Biophysical constraints on the origin of leaves inferred from the fossil record

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
C P OsborneW G Chaloner

Abstract

The molecular tool kit for producing flat-bladed photosynthetic structures evolved in marine and terrestrial plants during the middle Paleozoic, but it took a further 20 million years before leaves suddenly spread throughout land floras. This delay has long been difficult to explain, given the apparent advantage of leaves for photosynthetic primary production. Theory and experiments predict that exceptionally high atmospheric CO2 levels in the middle Paleozoic delayed the origin of leaves by restricting stomatal development. This would have limited evaporative cooling, leading to lethal overheating of leaves absorbing large quantities of solar energy. Here we test the central prediction of this argument with a morphometric analysis of 300 plant fossils from major European collections. We show a 25-fold enlargement of leaf blades in two phylogenetically independent clades as atmospheric CO2 levels fell during the late Paleozoic. Furthermore, preliminary data suggest that the first abrupt increase in leaf size was accompanied by an 8-fold rise in stomatal density. These evolutionary patterns support the relaxation of biophysical constraints on leaf area predicted by theory and point to a significant role for CO2 in plant evolution.

References

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Aug 22, 2003·Nature·Alistair M Hetherington, F Ian Woodward

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Citations

Jun 13, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·C Kevin Boyce, Maciej A Zwieniecki
Jun 29, 2010·Tree Physiology·John A Raven, Mitchell Andrews
Jan 11, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Andrew D B Leakey, Jennifer A Lau
Jan 11, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Colin P Osborne, Lawren Sack
Jan 11, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Peter J FranksDavid J Beerling
Jan 11, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Peter J FranksDavid J Beerling
Jun 9, 2007·Plant Physiology·Tim J BrodribbGregory J Jordan
May 4, 2006·Annual Review of Plant Biology·Lawren Sack, N Michele Holbrook
Jan 26, 2005·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·David J Beerling, Robert A Berner
Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Plant Biology·Jo Ann Banks
Aug 17, 2005·The New Phytologist·Paolo PiazzaMiltos Tsiantis
Oct 15, 2013·The New Phytologist·Barry H LomaxCharles A Knight
Jul 7, 2015·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·R Matthew Ogburn, Erika J Edwards
Jun 7, 2005·Current Biology : CB·Alistair M Hetherington, John A Raven
Feb 20, 2015·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Alexandra P LeeBarry H Lomax
Dec 24, 2016·Journal of Synchrotron Radiation·A FatimaY Kashyap
Dec 20, 2017·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·C Jill Harrison, Jennifer L Morris
Jan 1, 2010·American Journal of Botany·Patrick J HudsonTaylor S Feild
Jun 21, 2005·Annals of Botany·David J Beerling

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