The vegetable gum cannot form fossils because it is soluble in water, at least that’s what experts thought, but uA fossilized remainder of this substance with some 110 million years old has ruined this belief.
A study published in Scientifics Reports points out that the fossil, looking similar to amber, fIt was found among fossilized leaves of the Welwitschiophyllum plant from Brazil.
The discovery was made by PhD student at the University of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) Emily Roberts while examining fossil leaves of Welwitschiophyllum and within some found thin amber bands.
Until now it was considered that vegetable gum does not survive the fossilization process, as scientists have always assumed that the gum would dissolve in water and could not resist enough to be preserved in the remains of fossil plants.
Since this fossilized gum looks so much like amber, it is believed that there may be many other amber substances in fossil plants. Plants produce fluids such as resin and rubber, which have different functions, the first is a response to wounds and acts as a defense against diseases and insects.
Rubber, meanwhile, is related to food storage, structural support and wound repair. Although both look similar they are chemically different.
This new discovery, according to Roberts “overcomes the basic assumption that vegetable gum cannot be preserved in fossil records.” Thus, I consider that “it has opened our eyes to the fact that other plant chemicals can also be preserved,” said the expert, who recalled that the first time she did the tests she was “surprised” because they were confirming something that ” it was thought to be impossible. “
The study, which publishes Scientific Reports has also revealed another important discovery, that Welwitschia, a current plant considered the only survivor of that lineage and found in the Namibia desert in Namibia and southern Angola produces a gum similar to the 110 million-year-old plant found in Brazil.
Study co-author David Martill, also from the University of Portsmouth, noted that Welwitschia has thrived in one of the toughest environments on earth for more than 120 million years.
“This discovery is extremely exciting, especially when placed in the context of these two continents, Africa and South America, being one during the Cretaceous period.”
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