Relict rocks. What is a relict animal? Relict plants - interesting facts - all about plants

Relict plants are living fossils. They have come to us from ancient eras without significant changes over the past millions of years and bear the features of those plants of the Mesozoic era that people have long found in the layers of the earth and geological rocks in the form of fossils or imprints.

The most ancient plants

Among the most ancient plants are blue-green algae, traces of which are found in sediments that are 3 billion years old. Blue-green algae are primitive asexual organisms; they grow today in salty and fresh waters, in damp places between rocks and even in hot springs. After all, they can withstand temperatures up to +85ºС.

The turtles we know so well, including the pets in our homes, are part of one of the oldest groups of reptiles on the planet. The first turtles, called proto-turtles, lived about 220 million years ago, during the Triassic period. These proto-turtles were incomplete, as if they had never gone through the embryonic state and had teeth. As they developed, the shells became more complete, and species dating back to about 160 million years ago during the Jurassic period were already very similar to the turtles we know today.

Similar to the horseshoe crab, but in miniature form, the triopus is well known to aquarists who like to have a real living fossil in their aquariums. The name triop refers to the three eyes they have. Today's triopes are almost the same as those that lived in the waters of our planet 70 million years ago, back in the days of dinosaurs.

More than 300 million years ago, the planet was covered with huge forests, which consisted of ferns, horsetails and huge lycophytes. As a result of climate change, all large representatives of the flora have now turned into coal seams in the depths of the earth. Relict plant species gradually learned to adapt to changes. They were able to survive to our times.

Although considered living fossils due to very few anatomical differences with Triassic fossils, recent molecular studies have shown that these animals do not stop evolving: on the contrary, the molecular evolution of Tuathaas is faster than any other animal yet analyzed today .

Tuatara have a rather unique dentition: two rows of teeth in the upper jaw and one row in the lower jaw. Although it does not have a typical primitive appearance, the platypus is unlike any other animal, and research shows that at first glance it is noticeable: they are alien. As if that weren't enough features, they succeed. The platypus's peculiarity has even caused scientists to misclassify us as reptiles. The presence of the platypus in prehistory is proven by the presence of a fossil about 110 million years old belonging to Sterophodon, a very similar aspect of the platypus that lived in the Cretaceous period.

Examples of relict plants

Here are a few well-known plants that grew 200 million years ago:

Selaginella selaginata is an algae that grows in moss swamps in Northern Russia.
Horsetails originated in the Carboniferous period and inhabited almost all continents of the world, have a stem with nodes and internodes, have scales instead of leaves, and reproduce by spores and roots.
Moss mosses are evergreen herbs that originated in the Carboniferous period and have survived to our time, only having changed in size. They have creeping stems from which branches grow upward, have a root system, reproduce by spores and vegetatively (roots, nodules, branches).
Magnolia is an archaic flowering plant. Ancient in origin, the magnolia genus appeared when bees did not yet exist, so its flowers are pollinated by beetles. It grows in the south in the cities of Crimea and the Caucasus, where you can find entire streets planted with these beautiful flowering trees.

However, the oldest ancestral lineage appears to date back about 167 million years to the Jurassic period. With the terrifying name of the hell-vampire squid, this animal lives in the deep waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, being the only known cephalopod capable of living for 1 kilometer. It is also an unprecedented relic in the animal kingdom. Just as the horseshoe crab is not a crab and the elephant squid is not a shrew, the vampire squid is not a squid, but a descendant of a group of extinct cephalopods.

Mid-Jurassic fossils, about 165 million years old, proved that the vampire squid already existed at that time. The only difference between the dinosaur time vampire squid and the current one is the different size of the arms and mantle. Aruans, also known as bone tongue fish, are freshwater fish that can be kept in aquariums, although they require large sizes and special conditions not recommended for hobbyist aquarists. The Aruanans represent a vision of prehistory: their ancestors date back 200 million years, although the current Aruanans are descendants of the Early Cretaceous about 140 million years ago and have changed little since then.

Relics from America

Some tree species and relict plants that have come down to us from the Tertiary period also grow in North and South America:

Taxodium is a summer-green deciduous tree that was widespread 20 million years ago. This is confirmed by fossilized leaves in deposits of brown coal, the source of which they became over time. The tree is long-lived: one specimen in the vicinity of Mexico City is 5 thousand years old, it is called the giant from Thule. Their longevity is explained by the wood's resistance to rot and good resistance to pests, developed over millions of years. The trunk has cracks, is ribbed, and becomes thinner towards the top. One of the taxodihuam species is the swamp cypress, which can grow in water because it has pneumatophores (above-ground outgrowths).

There is a relatively short time that we are talking about here at Snake Shark Animal World. Despite its apparently primitive and "out-of-band" appearance, the snake shark descends from a lineage that arose more than 90 million years ago, perhaps even 150 million years ago. It lives in deep waters of about 500 meters and has a body that resembles an eel. The specimen, caught in the shallow waters of Japan and soon transported to a water park, died within hours due to illness - likely the same illness that would have brought it from the depths to the surface.

Araucaria Chilean - conifer tree, growing in South American countries (Chile and Argentina), in nature reaches 60 m, the branches are located almost horizontally, the needles are thick and hard, and can be stored for up to 15 years. This is a very hardy ancient plant.

Ancient healing tree

Ginkgo Biloba is translated from Latin as “silver apricot”. The tree has a powerful trunk with rough bark, turning into a spreading crown. The leaves of this relic are amazing: soft green with wavy edges, divided into 2 lobes, they are located on thin petioles. The plant is also a unique long-liver: some trees growing in Japan and China are about 4 thousand years old.

However, the observation was valuable since it was such a rare and primitive animal. The Archaea frog is an endangered amphibian close to the end of a "saga" that has lasted over 150 million years: it is virtually indistinguishable from Jurassic fossils, being one of the most primitive frogs. If the Archean frog fails to survive, it risks ceasing to be a living fossil and simply becoming a fossil.

Last living fossils

This ant is blind, lives in the underground tunnels of the Amazon rainforest and descends directly from the first line of ants that evolved underground and began rising to the surface about 125 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. Because it lives in underground tunnels, a stable and hidden environment protects this ant from competition with modern ants, one of the facts that has contributed to its survival from prehistory to the present. Did you know that koalas, red pandas and elephant whales are also considered living fossils?

The seeds and fruits of this tree were brought to Europe by the Dutch scientist E. Kaempfer in the 18th century. The tree turned out to be cold-resistant and undemanding to the soil, resistant to diseases, due to which it became widespread in Europe and America. It was planted in parks and squares.

Even ancient Chinese manuscripts dating back to 3000 BC. e., describe its unique medicinal properties. In Eastern medicine, it was used to treat diseases of the lungs and liver, heal wounds and burns, and was used as a remedy for longevity.

The earliest ancestors of pandas inhabited the planet at the beginning of the Tertiary period, about 65 million years ago, immediately after. The red panda itself has been in the fossil record for 5-7 million years. In the case of koalas, the fossil record goes back 20 million years, when their ancestors evolved to live in tropical forests, unlike the eucalyptus tree that now serves as their home.

Today's elephant shrews are virtually identical to their ancestors, which flourished on the African continent about 30 million years ago. Like these ancestors, they are insectivores. The elderly are attributes whose existence dates back 85 million years.

Medicinal properties Its leaves contain many biologically active substances, which are now widely used in modern medicine to improve blood circulation and stimulate memory, treat migraines and dizziness, hemorrhoids, male impotence, etc.

Another famous animal is the Komodo Dragon, an Indonesian lizard that shares a dinosaur aspect with crocodiles. Measuring 3 meters long and weighing 70 kilograms, this genus of lizard originated in Asia about 40 million years ago and then migrated to Australia. The collision between Australia and southwest Asia, which occurred about 15 million years ago, allowed the Komodo dragons to move to what is now the Indonesian archipelago. Existing Komodo dragons differed from their ancestors about 4 million years ago.

In the case of the aardvark, not only its appearance, but also its chromosomes remained identical for millions of years. Before them, 46 million years ago, they diverged from the Australian blue-footed boobies, small marsupials from South America and the only living members of their order.

Fern: interesting facts

Ferns are ancient relict plants that appeared 350 million years ago, during the time of dinosaurs. There are 10 thousand species. They are interesting because they reproduce not by seeds, but by spores, so they never bloom. Fern is widespread across all continents of the world, growing in forests (lower and upper tier) and on tree trunks, in swamps, in rocks, in water (rivers and lakes), etc.

It measures only 13 centimeters and weighs about 30 grams. Ocapis were considered extinct animals because they were only known through the fossil record. They were then considered cryptids because they local residents Democratic Republic Congo had only reports of its existence. Okaps have much shorter necks than living giraffes and are typically solitary animals.

They arose about 15 million years ago and this moment are in danger of extinction. They are the closest living example to our world's primitive giraffes. The title refers to Lazarus, a biblical figure who was resurrected after his death. Since most animals that reappear are of endangered status, they are usually said to not be "resurrections" and the animals often go extinct.

One of the types of ferns growing on the territory of Russia is the female kochedednik, which can vary greatly in the size and shape of the leaves.

A male fern, which belongs to the genus of shield plants, also grows in the forest. It is with it that ancient Slavic rituals and beliefs are associated, according to which you need to look for the mythical fern flower. If found, it will reveal all the secrets to its owner, give the gift of clairvoyance and power over otherworldly forces. According to Slavic beliefs, it blooms once a year on the eve of Ivan Kupala (July 7).

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants or other living things on rocks, such as body shapes or parts thereof, footprints and footprints. The assemblage of fossils and their placement in rock formations and sedimentary layers is known as the fossil record. The science that studies fossils is paleontology. Fossilization rarely occurs because the organic matter of living things tends to decompose quickly. Therefore, for an organism to be fossilized, the remains must be covered with sediment as soon as possible.

Female Kochedyzhnik also has its own meaning: since ancient times it has been considered a reliable witch root, with the help of which you can place a curse on a person.

Relics of Russia

Ancient plant species preserved from the Tertiary period (2-65 million years ago):

Rhododendron ponticum is an evergreen ornamental shrub 1.5 m high, which still grows in some areas of the Caucasian coastal region. It has a characteristic leaf color: green with a creamy white edge. Blooms from April to June with lilac-pink flowers.

Exist Various types fossils and various fossilization processes. When did you start studying fossils? Man has always observed and tried to interpret nature. From a very early age, he discovered rocks with impressions in the form of shells, animal bones and plant leaves, that is, fossils. Over the centuries, these impressions have stimulated the human imagination, giving rise to numerous explanations. Some of these explanations were considered to be the creations of evil or good spirits, called "stone snakes", "fairy stones", "thunder stones" and "frog stones".

Ironwood, which forms entire forests in the mountainous regions of Azerbaijan, is a relict deciduous tree with very strong and heavy wood (artwork and machine parts are made from it).
Amur velvet (Amur cork tree) is a very common tree in Primorye, up to 25 m high, lives up to 300 years. The berries have healing properties.

Relict plants of Russia are very thermophilic, and therefore have been preserved in places where the climate has remained almost invariably warm for many centuries. In more northern regions of Russia, Tertiary plants died during the onset of the Ice Age and other climate changes.

In other interpretations, impressions were seen as the result of exposure to radiation from the sun or stars. There were those who preferred to view them as jokes of the mineral kingdom, which imitated the forms of plants and animals that exist in nature.

Although many theories have emerged over time to interpret the meaning of the fossils, scientific study of them only began about 300 years ago. A century ago, the designation “fossil” appeared. What are the names of people who study fossils?

The scientists who play fossil detectives are called "paleontologists" because the branch of earth and life sciences devoted to the study of fossils is called "paleontology." Paleontologists have found fossils around the world at an impressive rate, with a new fossil being discovered every seven weeks. But finding a fossil is not easy. Therefore, searching for the fossil remains of an animal or plant is an exciting experience. Sea cliffs, quarries and other exposed rocks are places of great interest for fossil discovery.

Relics of Primorye

The nature of the Primorsky Territory was formed under the influence of large climatic changes and the proximity of the ocean and includes the following preserved relict plants:

The calopanax tree (white walnut) has a black trunk lined with sharp thorns, which is why it got its name “devil's tree.” Its height is up to 30 m, lives up to 150 years, the wood is used for making musical instruments, as it has high resonant properties.
Rhododendron is a “pink tree” that loves wet mountain slopes; in the spring you can observe an unusually beautiful soft pink blanket that blooming rhododendrons form.
Rhodiola rosea (“golden root”) is an ancient medicinal plant, the root of which was hunted by ancient Chinese emperors, sending expeditions to Altai.
Komarov's lotus is a beautiful aquatic relict plant of the tertiary flora, growing in the south of the Russian Far East, the most cold-loving of the lotus family.

Also, caves, as ancient shelters for people and animals, can provide valuable paleontological discoveries. Where can you find fossils? In most cases, no matter how well the geological characteristics of a site are known, it cannot be said with certainty whether there will be fossils or not. However, certain factors may be indicators of their presence and these are the factors that paleontologists follow in their research. These hypotheses relate mainly to the type of rock most associated with fossil preservation, that is, sedimentary rocks, and pre-era rocks, as determined by chemical analysis of its composition.

The pointed yew is the ancestor of the yew that grew in the Jurassic period during the era of dinosaurs; it grows in Primorye and the Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin.

Schlippenbach's rhododendron and Komarov's lotus are plants of the Red Book of Russia and Primorye.

Relics of the Caucasus and the Black Sea coast

During the Ice Age, the Caucasus Mountains turned out to be a natural barrier that prevented the cold from penetrating the Black Sea coast.

There is another way to proceed - go blindly digging until you are lucky enough to find something. For example, some fossils are discovered at random, such as in mining operations or areas. When a scientist reaches a likely area of fossil formation, he begins to look for clues where erosion has removed soil from the rocks, and then examines the sedimentary layers. If there are traces, such as skeletons or fossilized bone fragments, the scientist removes the rock that is above them to photograph them and then remove them without damaging them.

It is very rare to find a completely preserved skeleton. In most cases, the skeletons are quite fragmented and many parts may be missing. The bones need to be identified with numbers to make it easier to recreate the animal later. Then you need to try to put together a real riddle. The results of these works can be seen in natural history museums, where they are usually exposed.

Relict plants Krasnodar region preserved due to the unique climate of this region and despite economic activity a person who is gradually displacing forest lands and using them for his own needs. Such plants include:

Evergreen boxwood is the slowest growing shrub (1 mm per year), lives up to 500 years, and is presented both as a tree and a shrub. It is often used when landscaping park areas in cities and gardens, where various green shapes are created with the help of boxwood shrubs.
Tall juniper is an evergreen coniferous tree with a cone-shaped crown that lives up to 600 years. Height - up to 12-16 m. Preserved only on the Black Sea coast, between Anapa and Gelendzhik. It reproduces with the help of seeds carried by birds, is drought-resistant and can grow on rocky or limestone mountain slopes, in crevices, and is classified as an ornamental and essential oil plant.

Tall juniper, boxwood and yew are plants of the Red Book of Russia and the Krasnodar Territory.

Yew berry is an evergreen coniferous tree that appeared many million years ago. Its advantages are the absence of resin in the wood and its dark red color, which is why it is very popular in the manufacture of valuable furniture. Also has bactericidal properties. One of the long-lived trees ( maximum age is 1500 years). It grows in the Caucasus, near Anapa and Novorossiysk, and then spreads east to the Caspian Sea.
Pitsunda pine is one of the subspecies of Calabrian pine, a relict tree of the Tertiary period Black Sea coast, listed in the Red Book of Russia. It requires little soil and moisture and grows quite quickly. It has light green soft needles up to 15 cm long, in the mountains it reaches a height of 400 m. The main habitat is located near Gelendzhik, as well as Tuapse, Anapa, Dagomys, etc.

Conclusion

After reading this educational article, all schoolchildren and adults now know which plants are called relict, because here are the most popular and interesting of them, which have come down to us through many millions of years of the existence of planet Earth.

Plants - Interesting facts - Relict plants

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While mining the bowels of the Earth, in ancient times man found imprints in the layers of rock that looked like leaves, flowers, and branches, but for a long time these finds represented a mystery to him. A lot of time passed before the science of paleobotany was born, which, based on imprints and fossils in earth's crust studies the origin and development of plant life on Earth.

With its help, a special group of plants was identified, which were called conservative relics or living fossils, because they have survived and now live on Earth the same as their ancestors were many millions of years ago. These are primarily blue-green algae. They are over two and a half billion years old; science still does not know any more ancient plants. Blue-green algae are little changed descendants of the original algae of the Earth.

There was a time when our planet was covered with huge forests consisting of giant moss trees - lepidodendrons up to 30 meters high. Their descendant is the low-growing creeping herbaceous plant moss. From this family, selagipella has survived perfectly in its original form. The imprints of her ancestors, found by scientists in the coal deposits of the Paleozoic era, are not much different from the modern relict Selaginelli.