Study traces Jamun’s deep roots to East Gondwana 80 million years ago, with India as early hub

Fresh fossil finds in the Himalayan foothills and a reappraisal of older collections have pushed back the evolutionary timeline of Syzygium—the genus that includes the jamun fruit—by tens of millions of years.

A study led by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institute under India’s Department of Science and Technology, reports that Syzygium likely originated in East Gondwana around 80 million years ago and identifies India as a key center of its early diversification.

The study is published in the Journal of Palaeogeography. The researchers say their results challenge the widely accepted view that Syzygium arose in Australia or Southeast Asia about 51 million years ago. Instead, they outline a deeper and more complex biogeographic history rooted in the Indian subcontinent, which they argue served as more than a corridor—functioning as a primary center of origin and diversification.

The investigation began after the team noted inconsistencies between earlier fossil evidence and molecular phylogenetic timelines. A key breakthrough came with the discovery of Early Miocene fossils (approximately 20 million years old) from the Kasauli Formation in Himachal Pradesh.

The researchers combined microscopic and morphological analysis of fossil leaves with comparative studies using herbarium collections and global plant databases, statistically validating their assessments against 22 morphological characteristics. They also re-examined previously reported fossils dated between 60 and 20 million years ago.

From this work, the team identified 11 well-preserved fossil leaves belonging to a new species, Syzygium paleosalicifolium Sadanand, Bhatia et Srivastava. Their findings indicate that Syzygium existed in the Indian region by the Early Eocene, about 55 million years ago, pointing to a long and continuous evolutionary presence.

From this base, the genus is believed to have later dispersed to Southeast Asia and Australia, revising its global biogeographic history. The study, conducted in collaboration with national and international partners including AcSIR and Tribhuvan University in Nepal, underscores the value of modern analytical techniques in reevaluating fossil records.

Beyond reshaping plant evolutionary timelines, the authors note that reconstructing ancient vegetation can inform understanding of past climates and ecosystems—work that can guide ecological planning, conservation strategies, and sustainable management of plant biodiversity.

The findings reinforce India’s role in the evolutionary history of tropical flora and open avenues for further research into plant diversification and migration patterns.