The origin and early evolution of the angiosperms has always been one of the important scientific issues which a palaeobotanist, modern botanist and evolutionary biologists focus on. Fossil can provide reliable practical information for the exploration of this scientific issue. 

Prof. Wang Xin from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS reported a fossil angiosperm, Yuhania daohugouensis gen. et sp. nov, from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China with teammate. The plant includes connected stem, leaves, flowers, aggregate fruits, fruitlets, and seeds within fruitlets. The leaves are helically arranged along the curving stem, linear in shape, with 5–6 parallel veins. The aggregate fruit is pedicellate, composed of over 20 carpels/fruitlets helically arranged. Each fruitlet encloses a seed. The reproductive organs in various stages are found in the same plant, allowing us to understand the development of Yuhania. 

The occurrence of Yuhania in the Middle Jurassic re-confirms the Jurassic history for angiosperms that has been suggested by other independent research and adds to the on-going study on the early evolution of angiosperms. 

Articles related information: Liu, Z.-J., Wang, X., in press. Yuhania: A unique angiosperm from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. Historical Biology. 

(Left)Yuhania daohugouensis gen. et sp. nov, and its details 

(Right) Reconstruction of Yuhania 

(Information source: Nanjing branch of CAS)