Evolution and Plant Diversity
NOTE: :Lifted from Sir Baggy
Evolutionary Highlights and Plant Diversity
Plant evolutionary process leads to the diversification and increasing complexity of plant species. As what has been commonly accepted, the process started with the earliest form of algal mats and ended up with the recent angiosperms. Moreover, the new grade of organization of plants were believed to have become successful than its predecessors. Though a continuing debate, most scientists accepted that all forms of plants begun with an algal scum formed on land around 1,200 million years ago. Through the years (i.e. about millions of years), this scum has evolved into the first land plants. These plants then evolved and diversified further producing more new structures, as evidenced in fossil assemblages. Currently, there were several aspects in plant life that have become the focus of investigation to come up further evidences of the process of its evolution.
In this module, you will study how plants evolved through time, and how the process has led to the diversification of plants.
Below is the list of topics that will be discussed in this module. You can click on each topic to access or download the learning materials.
1.The Origin and Early Evolution of Plants on Land - this topic discusses the evolutionary process of plants and the highlights of the process in each evolutionary period; the discussion is based on paleobotanical discoveries and advances in systematics.
2.The Evolution of Plant Development - this topic dissects the evolution of major developmental transitions among land plants, including those associated with apical meristems, the origins of the root/shoot dichotomy, diversification of leaves, and origin and subsequent modification of flower structure.
3.The Evolution of Plant Sexual Diversity - this topic discusses sexual evolution and diversification of plants with inputs from the integration of phylogenetic, ecological and population-genetic studies. These studies have provided new insights into the selective mechanisms that are responsible for major evolutionary transitions between reproductive modes.
4.The Evolution of Leaf Venation - this discusses the evolution of different leaf venation patterns and possible
interrelationships between form and function of leaf venation systems.
5.Factors that Effect Evolution
■ Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
■ Recombination
■ Gravity
6.Plant Diversity
Learning Activity
Listed above are the factors that influenced the evolution of plants. Some studies such as Niklas (1999) indicate that wind also plays an important role in plant evolution. You have to surf the net and find out how wind effects evolution on plants. Then, write a simple scientific paper that shows the role/s of wind in plant evolution. Be sure to cite your references. Your simple scientific paper should consist of about 2,500 words, and should have a title, abstract, introduction, objective/s of the paper, discussion, conclusion, and literature cited. Use APA style in citing the literature that you review. Post your simple scientific paper in the discussion forum intended for this purpose. You can click on this link to access the forum.
Watch the video clip below. The video is about the diversity of plant structures among various groups of plants. This is uploaded by Critters Inc last September 5, 2008 in you tube.
Video
Evolutionary Highlights and Plant Diversity
Plant evolutionary process leads to the diversification and increasing complexity of plant species. As what has been commonly accepted, the process started with the earliest form of algal mats and ended up with the recent angiosperms. Moreover, the new grade of organization of plants were believed to have become successful than its predecessors. Though a continuing debate, most scientists accepted that all forms of plants begun with an algal scum formed on land around 1,200 million years ago. Through the years (i.e. about millions of years), this scum has evolved into the first land plants. These plants then evolved and diversified further producing more new structures, as evidenced in fossil assemblages. Currently, there were several aspects in plant life that have become the focus of investigation to come up further evidences of the process of its evolution.
In this module, you will study how plants evolved through time, and how the process has led to the diversification of plants.
Below is the list of topics that will be discussed in this module. You can click on each topic to access or download the learning materials.
1.The Origin and Early Evolution of Plants on Land - this topic discusses the evolutionary process of plants and the highlights of the process in each evolutionary period; the discussion is based on paleobotanical discoveries and advances in systematics.
2.The Evolution of Plant Development - this topic dissects the evolution of major developmental transitions among land plants, including those associated with apical meristems, the origins of the root/shoot dichotomy, diversification of leaves, and origin and subsequent modification of flower structure.
3.The Evolution of Plant Sexual Diversity - this topic discusses sexual evolution and diversification of plants with inputs from the integration of phylogenetic, ecological and population-genetic studies. These studies have provided new insights into the selective mechanisms that are responsible for major evolutionary transitions between reproductive modes.
4.The Evolution of Leaf Venation - this discusses the evolution of different leaf venation patterns and possible
interrelationships between form and function of leaf venation systems.
5.Factors that Effect Evolution
■ Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
■ Recombination
■ Gravity
6.Plant Diversity
Learning Activity
Listed above are the factors that influenced the evolution of plants. Some studies such as Niklas (1999) indicate that wind also plays an important role in plant evolution. You have to surf the net and find out how wind effects evolution on plants. Then, write a simple scientific paper that shows the role/s of wind in plant evolution. Be sure to cite your references. Your simple scientific paper should consist of about 2,500 words, and should have a title, abstract, introduction, objective/s of the paper, discussion, conclusion, and literature cited. Use APA style in citing the literature that you review. Post your simple scientific paper in the discussion forum intended for this purpose. You can click on this link to access the forum.
Watch the video clip below. The video is about the diversity of plant structures among various groups of plants. This is uploaded by Critters Inc last September 5, 2008 in you tube.
Video
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