Eocene liverwort and moss species preserved in Anglesea amber from Australia

Abstract

Five bryophyte fossils recovered in amber at Anglesea, Victoria (Australia) are presented, dating from the late middle Eocene (42Ma), reinforcing the significance of ancient tree resin deposits. Exceptional detail preserved in two of these specimens provide adequate basis for their description as new species, Radula panduriformis sp. nov., and the new genus Hyponychium pentadactylum gen. et sp. nov. The deeply dissected five-lobed underleaves of Hyponychium differ from extant and extinct taxa, and in the absence of sporophytic characters, the affinity of this fossil is uncertain. Other fossils described herein retain significant detail, but the absence of sporophytic characteristics limits their classification to the genus level or higher, highlighting the difficulty of precisely identifying fossil bryophyte relationships. All fossils presented are the earliest recorded examples of their families from the Southern Hemisphere and supports established knowledge of the presence of warm and humid forests in middle Eocene Victoria.