The world of the Orchid.
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2977388.ece
19 September 2007 The Independent
A breakthrough discovery has been made in paleobotany, the first ever orchid fossil has been discovered and published about in Nature. The fossil originates from the Dominican Republic and is about 20 million years old. Careful scrutiny of a worker bee trapped in amber revealed the presence of plant pollen. Upon further study and determination it was discovered to be from the Meliorchis caribea. For this species to have existed 20 million years ago, the Orchid family must have arisen tens of millions of years earlier, perhaps as early as the late cretaceous, which means there may have been orchids in the time of the Dinosaurs.
Comment: Yes I admit I looked at other publications about it too, just to check fact. Newspapers sometimes butch up paleontological fact after all. Also the article covers so much MORE then just the fossil discovery, I couldn’t cram it into 100 words. You’re just going to have to read it, its a lovely article detailing many cultural and historical facts surrounding orchids. I myself love orchids and paleontology, hence why my choice for this somewhat unconventional entry.
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1 comment:
Orchids are one of the most favourite flowers of mine. It is very interesting finding a fossil of an orchid that is about 20 million years old. This means that the Orchids survived the whole age and it's a flower with history which makes it unique due to other flowers having a more elagance look. It's a flower with style!!
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