Pragian Age

What happened during this time? 

Rhynie Chert

• The exquisitely preserved Rhynie Chert from Scotland, dating to 407 Ma

  • The environment at this locality fossilized exquisite details from the Early Devonian geyser-adjacent environment

  • The chert was formed when silica-rich water from volcanic springs rose rapidly and petrified the early terrestrial ecosystem, in situ and almost instantaneously

  • Detailed information about the Rhynie Chert

Non-Rhynie Localities

• Bryophyta: Sporogonites †; Riccardiothallus †

• Others: Amplectosporangium †, Catenalis †, Chakassiophyton †, Changwuia †, Dawsonites †, Hostinella †, Margophyton †, Minusia †, Pilophytites †, Sciadocillus †, Stachyophyton †, Wahnbachella †

• Rhyniophytes and Cooksonioids such as Celatheca †, Cooksonia †, Eogaspesia †, Hedeia †, Hsüa †, Rhynia †, Salopella †, Sartilmania †, Sciadophyton †, Sennicaulis †, Stockmansella †, Uskiella †, Yarravia †

• Zosterophylls such as Bathurstia †, Deheubarthia †, Demersatheca †, Discalis †, Distichophytum †, Gosslingia †, Guangnania †, Gumuia †, Hicklingia †, Huia †, Nothia †, Oricilla †, Ramoferis †, Sawdonia †, Taeniocrada †, Tarella †, Trichopherophyton †, Thrinkophyton †, Ventarura †, Wenshania †, Yunia †, Zosterophyllum †

• Lycopods such as Asteroxylon †, Baragwanathia †, Cervicornus †, Drepanophycus †, Estinnophyton †, Halleophyton †, Hueberia †, and Zhenglia †

• Barinophytes, including Adoketophyton †, ?Bracteophyton †, ?Dibracophyton †, Krithodeophyton †, Pectinophyton †, and Protobarinophyton †

• Basal euphyllophytes are also found in other (non-Rhynie) localities such as Psilophyton † and Polythecophyton †

  • Armoricaphyton chateaupannense † from the latest Pragian & Emsian of Montjean-sur-Loire, France (Gerrienne and Gensel, 2016)

  • Pauthecophyton gracile † from the Posongchong flora of Yunnan, China (Xue et al., 2012)

  • Eophyllophyton bellum †, from the Posongchong flora of Yunnan, China, is one of the first euphyllophytes with flattened appendages that appear to be small leaves (Hao, 1988; Hao & Beck, 1993)

  • Enstinnophyton yunnanense †, from the Posongchong flora of Yunnan, China, is a potential early equisetophyte