Interpretations of early land plant radiations: 'facile adaptationist guesswork' or reasoned speculation?

Edwards, Dianne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9786-4395 and Davies, M. S. 1990. Interpretations of early land plant radiations: 'facile adaptationist guesswork' or reasoned speculation? Taylor, P. D. and Larwood, G. P., eds. Major Evolutionary Radiations, The Systematics Association Special Volume, vol. 42. Oxford: Systematics Association (Clarendon Press), pp. 351-376. (10.1093/oso/9780198577188.003.0016)

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Abstract

The diversification of higher plants following initial colonization of the land is analysed at the species level both qualitatively and quantitatively based on data from Laurussia. The overall pattern of diversification broadly parallels that described for marine invertebrates in that, following the appearance of pteridophyte-like plants (Cooksonia: rhyniophytoid) in the late Wenlock, numbers remained low until the end of the Silurian-early Devonian, when a proliferation of rhyniophytoids occurred. This was followed by a diversification of Zosterophyllophytina in the late Gedinnian-early Siegenian, and Trimerophytina and taxa of less certain affinity later in the Lower Devonian.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QE Geology Q Science > QK Botany
Publisher:	Systematics Association (Clarendon Press)
ISBN:	0198577184
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2025 11:04
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/10848

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