Chinese scientists discovered a 410-million-year-old terrestrial plant fossil in Duyun city, Guizhou province, identified as Zosterophyllum baoyangense. Led by the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the discovery provides insights into the process of terrestrial colonization by plants, which began approximately 430 million years ago.

Zosterophyllum baoyangense is notable for its exceptionally small size. Measuring only 45 millimeters in height, it is extremely rare among plants from this epoch, as typical plants from that era measured 100 to 200 millimeters in length. Its sporangial spike measures between 5.8 and 10.8 millimeters, unusually small compared to similar plants of that time.

Researchers believe that the small size of Zosterophyllum required less nourishment than larger plants, which may have helped it adapt to the difficult living conditions of the period. The small size likely meant it had a short lifespan, reflecting an evolutionary strategy based on short and rapid life cycles suitable for the environment of that time.

Zosterophyllum could quickly complete its entire life cycle, which served as a survival strategy for plants during that period, allowing reproduction during favorable time windows, reported El Cronista.

Approximately 430 million years ago, plants began their transition from water to land, a process that changed Earth's ecological environment. The authors of the study say that during that period, the planet underwent plant colonization, leading to substantial ecological shifts.

"Terrestrial plants in their early stages of development probably depended on the evolution of various survival strategies to overcome complex environmental pressures, complete the colonization of the land, and ultimately green the planet," said Huang Pu, who led the research, according to El Cronista.

The small size of Zosterophyllum baoyangense underscores its adaptation to environments with limited resources.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq