes happen more frequently than significant tectonic change, so no, I’d disagree. It plays a big part in some cases, but not even remotely close to the majority of the time.
@nyoodmono4681
16 күн бұрын
@@ethannelson8592 You disagree but where? There is a warm Cambrium followed by the Andean Saharan glaciation, a warm devonian, followed by the Karoo ice age, then the warm mesozoic, followed by our pleistocene. It is either hothouse (norm) or ice age (exception). The changes within our holocene are not "massiv" including our recent warming.
@ethannelson8592
11 күн бұрын
@@nyoodmono4681 You skipped a few dozen other warming and cooling events, as well as the intermediate periods😂😂
Who in the world would have thought that In the Archean Eon stromatolites had to pay for oxygen! Wonder what currency they used?