This plant appeared at the boundary of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods
The popular belief that orchids are the oldest flowering plants on Earth is not true. Despite their long history, they appeared significantly later than the true “patriarchs” of the plant world.
Biology PhD candidate Alexey Kovalenko discussed this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Also read: Green predators: why some plants hunt insects, fish, and even salamanders
Main points:
- Age of orchids: They appeared 90-70 million years ago, which does not make them the oldest flowers.
- True record holder: The ancient branch is considered to be Amborella, which emerged at the boundary of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
- Controversial facts: Fossils of Nankinanthus are 175 million years old, but its status as a flowering plant is still under discussion.
- Connection with dinosaurs: “Relatives” of orchids coexisted with ancient reptiles and continue to interact with their descendants through birds to this day.
When did orchids actually appear
Orchids are a vast family comprising thousands of species, but their emergence is dated to the end of the Cretaceous period. According to scientists, this happened approximately 90-70 million years ago.
Although this timeframe is impressive, there are plants with a much older lineage.
Amborella and the mysterious Nankinanthus
The oldest branch of flowering plants that has survived to this day is Amborella. Its evolutionary path began at the turn of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
“It is currently found only in New Caledonia (islands in the Pacific Ocean, – EDIT). Amborella diverged somewhere at the boundary of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods,” says Kovalenko.
Another contender for the title of the oldest flower is Nankinanthus. Fossils found suggest that it may have existed 175 million years ago. However, discussions continue in the scientific community: not all scientists are ready to officially recognize it as a flowering plant.
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Amborella trichopoda (photo: Wikipedia)
Contact with dinosaurs: past and present
Although orchids are not the oldest, their ancestors lived during the age of dinosaurs. Moreover, this connection has not been broken even today.
“The ancestors of orchids encountered dinosaurs. Although modern birds are the only branch that survived the mass extinction. Therefore, orchids are still in contact with dinosaurs today,” notes Alexey Kovalenko.
Also read about why most plants actually have green coloring and how it affects photosynthesis.
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