A group of paleobotanists believe they have identified an ancient flower that may be the first of its kind on Earth. In a study published in the journal Science, the researchers describe the discovery of a 140-million-year-old fossil flower from China that belonged to a plant that also bore seeds, challenging previous theories about the evolution of flowers.

Scientists have long debated the origins and early evolution of flowers because most of the information about early flowers comes from pollen records. The oldest known fossil flowers are about 130 million years old and were previously thought to have evolved from gymnosperms, seed-bearing plants that do not produce flowers.

However, the newly discovered flower, named Florigerminis jurassica, has reproductive parts closely related to those of angiosperms, the group of plants that includes all modern-day flowering plants. This finding suggests that angiosperms evolved earlier than previously thought, possibly even as early as 180 million years ago.

The discovery of this early flower also reveals that the evolution of flowers was a much more complex event than previously thought. This challenges previous theories that suggest the first flowers evolved as a way to attract pollinators. Instead, it is more likely that the reproductive structures of early flowers were primarily evolved to prevent pollen loss.