New Fossil Plants Exhibit Unusual Branching

Arborescent lycopsids exhibited considerable architectural diversity despite being subject to this developmental constraint, but Stigmaria ficoides has mainly been known to have branched by equal dichotomies. However, in a new study published in the International Journal of Plant Sciences, Negaunee Postdoctoral Fellow Michael D’Antonio and Negaunee Assistant Curator of Paleobotany Fabiany Herrera describe two new Stigmaria ficoides specimens that exhibited unequal branching of their axes. These specimens were compared to a spectacular S. ficoides specimen from the Field Museum Paleobotanical Collection, and after ruling out fossilization processes, preservation, and life history as potential explanations for the unusual branching behavior, the authors concluded that these specimens in fact represent evidence of a new developmental pathway for the species that is in line with the development observed in the shoot systems with which it is associated. This finding is part of a broader push by Michael and collaborators to better understand the anatomy, development, and physiology of the charismatic yet strange arborescent lycopsids.
February 23. 2024