Cycadofilicale

/ˌsaɪkədɒfɪlɪˈkeɪl/ noun

Definition

An extinct plant order from the Paleozoic Era with characteristics intermediate between cycads and ferns.

Etymology

From 'cycado-' (cycad) plus 'filicale' (fern order), combining terms for two plant groups to name organisms that showed hybrid evolutionary features.

Kelly Says

Cycadofilicales were evolutionary bridges—they proved that cycads and ferns shared a common ancestor by displaying features of both groups, solving one of paleobotany's greatest puzzles!

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