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Origin of the Angiosperms
Origin of the Angiosperms
The Early Cretaceous (145-101 Ma) is a 35-million-year-long epoch occurring after the Late Jurassic, and before the Late Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous (145-101 Ma) is a 35-million-year-long epoch occurring after the Late Jurassic, and before the Late Cretaceous
Geologic Age
Geologic Age
145–101 Ma
Subdivisions:
Subdivisions:
Albian (113.0–100.5 Ma)
Aptain (125.0–113.0 Ma)
Barremian (129.4–125.0 Ma)
Hauterivian (132.9–129.4 Ma)
Valanginian (139.8–132.9 Ma)
Berriasian (145.0–139.8 Ma)
Eon / Era / Period / Epoch
Eon / Era / Period / Epoch
What happened during this time?
What happened during this time?
Flora
Conifers dominate during the Early Cretaceous, but are displaced during the Late Cretaceous
Oldest known fossil of Pinus, P. yorkshirensis, appears around 131-129 million (Ryberg et al. 2012)
The Caytoniales, Pentoxylales, Corystosperms, and Bennettitales survive through the Cretaceous but disappear from the landscape at the end of the period
Emergence of flowering plants during the Barremian Age (Dilcher, 2012)
Earliest evidence comes from pollen ≤140 Ma (Magallón et al., 2015; Coiro et al., 2019).
Angiosperms appear in freshwater lake-related wetlands (130–125 Ma)
They radiate to under-story floodplains 125–100 Ma
Fauna
Dinosaurs continue to dominate
Early mammal varieties decline during the Early Cretaceous (Grossnickle & Polly, 2013)
Above: Appearance and diversification of angiosperms (green) in different ecosystems during the Cretaceous.
Additional resources
Additional resources
Ancient amber may contain traces of tsunamis (Phys.org 15May2025)
└Kubota et al. (2025) Amber in the Cretaceous deep sea deposits reveals large-scale tsunamis
Forest home of 'polar dinosaurs' 120 million years ago in southern Australia recreated in detail for the first time (Phys.org 8May2025)
└Korasidis & Wagstaff (2025) Cool-temperate riparian floras in the Early Cretaceous rift valley of Victoria, Australia
Paleontologists discover fossil birds with teeth had seeds in their stomachs, indicating that they ate fruit (Phys.org 10Sep2024)
└ O'Connor et al. (2024) Direct evidence of frugivory in the Mesozoic bird Longipteryx contradicts morphological proxies for diet
This plant fossil is really a baby turtle fossil (Phys.org 7Dec2023)
└ Palma-Castro et al. (2023) An Early Cretaceous Sphenophyllum or a hatchling turtle?
Early mammals decline as flowering radiate (Indiana University)
Above: Korasidis & Wagstaff (2025), Figure 13
Above: Korasidis & Wagstaff (2025), Figure 13
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