The Demise Of The Dinosaurs May Have Helped Grapes And Wine Thrive

Without the dinosaurs to regulate the density of plants, tropical forests, particularly those in South America, became overgrown.

In this new ecological setting, grape plants began to spread. Around this time, more vining plants started to appear in the fossil record.

Additionally, birds and mammals grew increasingly diverse during this period. These creatures may have helped grape plants scatter their seeds, contributing to the spread of grapes worldwide.

The discovery of the Colombian Andes species, which has been identified as the earliest known grape fossil from the Western Hemisphere, has been dubbed Lithouva susmanii.

According to Gregory Stull with the National Museum of Natural History, the find was significant because the modern grapevine Vitis evolved from it.

Vitis is a genus of flowering plant species that originated in South America. It plays a major economic role today since it is the source of grapes. The grapes can either be consumed directly or used to produce wine.

The study was published in the journal Nature Plants.