Fossil Ponderosa-like Pine Wood from the Upper Cretaceous of North-east Mississippi

Petrified wood from the Lower Upper Cretaceous of north-easternMississippi (Eutaw Formation) in thin-section is most similarto extant Pinus woods of section Pinus, subsection Ponderosae.However, several features also suggest woods of subsection Australes.Based on anatomical detail, geologic age and geographic position,this fossil may represent an ancestral connection between thetwo subsections. Pinuxylon eutawense, silicified wood, Cretaceous, Mississippi, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus taeda     

Hardly a relict: freezing and the evolution of vesselless wood in Winteraceae

The Winteraceae are traditionally regarded as the least-specialized descendents of the first flowering plants, based largely on their lack of xylem vessels. Since vessels have been viewed as a key innovation for angiosperm diversification, Winteraceae have been portrayed as declining relicts, limited to wet forest habitats where their tracheid-based wood does not impose a significant hydraulic constraints. In contrast, phylogenetic analyses place Winteraceae among angiosperm clades with vessels, indicating that their vesselless wood is derived rather than primitive, whereas extension of the Winteraceae fossil record into the Early Cretaceous suggests a more complex ecological history than has been deduced from their current distribution. However, the selective regime and ecological events underlying the possible loss of vessels in Winteraceae have remained enigmatic. Here we examine the hypothesis that vessels were lost as an adaptation to freezing-prone environments in Winteraceae by measuring the responses of xylem water transport to freezing for a diverse group of Winteraceae taxa as compared to Canella winterana (Canellaceae, a close relative with vessels) and sympatric conifer taxa. We found that mean percent loss of xylem water transport capacity following freeze-thaw varied from 0% to 6% for Winteraceae species from freezing-prone temperate climates and approximately 20% in those taxa from tropical (nonfreezing) climates. Similarly, conifers exhibit almost no decrease in xylem hydraulic conductivity following freezing. In contrast, water transport in Canella stems is nearly 85% blocked after freeze-thaw. Although vessel-bearing wood of Canella possesses considerably greaterhydraulic capacity than Winteraceae, nearly 20% of xylem hydraulic conductance remains, a value that is comparable to the hydraulic capacity of vesselless Winteraceae xylem, if the proportion of hydraulic flow through vessels (modeled as ideal capillaries) is removed. Thus, the evolutionary removal of vessels may not necessarily require a deleterious shift to an ineffective vascular system. By integrating Winteraceae's phylogenetic relationships and fossil history with physiological and ecological observations, we suggest that, as ancestors of modern Winteraceae passed through temperate conditions present in Southern Gondwana during the Early Cretaceous, they were exposed to selective pressures against vessel-possession and returned to a vascular system relying on tracheids. These results suggest that the vesselless condition is advantageous in freezing-prone areas, which is supported by the strong bias in the ecological abundance of Winteraceae to wet temperate and tropical alpine habitats, rather than a retained feature from the first vesselless angiosperms. We believe that vesselless wood plays an important role in the ecological abundance of Winteraceae in Southern Hemisphere temperate environments by enabling the retention of leaves and photosynthesis in the face of frequent freeze-thaw events.     

Cunoniaceae in the Cretaceous of Europe: Evidence from Fossil Flowers

Fossil flowers of the Cunoniaceae from Late Cretaceous sedimentsof southern Sweden are described in detail. The flowers aresmall, bisexual, actinomorphic, tetramerous with broadly attachedvalvate sepals; they have narrowly attached petals; eight stamensin two whorls; a massive, lobed nectary; a semi-inferior, syncarpousgynoecium with axile placentation; numerous ovules; separatestyles; and peltate, probably secretory, trichomes. They sharemany features with extant representatives of both the Cunoniaceaeand Anisophylleaceae. However, the gynoecium structure in particularindicates a closer relationship to the Cunoniaceae. The floralcharacters are not specific for any extant genus of the familyand therefore a new genus and species, Platydiscus peltatusgen. et sp. nov., is formally described. This is the first recordof cunoniaceous floral structures from the Northern Hemisphereand the oldest record of Cunoniaceae flowers worldwide. Copyright2001 Annals of Botany Company Anisophylleaceae, Cunoniaceae, fossil flowers, Late Cretaceous, Oxalidales, Platydiscus peltatus gen. et sp. nov., Santonian-Campanian, southern Sweden     

A report on biocompounds from palm fossil of India

The occurrence of a large number of fossil woods having resemblance in anatomical features with the modern palm genus, Phoenix L in Deccan Intertrappean fossil flora of Maastrichtian-Danian age (i. e. Late Cretaceous and Earliest Tertiary (65-67 my)) indicates the most primitive record of date palm. Present discovery of biocompounds from fossil wood of Phoenix collected from Deccan Intertrappean having affinity with the biocompounds known from modern plant further exemplify the earliest documentation of Phoenix in Indian peninsula.     

Some More Fossil Woods of Glutoxylon from South-east Asia

1. Four fossil wood specimens from the Tertiary of South-eastAsia are described here. Two are new from India; one is Dipterocarpoxylonburmense from Burma and the other Dipterocarpoxylon annamensefrom Indo-China. All of them resemble Glutoxylon assamicum andare indistinguishable. They have been placed in the genus Glutoxylonand named G. burmense (Holden) n. comb.; Holden' specimen havingpriority is given the specific name. 2. The recent and past distribution of theGluta shows that itscentre has shifted about 1, 000 miles towards the south-east.     

Illicioxylon, an Element of Gondwanan Polar Forests? Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary Woods of Antarctica

The Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary sediments from the northernPeninsula region of Antarctica yield a rich assemblage of fossilwood with well preserved anatomy. Wood specimens of a previouslyrecognized morphotype are described. The woods are characterizedby diffuse porous wood, mainly solitary vessels with long scalariformperforation plates, scalariform and opposite vessel-ray pitting,generally uniseriate and biseriate heterogeneous rays, and tracheidswith obvious uniseriate, circulate, bordered pits. These fossilspecimens show greatest anatomical similarity to the organ genusIllicioxylon Gottwald and extant members of the Illiciaceae.The occurrence of illiciaceous-like wood in Gondwana suggeststhat the distribution of this family may have been more widespreadin the geological past and that a relatively warm temperateclimate prevailed over the northern Peninsula region of Antarcticaduring the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. Copyright 2000Annals of Botany Company Fossil, wood, Illiciaceae, Illicioxylon, Illicium, Cretaceous, Tertiary, Gondwana, Antarctica     

FLORA OF THE LOWER CRETACEOUS CEDAR MOUNTAIN FORMATION OF UTAH AND COLORADO. PART III: ICACINOXYLON PITTIENSE N. SP

Icacinoxylon pittiense, a new species of angiospermous wood from the Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah is described and compared with similar fossil and modem woods. It is distinguished from other species of Icacinoxylon by its thick-walled fiber-tracheids with their walls making up at least 50% of the total diameter of the cells, conspicuous bordered pits with obliquely crossing extended apertures on both the tangential and radial walls of its fiber-tracheids, scalariform perforation plates with as few as four or greater than 30 bars, transitional opposite to scalariform pitting on its vessel walls, thick-walled ray cells, and distinct sheath or border cells in its rays. Icacinoxylon pittiense is the first species of this genus to be reported from Cretaceous sediments. This wood is of special interest because very few angiosperm woods have been reported from lower Cretaceous strata.     

A New Genus (Protosciadopityoxylon gen. nov.) of Early Cretaceous Fossil Wood from Liaoning,China

A new genus ( Protosciadopityoxylon gen nov. ) of Early Cretaceous fossil wood reported in the present paper was discovered from Liaoning Province, China, and is named as a new species:Protosciadopityoxylon liaoningense gen. et sp. nov. It is described here and this generic name, adopted by the authors, is employed for fossil wood that is believed to be nearly related to the recent genus Sciadopitys and the fossil genus Sciadopityoxylon. The new genus bears some similarities to Protophyllocladoxylon,Protocircoporoxylon and Xenoxylon in different geological ages, but it differs from them in the types of cross-field pitting.     

Fossil wood of Piceoxylon burejense sp. nov. (Pinaceae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Zeya-Bureya Basin, Amur Region (Russian Far East)

A new species, Piceoxylon burejense sp. nov. (Pinaceae), is described from the Middle Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Zeya-Bureya Basin, Amur Region (Russian Far East) based on the fossil wood anatomy. The new species is characterized by a combination of anatomical wood features of the modern genera Picea and Larix. The fossil wood of Pinaceae was found in the Cretaceous deposits of the Amur Region for the first time.     

A Fossil Wood of Terminalia tomentosa W. & A. from the Tertiary of Burma

A fossil wood from the Irrawady System of Burma (Pliocene toUpper Miocene) is described. Anatomically it is indistinguishablefrom the wood of living Terminalia tomentosa W. & A. anddiffers from all Terminalioxylon so far reported. The relationof this wood with the ring-porous and diffuse-porous woods isdiscussed.     

Analysis of the Contents of Oil Cells in Tasmannia lanceolata(Poir.) A. C. Smith (Winteraceae)

The simple, robust oil cells found in leaves of Tasmannia lanceolata(Poir.)A. C. Smith (Winteraceae) are shown to contain a preponderanceof the bioactive compound polygodial using both direct samplingand GCMS analysis of cell contents and Fourier Transform infraredspectroscopy. The implications of this for comparison of plantmaterial on the basis of extracts and essential oils are discussed.Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Tasmannia lanceolata, Winteraceae, polygodial, direct sampling, FTIR spectrometry, oil cell, idioblast, antifeedant     

Scandianthus gen.nov., Angiosperm Flowers of Gaxifragalean Affinity from the Upper Cretaceous of Southern Sweden

Structurally preserved angiosperm flowers are described fromthe Upper Cretaceous of southern Sweden. They are found in fluviatiledeposits dated, on palynological evidence, as Upper Santonianor Lower Campanian. The material studied includes two speciesof Scandianthus gen.nov. and one unnamed, related taxon. Thefossil flowers represent the best-preserved Cretaceous floralstructures available and the preservation permits detailed studyof organization and arrangement of parts. Comparison with flowersof extant angiosperms indicates a close relationship with membersof the Saxifragales. Scandianthus gen.nov. fossil angiosperm, Upper Cretaceous     

辽西义县下白垩统沙海组木化石新材料*

辽西地区下白垩统沙海组是我国北方地区重要的白垩纪木化石产出层位,其产出的木化石数量丰富、类型多样.尽管前人开展了部分研究,但目前对沙海组木化石植物群组成特征的认识仍相对薄弱.本文报道了辽西义县上石洞沟地区沙海组产出的木化石新材料,共鉴定出2属3种,分别为:Phyllocladoxylon cf.eboracense(Holden)Kr?usel、Xenoxylon conchylianum Fliche 及 X.watarianum Nishida and Nishida.此发现丰富了对沙海组木化石多样性特征的认识,为揭示辽西地区早白垩世晚期的森林组成特征提供了新的化石证据.本文总结了辽西地区早白垩世木化石的多样性特征,从木化石的角度推断辽西地区在早白垩世中晚期森林植被面貌可能发生了一定程度的更替.此外,本文对比了辽西地区侏罗纪及白垩纪异木属木化石种级多样性,认为该属在辽西地区晚中生代一直是优势类群,但种级组成上差异明显.     

The palaeoxylological record of Metapodocarpoxylon libanoticum (Edwards) Dupéron-Laudoueneix et Pons and the Gondwana Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous continental biogeography

Aim Vertebrates, palynomorphs and leaf floras each give a different picture of continental biogeography of Northern Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous interval. A new biogeographical marker is required to get a clearer picture. Location Northern part of the Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous interval. Methods Comparisons and correlations of wood data from the literature and new material. Results We have selected Metapodocarpoxylon Dupéron‐Laudoueneix et Pons because it has a restricted distribution, temporally and geographically; it is a well‐defined Mesozoic fossil wood monospecific genus, and there are wide‐ranging data on its distribution. Conclusions Metapodocarpoxylon distribution draws a clear latitudinal belt extending from Lebanon westward to Peru. Climate being the main factor of plant distribution at a global scale, the Metapodocarpoxylon area probably underlines a climatic belt. This has several implications, for example, choosing among different Global Circulation Models or discussing dinosaur distribution.     

First record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chadronoxylon</Emphasis> fossil wood (Angiospermae,Dicotyledones) from Russia

A new species, Chadronoxylon sakhalinensis sp. nov. (Angiospermae, Dicotyledones), from the Upper Cretaceous of Sakhalin (Russian Far East) is described based on the anatomical characters of fossil wood. The fossil wood of Chadronoxylon is found in Russia for the first time.     

First fossil record of the genus Nageia (Podocarpaceae) in south China and its phytogeographic implications

The first fossil record of the genus Nageia Gaertner from the Tertiary of southern China is reported. Nageia hainanensis sp. nov. is described from the Eocene Changchang Formation of Hainan Island. The extant species of Nageia are widely distributed in southeastern Asia, from northeastern India to southeastern China and southern Japan, and southward through Indochina to the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. The fossil evidence of Nageia has been discovered from the Lower Cretaceous of the Far East of Russia and Japan. The distribution of both modern and fossil species of Nageia indicates that this genus could have originated in the northeastern part of Asia in the Early Cretaceous and spread to south China at least in the Eocene. Discovery of Nageia fossil record in south China provides important evidence for the geological and phytogeographic history of the genus.     

Fossil wood of Keteleerioxylon kamtschatkiense sp. nov. (Pinaceae) from the Cretaceous of the northwestern Kamchatka Peninsula

A new species, Keteleerioxylon kamtschatkiense, is described from the Cretaceous of the northwestern Kamchatka Peninsula on the basis of wood anatomy. Fossil wood showing anatomical characters of the modern genus Keteleeria is described from the Cretaceous of the Russian Far East for the first time.     

Fossil wood <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ginkgoxylon amurense</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Ginkgoaceae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Amur River area,Russian Far East

A new species, Ginkgoxylon amurense (Ginkgoaceae) from the Upper Cretaceous (middle Maastrichtian) of the Amur River area (Russian Far East) is described on the basis of fossil wood anatomy. Ginkgoalen fossil wood is found in Russia for the first time.     

A Cretaceous crane-fly (Diptera: Tipulidae): 93 million years of stasis

A new fossil species of crane-fly, Helius botswanensis:Diptera: Tipulidaey is described. The specimen was discovered recently in reliably dated. Cretaceous sediments from Botswana. Ii is extremely well preserved, has a distinctive morphology, and is identified as belonging to the extant genus Helius. The single specimen puts the origin of the subfamily Limoniinae and the genus well into the Cretaceous Period, and provides data on the southern African Cretaceous palaeoenvironment. The conservative nature of a dipteran of such antiquity, assignable to an extant genus which has an association with flowers, has implications for evolutionary theory.     

Recent and Tertiary Seeds of the Nymphaeaceae sensu lato with a Revision of Brasenia ovula (Brong.) Reid and Chandler

The nine extant genera within the Nymphaeaceae s l (Water Lilies)are shown to be separable from one another on the basis of seedmorphology In particular, epidermal detail, vertical sectionof the testa and relative position of the micropyle and hilumare diagnostic for each genus These features are consideredin connection with current systematic treatments of this familyFossil seeds are reviewed at the generic level and many of theseeds previously assigned to Brasenia ovula (Brong ) Reid andChandler are shown to belong to an extinct genus of Nymphaeaceaeintermediate between the currently accepted families Cabombacaceaeand Nymphaeaceae s s They are redescribed as Sabrenia chandleraegen et sp nov. The British Tertiary fossils Brasenia spinosaChandler, Palaeonymphaea eocenica Chandler emend and ?Nymphaealiminis sp nov are described Fossil material of Carpolithesovulum Brongniart 1822a, Brasenia victoria (Casp ) Weberbauer1893, B teumeri Kirchheimer 1935, B tenuicostata Nikitin 1965and Nymphaea arethusae Grambast 1962 has been studied for comparativepurposes The use of ‘?’ before the extant genericname is advocated when all features of a fossil indicate thatit may be placed in a living genus but when certain additional,critical features of the living genus are lacking on the fossil. Nymphaeaceae, water lilies, seeds, palaeobotany, Tertiary, Sabrenia chandlerae gen et sp nov Nymphaea liminis sp nov, Brasenia ovula