423 / Paleozoic
Alethopteris
Alethopteris serlii
Firm fern-like pinnules belonged to a seed plant rather than a true fern.
View original image · 1600 × 1067- Time range
- About 310–299 million years ago
- Final stage
- End of the Carboniferous
- Geographic range
- Tropical coal forest · Euramerica
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Alethopteris?
Alethopteris (Alethopteris serlii) was an extinct organism known from About 310–299 million years ago, with a range in Tropical coal forest · Euramerica.
Life and ecology
Alethopteris-bearing seed ferns climbed or formed low crowns in humid forests.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Alethopteris disappear?
Rainforest fragmentation and drying reduced the habitat of these seed ferns; this is likely context rather than a demonstrated cause.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Alethopteris?
Cuticles, seeds and associated stems establish seed-fern affinity.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Rewrote an extinction cause that presented environmental or faunal turnover as established; it is now given as context the record does not prove.
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS