Ferns have grown on Earth for longer than trees and flowers, and existed well before Homo sapiens. In our region, the oldest lineage, emerging 200 million years ago, is the royal fern family ( Osmundaceae ), including royal, cinnamon and interrupted ferns. Named for the fertile, spore-producing pinnae that “interrupt” the rest of the leafy frond, Osmunda claytonia illustrates the many qualities ferns have evolved after so much time on this planet: tough spores that drift on the wind and can remain viable for decades; a separate, tiny reproductive form, called a gametophyte, tolerant of drought and flood; a special light receptor that enables photosynthesis in the shadiest environments.
When an asteroid slammed into Earth 65 million years ago, sending clouds of iridium-laced dust into the sky, it was these adaptations that helped ferns survive, while 75% of living things, including the non-flying dinosaurs, went extinct. Ferns were the first plants to leaf out on the devastated ground. For at least 1,000 years following the impact, ferns flourished.
Geologists, paleontologists and botanists have considered this fern spore “spike” evidence of ferns’ capacity to adapt to severe disturbance and thrive in the wake of disasters. Recently, however, a group of researchers has advocated for a wider perspective that includes the many positive interactions ferns have with other species. Through the many climatic and other changes since the asteroid impact, ferns evolved and di.