Plants have been present on Earth for millions of years before the emergence of the first flowers. However, when flowering plants finally appeared over 140 million years ago, they became a massive evolutionary success.
The question of what pollinated these early flowering plants, which are the ancestors of all the flowers we see today, has been a challenging one to answer. Was it insects that carried pollen between these early flowers, fertilizing them in the process? Or was it other animals, wind, or water?
In new research published in New Phytologist, we demonstrate that the first pollinators were most likely insects. Furthermore, despite some evolutionary deviations, approximately 86% of all flowering plant species throughout history have relied on insects for pollination.
The timing of the emergence of the first flowering plants is still a topic of debate. However, their success is undeniable.
2023-06-06 15:00:03
Link from phys.org rnrn