A pine cone seed sprouting while enclosed within an amber has been found, and it is the first plant fossil to show such germinating behavior. Researcher and international expert George Poinar Jr., professor emeritus in the Department of Integrative Biology of Oregon State University, discovered the said fossil. The specimen became the first fossil evidence of precocious germination or premature germination. As the name suggests, premature germination happens when the seeds germinate while still being in the parent plant, usually inside its fruits.
According to Poinar, the pine cone is approximately 40 million years old, and from the Baltic region. It shows many embryonic stems emerging from the pine cone as well as needle clusters at the sprouts’ tips associated with the extinct pine species Pinus cembrifolia.
“Crucial to the development of all plants, seed germination typically occurs in the ground after a seed has fallen,” said Poinar. “Seed germination in fruits is fairly common in plants that lack seed dormancy, like tomatoes, peppers and grapefruit, and it happens for a variety of reasons,” he added.
What makes this discovery special is the fact that seed germination is rare in gymnosperms such as this pine species. In addition, it was found inside an amber case, being the first of its kind.
Image: Steve Lundeberg