A flower (illustration).
-
SIERAKOWSKI FREDERIC / ISOPIX / SIPA
A fossilized flower dating from the Cretaceous period has been found by American researchers, reports the
Geo
magazine
according to an article published in the
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas
in December.
Measuring 2 millimeters in diameter, it would have been frozen like this for 100 million years.
#FossilFriday
A splendid flower - 🌼 Valviloculus pleristaminis trapped in amber 100 million yrs ago https://t.co/MDNRDDBRYf reveals its beauty @ YTWonderLady @ kaimatai # Science
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🌼 # Botany # Evolution
Merry Christmas 🎅 pic.twitter .com / NDyOP4DjEG
- Christianne Smith (@ ChristiAnne67) December 25, 2020
The latter has the same characteristics as the current flowers.
She has dozens of male reproductive organs arranged in a spiral, as well as glands capable of creating pollen, a professor in the University of Oregon's science department said in a December 21 statement.
Transported from one plate to another
This species, described as "spectacular", behaves like a small sunflower and is found in a position facing the sun.
"Our specimen was probably part of a cluster that contained many plants, some of which may be female," explains the university specialist.
It was entitled "Valviloculus pleristaminis" in reference to its composition.
The flower is believed to have been transported from a continental plate in Australia to Southeast Asia, some 6,500 km across the ocean.
She was reportedly imprisoned in Burmese amber on the ancient continent of Gondwana.
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