Plant cytoplasm preservation in a baked root of Abies

Plant cytoplasm was thought impossible to be preserved in fossils. This stereotype is now undermined by increasing reports of plant cytoplasm in fossils. Previous simulations of high temperature preservation for plant cytoplasm were performed at short time scales, leaving the effectiveness and durability of such preservation an open question. Here we attempt to investigate the long time effect of high temperature on plant cytoplasm preservation in a root of Abies concolor that was baked in the wild at least 8 years ago. Light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that cytoplasm and possible organelles such as mitochondria can be preserved in the baked tissue. The high frequency of wildfire in nature suggests that the potential for plant cytoplasm preservation in fossils is greater than commonly assumed. The good preservation of plant cytoplasm in the studied material after 8 years indicates that plant cytoplasm indeed can be preserved longer than previously proven.