A group of scientists working in China found a new flower fossil millions of years old. Thanks to these discoveries, the research team thinks that they will shed light on the decades-old mystery that Charles Darwin sought to answer.
Although many scientists, including Charles Darwin, have done research on the evolution of angiosperms, 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 angiosperms. A group of scientists in China found fossil remains of the oldest flower bud remnants, and in this way, contrary to what had been thought until now, flowering plants. evolved tens of millions of years ago suggested.
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. It remained a puzzle that bothered Darwin. He never got the answers he wanted.. According to research conducted in recent years, some pieces of stone have fallen into place in this puzzle that has preoccupied Darwin’s mind.
First of all, in 2016, scientists announced that they had discovered a flower species dating back 145 million years, with research conducted in China. Euanthus The fossilized flower, called a modern flower, 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. Nanjinganthus This flower, called a flower, was 174 million years old and its seeds were completely inside an ovary, just like a modern flowering plant. However, some botanists that these fossils were too primitive to be flowers. and they claimed to be a non-flowering plant species.
As a result of research conducted in China, a new type of flower was found. Florigerminis Jurassica This newly fossilized flower bud, called the bud, 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, not only a flower bud, but also a fruit and a leafy branch was attached.
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Researchers believe that this is the only one-of-a-kind discovery for now. about the history and evolution of flowers He thinks it will change the known.
Source :
https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-have-found-the-oldest-flower-bud-fossil-yet