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 4 · Ancient plants in our modern world
artiteacher Ancient Plants
With the moss on the stone, the ferns in the mist, and the cycads standing tall!
artiteacher Scientists use mosses to monitor urban air quality and heavy metal levels.
artiteacher The tiny floating fern Azolla can clean water and absorb massive amounts of carbon.
BETA
artiteacher Drag the cute fiddleheads to discover how ancient ferns grow without seeds.
Fun Fact
Global cooling: A ancient floating fern called Azolla once cooled the entire planet by absorbing massive amounts of greenhouse gases.
Glossary
cycad (noun)
Any of a group of palmlike gymnosperm plants with large pinnate leaves that reproduce using cones. A giant South African cycad collected in 1775 remains the oldest potted plant at Kew Gardens.
Any of a group of palmlike gymnosperm plants with large pinnate leaves that reproduce using cones. A giant South African cycad collected in 1775 remains the oldest potted plant at Kew Gardens.
Quiz
What makes the conservation of cycads more difficult than that of flowering plants?
Quiz
How does studying ancient plants help scientists prepare for modern climate change?