Group Details
The Arecaceae are the first modern family of monocots clearly represented in the fossil record.Palms first appear in the fossil record around 80 million years ago, during the late
Cretaceous period. The first modern species, such as
Nypa fruticans and
Acrocomia aculeata, appeared 69-70 million years ago, confirmed by fossil
Nypa pollen dated to 70 million years ago. Palms appear to have undergone an early period of
adaptive radiation.[
citation needed]
By 60 million years ago, many of the modern, specialized genera of
palms appeared and became widespread and common, much more widespread
than their range today.[
citation needed]
Because palms separated from the monocots earlier than other families,
they developed more intrafamilial specialization and diversity.[
citation needed][
clarification needed]
By tracing back these diverse characteristics of palms to the basic
structures of monocots, palms may be valuable in studying monocot
evolution.Several species of palms have been identified from flowers preserved in amber, including
Palaeoraphe dominicana and
Roystonea palaea.