Additional file 3: Figure S3. of Further study of Late Devonian seed plant Cosmosperma polyloba: its reconstruction and evolutionary significance

Interpretative line drawing showing synangiate pollen organs on fertile axes of Cosmosperma polyloba. (a) Anisotomous fertile rachises with terminal pollen organs in Fig. 7a. Conical prickles sparsely located along the fertile rachises sparsely. (b, c) Two stages of dÊgagement on pollen organs in Fig. 7d, e, respectively. (TIFF 1395 kb

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of Further study of Late Devonian seed plant Cosmosperma polyloba: its reconstruction and evolutionary significance

Interpretative line drawings showing branching pattern of Cosmosperma polyloba. Abbreviations: st, stem; pr, primary rachis; sr, secondary rachis; tr, tertiary rachis. (a) Stem, primary and secondary rachises and basal part of a tertiary rachis in Fig. 1h. (b) Bifurcate primary rachis, two secondary rachises, and a tertiary rachis bearing ultimate pinnae and conical prickles in Fig. 6c. (c) Secondary rachis with alternate tertiary rachises, ultimate pinnae and conical prickles in Fig. 6b. (d) Bifurcated primary rachis, two secondary rachises and alternate tertiary rachises with ultimate pinnae and conical prickles in Fig. 4a. (TIFF 2282 kb

Additional file 2: Figure S2. of Further study of Late Devonian seed plant Cosmosperma polyloba: its reconstruction and evolutionary significance

Interpretative line drawings showing frond and ultimate pinnae of Cosmosperma polyloba. Abbreviations same as in Figure S1. (a) Bifurcate primary rachis, two secondary rachises, and one tertiary rachis with 11 ultimate pinnae in Fig. 6a. (b-e) Ultimate pinnae in Fig. 6(c, left arrow), Fig. 6(c, right arrow), Fig. 6(b, arrow) and Fig. 4(c), respectively. Highly dissected and planate pinnules alternately arranged along the quaternary rachis. (TIFF 2025 kb

Genus origination and extinction rates of Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plants in South China.

<p>The abbreviations of geological stages are the same as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0075706#pone-0075706-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>.</p

Diversity Dynamics of Silurian–Early Carboniferous Land Plants in South China

<div><p>New megafossil and microfossil data indicate four episodes in the diversification of Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plants of South China, a relatively continuous regional record. Plant diversity increased throughout, but the rising curve was punctuated by three major falls. There were peaks of origination in the Ludlow–Pragian, Givetian, late Famennian and Visean and peaks of extinction in the Pragian–Emsian, Givetian and early Tournaisian. Speciation and extinction rates were highest in the Lochkovian–Pragian and became progressively lower in subsequent stages. High correlation coefficients indicate that these events are associated with the availability of land habitat contingent on eustatic variations and increasing numbers of cosmopolitan genera. Meanwhile, proportions of endemic genera declined gradually. Due to less endemism and more migrations, both speciation and species extinction rates reduced. The changes of diversity and the timing of the three extinctions of land plants in South China are similar to those known already from Laurussia. However, the largest events in the Lochkovian–Pragian and subsequent smaller ones have not been seen in the global pattern of plant evolution. These land plant events do not correspond well temporally with those affecting land vertebrates or marine invertebrates. In South China, the diversity curve of land plants is generally opposite to that of marine faunas, showing a strong effect of eustatic variations. The increasing diversity of both land vertebrates and plants was punctuated above the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary, known as Romer's Gap, implying common underlying constraints on macroevolution of land animals and plants.</p></div

The estimated per-capita origination and extinction rates of Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plants in South China.

<p>The abbreviations of geological stages are the same as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0075706#pone-0075706-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>.</p

Genus and species diversity, mean species diversity per million years (Myr), locality numbers, and species occurrences per locality of Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plants in South China.

<p>Confidence intervals are shown on the curves of the genus and species diversity of land plants. The abbreviations of geological stages are: Llandovery–Wenlock (Ll–W), Ludlow–Pridoli (Ld–Pd), Lochkovian (Lc), Pragian (Pr), Emsian (Em), Eifelian (Ef), Givetian (G), Frasnian (Fr), early Famennian (Fm1), late Famennian (Fm2), early Tournaisian (T1), late Tournaisian (T2), Visean (V), Serpukhovian (S), and Bashkirian (B).</p

Speciation and species extinction rates per Myr of Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plants in South China.

<p>The abbreviations of geological stages are the same as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0075706#pone-0075706-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>.</p

Comparisons between genus diversity of land plants (see the left vertical ordinate and red line; this study) and marine faunas (see the right vertical ordinate and bule line; modified from [<b>31</b>]) in South China (the lower part), and sea-level changes (the upper part; the blue line is modified from [<b>33</b>]; the purple line is modified from [<b>37</b>]).

<p>The abbreviations of geological stages are the same as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0075706#pone-0075706-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a>.</p

Correlations between Silurian–Early Carboniferous land plant diversity and other variables, and residuals between observed and expected species diversity in South China.

<p>A: The red line and dots represent the correlation between mean species diversity and locality numbers of megafossils (<i>r²</i> = 0.8, <i>p</i><0.001); the blue line and dots represent the correlation between mean species diversity and locality numbers of microfossils (<i>r²</i> = 0.8, <i>p</i><0.001). B: Residuals between observed and expected mean species diversity of megafossils and microfossils. C: The red line and dots represent the correlation between the lowest genus diversity and numbers of endemic genera (<i>r²</i> = 0.37, <i>p</i> = 0.02); The blue line and dots represent the correlation between the lowest genus diversity and numbers of cosmopolitan genera (<i>r²</i> = 0.87, <i>p</i><0.001).</p