Gymnocladus - Cenozoic Era

What's in a Name?

1

The U.S. state Gymnocladus' modern relative, the "___ Coffee Tree", is named after.

Kentucky

2

This language gives us "gumnos" (naked) and "klados" (branch), the roots of Gymnocladus.

Greek

3

Gymnocladus, peas, and beans share this family classification.

Fabaceae 

4

This botanical term refers to having separate male and female flowers on seperate individuals.

Dioecious

5

This term describes traits that evolved with extinct megafauna and no longer have an obvious modern function.

Evolutionary Anachronism

Modes of Dispersal

1

This plant structure stores the energy to support early plant growth after germination.

Seeds

2

In this Epoch, climate change and humans led to the extinction of many megaherbivores.

Pleistocene

3

Seed dispersal method where an animal consumes fruits and later deposits the seeds, often enhancing germination.

Endozoochory

4

A species' ability to clonally reproduce from its roots.

Root suckering

5

Today, Gymnocladus is found in these wet environments, where seeds are dispersed by water instead of animals.

Floodplains

Fossil Record

1

This Epoch conatins fossils of early Gymnocladus leaves.

Eocene

2

Petrified wood from this Washington State Park closely resembles the wood structure of modern Gymnocladus.

Ginko Petrified Forest State Park

3

This term refers to fossilized dung that helps scientists study the diets of megafauna.

Coprolites

4

Genetic testing of Gymnocladus indicates an origin on this continent during the Eocene.

Asia

5

Fossils of flowering plants are often identified by preserved leaf impressions.

Angiosperms

Ice Age Companions

1

This browsing relative of modern elephants likely fed on woody plants like Gymnocladus.

Mastodon

2

This group of large extinct animals likely helped disperse seeds through digestion

Megaherbivores

3

This extinct megaherbivore is hypothesized to be responsible for spreading Gymnocladus seeds.

Giant Ground Sloth

4

This mass extinction event at the end of the last Ice Age wiped out many megafauna believed to have once spread gymnocladus seeds.

The Quaternary Extinction

5

This type of digestive system,used by many large herbivores, allows plant material to be processed while seed remain intact for dispersal. 

Hindgut Fermentation