Work

The first macrofossil record of parasitic plant flowers from an Eocene Baltic amber

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: sp. 1) related to Schoepfiaceae until now, making many hypotheses related to its evolution untested. Here we report a fossil corolla and stamens of a probable schoepfiaceous flower (Schoepfiaceae, Santalales) from late Eocene (37.8-33.9 Ma ago) of Kaliningrad, Russia. Unlike previously reported flowers, the new fossil is characterized by its five fused petals bearing adnate stamens. This character assemblage points to an affinity of Schoepfiaceae. This is the debut of schoepfiaceous flower in the macrofossil record, shedding a new light on the evolution of this poorly understood family. Its unexpected occurrence in Russia adds information to the discussion on the history of Schoepfiaceae.

Source: Heliyon

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40794

Authors: Weijia Huang, Wenzhe Liu, Xin Wang

Institutions: Northwest University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy

Language: English

Topic: Plant Diversity and Evolution

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,100

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China