A recent study led by palaeontologists from the University of Vienna has revealed that the net-like leaf veining commonly seen in modern flowering plants actually originated much earlier than previously believed. By using innovative methods, researchers were able to identify the fossilized plant Furcula granulifer as an early precursor to flowering plants. This seed fern species, dating back to the late Triassic period around 201 million years ago, exhibited the characteristic net-like veining in its leaves. The findings were published in the journal New Phytologist, shedding light on the evolution of plant species over millions of years.
Mario Coiro and Leyla Seyfullah, in collaboration with colleagues from other institutions, delved into the origin of flowering plants, the most successful group of plants on Earth. By re-examining old collections and employing new techniques, they uncovered a striking set of leaf characteristics in the 201 million-year-old fossil leaves of Furcula granulifer. Despite displaying leaf veining typical of modern plants, further analysis revealed that this species belonged to the now-extinct group of seed ferns. It appears that the efficient leaf structure seen in most plants today has evolved multiple times throughout the history of the Earth, highlighting the complexity of plant evolution.
The appearance of flowering plants during the Cretaceous period sparked a revolution in terrestrial biodiversity, paving the way for the dominance of angiosperms in today’s ecosystems. Their unique innovation in leaf structure, featuring a netted hierarchical venation, allowed for more efficient photosynthesis and carbon dioxide fixation. Despite the remarkable similarities between the fossil leaf Furcula granulifer and angiosperms, researchers determined that this species was more closely related to seed ferns of the Peltaspermales group. The convergence of leaf traits seen in Furcula suggests failed attempts at evolving the efficient leaves characteristic of angiosperms.
The study also highlights another group of mysterious seed plants known as Gigantopteridales, which represented another failed experiment during the Permian period approximately 300 to 250 million years ago. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the evolutionary processes that led to the success of flowering plants. Through natural experiments such as those observed in Furcula and Gigantopteridales, researchers gain insights into the multiple traits that contribute to the success of angiosperms. These failed attempts during the Triassic and Permian periods offer valuable lessons in deciphering the key innovations that drove the evolution and diversification of flowering plants over millions of years.
