Ancient Fruit Fossils Rewriting Plant History | Adelaide News

Adelaide News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 28, 2026 · 1m

Scientists in central Queensland unearthed stunningly preserved ancient fruit fossils that rewrite the evolutionary history of a major plant family. These fossils, belonging to a newly identified species—Capella raulingsii—represent the first-ever evidence of Melastomataceae in Australia or eastern Gondwana, pushing back their presence by tens of millions of years. The discovery shatters the long-held belief that these plants migrated from Southeast Asia after Australia connected with it, instead revealing they were thriving in Australia’s ancient rainforests long before continental drift…