BETA
Chapter 1
The pioneering world of mosses
Chapter 2
Ferns and the age of coal
Chapter 3
Cycads and the dinosaur era
Chapter 4
Ancient plants in our modern world
YOUR GOAL
Master of The oldest plant lineages
Ch 3 · Cycads and the dinosaur era
artiteacher Plant prehistoric sprouts to discover how ferns, mosses, and cycads outlived the dinosaurs.
artiteacher Cycads and the dinosaur era
Before the T-Rex, we ruled the Jurassic, still thriving today!
artiteacher Cycads produce massive, colorful cones that can weigh over eighty pounds.
artiteacher Cycads protect themselves from herbivores with stiff leaves and highly toxic chemicals.
Fun Fact
Dino food: Fossilized dinosaur stomach contents show that cycads were a major food source for herbivorous dinosaurs.
Glossary
cycad (noun)
A cycad is a palmlike, cone-bearing gymnosperm of tropical regions that has a stout trunk and pinnate leaves. These plants dominated global vegetation during the Jurassic Period, serving as a primary food source for dinosaurs.
A cycad is a palmlike, cone-bearing gymnosperm of tropical regions that has a stout trunk and pinnate leaves. These plants dominated global vegetation during the Jurassic Period, serving as a primary food source for dinosaurs.
Quiz
During which geological era did cycads reach their peak diversity and abundance?
Quiz
Which organism lives inside cycad coralloid roots to help them gather nitrogen?
Quiz
Though they resemble palm trees, cycads are actually closely related to which group?