Abstract
The dominating hypothesis stated that angiosperms originated in the Early Cretaceous, there were no pre-Cretaceous angiosperms, and carpels (the basic units of gynoecium) were derived from former megasporophylls bearing ovules/seeds along their margins through longitudinally folding and enrolling. However, there are increasing evidences of pre-Cretaceous angiosperms, the assumed megasporophyll actually does not exist, and the Cretaceous-only history of angiosperms appears much shorter than suggested by molecular clocks. Here I will integrate new knowledge of living and fossil plants to give a plausible explanation for the origin and early evolution of angiosperms. Several lines of evidence indicate that the ancestor of angiosperms may well have been present in the Triassic. The former gap between angiosperms and gymnosperms is artificial. Some Triassic fossils playing a role intermediate between angiosperms and gymnosperms seem to favor the Unifying Theory.
Highlights
The dominating hypothesis stated that angiosperms originated in the Early Cretaceous, there were no pre-Cretaceous angiosperms, and carpels were derived from former megasporophylls bearing ovules/seeds along their margins through longitudinally folding and enrolling
I will integrate new knowledge of living and fossil plants to give a plausible explanation for the origin and early evolution of angiosperms
Under the light of the newly discovered Bennettitalean fossils with bisexual organs [1], the Traditional Theory advanced by Arber and Parkin [2] thought that Magnoliaceae was the basalmost group in angiosperms, and their conduplicate carpels were derived from former megasporophylls bearing ovules along their margins
Summary
Under the light of the newly discovered Bennettitalean fossils with bisexual organs [1], the Traditional Theory advanced by Arber and Parkin [2] thought that Magnoliaceae was the basalmost group in angiosperms, and their conduplicate carpels were derived from former megasporophylls bearing ovules along their margins. And embarrassingly, today many botanists have to admit that they have no idea on the homology of carpels. The history of angiosperms was thought no earlier than the Cretaceous [3], molecular clocks suggested that the origin of angiosperms must be much older [4].
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