The extinction of the dinosaurs approximately 66 million years ago may have played a crucial role in the global spread of grapes, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Plants. Scientists have identified nine new species of fossilized grapes from Colombia, Peru, and Panama, dating back between 60 and 19 million years.
Earliest known grapes in the Western Hemisphere
Among the discoveries is a species from the Colombian Andes, marking the earliest known example of plants from the grape family (Vitaceae) in the Western Hemisphere. These fossil remains, primarily consisting of preserved seeds, offer significant insights into the distribution of Vitaceae plants in the aftermath of the dinosaur extinction.
“These are the oldest grapes ever found in this part of the world, and they’re a few million years younger than the oldest ones ever found on the other side of the planet,” said Fabiany Herrera, the study’s lead author and an assistant curator of palaeobotany at the Field Museum’s Negaunee Integrative Research Center in Chicago, in a press release. He further explained,
“This discovery is important because it shows that after the extinction of the dinosaurs, grapes really started to spread across the world.”
The significance of seed fossils
The study emphasizes that when plants are discovered as fossils, they are almost always found in the form of seeds. This is due to the rapid decay of soft tissues, which makes seeds a crucial source of information for paleobotanists studying ancient plant life. This study’s findings highlight the ancient origins of grapes in the Western Hemisphere and underscore the dinosaur extinction’s broader impact on the evolution and spread of plant species. These discoveries pave the way for further research into how major extinction events shape the biodiversity we see today.