Perfectly preserved 99 million-year-old flowers can help study evolution of flowering plants

New research has revealed that perfectly preserved flowers that are centuries old can help scientists study the evolution and spread of flowering plants. 

As per a CNN report, two flowers in perfect form were found preserved in globs of amber. They are said to be bloomed at the feet of dinosaurs. 

New findings suggest how some of the flowering plants in the South African region today have remained unchanged for 99 million years. The two flowers once bloomed in what is now Myanmar. 

The two flowers are believed to be ephemeral (which means the flower with a short life cycle), they disappear after blooming and transforming into a fruit. 

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Robert Spicer, who is the author of the study said, "Leaves are generally produced in larger numbers than flowers and are much more robust -- they have a higher preservation potential."

"A leaf is discarded 'as is' at the end of its useful life, while a flower transforms into a fruit, which then gets eaten or disintegrates as part of the seed dispersal process," added Spicer who is a professor emeritus in the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at The Open University in the United Kingdom. 

"These particular flowers are almost identical to their modern relatives. There really are no major differences," added Spicer.