{"id":1198,"date":"2025-05-08T11:24:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T09:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marimurtra.cat\/cycads-living-witnesses-of-prehistory\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T11:24:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T09:24:44","slug":"cycads-living-witnesses-of-prehistory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marimurtra.cat\/en\/cycads-living-witnesses-of-prehistory\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycads, Living witnesses of prehistory"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that cycads are among the oldest living plant species? These fascinating plants appeared over 300 million years ago\u2014long before dinosaurs\u2014and can still be found today in certain botanical gardens and natural habitats.<\/p>\n

During the Jurassic period, cycads dominated vast areas of terrestrial vegetation. That era is often called the \u201cAge of Cycads\u201d in recognition of their ecological importance. These plants coexisted with the great Mesozoic reptiles and were an essential part of the landscape we associate with dinosaurs. Today, however, cycads are a highly threatened plant group.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Adapted from Ray Troll\u2019s original figure \u2013 Representation of the different geological stages of the Earth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Botanically, cycads are gymnosperms, like conifers and ginkgos. This means their ovules are exposed at fertilization, not enclosed in an ovary\u2014hence the term “naked seeds,” a key feature of the group.<\/p>\n

Another unique trait is that cycads are dioecious: each plant is either male or female, an unusual condition in the plant kingdom but highly relevant from a reproductive perspective.<\/p>\n

Currently, around 300 species of cycads are known, grouped into two main families:<\/p>\n

Cycadaceae<\/strong>, represented only by the genus Cycas<\/em>, found in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and southeastern Africa.<\/p>\n

Zamiaceae<\/strong>, with various genera, including:<\/p>\n