A fossilized alien plant species dating back 47 million years has features much stranger than expected.
It was discovered in 1969 in the Green River Formation in Utah.alien plantThe fossil, called “”, was re-examined by scientists. It turned out that this plant, which was first thought to belong to the ginseng family, actually belonged to a much different and unknown species. This plant, called Othniophyton elongatum, was found along with fossilized leaves, fruits and flowers. Some features of the plant include structures that have never been seen in modern plants.
Details of Alien Plant Discovery
New studies on the fossil revealed that this plant still preserved its male organs (stamens) while bearing fruit. In modern plants, these structures often disappear after flower fertilization. However, this feature shows that Othniophyton elongatum has a unique structure. Steven Manchester, curator of paleobotany at the Florida Museum of Natural History, stated that this finding proves that the plant does not fit neatly into any known plant family.
to the image of the plant from here you can reach.
The research team used a new digital microscope system to examine the details of the fossil. Thanks to this technology, micro-level traces and structures in the fossil could be seen clearly for the first time. In particular, details such as the traces left by the seeds were not noticed in the old analyses. With this method, the structure of the fossil could be understood in more detail.
Researchers think that Othniophyton elongatum has no direct connection to modern plant species and is probably completely extinct. Although it was suggested that the plant may belong to the Caryophyllales order, no definitive conclusion could be reached on this issue.
This discovery raised new questions in the world of paleobotany. Researchers think other fossils unearthed from the Green River Formation may provide more information. The study was published in the Annals of Botany journal and aroused great interest in the scientific world. This “alien” plant is seen as an important step towards learning more about millions of years ago.