🌴 The allure of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures has always fascinated people of all ages from all over the world, but something that has always been too unappreciated are the plants that lived long ago. One of these plants was Tempskya, a genus of Pterydophites (tree ferns) which was very widespread, as it's fossils have been found in both the northern and southern hemisphere: from places like United States and Argentina to places like Europe, China and Australia. Tempskya was first described in 1845 from specimens found in what is now Czech Republic. Four species were erected in the original description, but today there are around twenty valid species. What looks like the trunk was in reality a vast number of stems that were surrounded by many roots. Tempskya is the only member of the family Tempskyaceae, and its classification among plants is debated. The most recent studies suggest it could be part of the order Cyatheales, which are a division of the class Polypodiopsida. This plant was able to grow up to 6 meters in height and have a diameter of 50 cm. During its growth, several small leaves started growing accross the false trunk. This is unusual considering that most tree ferns have large leaves which grow from the top of the trunk. This plant is thought to have lived near watery habitats, like wetlands and riverbanks. Tempskya lived in the Cretaceous period, and its fossil record ranges from the Valanginian stage, which started around 140 mya to the Santonian stage, which ended around 83 mya. This means that until new more recent fossils will prove otherwise, this plant went extinct before the end of the Cretaceous.
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🖌️ 📸 Credits: Richard Bizley, Wikipedia, Matthew Rhodes on Twitter, xfrog.com,
@paleoii , paleopeter on DeviantArt,
@joschuaknuppe , petrified wood museum, worthpoint
