Scientists are constantly studying plants hoping to grow one with unique traits such as drought resistance. But some scientists are branching to paleobotany and looking into ancient plants hoping for a breakthrough.
The Earth has about 450,000 plant species, and the evolution of plants on Earth is closely intertwined and detrimental to its development. Plants became food, shelter, clothes, medicine, and fuel to sustain the Earth and its inhabitants.
What is paleobotany?
The scientific study of prehistoric plants, known as paleobotany, uses plant fossils preserved in sedimentary rocks as specimens. Paleobotanical data is used to piece together the plant species’ evolution in conjunction with time and space.
Generally, paleobotany is crucial in studying and reconstructing prehistoric ecology and climates (paleoecology and paleoclimatology, respectively).
The evolutionary tale of Earth can be revealed by its fossilized plant life. Scientists can learn even vital details about extinct species by studying ancient plants. Additionally, understanding prehistoric plants shows fresh information about the animals that consumed them.
The resurrection of ancient seeds
Paleobotany has been around since the 19th century and relies only on plant fossils. But paleobotany also has a high degree of multidisciplinary integration. Different fields, such as geochemistry and biomechanics, can play an integral part in approaching and perceiving the analysis of fossil plants and ecosystems.
As a result, scientists have been exploring the resurrection of ancient seeds to study them in recent years. One of the most notable old seeds is the Methuselah tree. The Methuselah tree was sprung from a 2,000-year-old date palm seed discovered in Masada, an Israeli cliff-side fortress.
Dr. Sarah Sallon and Dr. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute started the experiment in 2005. And in 2008, the tree was over four feet (1.2 meters) tall. The tree still bears fruits, and the Arava Institute planted six other seeds.
The tree is a Judean date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) which is now extinct in Israel. But Sallon and Solowey hope that by recovering the plant, they can examine its therapeutic applications.
Reviving S. stenophylla
Comparatively, Dr. Svetlana Yashina and her colleagues at the Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Rissian Academy of Sciences performed the same experiments as Sallon and Solowey. Yashina and her colleagues discovered some seeds that were 32,000 years old and grew a live plant from them.
In 2007, Russian researchers were looking into ancient squirrel tunnels when they made this intriguing find. Yashina and her colleagues pulled the prehistoric seeds from 125 feet beneath the surface of the Siberian permafrost. Thanks to the squirrels’ digging methods, the fruit and seeds were properly protected from the elements.
It was interesting to note how strikingly similar these prehistoric plants were to the species still in Siberia. According to the researchers, the S. stenophylla bore flowers and were fruitful. After five years, scientists could finally cultivate the 32,000-year-old seed by removing tissue from immature fruit.
Equally important, Austrian scientists back in 2020 went a step further by examining the DNA of these ancient plants. To understand how the plants managed to live, researchers tried to map the genomes of the plants and sequence their DNA.
The researchers were specifically looking for adaptations to extremely hot, dry, or wet situations that could provide insight into how other plants might defend themselves against climate change.
Why is reviving a prehistoric seed important?
Aside from the hopes of having climate-resistant crops, finding and growing ancient seeds is both a curiosity and a teaching opportunity. Paleobotany can determine what adaptations the plants made that allowed them to survive for such a long time by examining their DNA.
Further research into these seeds may result in novel methods of seed preservation and plant modifications that farmers and agriculturists might apply to present crops. These discoveries might increase the security and survivability of our food crops.
Governments might also use it in seed banks, where many of the world’s flora is preserved. Additionally, scientists can rediscover genes that may have gone extinct in present kinds.
Looking into the past with seeds
Humans still need to learn more about the planet they call home. Although moving forward is the only way, looking at the past may help humans pave the course better. Using paleobotany and ancient seeds can prevent mistakes in the future and steer society in better directions.
