Australian Baragwanthia Evolution
Evolution of Australian Biota
A)
Baragwanathia
Baragwanthia fossils were first discovered in Yea, Victoria in 1875 and were first described as a lycopod which was derived from the Zosterophylls by Australia’s eminent pioneer botanist, Dr Isobel Cookson in 1935.
The Fossils of Baragwanthia are believed to date back to the Silurian times.
Baragwanthia had long pores which were roughly 1-2 millimetres in radius and is densely covered in leaves that are 4cm in length. The stems could be up to 1 metre in length although this club moss is no longer living.
Baragwanthia evolved from the water depending algae, What isn 't clear is whether there was a single precursor land plant, and the evolutionary path that was followed between the algae …show more content…
Current thinking is that the Charophyaceae contains a common ancestor for tracheophytes and bryophytes.
Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii
The Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii or the Southern Cassowary is the heaviest flightless bird found in Australia. The southern cassowary is found in tropical rainforests and swamps of Northern Queensland.
The cassowary has course like feathers, with a tall brown helmet like casque on its head and one of its 3 toes has a dagger shaped claw for scratching and fighting.
The Cassowary can grow up to 2 metres tall and weigh up to 76 kilograms.
Cassowary fossils are very uncommon due but some have been dated back to the Miocene period and were found the Northern Territory although, local inhabitants are known to have traded live cassowaries for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, some of which are likely to have escaped/been deliberately introduced to regions away from their …show more content…
Although the Southern Cassowary and the well-known emu are very similar It is hard to tell just how alike they are due to individual variations; e.g few available specimens and age related variations.
Diprotodon Optatum
Diprotodon optatum also known as the giant wombat was the largest marsupial know. The oldest fossils of the giant wombat are from the plicoene deposit in Fishermans Cliff, New South Wales. The Giant wombat became extinct 250,000 years ago. Exact reasons for the extinction of Diprotodon remain unclear. It seems to have co-existed with Aboriginal people for over 20,000 years, so the 'blitzkrieg ' model (extinction upon the arrival of humans) does not hold for Diprotodon.
The Diprotodon optatum could grow up to 3.8 metres long and 1.7 metres wide at the shoulders.
The giant wombat preferred living in semi-arid plains, savannahs and open woodlands, and is generally absent from hilly, forested coastal regions but is also known for its liking of coastal locations.
Many experiments have confirmed that the Diprotodon Optatum and the Common Wombat are related due to similar feet, skull and jaw
A)
Baragwanathia
Baragwanthia fossils were first discovered in Yea, Victoria in 1875 and were first described as a lycopod which was derived from the Zosterophylls by Australia’s eminent pioneer botanist, Dr Isobel Cookson in 1935.
The Fossils of Baragwanthia are believed to date back to the Silurian times.
Baragwanthia had long pores which were roughly 1-2 millimetres in radius and is densely covered in leaves that are 4cm in length. The stems could be up to 1 metre in length although this club moss is no longer living.
Baragwanthia evolved from the water depending algae, What isn 't clear is whether there was a single precursor land plant, and the evolutionary path that was followed between the algae …show more content…
Current thinking is that the Charophyaceae contains a common ancestor for tracheophytes and bryophytes.
Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii
The Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii or the Southern Cassowary is the heaviest flightless bird found in Australia. The southern cassowary is found in tropical rainforests and swamps of Northern Queensland.
The cassowary has course like feathers, with a tall brown helmet like casque on its head and one of its 3 toes has a dagger shaped claw for scratching and fighting.
The Cassowary can grow up to 2 metres tall and weigh up to 76 kilograms.
Cassowary fossils are very uncommon due but some have been dated back to the Miocene period and were found the Northern Territory although, local inhabitants are known to have traded live cassowaries for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, some of which are likely to have escaped/been deliberately introduced to regions away from their …show more content…
Although the Southern Cassowary and the well-known emu are very similar It is hard to tell just how alike they are due to individual variations; e.g few available specimens and age related variations.
Diprotodon Optatum
Diprotodon optatum also known as the giant wombat was the largest marsupial know. The oldest fossils of the giant wombat are from the plicoene deposit in Fishermans Cliff, New South Wales. The Giant wombat became extinct 250,000 years ago. Exact reasons for the extinction of Diprotodon remain unclear. It seems to have co-existed with Aboriginal people for over 20,000 years, so the 'blitzkrieg ' model (extinction upon the arrival of humans) does not hold for Diprotodon.
The Diprotodon optatum could grow up to 3.8 metres long and 1.7 metres wide at the shoulders.
The giant wombat preferred living in semi-arid plains, savannahs and open woodlands, and is generally absent from hilly, forested coastal regions but is also known for its liking of coastal locations.
Many experiments have confirmed that the Diprotodon Optatum and the Common Wombat are related due to similar feet, skull and jaw