Seven efflorescence have been found dead preserved in amber , from 100 million year ago . The flowers , discovered in Myanmar , were encase in amber in the Cretaceous point in what would have been a pine forest .
The authors of a newspaper read the flower , which are in arresting consideration , speculated that they could have been dislodged from their trees by a passing dinosaur .
“ Dinosaurs may have knock the branches that drop the flower into rosin depository on the bark of an araucaria tree , which is think to have farm the rosin that fossilise into the amber . " George Poinar Jr , professor emeritus of Oregon State University ’s College of Science said in astatement .
" Araucaria trees are related to kauri pines plant today in New Zealand and Australia , and kauri pines bring on a especial rosin that resists weathering . ”
The seven flowers are pretty little at 3.4 to 5 millimeters in diam , so researchers atOregon State Universitystudied the flower using a microscope , and were sandbag by the status the flowers were in .
“ The amber preserve the floral parts so well that they look like they were just piece from the garden , ” Poinar say .
The peak , which they ’ve namedTropidogyne pentaptera , are part of the Cunoniaceae family line . The blossom resemble a modern day " Christmas bush " found in Australia .
“ In their general form and venation pattern , the fossil heyday closely resemble those of the genus Ceratopetalum that come about in Australia and Papua - New Guinea , ” Poinar tell .
“ One extant [ still living ] species isC. gummiferum , which is known as the New South Wales Christmas bush because its five sepals grow shining reddish pink close to Christmas . ”
The investigator say the flush must have been encased in gold before the supercontinent of Gondwana split apart , excuse why this species , launch in Myanmar , is related to modern mean solar day coinage found in Australia .
“ in all likelihood the gold internet site in Myanmar was part of Greater India that separated from the southern hemisphere , the supercontinent Gondwanaland , and drifted to southerly Asia , ” Poinar explained .
“ Malaysia , including Burma [ now Myanmar ] , was spring during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic ERA by subduction of terranes that successfully separated and then prompt north by continental trend . ”
