Sweden (Baltica paleocontinent) as a probable center of origin of land plants

What is it about?

The mode and timing of the terrestrialization of plants is extremely relevant because the origin of land plants is one of the most important evolutionary events in Earth’s history. This paper reports the discovery of the oldest occurrences of trilete spores (Upper Ordovician: ~ 455 million years old) , probably the earliest traces of vascular land plants yet recorded in the world. Additionally, cryptospore assemblages are identified revealing a diverse and stable mid-Ordovician ( ~ 460 million years old) vegetation of free-sporing plants in Baltica.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The origin of land plants was a major macroevolutionary event, having immense consequences for continental and marine ecology, and for the global climate system. Therefore, when and where land plants originated is being currently actively debated. Until now, Gondwana has been proposed as the cradle of vascular plants. However, the results presented in this paper, would change the biogeographic paradigm for the origin of vascular plants. Baltica is proposed as the possible original region of the radiation of early land plants. These early land plant spore occurrences are linked to extensive, nutrient-rich volcanic ash deposits, related to an Ordovician super-volcano. The empirical evidence provides a new benchmark for calibrating the rise of tracheophytes.

Perspectives