PlantCarboniferous
Lepidodendron
Lepidodendron aculeatum represents a Carboniferous tree-like lycopsid.
Meet LepidodendronExplore the prehistoric world
Extinct plants
Prehistory was more than animals. Explore branching shoots, unfamiliar tree-like forms and early flowering plants from the fossil record.
9creatures in this group
3 game stages each
3 game stages each
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Meet the collection
Showing 1–9 of 9 creatures
Plant
PlantLate Devonian
Archaeopteris
Archaeopteris hibernica belonged to an extinct group that combined woody growth with fern-like foliage.
Meet Archaeopteris
PlantMiddle Devonian
Wattieza
Wattieza casasii was a tree-like plant with a crown of branching fronds.
Meet Wattieza
PlantDevonian
Calamophyton
Calamophyton primaevum had a distinctive branching crown rather than the broad leaves of a flowering tree.
Meet Calamophyton
PlantEarly Devonian
Asteroxylon
Asteroxylon mackiei grew as a small branching plant, with leafy shoots and a different system of rooting axes.
Meet Asteroxylon
PlantEarly Devonian
Rhynia
Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii was a small early vascular plant with smooth, branching stems.
Meet Rhynia
PlantEarly Devonian
Aglaophyton
Aglaophyton majus formed branching, leafless shoots with spore-bearing tips.
Meet Aglaophyton
PlantEarly Cretaceous
Archaefructus
Archaefructus liaoningensis had finely divided foliage and slender reproductive axes.
Meet Archaefructus
PlantEarly Cretaceous
Montsechia
Montsechia vidalii was an aquatic plant with slender branching stems and small leaves.
Meet MontsechiaA closer look at extinct plants
The plants in this collection come from different periods and plant groups. A tall, tree-like body does not mean a fossil plant belonged to the same lineage as a modern oak or pine.
Open a profile to see its own classification and fossil evidence. Plant illustrations use growth labels such as young shoot or mature plant; they do not represent an animal hatching from an egg.
Did all of these plants grow beside dinosaurs?
No. Some of these plants predate the first dinosaurs, while others come from later periods. Check the geological period on each profile rather than combining them into one prehistoric forest.
Further reading: Natural History Museum: How trees changed the world
AI-generated, stylized game illustrations. These designs and growth stages are imaginative, not scientific reconstructions. Open a profile for its fossil information and sources.