This is shedding light on plant colonisation of land
Researchers from the Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have uncovered fossils of a 410-million-year-old "miniature" plant in Guizhou Province. The discovery offers new insights into the strategies early plants employed to colonise land, a pivotal event in Earth's ecological history. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.
Evidence from plant macrofossils suggests that plants began their transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments approximately 430 million years ago. This transformative process, often compared to the Cambrian Explosion, dramatically reshaped the planet’s ecosystems. Over tens of millions of years, terrestrial plant diversity and complexity surged, laying the foundation for modern ecosystems.
The discovery provides a unique glimpse into this critical era. Measuring just 45 millimetres in height, with sporangium spikes only 5.8 to 10.8 millimetres long, this diminutive plant contrasts sharply with contemporaneous species, which typically ranged from 100 to 200 millimetres.
Further analysis by the research team revealed that plants during this period evolved two distinct survival strategies. Smaller plants required minimal nutrients and reproductive investment, enabling rapid life cycles in unstable environments. In contrast, larger sphenophytes demanded more resources and were better suited to stable habitats.
The findings offer new perspectives on how plants adapted to land-based environments over 400 million years ago, shaping the vibrant ecosystems we see today, the source claims.
Photo: iStock
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Nitin GadkariIndia's Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways"Our resolution has just been passed. It is very important as far as the BRICS countries are concerned, which cover 40 per cent of the world's population. We are committed to the futuristic development of the transport sector, to create cooperation, coordination and communication between the stakeholders. This resolution indicates a lot of new technology and innovation in the transport sector. It covers the road sector, railways, aviation and water transport" -
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Anutin CharnvirakulPrime Minister of Thailand"Russia has been a trusted friend of Thailand for over a century. […] Next year, we will mark the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. We will commemorate this important milestone with high-level exchanges, thereby reaffirming our shared commitment to an even stronger partnership for the benefit of our peoples"
