Unveiling Ancient Grapes: How Fossil Seeds from Colombia Connect Dinosaurs to Modern Wine
The Photographer KIKE CALVO from Colombia Photo Expedition, published an interesting article called «Unveiling Ancient Grapes: How Fossil Seeds from Colombia Connect Dinosaurs to Modern Wine»
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists from Chicago’s Field Museum have unearthed ancient grape fossil seeds that bridge a fascinating link between the age of dinosaurs and today’s wine culture. This remarkable find, led by Dr. Fabiany Herrera, assistant curator of paleobotany at The Field Museum, uncovers nine new species of fossil grapes in South America, dating back as far as 60 million years.
Ancient Grapes: A Peek into Prehistoric Flora
The South American study is a testament to the deep-rooted history of grapes. The oldest fossil grape discovered, embedded in a 60-million-year-old rock, hails from Colombia. These ancient seeds, found across Colombia, Panama, and Peru, provide compelling evidence that grapes began spreading globally after the dinosaurs’ extinction.
Rare Fossil Finds and the Earliest Grape Seeds
It’s rare for soft tissues like fruits to be preserved as fossils, so scientists’ understanding of ancient fruits often comes from the seeds, which are more likely to fossilize. The earliest known grape seed fossils were found in India and are 66 million years old. The seeds discovered in this study, from Colombia’s Bogota Formation, Panama’s Tonosi Formation, Peru’s Mancora Formation, and Panama’s Cucaracha Formation, are between 19 and 60 million years old.
Dinosaurs, Forests, and the Evolution of Grapes
Dr. Monica Carvalho, assistant curator at the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology and co-author of the study, offered intriguing insights into the prehistoric environment. She explained that large dinosaurs, while moving through ancient forests, likely knocked down trees, creating more open spaces. This ecological disruption paved the way for a different plant growth dynamic, allowing vines like grapes to thrive and climb newly formed tree structures.
After the dinosaurs vanished around 66 million years ago, these open spaces began to fill with denser tree growth in South America. As Dr. Herrera noted, the fossil record reveals a significant increase in plants using vines to climb trees around this period, marking the era when grapes started to flourish.
The Quest for the Oldest Grape
Dr. Herrera’s dedication to discovering the oldest grape fossil in the Western Hemisphere has been a long-term pursuit since his undergraduate days. The pivotal moment came when Dr. Carvalho discovered the first grape fossil, sparking a shared excitement and leading to further discoveries of ancient grape species. One notable species, Lithouva susmanii from Colombia’s Paleocene epoch, provides the earliest evidence of Vitaceae in the Western Hemisphere.
Grapes’ Complex History in the New World
The study has significantly revised our understanding of the grape family’s history in the New World tropics. The oldest fossil seed found is closely related to the subfamily Vitoideae, the ancestors of commercial grapes. This discovery highlights the complex history of extinction and dispersal of grapes in the Americas and Caribbean.
Dr. Carvalho emphasized the large gap in the fossil record of grapes after the dinosaurs’ extinction. By 50 million years ago, grapes had spread to North America and Europe, thriving in the warmer climate of the time. However, much less was known about their history in tropical regions, making this study a crucial addition to the fossil record.
Colombia: A Crucial Piece in the Puzzle
Colombia’s rich and diverse ecosystems provide an essential backdrop for this discovery. The country’s ancient rocks and varied climates have preserved these crucial pieces of botanical history, allowing scientists to delve deeper into the prehistoric past and its connection to today’s biodiversity.
Evolutionary Resilience and Modern Implications
Dr. Herrera remarked on the resilience of the grape family, noting that despite significant extinctions in Central and South America, grapes managed to adapt and survive in other regions. He emphasized the importance of these findings in understanding how biodiversity crises unfold, drawing parallels to the current mass extinction events our planet faces.
Conclusion
This fascinating journey from ancient fossils to modern wine underscores the dynamic history of grapes and their global spread post-dinosaurs. The study not only enriches our understanding of prehistoric plant life but also adds a new layer to the narrative of how ancient ecological changes shaped the world we know today. The tiny fossil seeds from millions of years ago provide profound insights into the evolution of forests and the resilience of plant species over time.
Interview of Maximiliano Morales, CEO de AndesWines en Canal de YouTube de Kike Calvo
Photo © Herrera, Fabiany & Carvalho, Mónica & Stull, Gregory & Jaramillo, Carlos & Manchester, Steven. (2024). Cenozoic seeds of Vitaceae reveal a deep history of extinction and dispersal in the Neotropics. Nature Plants. 1-9. 10.1038/s41477-024-01717-9.
Note: The banner photograph is an educational recreation designed to illustrate the discovery of ancient grape fossils. The image features a detailed depiction of a fossil grape embedded in a 60-million-year-old rock found in Colombia, set against a reconstructed background of the prehistoric ecosystem from that era. This visual representation aims to enhance understanding and appreciation of the significant botanical and paleontological findings described in the article.
Original article: https://colombiaphotoexpeditions.com/2024/07/09/fossil-seeds-vitoideae-discovery-colombia/
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