Did Pollination Start in the Permian? 

In the Urals, in Permian rocks, insects covered in pollen have been discovered. That is known, everything else is speculation. A correspondent emailed me about THIS ARTICLE, which is based on THIS PAPER. (Unless you pay £17, only the abstract is available - unless you are an FRS!).

The pollen comes from gymnosperms - flowering plants came much later. Were the wee beasties involved in pollination - no one can say. But it is very interesting.

A tillyardembia fossil with an enlarged area showing pollen attached to its body. Photograph: Alexander Khramov/Russian Academy of Science/PA