Dinosaur extinction paved the way for grapevines: New study

The extinction of dinosaurs, which occurred 66 million years ago, may have contributed to the spread of grapevines on our planet. Such conclusions are presented by scientists in an article published in the prestigious journal "Nature Plants."

Researchers describe in their article in the journal Nature Plants the oldest known grape seeds found in the Western Hemisphere. Their age is estimated at 60 million years. In total, during research conducted in Colombia, Panama, and Peru, scientists discovered nine previously unknown species of prehistoric grapevines. These species are estimated to be between 60 to 19 million years old.

According to researchers, the extinction of dinosaurs may have created favourable ecological conditions that allowed the spread of grapevines.

It is extremely rare for soft tissues, such as fruit, to survive in our times in the form of fossils. Therefore, scientists who want to gain knowledge about prehistoric fruits must rely on the study of fossilized seeds.

The oldest fossilized grape seeds found are 66 million years old and were discovered in India.

Scientists believe it is no coincidence that grapes appeared in the fossil record exactly 66 million years ago. That was roughly when a massive asteroid hit the Earth, causing the mass extinction of many species, including dinosaurs.

"Usually, when we think about this event, we focus on animals, mainly dinosaurs, because they were the most affected. However, the extinction also greatly impacted plants," describes Fabiany Herrera of the Field Museum in Chicago (USA).

The forest that existed at that time radically changed its appearance, which was also influenced by the disappearance of dinosaurs. Approximately 50 million years ago, fossilized grape seeds appeared significantly more frequently. In the forests of that period, more and more vines were growing by climbing trees.