Pentamerous Fossil Flowers and Fruits from Rajasthan Reveals the Dominance of Flowering Plants in the Early Palaeogene of India

The dominance of angiosperms, achieved around the late Cretaceous–early Palaeogene time, can be observed through multiple well-preserved fossil flowers and fruits described from the early Palaeogene sediments of Bikaner and Barmer (Rajasthan, India). Here, we report twelve pentamerous fossil flowers categorized into three morphotypes mainly based on their petal’s shape and pattern. Fossil pollen Rhoipites anacardioides Ramanujam, extracted from the preserved androecium of one of the fossil flowers, has shown strong affinity with the modern pollen of Anacardiaceae. The pentamerous fossil fruit encompassing a single whorl of five carpels alternating with petals is similar to the extinct genus Chaneya Wang and Manchester. These fossils provide a cinematic picture of the beautiful flowering and fruiting phases during the early Palaeogene, well known for the major diversification of angiosperms.