Biodiversity

Halobacterium salinarum

Archaea found in extremely saline conditions eg. salt lakes. An example of an extremophile

Rhodopseudomonas palustris

An example of purple photosynthetic bacteria, contains only photosystem II

Chlorobium tepidum

An example of green sulphur bacteria, contains only photosystem

Microcystis aeruginosa

An example of cyanobacteria, contains both photosystems I and II

Grypania spiralis

The oldest evidence of a eukaryote- around 1.9 billion years ago

Lokiarchaeum primum

Possibly our closest archaean relative, has a cytoskeleton and able to do phagocytosis, so this or a relative may be responsible for eukaryogenesis

Bangiomorpha pubescens

A red aglae, and the first fossil evidence of sexual reproduction

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

A green algae which can sexually reproduce. Haploid and asexually reproduce most of the time, but gametophytes can fuse to sexually reproduce

Marchantia polymorpha

Liverworts. Early sexual reproducers, gametophyte dominant. Sporophyte grows on top of gametophyte

Cooksonia pertoni

The earliest evidence of a vascular plant, contained primitive water transport so could grow taller than other plants

Asteroxylon mackiei

An early vascular plant with leaf like & root like structures and a vascular tissue xylem

Lycopodium clavatum

An example of a sporophyte dominant plant with a xylem and mircophylls

Equisetum telmateia

An ancient horsetail fern. Has:

• a ring of xylem

• extensive (true) roots

• reproductive structures

Archaeopteris

a progymnosperm, reproduces via spores but has secondary thickening (wood)

Ginkgo biloba

Only extant species of its phylum, had fruit-like seed walls and branching. Was also:

• dioecious

• deciduous

Pinus longaeva

A pine - conifer. The oldest living trees

Welwitschia mirabilis

An example of gnetophyta, shares characteristics with flowing plants

Archaefructus eoflora

Earliest fossil of a “flowering” plant, bisexual plants with both male and female organs, elongated flowers

Amborella trichopoda

earliest diverging extant line of the angiosperms- missing link. Had primitive flower anatomy but tracheids instead of xylem dioecious

Aethophyllum stipulare

first herb fossil- an extinct herbaceous conifer

Carnegiea gigantea

A cactus adapted to desert environment by

• thick waxy cuticle

• water storing

• alternative CAM photosynthesis

• deep taproots

• slow growth