Cameron Brideoake Art

Peering back in time over 420 million years ago into the Silurian Period when the first land plants emerged. Pictured in the foreground are Baragwanathia and Zosterophyllum with their pinkish coloured sporangia for dispersing spores. More to come soon from this project with biologist and fellow fossil plant enthusiast Ken Kwak.

My Australian Paleobotany 30 day challenge zine is now available! This full colour zine includes all 30 watercolour and gouache illustrations and follows 500 million years of plant evolution known from Australian fossils. 🌏🌿

https://cameronbrideoakeart.bigcartel.com/

Australian paleobotany challenge day 30/30 - The final piece for this series! A remote population of Wollemia was discovered in the 90's, its striking resemblance to fossil specimens caused a sensation. It was labelled a 'living fossil', a term that modern science views as somewhat misleading, as it implies they have not changed in a very long time. Which is not entirely true, Wollemia is a descendant of very similar ancestors that lived during the Cretaceous period, and although it may look outwardly similar, it is still genetically different. However they do give us a window into prehistoric Australia which is pretty cool. They are critically endangered and protected, but numbers are on the increase as many more are being planted in Australia and abroad.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 29/30 - Acacia, or wattle trees, thrived as Australia's climate became drier over the last 20 million years or so (which is recent in geological terms!). Many have adapted to bush fires with traits such a fire resistant seeds.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 28/30 - Eucalyptus fossils are found in South America as well as Australia, dating back to when the continents were connected. Eucalypts were not common in Australia initially, but the continent slowly became drier which suited them well and prompted their expansion and diversification.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 27/30 - Ok so I picked this one just coz it's pretty! 🌸 Other than eucalyptus, I could only find fossil pollen from the myrtle family, so here is a modern myrtle genus: Astartea.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 26/30 - The origin of the protea family traces back to Gondwana before it rifted apart, and so are now spread out across Australia, South America and Africa. Banksia archaeocarpa is known from a single Western Australian fossil around 40 million years old.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 25/30 - The rise of grasses drastically changed the face of predominantly forested Earth, to that of vast 'grass lands' which co-evolved with grazing mammals. Grasses generally don't fossilise well and so are known mostly from fossilised pollen which is virtually indestructible and comes in myriad intricate shapes.

Nearly finished 30 day challenge

Australian paleobotany challenge day 24/30 - The Eocene epoch (around 50 million years ago) was another time of almost globally spread tropical conditions, even warming Tasmania, where Nypa australis fossils have been discovered. Nypa fruticans, the mangrove palm, is a modern relative of N. australis and lives in remaining tropical zones in nothern Australia and South East Asia.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 23/30 - Nothofagus, or southern beeches, represent an early group of Angiosperms, the flowering plants, remaining quite similar to this day. Their fossil history is rich in Tasmania and even Antarctica (yes it was once much warmer there and supported diverse plant life) providing clues to how these continents were once joined.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 22/30 - The origin of flowering plants can be traced back to the Triassic, though truely blossoming in the Cretaceous when magnolia like flowers appeared. Eupomatia laurina, native to present day east Australia, represent a branch that diverged very early in the evolution of flowering plants and bares close resemblance to Triassic fossils over 200 million years old.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 21/30 - Otozamites feistmantelli - A member of the Bennettitales, often mistaken for cycads, but had flower like cones that separates them. Also, a beautiful Otozamites fossil I saw at the Tokyo National Museum of Nature and Science.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 20/30 - Austrosequoia wintonensis - Relatives of today's mighty Sequoia sempervirens (the world's tallest trees!) of North America once grew in Cretaceous period Australia.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 19/30 - These Australian ginkgos from the Cretaceous period are a good example of the complex relationships in biology. Ginkgoites australis with the -ites suffix refers to the fact that its relationship to the Ginkgo genus is not certain but closely related. And then we have Sphenobaiera ugotheriensis which is more distantly related. However, all three species shown here belong to the broader division Ginkgophytes. Which is a bit like saying that your sibling is closely related to you, your cousin is more distantly related, but you are all descended from your grandparents.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 18/30 - Pentoxylon australica - Whilst it would've appeared something like a palm or cycad, its exact place in the plant family tree is uncertain as it displays characteristics of a few different groups.

Australian paleobotany challenge day 17/30 - Araucaria conifers were common in the Jurassic period and were probably food for long necked sauropod dinosaurs. Araucaria budwillii, the Bunya tree, survive to this day in Queensland and resemble fossil specimens very closely.