Lochkovian Epoch
Plants increase in size
Lochkovian stage (419-411 Ma) is the first epoch of the Early Devonian that occurs after the Pridoli (Silurian) and before the Emsian
Geologic age
419.2±3.2 - 410.8±2.8 Ma
Eon / Era/ Period / Epoch
What happened during this time?
Bryophytes such Sporogonites are on the landscape
Eophytes and Horneophytes, which both probably appeared in the Silurian, populate water edges
Eophytes are only known from Lochkovian sediments of the Welsh Borderland, but may represent the final days for this group which probably appeared in the Ordovician Period based upon cryptospores
Early tracheophytes, such as rhyniophytes and cooksonoids continue to inhabit wet areas
Rhyniophytes: Aberlemnia, Cooksonia, Cooksonella (=Eocooksonia), Culullitheca, Fusitheca (=Fusiformitheca), Grisellatheca, Pertonella, Resilitheca, Salopella, Sporathylacium, Tarrantia, Tortilicaulis, Uskiella
Ancestral lycophytes, continue to diversify
Zosterophyllopsida: Deheubarthia, Gosslingia, Hicklingia, Jugumella, Sawdoniales, Thrinkophyton, Xitunia, Zosterophyllum
Lycopods such as Drepanophycales diversify
Barinophytes like Protobarinophyton
Early Devonian lycophyte from Cottonwood Canyon (WY) shows evidence for a rooting system preserved in growth position (Matsunaga and Tomescu 2016)
Ancestral trimerophytes, such as Psilophyton, also appear on the land.
Other unclassified plants include: Balchaschella, Bowerophylloides, Hostinella, Isidrophyton, Juliphyton, Mointina, Pseudosajania, Psilophytites, Salairia, Stolophyton, Taeniocrada, Tastaephyton, Uksunaiphyton
Above: Fig 2 of Matsunaga and Tomescu 2016, showing root arrangement and variable preservation of root-bearing axes and attached roots
Above: Fig 4 of Matsunaga and Tomescu 2016, showing roots of the Cottonwood Canyon lycophyte