Structure and formation of the adventitious tube of the Japanese watering-pot shell Stirpulina ramosa (Bivalvia, Anomalodesmata, Clavagellidae) and a comparison with that of the Penicillidae

Abstract. Stirpulina ramosa is the only extant endobenthic representative of the Clavagellidae and is restricted to the waters of Japan. A single intact adventitious tube of this species has been obtained and its structure is described. The right valve is 16 mm long and located within the adventitious tube. It has an opisthodetic ligament located on resilifers. There are anterior and posterior adductor muscle scars, a thick pallial line, and pallial and pedal gape (right valve only) sinuses. The left shell valve is but 9 mm long and is united into the fabric of the adventitious tube via the intermediary of a shelly saddle. Internally, only the anterior adductor muscle scar and a small element of the pallial line scar are identifiable on the left valve. The posterior adductor and the rest of the pallial line scar (including a pallial sinus) are, remarkably, located on the adventitious tube beyond the shell valve margin. The adventitious tube of S. ramosa is formed in a manner wholly dissimilar from that of Brechites vaginiferus (Penicillidae). In B. vaginiferus, the tube is secreted as a single entity from the general outer mantle surface, including the siphons, covering the body. As a consequence, both shell valves are incorporated into the structure of the tube and the watering pot is bilaterally symmetrical. In S. ramosa, the tube and watering pot are secreted from the mantle margin and surface surrounding and extending from the left shell valve, so that only the left valve is incorporated into its structure. A dorsally derived mantle element is progressively extended over to the right side of the body, meeting a ventrally derived counterpart that passes beneath it, forming a pleat in the calcareous structure of the right side of the tube that they secrete. This pleat extends into the complex of watering‐pot tubules and forms the pedal gape. The watering pot is thus Ω shaped. The ventrally derived mantle element forms a sinusoidal crest on the right‐hand base of the watering pot, creating a pedal gape sinus scar on the right valve. The Clavagellidae radiated widely in the Mesozoic, leaving behind a rich fossil record for Stirpulina. Only S. ramosa, however, has survived until the present. In contrast, the Cenozoic Penicillidae has a poor fossil record, but there is a rich variety of extant endobenthic watering‐pot shells. It has been argued hitherto that the two families represent a remarkable example of convergent evolution. In view of the success of the Penicillidae and thus the endobenthic, tube‐dwelling lifestyle, however, it is hard to understand why Stirpulina has largely died out—even S. ramosa being known by but one or two specimens. A study of the anatomy of S. ramosa might one day answer this question.     

Bridging the extant and fossil record of planktonic foraminifera: implications for the Globigerina lineage

We conducted a morphometric study and wall texture analysis on extant and fossil specimens of the planktonic foraminifera Globigerina falconensis plexus. Our global data reveal morphological inconsistencies between fossil and extant populations. Our results are significant as G. falconensis is widely used in palaeoceanographic studies in conjunction with its sister taxon G. bulloides. Morphologically these two species are similar, with the main difference being the distinctive apertural lip present in G. falconensis. We selected cores covering the entire stratigraphic range of G. falconensis, from the early Miocene to current day, spanning sites from high latitudes in the North Atlantic Ocean and the southern Indian Ocean to sites in equatorial regions. The morphology found in the modern ocean is not consistent with the Miocene holotype of Globigerina falconensis Blow described from lower Miocene sediments in Venezuela. A more lobate morphology evolved in the late Miocene, thus, a new name is required for this morphotype, coexisting in the modern oceans with G. falconensis s.s. We thus describe the new morphospecies, G. neofalconensis for the more lobate forms which evolved in the late Miocene and inhabit the modern oceans. Additionally, we report a pseudocancellate wall texture present in the G. falconensis plexus. We use the molecular sequences from the PR² database to explore the generic attribution of the G. falconensis lineage, confirming its close relationship with G. bulloides and its retention in the genus Globigerina.     

Neogene reef coral assemblages of the Bocas del Toro region, Panama: the rise of Acropora palmata

Temporal patterns are evaluated in Neogene reef coral assemblages from the Bocas del Toro Basin of Panama in order to understand how reef ecosystems respond to long-term environmental change. Analyses are based on a total of 1,702 zooxanthellate coral specimens collected from six coral-bearing units ranging in age from the earliest Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene: (1) Valiente Formation (12–11 Ma), (2) Fish Hole Member of the Old Bank Formation (5.8–5.6 Ma), (3) La Gruta Member of the Isla Colon Formation (2.2–1.4 Ma), (4) Ground Creek Member of the Isla Colon Formation (2.2–1.4 Ma), (5) Mimitimbi Member of the Urracá Formation (1.2–0.8 Ma), and (6) Hill Point Member of the Urracá Formation (1.2–0.8 Ma). Over 100 coral species occur in the six units, with faunal assemblages ranging from less than 10% extant taxa (Valiente Formation) to over 85% extant taxa (Ground Creek Member). The collections provide new temporal constraints on the emergence of modern Caribbean reefs, with the La Gruta Member containing the earliest occurrence of large monospecific stands of the dominant Caribbean reef coral Acropora palmata, and the Urracá Formation containing the last fossil occurrences of 15 regionally extinct taxa. Canonical correspondence analysis of 41 Late Miocene to Recent reef coral assemblages from the Caribbean region suggests changes in community structure coincident with effective oceanic closure of the Central American Seaway (~3.5 Ma). These changes, including increased Acropora dominance, may have contributed to a protracted period of elevated extinction debt prior to the major peak in regional coral extinctions (~2–1 Ma).     

An appraisal of the fossil record for the Cirolanidae (Malacostraca: Peracarida: Isopoda: Cymothoida), with a description of a new cirolanid isopod crustacean from the early Miocene of the Vienna Basin (Western Carpathians)

Abstract:  Isopod crustaceans are rarely preserved in the fossil record. Herein, an appraisal of the fossil record for the cirolanid isopods is presented. Five genera are briefly discussed, including Bathynomus, Brunnaega, Palaega, Pseudopalaega and Cirolana. A key for the cirolanid genera known to date from the fossil record is provided based mostly on pleotelson characters. From the early Miocene of the Slovak part of the Vienna Basin, Cirolana feldmanni sp. nov. is described being only the fifth fossil Cirolana species known to date and one of the few with preserved appendages. The material exhibits preservation suggesting biphasic moulting; the mode of preservation suggests a rather short time between shedding the posterior and anterior parts of the exoskeleton instead of hours or even days known in extant taxa. As no subsequent transport or physical disturbance was inferred, the specimens can be stated as in situ preservation. From the palaeoecological point of view, it is concluded that Cirolana feldmanni sp. nov. is the first unequivocal fossil deep‐water Cirolana as suggested by the accompanied fauna.     

Saccoglossus testa from the Mazon Creek fauna (Pennsylvanian of Illinois) and the evolution of acorn worms (Enteropneusta: Hemichordata)

The limited fossil record of enteropneust hemichordates (acorn worms) and the few external features that distinguish the four families have provided a challenge to our understanding of the evolution of the group and their various feeding adaptations. The middle Pennsylvanian Saccoglossus testa sp. nov. from the Mazon Creek, Westfalian D Carbonate Formation, Francis Creek Shale of northern Illinois provides evidence for the exploitation of surface sediments. Saccoglossus testa has a long proboscis characteristic of the extant genus Saccoglossus, a specialist in surface deposit feeding. The collar is as long as it is wide. The anterior trunk lacks a distinctively wide branchial region. These three features distinguish it from its sympatric enteropneust species Mazoglossus ramsdelli Bardack that has a proboscis characteristic of an infaunal deposit feeder. It is the seventh known species of fossil enteropneust, including a resting trace of a Lower Triassic fossil that has collar lips that characterize the extant deep‐sea family Torquaratoridae, and which represents a second parallel evolution of surface deposit feeding. An analysis of the seven fossils shows that the earliest Enteropneusta had a relatively simple harrimaniid‐like body plan, and that the spengelid, the torquaratorid and lastly the most complex ptychoderid body plan appeared in that chronological order.     

A Plains‐wanderer (Pedionomidae) that did not wander plains: a new species from the Oligocene of South Australia

The remarkable fauna of Australia evolved in isolation from other landmasses for millions of years, yet understanding the evolutionary history of endemic avian lineages on the continent is confounded by the ability of birds to disperse over geographical barriers even after vicariance events. The Plains‐wanderer Pedionomus torquatus (Charadriiformes) is an enigmatic, predominantly sedentary, quail‐like bird that occurs exclusively in sparse native grasslands of southeastern Australia. It is the only known species of its family (Pedionomidae), and its closest relatives are the South American seedsnipes (Thinocoridae). Here we describe a further representative of this lineage, Oligonomus milleri gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Oligocene of South Australia (26–24 Ma), which pre‐dates the earliest record of P. torquatus by c. 22 Ma and attests to the presence of this lineage during Australia's period of isolation (50–15 Ma). Based on the morphology of the coracoid and the palynological record, we propose that O. milleri and P. torquatus were ecologically disparate taxa and that, similar to coeval marsupials, O. milleri inhabited well‐wooded habitats, suggesting that the preference for grassland in the extant P. torquatus and thinocorids is likely to be convergent and not ancestral. The speciation event leading to the evolution of the extant Plains‐wanderer was probably triggered by the spread of grasslands across Australia in the Late Miocene–Pliocene, which this record pre‐dates. The presence of a pedionomid in the Late Oligocene of Australia strengthens the hypothesis of a Gondwanan divergence of the lineages giving rise to Thinocoridae and Pedionomidae.     

Systematics and evolutionary significance of the small Abrocomidae from the early Miocene of southern South America

Octodontoidea is the most species-rich clade among hystricomorph rodents, and has a fossil record going back to at least the late Oligocene. Affinities of fossils previous to the late Miocene differentiation of the extant families Abrocomidae, Echimyidae and Octodontidae are controversial, essentially because these fossils may share few apomorphies with modern species. In fact, pre-late Miocene representatives of Abrocomidae had not been recognised until very recently. Here we revise the early Miocene genus Acarechimys, originally assigned to Echimyidae, and alternatively to stem Octodontoidea or to Octodontidae. A systematic and parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis of the species traditionally included in Acarechimys showed that this genus is part of stem Abrocomidae. These results are primarily supported by morphology of the mandible and lower molars. Acarechimys is here restricted to three species, A. minutus, A. pulchellus and Acarechimys pascuali sp. nov., while another species, A. constans, is here transferred to a new abrocomid genus. The remaining species were nested within Octodontidae. According to these results, Abrocomidae might have been as diverse as its sister clade Octodontidae-Echimyidae during the late Oligocene–early Miocene. Extinction of this diversity would have resulted in marked loss of evolutionary history, with extant abrocomids being currently restricted to late-diverged euhypsodont representatives.     

COMPARATIVE PALEOBIOCHEMISTRY OF SOME FOSSIL AND EXTANT FAGACEAE

A Fagus-like leaf fossil (cuticular compression) with an attached fruit, differing from any known Fagus species (fossil or extant) or other fagoid taxa, has been discovered from the Miocene Clarkia Lake deposits of northern Idaho. Because of its unusual morphology (especially the fruit) the fossil taxon has been described as a new genus and species, Pseudofagus idahoensis Smiley and Huggins. The successful previous use of paleobiochemistry in studies of fossil taxa from the Miocene Succor Creek Flora of Oregon suggested that chemical data might help clarify the taxonomic affinities of Pseudofagus. Indeed, examination of the chemistry of the fossil, Pseudofagus idahoensis, and comparison with extant Fagus species and related fagoid genera indicate that: 1) based on steroid chemistry, Pseudofagus idahonesis does belong in the Fagaceae; 2) like all extant species of Fagus, the fossil lacks the tannin component, ellagic acid, which separates it from other extant fagoid genera, and 3) its simple flavonoid pigment profile places it closest to the extant North American Fagus grandifolia or the European/Eurasian Fagus sylvatica. However, the exclusive presence of an isorhamnetin (3'-methoxyquercetin) 3-0-glycoside, onocerane, and 5α-cholestane imparts a species-specific chemical character to Pseudofagus idahoensis, which also sets it apart from extant species of Fagus. While the chemistry does not decide the taxonomic level to be accorded to the fossil, it certainly supports, along with morphology and anatomy, the distinctness of Pseudofagus and its proposed relationships within the Fagaceae.     

Fossil grebes from the Truckee Formation (Miocene) of Nevada and a new phylogenetic analysis of Podicipediformes (Aves)

Podicipediformes is a cosmopolitan clade of foot‐propelled diving birds that, despite inhabiting marine and lacustrine environments, have a poor fossil record. In this contribution, we describe three new grebe fossils from the diatomite beds of the Late Miocene Truckee Formation (10.2 ± 0.2 Ma) of Nevada (USA). Two postcranial skeletons and an associated set of wing elements indicate that at least two distinct grebe species occupied the large, shallow Lake Truckee during the Miocene. Phylogenetic analysis of morphological data supports a basal divergence between a clade uniting the dabchicks (Tachybaptus, Limnodytes, Poliocephalus) and a clade uniting Podilymbus, Rollandia, Podiceps and Aechmophorus. Missing data, combined with a paucity of informative skeletal characters, make it difficult to place the Truckee grebes within either of these major clades. Given the weak projection of the cnemial crests compared with extant grebes, it also remains plausible that these specimens represent stem lineage grebes. Although more material is needed to resolve the phylogenetic position of the Truckee grebes, our analysis offers insight into the tempo of grebe evolution by placing the Miocene taxon Thiornis sociata within the dabchick clade. Thiornis sociata provides a minimum age calibration of 8.7 Ma for the basal divergence among dabchicks. Based on the recovery of a nonmonophyletic Tachybaptus and placement of the Western Hemisphere ‘Tachybaptus’ dominicus as the basal member of the otherwise exclusively Eastern Hemisphere dabchick clade, we resurrect the genus Limnodytes for this extant species (Limnodytes dominicus). Our results also nest the large, long‐necked Aechmophorus grebes within the genus Podiceps, as the sister taxon to Podiceps major.     

The first fossil Paussine (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Mexican amber

Eohomopterus simojovelensis n. sp., the first fossil record of the subfamily Paussinae (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from the Miocene amber of the Simojovel area, Chiapas, Mexico, is described. The morphology of the new species is compared withEohomopterus poinari Nagel, 1997 from Dominican amber as well as with extant representatives ofEohomopterus, and the biogeographical implications are discussed.      

The Miocene tortoise Testudo catalaunica Bataller, 1926, and a revised phylogeny of extinct species of genus Testudo (Testudines: Testudinidae)

We provide a taxonomic review of the extinct testudinid Testudo catalaunica, based on published and unpublished material from several Miocene (late Aragonian and early Vallesian) sites of the Vallès‐Penedès Basin (north‐east Iberian Peninsula). We show that Testudo catalaunica irregularis is a junior subjective synonym of T. catalaunica, and further provide an emended diagnosis of the latter based on newly reported material. Contrary to some recent suggestions, this emended diagnosis discounts an alternative attribution of T. catalaunica to Paleotestudo. The latter is merely recognized as a subgenus of Testudo, based on a cladistic analysis that assessed the phylogenetic position of all extant and most extinct species of Testudo currently recognized as valid (including T. catalaunica). Our phylogenetic analysis (which recovers the molecular phylogeny of extant Testudo s.l.) supports a taxonomic scheme in which the three extant subgenera of Testudo are represented in the fossil record. Testudo s.s. is retrieved as the sister taxon of Testudo (Agrionemys) + [Testudo (Paleotestudo) + Testudo (Chersine)]. The extinct Testudo (Paleotestudo) is therefore the sister taxon of the Testudo (Chersine) clade. The latter subgenus reveals as the most diverse clade of Testudo s.l. in the fossil record, with T. catalaunica + Testudo steinheimensis constituting a subclade distinct from that including Testudo hermanni.     

The genus Cryptopora (Brachiopoda) from the Miocene of France and its history and biogeography

The rhynchonellid brachiopod species Cryptopora lovisati(Dreger, 1911) has been identified in the Middle Miocene sandy deposits of France, and its ontogeny and variability are described. This is the first record of the genus Cryptopora Jeffreys from France, although several species of Cryptopora have been already reported from other regions of Europe. Being known since the Lower Palaeocene, Cryptopora is widely distributed in modern seas, ranging from about 60 m down to over 4000 m, and is represented by six extant and about 12 fossil species. C. lovisati has been interpreted as relatively shallow water species living attached to the sediment by a long pedicle. The affinity between C. lovisati and Recent C. curiosa Cooper is discussed.     

Ancient DNA from an extinct Mediterranean micromammal—Hypnomys morpheus (Rodentia: Gliridae)—Provides insight into the biogeographic history of insular dormice

The dormice (Gliridae) are a family of rodents represented by relatively few extant species, though the family was much more species-rich during the Early Miocene. Intergeneric phylogenetic relationships among glirids in some cases remain unresolved, despite extensive molecular and morphological analyses. Uncertainty is greatest with respect to the relationships among fossil taxa and how extinct lineages are related to modern species. The fossil genus Hypnomys from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea) includes the Late Pleistocene–Holocene species Hypnomys morpheus, which has variously been considered a close relative or subgenus of the extant Eliomys. In the present study, we sequenced ancient mitochondrial DNA from H. morpheus, which suggests a sister relationship with the extant members of Eliomys. In addition, the pairwise sequence variation between Hypnomys and Eliomys is higher than that observed between congeneric glirid species (e.g., many Graphiurus spp.), which allows us to reject the hypothesis that Hypnomys is a subgenus of Eliomys. Our molecular dating analyses suggest that Hypnomys and Eliomys diverged 13.67 million years ago (95% highest posterior density [HPD] = 7.39–20.07). The relatively early split between these genera together with the molar morphology of early representatives of Hypnomys points to a Middle-Late Miocene origin from a continental glirid with a complex molar pattern, such as Vasseuromys or a closely related genus.     

Systematics and evolution of the Pan‐Alcidae (Aves,Charadriiformes)

Puffins, auks and their allies in the wing‐propelled diving seabird clade Pan‐Alcidae (Charadriiformes) have been proposed to be key pelagic indicators of faunal shifts in Northern Hemisphere oceans. However, most previous phylogenetic analyses of the clade have focused only on the 23 extant alcid species. Here we undertake a combined phylogenetic analysis of all previously published molecular sequence data (～ 12 kb) and morphological data (n = 353 characters) with dense species level sampling that also includes 28 extinct taxa. We present a new estimate of the patterns of diversification in the clade based on divergence time estimates that include a previously vetted set of twelve fossil calibrations. The resultant time trees are also used in the evaluation of previously hypothesized paleoclimatic drivers of pan‐alcid evolution. Our divergence dating results estimate the split of Alcidae from its sister taxon Stercorariidae during the late Eocene (～ 35 Ma), an evolutionary hypothesis for clade origination that agrees with the fossil record and that does not require the inference of extensive ghost lineages. The extant dovekie Alle alle is identified as the sole extant member of a clade including four extinct Miocene species. Furthermore, whereas an Uria + Alle clade has been previously recovered from molecular analyses, the extinct diversity of closely related Miocepphus species yields morphological support for this clade. Our results suggest that extant alcid diversity is a function of Miocene diversification and differential extinction at the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary. The relative timing of the Middle Miocene climatic optimum and the Pliocene–Pleistocene climatic transition and major diversification and extinction events in Pan‐Alcidae, respectively, are consistent with a potential link between major paleoclimatic events and pan‐alcid cladogenesis.     

Description of a new long‐snouted beaked whale from the Late Miocene of Denmark: evolution of suction feeding and sexual dimorphism in the Ziphiidae (Cetacea: Odontoceti)

A new genus and species of Ziphiidae, Dagonodum mojnum gen. nov., sp. nov., from the upper Miocene Gram Formation (c. 9.9–7.2 Ma) represents the first occurrence of the family in Denmark. This long‐snouted ziphiid is characterized by two pairs of mandibular tusks, the Eustachian outlet that approximately levels with the dorsalmost margin of the posterior portion of the involucrum, and the left trapezoid nasal with a posteromedial projection into the frontal. A phylogenetic analysis including 25 species and 69 characters was conducted. Dagonodum mojnum is placed in a basal ziphiid clade as the sister taxon of Messapicetus. The specimen is probably a male, because it has enlarged tusks. Alternatively, females could also be involved in fights and develop erupted tusks as in the extant Berardius. Although less well supported, this interpretation proposes that aggressive interactions were not restricted to males in stem‐ziphiids. With a thickened thyrohyal and the presence of a precoronoid crest, D. mojnum was able to use suction feeding, but was less specialized to it compared to extant ziphiids. The elongated neck of D. mojnum less optimized to perform deep dives, and the shallow depth at which the Gram Formation was deposited corroborates the hypothesis that at least part of the stem‐ziphiids were not regular deep divers.     

Late Miocene Carnivora from Chad: Herpestidae,Viverridae and small-sized Felidae

The small-sized feliforms (Viverridae, Herpestidae, Felidae) from the Late Miocene fossiliferous area of Toros-Menalla, Chad, are described. The Viverridae are represented by dental and postcranial remains of two species: a new, large-sized viverrid, Sahelictis korei n. gen. n. sp., which is characterized by a more trenchant dentition than in Viverra spp., and an indeterminate species similar in size to Viverra howelli. The Herpestidae are represented by a subcomplete mandible with partial dentition assigned to Herpestes sp., similar in size to the smallest individuals of the extant Herpestes naso and H. ichneumon. Felids are known from two, possibly three small-sized species. Fragmentary dental and postcranial remains indicate the presence of one or two species of the size of the golden cat (Profelis aurata). A partial skeleton of a wildcat-sized species assigned to Felis sp. is also described; this record is by far the earliest record for the genus in Africa.     

First fossil record of an East Asian endemic genus Sladenia (Sladeniaceae) from its modern range: Implications for floristic evolution and conservation biology

Fossil records of endemic plants play an important role in recognizing the floristic history of East Asia and thereby facilitate the conservation of plant diversity in the region. However, the fossil record of many extant East Asian endemic genera remains poorly documented thus far. Here, we report an infructescence fossil of an East Asian endemic genus, Sladenia (Sladeniaceae), from the early Miocene of southeastern Yunnan, China. The fossil is characterized by: (i) dichasial cymes; and (ii) flask‐shaped ovary with dense subparallel ribs on the surface extending from the base to the distal end of the united style. It represents the first fossil record of Sladenia in Asia, showing that the genus was established in the region at least by the early Miocene. Given that a much older fossil record of Sladeniaceae has been reported from Africa and the sister group of Sladenia is distributed only in Africa, Sladenia is not likely of East Asian origin. The present endemic status of Sladenia was possibly achieved by regional extirpation in Africa and taking refuge in East Asia. This case thus supports the “Museum” rather than “Cradle” hypothesis for the genesis of high plant species in the flora of East Asia. A comparison of the present fossil with extant Sladenia infructescence shows morphological stasis from the early Miocene to present. Such evolutionary tardiness might have resulted in the reduced fitness of the genus, which further caused its current endangered situation.     

A new coral‐associated decapod assemblage from the Upper Miocene (Messinian) Upper Coralline Limestone of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Abstract: A rich coral‐associated decapod assemblage is recorded from the ‘Depiru Beds’ of the upper part of the Upper Coralline Limestone (Messinian, Upper Miocene), from the island of Malta. Nineteen species within 17 genera have been discovered, where 14 genera are new for Malta. Four new species are described, namely Micippa annamariae sp. nov., Pilumnus scaber sp. nov., Panopeus muelleri sp. nov. and Herbstia melitense sp. nov. Herbstia melitense sp. nov. constitutes the first record of the genus from the fossil record in the Mediterranean region. This discovery more than doubles the number of known fossil decapod species from Malta. The fossil bivalve Jouannetia (J.) semicaudata Des Moulins, 1830 and the extant decapod Maja goltziana D’Oliveira, 1888, are also recorded for the first time from Malta. Other Neogene coral‐associated decapod assemblages are investigated and correlated with the new assemblage from Malta. The migration of taxa between the Mediterranean region and the Paratethys, particularly during the Lower Badenian (Langhian), is evidenced by the strong affinity of the Maltese decapod assemblage with that of the Middle Miocene Badenian assemblages from Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Upper Miocene, Messinian assemblages from Spain, Algeria and Morocco are also similar to that from Malta.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Altingioxylon hainanensis</Emphasis> sp. nov.: earliest fossil wood record of the family Altingiaceae in Eastern Asia and its implications for historical biogeography

A new species, Altingioxylon hainanensis, is described from the Eocene Changchang Formation of the Changchang Basin on Hainan Island, South China. It is the first record of a fossil wood assigned to Altingiaceae found in China, and the most ancient evidence of wood for this family in eastern Asia. The new species is similar to A. rhodoleioides, known since the Miocene in India and Java Island, and to Altingia hisauchii from the Miocene to Pliocene of Japan. The close resemblance between these species and Liquidambar sp., known from the Middle Miocene of western North America, provides additional evidence for the migration of their ancestors from Asia to North America across the Bering land bridge during the Miocene. Distinctions in ray sizes between the eastern Asian specimens and their contemporaries from Europe to Kazakhstan is suggested as a result of the divergence between the large eastern Asian clade and the North American–west Asian clade within Altingiaceae during the Eocene–Oligocene. The presence of crystals in ray cells may be considered an ancestral condition that persists in the eastern Asian lineages up to the extant Altingia and Semiliquidambar, but which was lost in other Altingiaceae in the course of evolution.