Fossil Dolphin Otekaikea marplesi (Latest Oligocene,New Zealand) Expands the Morphological and Taxonomic Diversity of Oligocene Cetaceans

The Oligocene Epoch was a time of major radiation of the Odontoceti (echolocating toothed whales, dolphins). Fossils reveal many odontocete lineages and considerable structural diversity, but whether the clades include some crown taxa or only archaic groups is contentious. The New Zealand fossil dolphin “Prosqualodon” marplesi (latest Oligocene, ≥23.9 Ma) is here identified as a crown odontocete that represents a new genus, Otekaikea, and adds to the generic diversity of Oligocene odontocetes. Otekaikea marplesi is known only from the holotype, which comprises a partial skeleton from the marine Otekaike Limestone of the Waitaki Valley. Otekaikea marplesi was about 2.5 m long; it had procumbent anterior teeth, and a broad dished face for the nasofacial muscles implicated in production of echolocation sounds. The prominent condyles and unfused cervical vertebrae suggest a flexible neck. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphological features places Otekaikea marplesi in the extinct group Waipatiidae, within the clade Platanistoidea. The phylogeny implies an Oligocene origin for the lineage now represented by the endangered Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica), supporting an Oligocene history for the crown Odontoceti.     

A Mammalian Lost World in Southwest Europe during the Late Pliocene

Background

Over the last decades, there has been an increasing interest on the chronology, distribution and mammal taxonomy (including hominins) related with the faunal turnovers that took place around the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition [ca. 1.8 mega-annum (Ma)] in Europe. However, these turnovers are not fully understood due to: the precarious nature of the period''s fossil record; the “non-coexistence” in this record of many of the species involved; and the enormous geographical area encompassed. This palaeontological information gap can now be in part bridged with data from the Fonelas P-1 site (Granada, Spain), whose faunal composition and late Upper Pliocene date shed light on some of the problems concerning the timing and geography of the dispersals.

Methodology/Principal Findings

This rich fossil site yielded 32 species of mammals, among which autochthonous species of the European Upper Villafranchian coexist with canids (Canis), ovibovines (Praeovibos) and giraffids (Mitilanotherium) from Asia. Typical African species, such as the brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) and the bush pig (Potamochoerus) are also present.

Conclusions/Significance

This assemblage is taxonomically and palaeobiogeographically unique, and suggests that fewer dispersal events than was previously thought (possibly only one close to 2.0 Ma) are responsible for the changes seen around 1.9–1.7 Ma ago in the fauna of the two continents.     

Historical biogeography and phenotype‐phylogeny of Chroodiscus (lichenized Ascomycota: Ostropales: Graphidaceae)

Aim To analyse the historical biogeography of the lichen genus Chroodiscus using a phenotype‐based phylogeny in the context of continental drift and evolution of tropical rain forest vegetation. Location All tropical regions (Central and South America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, north‐east Australia). Methods We performed a phenotype‐based phylogenetic analysis and ancestral character state reconstruction of 14 species of the lichen genus Chroodiscus, using paup * and mesquite ; dispersal–vicariance analysis (DIVA) and dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis (DEC) modelling to trace the geographical origin of individual clades; and ordination and clustering by means of pc‐ord , based on a novel similarity index, to visualize the biogeographical relationships of floristic regions in which Chroodiscus occurs. Results The 14 species of Chroodiscus show distinctive distribution patterns, with one pantropical and one amphi‐Pacific taxon and 12 species each restricted to a single continent. The genus comprises four clades. DIVA and DEC modelling suggest a South American origin of Chroodiscus in the mid to late Cretaceous (120–100 Ma), with subsequent expansion through a South American–African–Indian–Southeast Asian–Australian dispersal route and late diversification of the argillaceus clade in Southeast Asia. Based on the abundance of extant taxa, the probability of speciation events in Chroodiscus is shown to be extremely low. Slow dispersal of foliicolous rain forest understorey lichens is consistent with estimated phylogenetic ages of individual species and with average lengths of biological species intervals in fungi (10–20 Myr). Main conclusions The present‐day distribution of Chroodiscus can be explained by vicariance and mid‐distance dispersal through the interconnection or proximity of continental shelves, without the need for recent, trans‐oceanic long‐distance dispersal. Phylogenetic reconstruction and age estimation for Chroodiscus are consistent with the ‘biotic ferry’ hypothesis: a South American origin and subsequent eastward expansion through Africa towards Southeast Asia and north‐eastern Australia via the Indian subcontinent. The present‐day pantropical distributions of many clades and species of foliicolous lichens might thus be explained by eastward expansion through continental drift, along with the evolution of modern rain forests starting 120 Ma, rather than by the existence of a hypothetical continuous area of pre‐modern rain forest spanning South America, Africa and Southeast Asia during the mid and late Cretaceous.     

Major Radiations in the Evolution of Caviid Rodents: Reconciling Fossils,Ghost Lineages,and Relaxed Molecular Clocks

Background

Caviidae is a diverse group of caviomorph rodents that is broadly distributed in South America and is divided into three highly divergent extant lineages: Caviinae (cavies), Dolichotinae (maras), and Hydrochoerinae (capybaras). The fossil record of Caviidae is only abundant and diverse since the late Miocene. Caviids belongs to Cavioidea sensu stricto (Cavioidea s.s.) that also includes a diverse assemblage of extinct taxa recorded from the late Oligocene to the middle Miocene of South America (“eocardiids”).

Results

A phylogenetic analysis combining morphological and molecular data is presented here, evaluating the time of diversification of selected nodes based on the calibration of phylogenetic trees with fossil taxa and the use of relaxed molecular clocks. This analysis reveals three major phases of diversification in the evolutionary history of Cavioidea s.s. The first two phases involve two successive radiations of extinct lineages that occurred during the late Oligocene and the early Miocene. The third phase consists of the diversification of Caviidae. The initial split of caviids is dated as middle Miocene by the fossil record. This date falls within the 95% higher probability distribution estimated by the relaxed Bayesian molecular clock, although the mean age estimate ages are 3.5 to 7 Myr older. The initial split of caviids is followed by an obscure period of poor fossil record (refered here as the Mayoan gap) and then by the appearance of highly differentiated modern lineages of caviids, which evidentially occurred at the late Miocene as indicated by both the fossil record and molecular clock estimates.

Conclusions

The integrated approach used here allowed us identifying the agreements and discrepancies of the fossil record and molecular clock estimates on the timing of the major events in cavioid evolution, revealing evolutionary patterns that would not have been possible to gather using only molecular or paleontological data alone.     

Exploring the Formation of a Disjunctive Pattern between Eastern Asia and North America Based on Fossil Evidence from Thuja (Cupressaceae)

Thuja, a genus of Cupressaceae comprising five extant species, presently occurs in both East Asia (3 species) and North America (2 species) and has a long fossil record from Paleocene to Pleistocene in the Northern Hemisphere. Two distinct hypotheses have been proposed to account for the origin and present distribution of this genus. Here we recognize and describe T. sutchuenensis Franch., a new fossil Thuja from the late Pliocene sediments of Zhangcun, Shanxi, North China, based on detailed comparisons with all living species and other fossil ones, integrate the global fossil records of this genus plotted in a set of paleomaps from different time intervals, which show that Thuja probably first appeared at high latitudes of North America in or before the Paleocene. This genus reached Greenland in the Paleocene, then arrived in eastern Asia in the Miocene via the land connection between East Asia and western North America. In the late Pliocene, it migrated into the interior of China. With the Quaternary cooling and drying, Thuja gradually retreated southwards to form today’s disjunctive distribution between East Asia and North America.     

Small-bodied humans from Palau, Micronesia

Newly discovered fossil assemblages of small bodied Homo sapiens from Palau, Micronesia possess characters thought to be taxonomically primitive for the genus Homo.

Background

Recent surface collection and test excavation in limestone caves in the rock islands of Palau, Micronesia, has produced a sizeable sample of human skeletal remains dating roughly between 940-2890 cal ybp.

Principle Findings

Preliminary analysis indicates that this material is important for two reasons. First, individuals from the older time horizons are small in body size even relative to “pygmoid” populations from Southeast Asia and Indonesia, and thus may represent a marked case of human insular dwarfism. Second, while possessing a number of derived features that align them with Homo sapiens, the human remains from Palau also exhibit several skeletal traits that are considered to be primitive for the genus Homo.

Significance

These features may be previously unrecognized developmental correlates of small body size and, if so, they may have important implications for interpreting the taxonomic affinities of fossil specimens of Homo.     

Winged Fruits of Deviacer in the Oligocene from the Ningming Basin in Guangxi,South China

Deviacer guangxiensis Chen & Manchester sp. nov. is described based on asymmetric samaras from the Oligocene Ningming Formation in Guangxi, South China, representing the first documentation of Deviacer fossils in Asia. The Oligocene species, with relatively large fruits, represents the youngest record of the genus so far known; all other records are from the Paleocene and Eocene, or late Eocene—early Oligocene in western North America and Europe. It indicates that the extinct genus, Deviacer, was widely distributed in the northern hemisphere during the Paleogene.     

DNA Barcoding of Bemisia tabaci Complex (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Reveals Southerly Expansion of the Dominant Whitefly Species on Cotton in Pakistan

Background

Although whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci complex) are an important pest of cotton in Pakistan, its taxonomic diversity is poorly understood. As DNA barcoding is an effective tool for resolving species complexes and analyzing species distributions, we used this approach to analyze genetic diversity in the B. tabaci complex and map the distribution of B. tabaci lineages in cotton growing areas of Pakistan.

Methods/Principal Findings

Sequence diversity in the DNA barcode region (mtCOI-5′) was examined in 593 whiteflies from Pakistan to determine the number of whitefly species and their distributions in the cotton-growing areas of Punjab and Sindh provinces. These new records were integrated with another 173 barcode sequences for B. tabaci, most from India, to better understand regional whitefly diversity. The Barcode Index Number (BIN) System assigned the 766 sequences to 15 BINs, including nine from Pakistan. Representative specimens of each Pakistan BIN were analyzed for mtCOI-3′ to allow their assignment to one of the putative species in the B. tabaci complex recognized on the basis of sequence variation in this gene region. This analysis revealed the presence of Asia II 1, Middle East-Asia Minor 1, Asia 1, Asia II 5, Asia II 7, and a new lineage “Pakistan”. The first two taxa were found in both Punjab and Sindh, but Asia 1 was only detected in Sindh, while Asia II 5, Asia II 7 and “Pakistan” were only present in Punjab. The haplotype networks showed that most haplotypes of Asia II 1, a species implicated in transmission of the cotton leaf curl virus, occurred in both India and Pakistan.

Conclusions

DNA barcodes successfully discriminated cryptic species in B. tabaci complex. The dominant haplotypes in the B. tabaci complex were shared by India and Pakistan. Asia II 1 was previously restricted to Punjab, but is now the dominant lineage in southern Sindh; its southward spread may have serious implications for cotton plantations in this region.     

A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge,Tanzania

Background

The fossil record reveals surprising crocodile diversity in the Neogene of Africa, but relationships with their living relatives and the biogeographic origins of the modern African crocodylian fauna are poorly understood. A Plio-Pleistocene crocodile from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, represents a new extinct species and shows that high crocodylian diversity in Africa persisted after the Miocene. It had prominent triangular “horns” over the ears and a relatively deep snout, these resemble those of the recently extinct Malagasy crocodile Voay robustus, but the new species lacks features found among osteolaemines and shares derived similarities with living species of Crocodylus.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The holotype consists of a partial skull and skeleton and was collected on the surface between two tuffs dated to approximately 1.84 million years (Ma), in the same interval near the type localities for the hominids Homo habilis and Australopithecus boisei. It was compared with previously-collected material from Olduvai Gorge referable to the same species. Phylogenetic analysis places the new form within or adjacent to crown Crocodylus.

Conclusions/Significance

The new crocodile species was the largest predator encountered by our ancestors at Olduvai Gorge, as indicated by hominid specimens preserving crocodile bite marks from these sites. The new species also reinforces the emerging view of high crocodylian diversity throughout the Neogene, and it represents one of the few extinct species referable to crown genus Crocodylus.     

Fossil and Genetic Evidence for the Polyphyletic Nature of the Planktonic Foraminifera "Globigerinoides", and Description of the New Genus Trilobatus

Planktonic foraminifera are one of the most abundant and diverse protists in the oceans. Their utility as paleo proxies requires rigorous taxonomy and comparison with living and genetically related counterparts. We merge genetic and fossil evidence of “Globigerinoides”, characterized by supplementary apertures on spiral side, in a new approach to trace their “total evidence phylogeny” since their first appearance in the latest Paleogene. Combined fossil and molecular genetic data indicate that this genus, as traditionally understood, is polyphyletic. Both datasets indicate the existence of two distinct lineages that evolved independently. One group includes “Globigerinoides” trilobus and its descendants, the extant “Globigerinoides” sacculifer, Orbulina universa and Sphaeroidinella dehiscens. The second group includes the Globigerinoides ruber clade with the extant G. conglobatus and G. elongatus and ancestors. In molecular phylogenies, the trilobus group is not the sister taxon of the ruber group. The ruber group clusters consistently together with the modern Globoturborotalita rubescens as a sister taxon. The re-analysis of the fossil record indicates that the first “Globigerinoides” in the late Oligocene are ancestral to the trilobus group, whereas the ruber group first appeared at the base of the Miocene with representatives distinct from the trilobus group. Therefore, polyphyly of the genus "Globigerinoides" as currently defined can only be avoided either by broadening the genus concept to include G. rubescens and a large number of fossil species without supplementary apertures, or if the trilobus group is assigned to a separate genus. Since the former is not feasible due to the lack of a clear diagnosis for such a broad genus, we erect a new genus Trilobatus for the trilobus group (type species Globigerina triloba Reuss) and amend Globoturborotalita and Globigerinoides to clarify morphology and wall textures of these genera. In the new concept, Trilobatus n. gen. is paraphyletic and gave rise to the Praeorbulina / Orbulina and Sphaeroidinellopsis / Sphaeroidinella lineages.     

African origin and global distribution patterns: Evidence inferred from phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses of ectomycorrhizal fungal genus Strobilomyces

Aim

The ectomycorrhizal genus Strobilomyces is widely distributed throughout many parts of the world, but its origin, divergence and distribution patterns remain largely unresolved. In this study, we aim to explore the species diversity, distribution and evolutionary patterns of Strobilomyces on a global scale by establishing a general phylogenetic framework with extensive sampling.

Location

Africa, Australasia, East Asia, Europe, North America, Central America and Southeast Asia.

Methods

The genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition method was used to delimit phylogenetic species. Divergence times were estimated using a Bayesian uncorrelated lognormal relaxed molecular clock. The ancestral area and host of Strobilomyces were inferred via the programs rasp and mesquite . The change of diversification rate over time was estimated using Ape, Laser and Bammtools software packages.

Results

We recognize a novel African clade and 49 phylogenetic species with morphological evidence, including 18 new phylogenetic species and 23 previously described ones. Strobilomyces probably originated in Africa, in association with Detarioideae/Phyllanthaceae/Monotoideae during the early Eocene. The dispersal to Southeast Asia can be explained by Wolfe's “Boreotropical migration” hypothesis. East Asia, Australasia, Europe and North/Central America are primarily the recipients of immigrant taxa during the Oligocene or later. A rapid radiation implied by one diversification shift was inferred within Strobilomyces during the Miocene.

Main conclusions

An unexpected phylogenetic species diversity within Strobilomyces was uncovered. The highest diversity, resulting probably from a rapid radiation, was found in East Asia. Dispersal played an important role in the current distribution pattern of Strobilomyces. The Palaeotropical disjunction is explained by species dispersal from Africa to Southeast Asia through boreotropical forests during the early Eocene. Species from the Northern Hemisphere and Australasia are largely derived from immigrant ancestors from Southeast Asia.     

Bombacaceae pollen from the Indian Tertiary sediments and its bearing on evolution and migration

Several pollen species recovered from the Indian Tertiary sediments have close similarities with pollen of extant Bombacaceae. These morpho species are included in the morphogenera Lakiapollis Venkatachala and Kar, Dermatobrevicolporites Kar, Bombacacidites Couper, Tricolporocolumellites Kar and Retitribrevicolporites Kar. Nine species are re-described on the basis of original type material or other specimens. The fossil pollen belongs to the Bombax- and Durio-types. The small-sized Bombax-type pollen (e.g., Eriotheca pollen) has been documented in India from the early Palaeocene to the Miocene while large-sized pollen similar to that of Bombax appeared in the Oligocene and continued up to the Present. The lobed variety of the Bombax-type is rare and occurs only in the Pleistocene. Palynological evidence suggests a migration of Bombacaceae producing Bombax-type pollen to India from Africa. Durio-type pollen appeared in the late Palaeocene and continued to dominate until the early Eocene. In southern India, this pollen remained frequent during Oligocene/Miocene times, whereas in other areas, it became rare at the end of the Eocene. The earliest (late Palaeocene) record suggests an origination of Bombacaceae producing Durio-type pollen in India and a subsequent migration to Southeast Asia.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia nanningensis</Emphasis> sp. nov.: the earliest fossil wood record of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia</Emphasis> (Theaceae) from East Asia

A new species Camellia nanningensis was described on the basis of well-preserved mummified wood from the upper Oligocene Yongning Formation of Nanning Basin in Guangxi Province, South China. This represents the most ancient fossil wood assigned to Camellia, and the earliest fossil record of the family Theaceae in China. This fossil material shows that Camellia occurred in China as early as the late Oligocene, suggesting more ancient radiation of this genus than estimated by molecular dating.     

First Cordulephyidae dragonfly in America: A new genus and species from the Paleogene of Argentina (Insecta: Odonata)

Palaeophya argentina gen. et sp. n. is the first American representative of the Cordulephyidae. The fossil belongs to Neophyinae and is closely related to the unique genus Neophya present in the Early Oligocene of England and extant in Africa. This fossil record supports the evidence of a Cretaceous age and a wide ancient distribution in Palaeogene warm regions for the Neophyinae, which acquire the status of relict in recent intertropical Africa.     

Niche Partitioning in Oligocene Toothed Mysticetes (Mysticeti: Aetiocetidae)

Niche partitioning has long been considered to be a fundamental part of speciation and difference in body size is a straightforward proxy for ecology and niche partitioning. Here we report a new aetiocetid specimen from the upper part of Morawan Formation (Oligocene; late Chattian, ~26–24 Ma), Ashoro, Hokkaido, Japan. This specimen comprises an isolated left squamosal and an isolated left periotic; the morphology of the squamosal is distinguishable from all aetiocetids, but shows a close match with the aetiocetid Morawanocetus yabukii in that: the dorsal margin of the zygomatic process of the squamosal is twisted dorsomedially; the zygomatic process expands dorsoventrally; the zygomatic process is transversely thin; and the anterior tip of the zygomatic process is acutely tapered. The estimated body size of this Morawanocetus-like specimen is ca. 8 m, almost twice the size of all known aetiocetids (3–4 m). Moreover, the preserved periotic reveals structures that are otherwise poorly known in aetiocetids. This large Morawanocetus-like aetiocetid sheds new light on niche partitioning of Oligocene toothed mysticetes and evolution of body size in Mysticeti.     

Isolation and Genetic Characterization of Mangshi Virus: A Newly Discovered Seadornavirus of the Reoviridae Family Found in Yunnan Province,China

Background

Seadornavirus is a genus of viruses in the family Reoviridae, which consists of Banna virus, Kadipiro virus, and Liao ning virus. Banna virus is considered a potential pathogen for zoonotic diseases. Here, we describe a newly discovered Seadornavirus isolated from mosquitos (Culex tritaeniorhynchus) in Yunnan Province, China, which is related to Banna virus, and referred to as Mangshi virus.

Methods and Results

The Mangshi virus was isolated by cell culture in Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells, in which it replicated and caused cytopathic effects, but not in mammalian BHK-21 or Vero cells. Polyacrylamide gel analysis revealed a genome consisting of 12 segments of double-stranded RNA, with a “6–4–2” pattern in which the migrating bands were different from those of the Banna virus. Complete genome sequencing was performed by full-length amplification of cDNAs. Sequence analysis showed that seven highly conserved nucleotides and three highly conserved nucleotides were present at the ends of the 5′- and 3′-UTRs in each of 12 genome segments. The amino acid identities of Mangshi virus shared with Balaton virus varied from 27.3% (VP11) to 72.3% (VP1) with Banna virus varying from 18.0% (VP11) to 63.9% (VP1). Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences demonstrated that Mangshi virus is a member of the genus Seadornavirus and is most closely related to, but distinct from, Balaton virus and Banna virus in the genus Seadornavirus of the family Reoviridae.

Conclusion

Mangshi virus isolated from mosquitoes (C. tritaeniorhynchus) was identified as a newly discovered virus in the genus Seadornavirus and is phylogenetically close to Banna virus, suggesting that there is genetic diversity of seadornaviruses in tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia.     

An Ancient Origin for the Enigmatic Flat-Headed Frogs (Bombinatoridae: Barbourula) from the Islands of Southeast Asia

Background

The complex history of Southeast Asian islands has long been of interest to biogeographers. Dispersal and vicariance events in the Pleistocene have received the most attention, though recent studies suggest a potentially more ancient history to components of the terrestrial fauna. Among this fauna is the enigmatic archaeobatrachian frog genus Barbourula, which only occurs on the islands of Borneo and Palawan. We utilize this lineage to gain unique insight into the temporal history of lineage diversification in Southeast Asian islands.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data, multiple fossil calibration points, and likelihood and Bayesian methods, we estimate phylogenetic relationships and divergence times for Barbourula. We determine the sensitivity of focal divergence times to specific calibration points by jackknife approach in which each calibration point is excluded from analysis. We find that relevant divergence time estimates are robust to the exclusion of specific calibration points. Barbourula is recovered as a monophyletic lineage nested within a monophyletic Costata. Barbourula diverged from its sister taxon Bombina in the Paleogene and the two species of Barbourula diverged in the Late Miocene.

Conclusions/Significance

The divergences within Barbourula and between it and Bombina are surprisingly old and represent the oldest estimates for a cladogenetic event resulting in living taxa endemic to Southeast Asian islands. Moreover, these divergence time estimates are consistent with a new biogeographic scenario: the Palawan Ark Hypothesis. We suggest that components of Palawan''s terrestrial fauna might have “rafted” on emergent portions of the North Palawan Block during its migration from the Asian mainland to its present-day position near Borneo. Further, dispersal from Palawan to Borneo (rather than Borneo to Palawan) may explain the current day disjunct distribution of this ancient lineage.     

Plastid genomes reveal evolutionary shifts in elevational range and flowering time of Osmanthus (Oleaceae)

Species of Osmanthus are economically important ornamental trees, yet information regarding their plastid genomes (plastomes) have rarely been reported, thus hindering taxonomic and evolutionary studies of this small but enigmatic genus. Here, we performed comparative genomics and evolutionary analyses on plastomes of 16 of the 28 currently accepted species, with 11 plastomes newly sequenced. Phylogenetic studies identified four main lineages within the genus that are here designated the: “Caucasian Osmanthus” (corresponding to O. decorus), “Siphosmanthus” (corresponding to O. sect. Siphosmanthus), “O. serrulatus + O. yunnanensis,” and “Core Osmanthus: (corresponding to O. sect. Osmanthus + O. sect. Linocieroides). Molecular clock analysis suggested that Osmanthus split from its sister clade c. 15.83 Ma. The estimated crown ages of the lineages were the following: genus Osmanthus at 12.66 Ma; “Siphosmanthus” clade at 5.85 Ma; “O. serrulatus + O. yunnanensis” at 4.89 Ma; and “Core Osmanthus: clade at 6.2 Ma. Ancestral state reconstructions and trait mapping showed that ancestors of Osmanthus were spring flowering and originated at lower elevations. Phylogenetic principal component analysis clearly distinguished spring‐flowering species from autumn‐flowering species, suggesting that flowering time differentiation is related to the difference in ecological niches. Nucleotide substitution rates of 80 common genes showed slow evolutionary pace and low nucleotide variations, all genes being subjected to purifying selection.     

Fossil involucres of Ostrya (Betulaceae) from the early Oligocene of Yunnan and their biogeographic implications

A new fossil occurrence of Ostrya (Betulaceae) is reported based on 14 involucre impressions from the lower Oligocene of Löhe Basin, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. They are characterized by their bladder-like shape with longitudinal veins and perpendicular or branched intercostal veins that form a reticulate venation. The discovery of these fossil involucres represents the earliest unequivocal fossil record of Ostrya in East Asia and the record at the lowest latitude. Its fossil history suggests that the modern distribution pattern of Ostrya might have been established since the early Oligocene, and that this genus has inhabited low altitude areas since then.