A Permian fossil may reveal the oldest known flowering-plant structure
Paleobotanists have identified a Permian-era fossil, Permocarpelloides shuozhouensis, which may challenge the long-held belief that flowering plants originated in the Cretaceous period. This discovery suggests that angiosperms could have existed much earlier than previously thought.
Why it matters
This finding could fundamentally rewrite the evolutionary timeline of flowering plants, which are essential to the Earth's current ecosystem.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Permocarpelloides shuozhouensis. a, b show the two facing parts of the same holotype. c shows a detailed view of multiple ovules/seeds of variable sizes within a fruit. Credit: Plant Biosystems (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s44473-026-00267-6 Despite the importance and dominance of angiosperms ("flowering plants") in the current ecosystem, it is rather surprising that we know so little about their origin and early evolution. Paleobotanists have been making efforts to decipher these enigmas. Unfortunately, their efforts are characterized by an "unbroken record of failure," as Tom Harris put it.
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