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Whole-mount Clearing and Staining of Arabidopsis Flower Organs and Siliques

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Ancient bisexual flowers.

J F Basinger, D L Dilcher

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 4, 1984

Summary

Fossil flowers from the Dakota Formation reveal early bisexual flower evolution. These 94-million-year-old fossils display unique features, challenging current plant classification and highlighting insect pollination adaptations.

Area of Science:

Paleobotany
Evolutionary Biology
Angiosperm Paleontology

Background:

Fossil flowers provide crucial insights into angiosperm evolution.
Understanding early floral diversity is key to reconstructing plant evolutionary history.
The Dakota Formation is a significant source of Cretaceous plant fossils.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe and classify a newly discovered fossil flower from the Dakota Formation.
To investigate the systematic position and evolutionary significance of this ancient flower.
To analyze floral morphology and pollen characteristics for phylogenetic insights.

Main Methods:

Detailed morphological analysis of fossilized floral structures.
Microscopic examination of pollen grains for diagnostic features.

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Comparative analysis with extant and fossil angiosperm orders.

Main Results:

Discovery of well-preserved, medium-sized bisexual flowers dating back 94 million years.
Identification of distinct floral parts including petals, sepals, stamens, fused carpels, and a receptacular disk.
Pollen analysis revealed small, tricolporate grains, suggesting insect pollination.
The fossil flower exhibits a unique combination of traits not fitting any single extant order.

Conclusions:

This fossil flower represents an early example of bisexual angiosperms.
Its unique characteristics necessitate a re-evaluation of flowering plant classification and evolution.
The findings underscore the importance of fossil evidence in understanding plant lineage diversification.