The oldest orchid fossil dated 45-55 million years old was discovered

Scientists have discovered a new flower fossil estimated to date from 45-55 million years and possibly the oldest flower fossil in the world.

This new discovery has surpassed the record when a recent orchid fossil was found dating to only about 20-30 million years old in Dominican amber.

Previously, orchids were known to have about 28,000 species, twice the number of birds and four times the number of mammals.

George Poinar, a professor at Oregon State University, said: "Until a few years ago, we still had no evidence of ancient orchid flowers because nothing was stored in the fossil record." .

"But now, we have begun to discover more flower fossils, to insects trapped in the amber, opening a new research window," Poinar said.

The latest orchid fossil shows that it has pollen, including a structure like a small bag called pollinia, attached to the viscidia layer, the sticky sheets can attach flower parts together and attract a lot of bees. chalk, in addition to flies, beetles. And the system for pollinating insects called pollinarium .

It is estimated that this is a fossil orchid fossil, possibly of extinct orchids trapped in amber about 45 million years ago. In it, the pollinaria part was found to be associated with particular flower legs.

Currently, Amber is storing these fossils very well to continue researching how it freezes, or breaks before being buried in amber. And maybe at that time, un-mapped continents drifted into arrays like now.

Many experts believe that this fossil orchid can be developed in the Cretaceous period.

This research has just been published in the Linnean's Botanical Journal.