THE HISTORY OF FLOWERS

Scientists say there are over 270,000 species of flowers that have been documented and are living in the 21st Century. But scientists have yet to answer basic questions about these marvels of beauty... What led to their amazing diversity? Are there flowers that have not changed much during the evolution of this planet?

The first plant fossils found were woody magnolia-like plants dating back 93 million years. Paleobotanists have more recently uncovered tiny herb-like flower fossils dating back 120 million years. Flowering plants, called angiosperms by scientists, were believed to be already diverse and found in most locations by the middle of the Cretaceous period… 146 million years ago. A myriad of images of preserved flowers and flower parts [in very fine detail] have been found in fossils located in Sweden, Portugal, England, and along the Eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States.