Cordaitales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cordaitales |
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| Cordaites lungatus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | †Cordaitales |
| Families | |
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†Cordaitaceae |
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Cordaitales were a group of ancient, woody plants that are now extinct. They lived a very long time ago, even before the dinosaurs! Scientists think they might have been early relatives of modern conifers, like pine trees. Or, they might have been the ancestors of conifers, ginkgos, and cycads, which are all still around today.
These plants had special cone-like parts for reproduction, much like the cones you see on pine trees.
When Did Cordaitales Live?
Cordaitales first appeared during the Carboniferous period, which was about 359 to 299 million years ago. They were very common during this time and also during the Permian period, which followed the Carboniferous. However, they became less common during the Triassic period. They finally died out completely during a huge event called the end-Triassic mass extinction, which happened about 201 million years ago. This was a time when many different kinds of plants and animals disappeared from Earth.
Where Did Cordaitales Grow?
Many Cordaitales grew into large trees. They were often found on drier land in warm, tropical areas. But some tall trees and even some smaller, shrub-like species (like modern mangroves) also grew in the Carboniferous coal swamps. These swamps were wet, muddy places where a lot of plant material built up over time to form coal.
What Did Cordaitales Look Like?
Many Cordaitales had long, strap-like leaves. These leaves looked a bit like the leaves of some modern conifers, such as those in the Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae families. Imagine a long, flat leaf, almost like a wide ribbon!
