Progymnosperm — Archaeopteris hibernica

Geologic period: Late Devonian

Age: Late Devonian.

Feeding: Photosynthetic plant.

Body plan: Large woody tree with fern-like leafy branches and an extensive root system.

Evidence: The exhibit leaf is direct evidence of foliage. Whole-tree reconstructions are built from leaves, wood, branches, roots and associated Archaeopteris fossils.

Why it matters: Archaeopteris helped transform terrestrial landscapes by producing large woody forests and extensive root systems long before flowering plants evolved.

Plain Language Identity: A tree-sized Late Devonian progymnosperm combining fern-like foliage with woody growth.

What You Are Looking At: Fossil foliage belonging to Archaeopteris rather than an entire preserved tree.

Ecosystem: Late Devonian forest ecosystem.

Preservation: Leaf fossil.

Open Questions: Do not imply that the visitor is seeing a complete Archaeopteris tree when the displayed object is foliage.

Source Urls: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/current-exhibits/deep-time-virtual-tour-fossil-list; https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1013/report.pdf; https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/385-million-year-old-fossils-reveal-worlds-oldest-forest-had-modern-tree-roots-180973810/

Enrichment Method: SAGE curated research pass; title and scientific name matched; evidence separated from inference

Scientific name: Archaeopteris hibernica

Evidence / representation: comparative_exact_taxon_visual

comparative_exact_taxon_visual

Life Conquers the Land: Forests, Fishes and the First Four-Legged Worlds.

Media license: Public domain