| Parka decipiens Temporal range: Devonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N | |
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| Parka decipiens from the Devonian of Scotland | |
Scientific classification 
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| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| (unranked): | Charophyta |
| Class: | Charophyceae (?) |
| Order: | Coleochaetales (?) |
| Genus: | †Parka |
| Species: | †P. decipiens |
| Binomial name | |
| †Parka decipiens Fleming (1831) | |
Parka decipiens is a Devonian fossil believed to be an early land plant, and is the only species described in the genus Parka. It bears at least a passing resemblance to the alga Coleochaete, but the significance of this similarity is yet to be established.
Description
The fossils of Parka decipiens seem small circular, elliptic or irregular patches reaching a diameter of 0.5–7.5 centimetres (0.20–2.95 in), with a reticulate structure showing small coaly discs. These discs contain a mass of what could be spores. Ultrastructural examination of these spores has shown that they lack the y-shaped trilete mark, a Y-like scar, that is characteristic of Silurian and Devonian pteridophytes.
References
- Delwiche, C.F.; Graham, L.E.; Thomson, N. (1989), "Lignin-Like Compounds and Sporopollenin Coleochaete, an Algal Model for Land Plant Ancestry", Science, 245 (4916): 399–401, Bibcode:1989Sci...245..399D, doi:10.1126/science.245.4916.399, PMID 17744148, S2CID 6763357
- Kenrick, P.; Crane, P.R. (1997), "The Origin and Early Evolution of Plants on Land", Nature, 389 (6646): 33–39, Bibcode:1997Natur.389...33K, doi:10.1038/37918, S2CID 3866183
- The enigmatic plant Parka decipiens
- Hemsley, A.R. (1989). "The ultrastructure of the spores of the Devonian plant Parka decipiens". Annals of Botany. 64 (3): 359–367. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a087852.
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Parka | |
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