you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 94 points 8 months ago* (8 children)

Maybe it feels counter-intuitive to some that sharks were there before trees...

But I hope it is intuitive that there was water long before there was soil? Then it's just a small step to realize life in water has had a much longer time to develop.

Mosses were likely already there though

  • source
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago* (4 children)

    Link

    That's debatable, most sources estimate mosses to have been there before lichens.

    Mosses are true plants and have leaves with chlorophyll though! Way more interesting in the context of there being trees or not. Lichens are just scabs on a rock.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 18 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Um say what? Lichens are a complex composite life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an algae or cyanobacterium. Scabs on a rock! The disrespect!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    Obnoxious creatures they are, always trying to take the shine from mosses. Mosses don't need symbiosis because they're perfectly able to survive harsh conditions by themselves. There's been hardly a need to change their perfect designs for millions of years.

    Lichens are just the result of symbiotic relationships formed whenever fungi and algae or cyanobacteria feel like doing it. They're a promiscuous lot. Promiscuous scabs on a rock.

  • source
  • parent