Glossopteris

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/glossopteris

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Glossopteris?Species varied, with many reaching tree-like proportions, forming extensive forests
2. What is the scientific name?Glossopteris
3. What is the diet?Autotrophic; as a seed plant, it produced its own food via photosynthesis
4. Why are Glossopteris fossils found on many different continents?The leaves of Glossopteris were spread across South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica because these lands were once joined together in the supercontinent Gondwana. Finding the same fossils on each continent shows they were once connected.
5. How did Glossopteris help scientists learn about continents?By studying where Glossopteris fossils appear, scientists could prove that the continents were once part of one big landmass. This evidence helped develop the idea of plate tectonics and continental drift.

Glossopteridales: An extinct order of seed plants characterized by the presence of Glossopteris leaves.
Form Genera: A classification system in paleobotany used for fossilized plant parts (like leaves) when the whole plant is not known.
End-Permian Mass Extinction: The most severe extinction event in Earth's history, occurring about 252 million years ago, drastically reducing biodiversity.