Plants Older Than Dinosaurs Found in the Philippines

Photo credits Masungi Georeserve

The Philippines is home to many rare plants and other diverse species. These rare classic plants are seen in Masungi Georeserve located in Baras, Rizal.

These newly discovered plants are known to be Cycads and are a classification of spermatophytes or seed plants. These kinds of plants existed for hundreds of millions of years ago. The earliest cycad fossils mark to the early Permian period over 200 million years ago, a time before Dinosaurs existed.

This kind of plants bloomed during the Jurassic period that justifies it to have been the oldest plants that live today.

An endemic species found in Luzon, the Cycas Riuminiana particularly grows within Masungi Georeserve.

Photo credits Masungi Georeserve

Cycads are also labeled as the “Rosetta Stone” of plant biology because of the information it carries about the history of the Earth.

Out of the 11 cycads that existed in the Philippines, 10 are said to be endemic or can only be found in the country. Sadly, more than half of its species are already classified as threatened because of its loss of habitat and the practice of illegally collecting plants.

This classic and historic plant can be explored more when you take a visit to the Masungi Georeserve, a conservation area in the Philippines located in the Southern Sierra Madre range in Baras Rizal. Their booking slots are still on hold due to the pandemic and strict quarantine guidelines.

Photo credits Masungi Georeserve

Resources:

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/cycads-ancient-line-of-seed-plants-grow-in-masungi-georeserve-a833-sa00171-20200709-src-spot?fbclid=IwAR2nZYcL470HEUgi6zkSBYYvf6x4xKqy2MOoxLs3-ofbBiuwTXoPpWHaHqk