Abstract
A perfect flower in a mid-Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) Myanmar amber is described as Lijinganthus revoluta gen. et sp. nov. The fossil flower is actinomorphic and pentamerous, including calyx, corolla, stamens, and gynoecium. The sepals are tiny, while the petals are large and revolute. The stamens are dorsifixed, filamentous, and each has a longitudinally dehiscing bisporangiate anther. The gynoecium is in the centre of the flower, composed of three fused carpels with a stout style. Lijinganthus revoluta gen. et sp. nov. demonstrates a great resemblance to the flowers of Pentapetalae (Eudicots), adding new information to the enigmatic early evolutionary history of Pentapetalae and Eudicots.
Highlights
IntroductionA perfect flower in a mid-Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) Myanmar amber is described as Lijinganthus revoluta gen. et sp. nov
A perfect flower in a mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber is described as Lijinganthus revoluta gen. et sp. nov
Core Eudicots comprise a major portion of the species diversity in extant angiosperms, and they underwent a rapid increase in diversity and abundance at the transition between the Early and Late Cretaceous[19,25,26,27,28]
Summary
A perfect flower in a mid-Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) Myanmar amber is described as Lijinganthus revoluta gen. et sp. nov. Nov., from an earliest Cenomanian-latest Albian (98.79 Ma)[34] amber, which was collected from Noije Bum 2001 Summit Site, Hukawng Valley, Kachin, Myanmar (26°20′N, 96°36′E) (Fig. 1). This bisexual, pentamerous, actinomorphic flower with distinct sepals and petals, filamentous bisporangiate stamens, and trimerous gynoecium with superior ovary and axile placentation is unique, demonstrating a great resemblance to Pentapetalae (Core Eudicots) and shedding a new light on the evolution of Core Eudicots. Together with contemporary fossil finds[19,25,26,27,28], Lijinganthus suggests a Core Eudicot Boom at the transition from the Early to Late Cretaceous and helps to narrow the gap between fossil record and molecular clock estimates. The presence of a nectary disk in Lijinganthus suggests the possibility of insect-mediated pollination
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