Plant Evolution & Paleobotany

Middle Jurassic

Age of conifer domination; origin of angiosperms?

The Middle Jurassic (174–163.5 Ma) occurs after the Toracian (Early Jurassic), and before the Oxfordian Age (Late Jurassic) of the Mesozoic Era

Geologic Age

174.1–163.5 million years ago

Eon / Era / Period / Epoch

Phanerozoic; Mesozoic; Jurassic

Subdivisions

Callovian: 166.1±1.2–163.5±1.0 Ma
Bathonian: 168.3±1.3–166.1±1.2 Ma
Bajocian: 170.3±1.3–168.3±1.3 Ma
Aalenian: 174.1±1.0–170.3±1.4 Ma

What happened during this time?

Some controversial fossils indicate a Middle Jurassic origin of angiosperms, including Euanthus, Nanjinganthus, Schmeissneria, and Yuhania (Wang et al., 2007; Wang, 2010; Zheng & Wang, 2010; Liu & Wang, 2016; Liu & Wang, 2017; Fu et al., 2018)
Conifers dominate, along with other extinct gymnosperms
The earliest evidence for the genus Ginkgo (170 Ma), although Ginkgophytes appear in the Permian
Earliest fossil fleas were found around 165 Ma

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