Timeline of plant evolution
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So, plants have been around for a really, really long time. They actually started showing up on Earth about 500 million years ago!
When they first showed up, they looked very different from the plants we see today. They were small and simple, and didn't have things like leaves or flowers. They did, however, have the ability to make food through a process called photosynthesis. This is when a plant takes in sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, and turns it into food for itself.
Over time, plants evolved and diversified. They started growing taller and more complex, and eventually developed leaves and flowers. One group of plants, called gymnosperms, started growing seeds, which helped them spread and reproduce more easily.
Then, around 125 million years ago, flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) showed up! These plants had flowers with pollen and nectar, which attracted insects and other animals to help them spread their seeds. This made them very successful, and they quickly became the most common type of plant on Earth.
Today, there are over 300,000 different species of plants, ranging from tiny mosses to massive trees. They're a crucial part of our planet's ecosystems, providing us with oxygen to breathe and food to eat. And, thanks to millions of years of evolution, they're pretty amazing to look at, too!
So, plants have been around for a really, really long time. They actually started showing up on Earth about 500 million years ago!
When they first showed up, they looked very different from the plants we see today. They were small and simple, and didn't have things like leaves or flowers. They did, however, have the ability to make food through a process called photosynthesis. This is when a plant takes in sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, and turns it into food for itself.
Over time, plants evolved and diversified. They started growing taller and more complex, and eventually developed leaves and flowers. One group of plants, called gymnosperms, started growing seeds, which helped them spread and reproduce more easily.
Then, around 125 million years ago, flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) showed up! These plants had flowers with pollen and nectar, which attracted insects and other animals to help them spread their seeds. This made them very successful, and they quickly became the most common type of plant on Earth.
Today, there are over 300,000 different species of plants, ranging from tiny mosses to massive trees. They're a crucial part of our planet's ecosystems, providing us with oxygen to breathe and food to eat. And, thanks to millions of years of evolution, they're pretty amazing to look at, too!
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