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An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert

View ORCID ProfileAlexander J. Hetherington, Siobhán L. Bridson, Anna Lee Jones, Hagen Hass, Hans Kerp, View ORCID ProfileLiam Dolan
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.11.439326
Alexander J. Hetherington
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
2Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
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  • For correspondence: sandy.hetherington@ed.ac.uk liam.dolan@gmi.oeaw.ac.at
Siobhán L. Bridson
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
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Anna Lee Jones
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
3Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
4Oxford Long-term Ecology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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Hagen Hass
5Research Group for Palaeobotany, Institute for Geology and Palaeontology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Heisenbergstrasse 2, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Hans Kerp
5Research Group for Palaeobotany, Institute for Geology and Palaeontology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Heisenbergstrasse 2, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Liam Dolan
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
6Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology GmbH, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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  • ORCID record for Liam Dolan
  • For correspondence: sandy.hetherington@ed.ac.uk liam.dolan@gmi.oeaw.ac.at
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Abstract

The 407-million-year-old Rhynie chert preserves the earliest terrestrial ecosystem and informs our understanding of early life on land. However, our knowledge of the 3D structure, and development of these plants is still rudimentary. Here we used digital 3D reconstruction techniques to produce the first complete reconstruction of the lycopsid Asteroxylon mackiei, the most complex plant in the Rhynie chert. The reconstruction reveals the organisation of the three distinct axes types – leafy shoot axes, root-bearing axes and rooting axes – in the body plan. Combining this reconstruction with developmental data from fossilised meristems, we demonstrate that the A. mackiei rooting axis – a transitional lycophyte organ between the rootless ancestral state and true roots – developed from root-bearing axes by anisotomous dichotomy. Our discovery demonstrates how this unique organ developed, and highlights the value of evidence-based reconstructions for understanding the development and evolution of the first complex plants on Earth.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4287297

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted April 11, 2021.
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An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert
Alexander J. Hetherington, Siobhán L. Bridson, Anna Lee Jones, Hagen Hass, Hans Kerp, Liam Dolan
bioRxiv 2021.04.11.439326; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.11.439326
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An evidence-based 3D reconstruction of Asteroxylon mackiei the most complex plant preserved from the Rhynie chert
Alexander J. Hetherington, Siobhán L. Bridson, Anna Lee Jones, Hagen Hass, Hans Kerp, Liam Dolan
bioRxiv 2021.04.11.439326; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.11.439326

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