BOGOTA: A new study has found that the extinction of the dinosaurs may have caused the spread of grapes.
Paleontologists from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago discovered the remains of ancient grape seeds between 1.9 million and 6 million years old in the Columbia Mountains.
From these very ancient seeds, the team identified nine new grape varieties from Colombia, Panama and Peru.
Finding ancient plums is often difficult because the tender fruits do not last long, so experts look for seeds.
The fossil record of grapes is excellent, dating back 50 million years. Interestingly, the oldest grape seed remains found in India are 6.6 million years old, indicating the devastating impact of an asteroid hitting the Earth.
For years, paleontologist Herrera believed that grapes existed in South America millions of years ago. The seeds he and his team discovered in the rocks are 60 million years old.
