Credit: Steven ManchesterMysterious fossils discovered in India in the 1970s have been identified as part of the Frankincense family, hinting at a southern hemisphere origin and improving our understanding of plant evolution.Early in the 1970s, a paleontologist working on the outskirts of an Indian village discovered small, bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert dotting the surrounding fields. The brand-new fossils showed just as frustratingly intractable; more of them were found in India over the next numerous decades, however scientists had little luck choosing what type of plant they belonged to.Breakthrough in Fossil IdentificationNow, scientists say theyve resolved the secret. Through a process of removal, Manchester and Judd identified the fossils belonged to an extinct types in Burseraceae, the Frankincense family.Fossilized wood, leaves, fruits, and flowers from this family have actually been found somewhere else in India, frequently sandwiched between thick slabs of basalt created by one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in Earths history.CT scanning permits paleontologists to analyze fossils without eliminating them from the rock matrix theyre embedded in.
Credit: Steven ManchesterMysterious fossils found in India in the 1970s have actually been recognized as part of the Frankincense family, hinting at a southern hemisphere origin and improving our understanding of plant evolution.Early in the 1970s, a paleontologist working on the borders of an Indian village discovered little, bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert dotting the surrounding fields. The new fossils proved simply as frustratingly intractable; more of them were found in India over the next numerous decades, however scientists had little luck choosing what type of plant they belonged to.Breakthrough in Fossil IdentificationNow, researchers state theyve solved the secret. Using CT scanning technology, Steven Manchester, curator of paleobotany at the Florida Museum of Natural History, developed 3D restorations of the initial fossil specimens and others gathered since. He showed these to an associate, who noticed something odd about the 5 triangular seeds inside.Prior to the extensive use of CT scanning in paleontology, little fossils like these, which are less than 10 mm in diameter, were especially tough to identify and study. Through a procedure of removal, Manchester and Judd identified the fossils belonged to an extinct types in Burseraceae, the Frankincense family.Fossilized wood, leaves, fruits, and flowers from this household have been found elsewhere in India, typically sandwiched in between thick pieces of basalt created by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Earths history.CT scanning permits paleontologists to analyze fossils without eliminating them from the rock matrix theyre embedded in.
