World’s oldest bud found, its age is 164 million years [TKB-Science]

Archaeologists have discovered the fossil of the world’s oldest flower bud. This bud is found in the Inner Mongolia region of China. Its age is 16.4 million years. Since this discovery, scientists’ perception of the origin of flowering plants has changed. Because this bud belongs to the Jurassic period. The Jurassic period was between 145 million and 201 million years old.

According to archaeologists, a fossil of a 4.2 cm long and 2 cm wide bud has been found in the Inner Mongolia region of China.  Including evidence of the presence of leaves. There is a balloon-like inflated fruit, along with a small bud which is 3 square millimeters. Scientists have named it Florigerminis jurassica.

There are two types of plants. First with flowers – that is, Angiosperms. Others which can’t have flowers – ie Gymnosperm. The bud and fruit seen in the new fossil make it clear that it is an angiosperm. It was one of the most commonly found plants in the Jurassic period. The ancient fossils found so far showed that angiosperms did not arise until between 66 million years and 145 million years. This was the Cretaceous Period. But the new fossil has demolished this old concept.

Researcher Jin Wang of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology said that many paleobotanists would be surprised to see this fossil. This is completely different from the angiosperms mentioned in the books. But I am not surprised by anything. This is the oldest example of any fossilized flower. Earlier in the year 2018, a 174 million year old flower fossil was found in China. Whose genus was Nanjinganthus. Its report was published in the journal eLife. But it did not have all the things in so much detail as the fossils found this time.

Jin Wang said that scientists had also raised the question about Nanjinganthus whether it is really an angiosperm. Because the shapes of its leaves were like gymnosperms. Because flowers are very delicate. Their fossilization is a very complex process. Even if they become fossils, it becomes extremely difficult to compare or equate them with other plants. But the new fossil is completely angiosperm. This is clearly confirmed.

Other plants that have been discovered from the Jurassic period include Nanjinganthus, Juraherba, Yuhania, Jurafructus, Xingxueanthus and Schmeissneria. Scientists believe that these can also be angiosperms. But Jin Wang says that until a detailed study of their fossils is done, it is difficult to reach any conclusion. Because many of these genera resemble gymnosperms. All these happened in the Jurassic period. This study has recently been published in the Geological Society of London.