Scientists fromNatural History Museum Londonstudied the fossils of an ancient plantHorneophyton lignieriwhose age is 407 million years.Workhelps to understand how plant vascular systems evolved to allowlastgrow to enormous sizes.The results of the study werepublishedin the magazineNew Phytologist.

Nthis onetuneevolutionary1st stage

Horneophyton lignieridiscoveredcryVbeginningXXcenturyin Scotland, has long been a mystery to scientists. At firstwas consideredthat this plant had a normal vascular system, including xylem and phloem, like modern plants.

However, with the use of modern technology, scientists have been able to study fossils in 3D and discover thatHorneophytonpossesslunique fabric for transporting water and nutrients thatit can be consideredan earlier stage of evolution.

TOsilem and phloem are the two main tissues of the plant vascular system, which are responsible for transporting substances throughout the plant. Xylem is the tissue that carries water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant, especially the leaves. Xylem consists of dead cells that form tubes that conduct water.

It allows the plant to grow to great heights by delivering water to its upper parts. Phloem is a tissue that transports the products of photosynthesisFor example,sugars, from the leaves (where they are produced) to other parts of the plant. Phloem is made up of living cells that can transport nutrients up and down the plant.

Unlike modern plants,Horneophytonmoved water and sugars simultaneously, its vascular system was not yet divided into two types of cells.

Research shows that the phloem-like cell came first and the xylem came later. Thisoworkedoonly for small plants such asHorneophytonwho washeightup to 20 cm. Nevertheless, this was an important step towards evolutionVlargerisgrown upI.

The appearance of tall trees

Soonafter the appearanceHorneophytonhis contemporaryAsteroxylondeveloped a advanced vascular system with separate xylem and phloem. This allowed him to grow twice as big asHorneophytonand create the preconditions for the further growth of trees and ferns. Gradually, the evolution of vascular systems led toemergencegiganticandgrown upand.

This study becomeskeyto understand how plantsevolvedand changed the planet.