A morphometrics-informed reconstruction of the Early Devonian zosterophyll <i>Nowenia matsunagae</i> gen. et sp. nov. as a template for building detailed empirically supported whole-plant concepts of early tracheophytes with simple body plans

Nowenia is the first zosterophyll for which an empirically-based whole-plant concept that makes explicit and extensive use of quantitative data, is available. The approach used to reconstruct the Nowenia plant introduces a method for integrating morphometric data in constructing whole-plant concepts of early tracheophytes with simple body plans. Application of this and similar methods to additional fossil species could produce reconstructions at similar levels of detail and accuracy, crucial for reaching well-supported resolution of early vascular plant relationships.