Anatomy and paleoclimatic implications of Cenozoic Coryphoideae palm wood species in Egypt

Abstract

This study examines 12 well-preserved specimens collected from the Miocene Moghra and Gebel Khashab formations at six sites in the northern part of the Western Desert of Egypt. The results reveal distinct anatomical features for each of the four morphospecies (namely Palmoxylon aschersoni Schenk, P. cf. aschersoni Schenk, P. lacunosum (Unger) Felix, and P. libycum (Stenzel) Kräusel), confirming their identification and classification within the subfamily Coryphoideae. The paleoclimatic conditions for each species are interpreted based on key ecologically-based anatomical traits, such as the number of metaxylem elements and the nature of ground tissue. These findings indicate that the four recorded species reflect different paleoenvironments and depositional conditions, suggesting that they were transported by water from their original growth sites to their current locations, resulting in an intermingling of forest forms in the northern Western Desert. An overview of the fossil record of the subfamily Coryphoideae in Africa is also provided.