Despite many years of research, some basic questions about the history of angiosperms remain unanswered. A. One of the major difficulties of studying angiosperm evolution is that fossils from angiosperms are very rarely discovered. B. Fossil evidence led some botanists to conclude that angiosperms first evolved in the tropics and spread outward toward the poles. C. Emerging research from fossils in South America, the South Pacific, and Asia suggests that the first angiosperms appeared more recently than was once believed. D. Though the original ancestor of angiosperms is unknown, they existed at least by the Early Cretaceous and eventually made up most of the plants on Earth. E. Early Cretaceous fossil deposits have confirmed that the ancestor to the angiosperms was a plant resembling the modern magnolia. F. The study of living angiosperms in the South Pacific and new fossil discoveries in China have led to new theories about where angiosperms first evolved.