| Flowers as we know them today didn't always exist. | | | | diverse species of plants as well as the dominant type |
| Plants existed only in shades of green. About 300 | | | | of plant on earth. Co-evolution with insects eventually |
| million years ago something remarkable happened - | | | | led flowers to develop bright colors, attractive patterns, |
| evolution. Some plants began changing the way they | | | | and fragrant aromas to attract insects and other |
| reproduce. The result was the ancestor of flowering | | | | pollinators. The co-evolution with insects also led to |
| plants. These plants did not yet have pollen, nectar, | | | | changes in how the flowers were pollinated. The |
| fragrance, brilliant colors, or even large blooms. But | | | | physical structures of the plants became more diverse |
| they had seeds. | | | | to attract a wider range of pollinators. |
| Older plants, called gymnosperms, reproduce using | | | | Evidence of this evolution is extremely scarce. As a |
| spores rather than seeds. The newer plants, ancient | | | | result scientists have more theories than proof. The |
| flowers called angiosperms, produced seeds. This was | | | | evidence that does exist consists of fossils and amber. |
| a remarkable development. Scientists speculate that | | | | Amber is hardened golden resin exuded by some |
| the early flowering plants were mostly aquatic. Some | | | | trees. Insects or plant material caught within the resin |
| believe early water lilies were a key player in the | | | | are preserved in remarkable three-dimensional detail. |
| evolution of modern flowering plants. | | | | Bees encapsulated in amber are often coated in pollen |
| The evolutionary progress of these plants was slow | | | | that can be identified as coming from a specific |
| at first. About 125 million years ago however, they | | | | species of flower. |
| began evolving and diversifying rapidly. This | | | | Flowers have changed radically since their emergence |
| diversification occurred together with pollinating insects. | | | | millions of years ago. In some small but important |
| In fact, much of what we currently know of these | | | | ways, they have changed the world we know today. |
| flowers, we learned by studying the pollinating insects | | | | We have much to learn about prehistoric flowering |
| of the period. Scientists don't yet know what triggered | | | | plants, but the evidence left in both fossils and amber |
| the rapid development. | | | | gives us a tantalizing glimpse of an ancient world very |
| Within 50 million years angiosperms became the most | | | | beautiful and very different from our own. |