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Updated: Jan 10, 2026
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A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods
Published on: October 20, 2019
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Structural and physiological constraints on arborescent lycopsid establishment and growth
Michael P D'Antonio1,2, C Kevin Boyce1
1Earth and Planetary Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
The New Phytologist
|November 22, 2025
Summary
Arborescent lycopsid growth models are revised. A new model suggests sequentially produced rooting axes, not the proximal shoot, facilitated upward growth, aligning with typical plant biology.
Area of Science:
- Paleobotany
- Plant Physiology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Fossil records lack early arborescent lycopsid life stages, necessitating growth interpolation.
- Existing ontogenetic models do not fully explain arborescent lycopsid development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hydraulic conductivity differences in proximal and distal lycopsid trunks.
- To propose a new ontogenetic model for arborescent lycopsids.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a fossil lycopsid specimen with preserved proximal and distal vascular anatomy.
- Comparison of hydraulic conductivity between proximal and distal trunk sections.
Main Results:
- Proximal trunk hydraulic conductivity was less than half that of the distal trunk.
- This conductivity difference indicates the proximal stem was not the primary conduit for water transport to the distal shoot.
Conclusions:
- Existing ontogenetic models are insufficient for arborescent lycopsids.
- A new model proposes serially produced rooting axes for upward growth, bypassing the proximal shoot.
- This revised model aligns with typical plant biology and unique lycopsid anatomy.
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