In a ghost town, researchers discovered an "alien" plant that has no relation to any species on Earth.

Scientists have confirmed that the so-called "alien plant," discovered near a ghost town in Utah (USA), appears to be completely unrelated to any currently living plant families or genera, reports LiveScience.

Paleontologists first found fossilized leaves of this plant in 1969, naming it Othniophyton elongatum, which translates to "alien plant." At that time, researchers believed that the plant they discovered was related to ginseng.

However, later analysis revealed otherwise. Steven Manchester, a curator of paleobotany at the Florida Museum of Natural History and an expert on fossils from Utah, found an intriguing specimen in the paleobotanical collection at the University of California, Berkeley. The well-preserved fossil of the plant was located in the same area as the leaves of the alien plant.

Subsequently, a team of scientists analyzed the fossils of both plants and determined that they belong to the same species.

Both fossils were discovered in the Green River formation in eastern Utah, near the abandoned town of Rainbow. This region was a vast lake ecosystem 47 million years ago, situated near active volcanoes. Lake sediment and volcanic ash preserved the remains of fish, reptiles, birds, and plants.

In their research, the scientists attempted to find modern plant families that resembled the discovered fossils. It was noted that the later specimen, unlike the first, had leaves, flowers, and fruits that were significantly different from ginseng.

Ultimately, the researchers could not match the fossils with any of the more than 400 families of flowering plants that exist today or have gone extinct earlier.

New microscopy technology and artificial intelligence allowed for a more detailed study of the plant fossils. For instance, impressions of small developing seeds were found in the fruits. The researchers also discovered stamens—male reproductive organs of flowers, which typically detach after fertilization in most plants.

"Usually, stamens fall off as the fruit develops. But the plants we found retained their stamens while already developing mature fruits with seeds ready for dispersal. We know of nothing like this in modern nature," the scientists concluded.

As a reminder, the first conversation between plants has been demonstrated. Researchers captured on camera how neighboring plants communicate with each other in a very original way.