Although many scientists, including Charles Darwin, have been doing research on the evolution of angiosperm flowers, the emergence of flowers remains a mystery. Since flowers have a very delicate structure, it is also very difficult to reach fossil remains.
Some discoveries made in China in recent years have given us more insight into the evolution of angiosperm flowers. A group of scientists in China have claimed that they have found fossil remains, the oldest of flower buds, that flowering plants evolved tens of millions of years ago, contrary to hitherto thought.
Remains of flowers dating back millions of years have been found
Based on the oldest fossil flower he had access to, Charles Darwin investigated how angiosperm flowers managed to dominate all ecosystems in just 20-30 years, and how they developed such great diversity. This remained a puzzle that bothered Darwin, and he never got the answers he wanted. According to research conducted in recent years, some pieces have fallen into place in this riddle that puzzled Darwin.
First of all, in 2016, scientists announced that they had discovered a flower species dating back 145 million years, with research conducted in China. The fossilized flower called Euanthus didn’t just have petals, but had male and female reproductive organs similar to modern flowers. In 2018, another fossilized flower was found in China. This flower, called Nanjinganthus, was 174 million years old, and its seeds were completely inside an ovary, just like a modern flowering plant. However, some botanists claimed that these fossils were too primitive to be flowers and that they were a flowerless plant species.
As a result of research carried out in China, a new type of flower was found. This newly fossilized flower bud, named Florigerminis Jurassica, was preserved in excellent condition and provided a good example of what scientists were looking for. This 164-million-year-old fossil plant in perfect condition was attached not only to a flower bud but also to a fruit and a leafy branch.
Researchers believe the discovery, which is currently the only one of its kind, will change what is known about the history and evolution of angiosperms.
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