Did plants or seeds come first?

[LadyEmeraude]

 

[hawkdon]

seeds

 

[spectratg]

the duck-billed platypus

 

[LadyEmeraude]

Seeds

 

[Paco Dennis]

Plants or Seeds First

Plants came first, by a significant margin. The earliest plants, similar to modern mosses, appeared around 500 million years ago and reproduced using spores rather than seeds These early plants did not possess seeds, and spores were the primary method of reproduction for over 100 million years The first seed plants evolved much later, with the earliest distinct seed plants appearing approximately 350 million years ago during the Carboniferous period Before seeds, plants like progymnosperms existed; they produced wood but still relied on spores for reproduction The evolution of seeds was a major milestone, allowing plants to reproduce without relying on water and enabling them to thrive in diverse terrestrial environments Therefore, plants predated seeds in evolutionary history, with seeds emerging as a later adaptation.

AI

 

[gruntlabor]

Plants or Seeds First

Plants came first, by a significant margin. The earliest plants, similar to modern mosses, appeared around 500 million years ago and reproduced using spores rather than seeds These early plants did not possess seeds, and spores were the primary method of reproduction for over 100 million years The first seed plants evolved much later, with the earliest distinct seed plants appearing approximately 350 million years ago during the Carboniferous period Before seeds, plants like progymnosperms existed; they produced wood but still relied on spores for reproduction The evolution of seeds was a major milestone, allowing plants to reproduce without relying on water and enabling them to thrive in diverse terrestrial environments Therefore, plants predated seeds in evolutionary history, with seeds emerging as a later adaptation.

AI

Sure, but speaking only of seed-bearing plants, the dna-altered seed came first, I would think.

EDIT: Same as the chicken and the egg

 

[Jazzy1]

It really depends on what you define as a seed and what you define as a plant. Things resembling seeds long predate modern plants, but organisms resembling plants predate organisms resembling animals.

 

[gruntlabor]

Jeez, don't you hate not knowing?

 

[VaughanJB]

It was a process. Not all plants come from seeds, even today.

 

[bobcat]

Well, it seems that a seed couldn't come before the plant that made it.
However, a plant could come before a seed because many plants don't come from seeds, so I'm going with plant.

 

[gruntlabor]

Yes bobcat, but a seed CAN come before the plant in the case that the seed's dna is altered.

 

[JustBonee]

Always watched seeds being planted during my younger days, to grow plants and crops (farm life)

Have to go with seeds. … never planted algae.

 

[IrishEyes]

 

[Magna-Carta]

Well, it seems that a seed couldn't come before the plant that made it.
However, a plant could come before a seed because many plants don't come from seeds, so I'm going with plant.

For me, that pretty much sums it up. And later perhaps, some plants through evolution 'eventually' started producing seeds. so i will go with the plant first.

 

[Magna-Carta]

View attachment 459098

I suddenly feel scared. I have been known to change my opinion, if that helps.

 

[gruntlabor]

When we want a true copy of a plant, we take a cutting.
Because to plant its seed gets us an unpredictable variety.

Same as if we want true copies of ourselves, we must clone ourselves.

 

[AnnieA]

Plants sez this biology degree holder.

 

[Magna-Carta]

Plants sez this biology degree holder.

YES!

I feel much better now.

 

[gruntlabor]

Plants sez this biology degree holder.

Thanks, AnnieA. We do understand about the spores, but I think we've morphed to discussing which came first among seed-bearing plants only. Do you still say plants?

 

[AnnieA]

Thanks, AnnieA. We do understand about the spores, but I think we've morphed to discussing which came first among seed-bearing plants only. Do you still say plants?

Yes. A pre-seed bearing plant evolving into seed bearing ones took many generations. Seeds are quite complex with a protective seed coat encasing an embryo of the future plant and the endosperm which stores nutrients for the embryo to use during germination.

A good overview:

Evolution of Seed Plants


.

 

[Lawrence00]

I don't know, but Anomalocaris was the first carnivore, commonly known as Monster, swim for your life.