Pteridospermatophyta
1815052
225453107
2008-07-13T19:46:37Z
NatureA16
2164770
{{Unreferenced|date=April 2008}}{{Taxobox
| name = Pteridospermatophyta
| fossil_range = [[Devonian]]-[[Eocene]]
| image =
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption =
| domain = [[Eukaryote|Eukaryota]]
| unranked_regnum = [[Archaeplastida]]
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = †'''Pteridospermatophyta'''
| subdivision_ranks = Orders
| subdivision =
* [[Arberiales]]
* [[Calamopityales]]
* [[Callistophytales]]
* [[Corystospermales]]
* [[Gigantopterid|Gigantonomiales]]
* [[Glossopteridales]]
* [[Leptostrobales]]
* [[Peltaspermales]]
}}
'''Pteridospermatophyta''', also called '''seed ferns''', is an extinct [[spermatophyte]] group of the [[Plantae]] [[kingdom (biology)|kingdom]]. Members of this division were predominant at the late [[Devonian]], declined some {{ma|250}}, and mostly disappeared by the [[Cretaceous]], though [[fossil]] evidence indicates that they survived into the [[Eocene]] in [[Tasmania]].<ref name="McLoughlinetal2008">McLoughlin, S., R.J. Carpenter, G.J. Jordan, & R.S. Hill. (2008). "Seed ferns survived the end-Cretaceous mass extinction in Tasmania." ''American Journal of Botany,'' '''95''': 465-471.</ref> The Pteridospermatophyta have not yet acquired a clear position in botanical [[systematics]] and indeed appear to be a [[paraphyletic]] [[form taxon]]. Some appear to be allied or ancestral to the [[gymnosperm]]s, others seem to be closer to [[angiosperm]]s.
The seeds of seed ferns develop differently from the other seed plants, as they are believed to grow inside a cupule.
[[Order (biology)|Order]]s often united in the seed ferns are:
* [[Arberiales]]
* [[Calamopityales]]
* [[Callistophytales]]
* [[Corystospermales]]
* [[Gigantopteridales]] (= "Gigantonomiales")
* [[Glossopteridales]]
* [[Leptostrobales]]
* [[Peltaspermales]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/bot335/sfern.htm Seed fern paleontology]
* [http://www.uni-muenster.de/GeoPalaeontologie/Palaeo/Palbot/seite9.html Seed ferns]
[[Category:Prehistoric plants]]
[[Category:Devonian life]]
[[Category:Carboniferous life]]
[[Category:Permian life]]
[[Category:Triassic life]]
[[Category:Jurassic life]]
[[Category:Cretaceous life]]
[[Category:Paleocene life]]
[[Category:Eocene life]]
[[Category:Eocene extinctions]]
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{{plant-stub}}
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