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.