Archaeanthus
| Archaeanthus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Magnoliaceae |
| Genus: | †Archaeanthus Dilcher & Crane |
| Species: | †A. linnenbergeri
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Archaeanthus linnenbergeri Dilcher & Crane
| |
Archaeanthus is an extinct genus of flowering plants known from the Cretaceous of North America.[1] It was a member of the Magnoliaceae family. The fossil evidence includes multifollicular fruits, perianth parts, floral bud scales, and leaves, all suggesting it belonged to a plant with large, insect-pollinated flowers resembling magnolias. The structure of Archaeanthus demonstrates that several floral traits considered "basal" among angiosperms—such as helically arranged floral organs and numerous ovules—were already present by the mid-Cretaceous, supporting the magnoliid hypothesis of early flower evolution.[1] There is some debate regarding its exact placement within the Magnoliaceae family with some suggesting it could be a relative of Tulip trees.[1][2][3]
Distribution
[edit]Archaeanthus is known from Kansas.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Dilcher, David L.; Crane, Peter R. (1984). "Archaenthus: An Early Angiosperm From the Cenomanian of the Western Interior of North America". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 71 (2): 351. doi:10.2307/2399030. ISSN 0026-6493.
- ^ Lazaro, Enrico de (2013-09-13). "Archaeanthus: Paleontologists Identify Ancient Ancestor of Tulip Tree | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ^ DOYLE, James A.; ENDRESS, Peter K. (2010). "Integrating Early Cretaceous fossils into the phylogeny of living angiosperms: Magnoliidae and eudicots". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 48 (1): 1–35. doi:10.1111/j.1759-6831.2009.00058.x. ISSN 1674-4918.