Evolution TL: March to Life > Evolution > Great Apes > Human > Consciousness > All to Us
(Plants | Animals > Cephlapods | Insects | Fish > Amphibians > Reptiles > Dinosaurs & Birds | Synapsids & Mammals)
Protozoa emerge from a branch of eukaryotes and both branches survive today.
- Domain: Eukaryota > Kingdom: Protista
Around 1.7 billion years ago, a branch of protozoa, an advanced branch of the eukaryote cells, split into animals, plants, and fungi. These three separate lineages are the ancestors of modern plants, fungi and animals.
- 1.7 billion years ago: Plants diverge from the common protozoa ancestor.
- 1.5 billion years ago: Fungi and animal branch emerges.
- 1.3 billion years ago: Fungi diverge from the common fungi-animal ancestor.
Later animals evolve into the animal kingdom which includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, crustaceans, arachnids, echiniderms, worms, mollusks, and sponges.
- Domain: Eukaryota > Kingdom: Protista (or ancestral eukaryotes)
(New Kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, and Fungi)
About 200 million years after the broader separation of animals, plants, and fungi, red and green algae evolved from a common ancestor. Green algae later gave rise to land plants, with all land plants descending from green algae around 475 million years ago. Both green algae and land plants share chlorophyll, a key to their photosynthetic abilities. Green algae are generally considered the first true plants, while red algae remain classified as algae.
The first land plants appeared during the Ordovician period. Life was diversifying rapidly during the Ordovician period.
Trees actually breath. Well, technically they grow a bit more at night and tend to shrink a tiny bit during the day in a process called “diurnal stem extension,” which I like to think is analogous to breathing or a heartbeat.
- Domain: Eukaryota > Kingdom: Plantae > Phylum: Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
The Ginkgo biloba, prominently featured in this image, stands as a testament to the resilience and persistence of nature. Its unique fan-shaped leaves, characterized by radiating veins, mark it as a “living fossil,” a term that reflects its ancient origins and relatively unchanged form over millions of years. These leaves first appeared during the Permian period, a time when the landscape was dominated by coniferous trees and early reptiles, setting the stage for the Ginkgo biloba’s long evolutionary journey. The depiction emphasizes the transition from simpler, primitive leaves to the more specialized flabellate leaves of the Ginkgo, illustrating a significant evolutionary development in plant life.
As the Permian period waned around 299 to 252 million years ago, the Earth’s climates became increasingly arid, fostering the evolution of plant adaptations suited for water conservation. Among these adaptations was the emergence of true pine needles, characteristic of early conifers. These needle-like leaves, with their narrow, waxy surfaces, were crucial in minimizing water loss, a vital trait in the challenging Permian environments. As the planet transitioned into the Triassic period (about 252 to 201 million years ago), these early conifers diversified and spread, forming dense forests that featured a variety of conifer species with distinct pine needles. This marked a significant evolutionary step, enabling conifers to dominate many landscapes and setting the stage for the later proliferation of these resilient trees during the Mesozoic era.
This image showcases the intricate leaf structures of modern trees, specifically highlighting the leaves of the Maple and Oak. These species represent the evolutionary pinnacle of leaf development, featuring complex, highly branched vascular systems that optimize photosynthesis and water management. Maples, with their characteristic palmate leaves, and Oaks, with their lobed leaves, exemplify the diversity and adaptability of modern angiosperms. Set against a backdrop of a Cretaceous landscape, replete with flowering bushes and early birds, this image captures the dynamic interplay of evolution that has sculpted the form and function of contemporary tree leaves.
While the earliest fossils we have place the first flowers at about 130 million years ago, they likely evolved earlier. How much earlier is still under research. Recent molecular analysis suggests that the origins of flowering plants might extend back to between 149 and 256 million years ago. This type of research looks at the evolutionary relationships and timing. Stay tuned!
For sure, during the Cretaceous period, around 130 million years ago, the first simple flowers began to bloom. They were likely brown or green because they used wind, not insects, for pollination. These early angiosperms, or flowering plants, marked a significant evolutionary leap in the plant kingdom. They evolved from gymnosperms, a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers. The development of flowers allowed for more efficient reproduction through the attraction of pollinators like insects, which facilitated cross-pollination and genetic diversity.
Fossil evidence suggests that the first flowers were small, simple structures, quite different from the diverse and complex blooms we see today. By 130 million years ago, the first flowers began to bloom, marking a pivotal moment in plant evolution. These early angiosperms emerged during the Cretaceous period, evolving from gymnosperms and revolutionizing reproductive strategies through the attraction of pollinators.
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