Wattieza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WattiezaTemporal range: Middle Devonian
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†Pseudosporochnales
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Wattieza
Stockmans
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Wattieza was the very first type of tree we know about! Imagine a tree that lived a super long time ago. Its fossils have been found in New York State, USA.
These ancient trees were quite tall, reaching about 8 meters (that's like a two-story building!). They looked a bit like the tree ferns you might see today. Wattieza lived during a time called the Devonian period, around 385 million years ago. They were related to modern ferns and horsetails.
Contents
Discovering the First Tree
For a long time, scientists knew about some old tree stumps found in Gilboa, New York. These stumps were called Eospermatopteris. But nobody knew what the whole plant looked like.
Putting the Pieces Together
Then, in 2005, scientists found the top part, or "crown," of a Wattieza tree. This was a big deal! They realized that the crown belonged to the same plant as the old stumps. This discovery helped them understand what the complete Wattieza tree looked like.
How Wattieza Grew
Instead of regular leaves, Wattieza had special parts called fronds. These fronds looked a bit like large fern leaves. Also, Wattieza didn't make seeds like many modern trees. Instead, it reproduced using tiny spores, just like ferns do today.
Images for kids
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W. casasii
See also
In Spanish: Wattieza para niños
