Fossil evidence of Bryophytes

Bryophyte fossil evidences are less known, the reasons :

•Plant body is simple and small in size

•Plants are delicate and fragile
•Surface of the thallus or leaf is not cuticularised
•Lignified cells are not present
•Vascular bundles are not present
•Leaves are only single layer thickness

However, fossil has been recorded from tertiary beds of the palaeozoic
mesozoic and coenozoic era
 Geological time scale showing distribution of
bryophytes:

PALAEOZOIC ERA
1.Devonian period: a) Sporogonites exuberans
b) Hepaticites devonicum

2.Carboniferous period: a) Hepaticites willsii

b) Hepaticites kidstonii
c) Hepaticites metzgerioides

3)Permian period:a) Intia vermicularis

MESOZOIC ERA
1.Triasic period: a) Naiadita lanceolata
2.Jurassic period:a) Ricciopis florinii
b) Hepaticites laevis
3) Cretaceous period: a) Marchantites yukonensis
b) Jungermannites cretaceous
c) Muscites lesquereuxi
COENOZOIC ERA
1.Eocene period: a) Marchantites steplensoni
b) Jungermannites bryopteroides
2.Miocene period:a) Marchantites coloradensis
b) Jungermannites cockereli
 PALAEOZOIC ERA

DEVONIAN PERIOD Sporogonites exuberance

•Described by Hale (1916) from lower devonian of Norway

•Irregular thalloid base,no evidence of lignified tissues
•Sporangiosphores bearing sporangium on a parallel line
•Sporangium multi-layered with a dome shaped spore sac with
spores
•Columella structure not perfectly known
•Fossil comparable to Horneophyton and living Sphagnum

•Huber (1961) from upper devonian of New York

•Earliest fossil record of Hepaticae associated with fossil
remains of Psilophytales, ferns, lycopods and
gymnosperms Hepaticites devonicum
•Prostrate rhizomatous base , erect thallus with simple
rhizoids, internal parenchymatous cell (similar to mid rib)
•No reproductive structures
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
i. Hepaticites willsii
• Walton(1925) reported from Upper Carboniferous period
• Ribbon shaped, dichotomously branched thallus which is
several cell layered , thick in middle
• Resembles Riccia fluitans but overall shows affinity with
Riccardia
• H. langi (Schuster) is similar to H.willsii
ii. Hepaticites kidstonii
•Walton (1925) discovered from Upper carboniferous period
•Foliose Jungermanniales, it has well marked axis and 2 rows of
lateral leaves on it dorsal surface
•Small scale like appendage associated with each leaf
•Rhizoids not visible
•Externally resemble with genus treuvia and Schuster proposed
a new name as treubiites
iii. Hepaticites metzeriodes
•Upper carboniferous period
•Fossil has simple ribbon like thallus body
•External appearance shows similarity with genus Metzgeria
Muscites polytrichaceous & M. burtrandi are the other fossils
reported from Carboniferous period
PERMIAN PERIIOD
i. Intia vermicularis
• Fossil genus was reported from Permmian rocks of USSR
• Thallus or leaf impression with distinct mid rib and wings
with dentate margins
• Other fossils include Intia. variablis, Salaria langifolia
MESOZOIC ERA
A. TRIASIC PERIOD
i. Naiadita lanceolata
• Harris(1938) reported from upper Triasic of England
• Plant body – small erect & cylindrical axis bearing spirally
arranged leaf all over
• Lower leaf linear, middle lanceolate & upper more or less
rounded
• Rhizoid simple and seen at base only(unicellular, smooth
walled)
• No differentiation into conducting strand in internal structure
• Leaves lack mid rib and are unistratose
• Apex of the stem bear cup shaped gemma cup with several
multi cellular oval gemma with short stalk
• Covered by lanceolate leaves
• Archegonia are lateral, sessile or with short stalk
• Found at all side of stem at some distance from leaf
• Venter is one layered, long neck
• Intial stages they are naked but later covered by a group of
laef like lobes
• Sporophyte were present at the apex of main axis
• It consist of spherical capsule, small hemispherical foot and
seta is absent
• Capsule wall is one layered and evenly thickened with
lenticular spores and no elaters or columella
• Capsule opens irregularly
V. S OF SPOROPHYTE PART OF SPOROPHYTE
• In general plant is moss like,but lack mid rib which indicates
liverwort character(simple rhizoids, archegonia with one cell
layer thickness & lack of tissue differentiation in axis)
• Sporophyte resembles liverwort (Marchantiales – capsule
wall one layered)
• Absence of elaters – resemblance with Sphaerocarpales
• Erect habit, spirally arranged leaves and extra axillary position
of archegonia – Calobryales
• Harris considered Naiadita closely related to Riella
JURASSIC PERIOD
i. Ricciopsis florinii
• Lundbland(1954) discovered this fossil from Jurassic of
Scania, Sweden .
• The plant shows resemblance with Riccia
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
i. Marchanites yukonensis
• Hollick (1930) from Cretaceous of Yokon– Resemblance
with Marchantia
i. Jungermannites cretaceous –
• Reported by Berry in 1919 from cretaceous rock of
Alabama.
• All over similar to living leafy liverwort jungermania in
which leaves are arranged in two lateral lobes
iii. Muscites leguereuxi
• Berry (1928) from Cretaceous of Northern America–
Resemblance with Moss
 COENOZOIC ERA
EOCENE PERIOD

i.Marchantites stephensonii
• Berry from Eocene of Texas. Resemblance with Marchantia
ii.Jungermannites bryopteroides
• Ball (1931) from eocene of Texas. Resembles with modern
Jungermanniales

MIOCENE PERIOD

i. Marchantites coloradensis
• Knowlton (1930) from Miocene of Colorado. Showing affinity
with modern Marchantiales

ii.Jungermantites cockerelli – Howe & Hollick (1922) from Miocene

of Colorado. Showing affinity with modern Jungermanniales
 FOSSIL BRYOPHYTES FROM INDIA

i. Capsularis gondwanensis
• Saksena (1947) fossil capsule from Permo-carboniferous of Ganjra mala. It
represent only a dark capsule with operculum, short seta and foot

ii. Shuklanites deccanii

•Singhai (1964) from deccan intertrappean beds of Chhindwara (M.P.)
•The fossil has foot, seta and capsule. Capsule has only spores and pseudoelaters but
columella is absent.
•Showing affinity with Marchantiales and Anthocerotales

iii. Sphagnum papillosum

•Vishnu Mittre & Gupta (1971) from sediments of Bhimtal, Nainital (sub fossil)