Leon Nahuel Torres , Xiao Shi , Yuling Na , Bing Wang , Chi Tian , Wenpei Pei , Yan Liu , Jianxin Yu
{"title":"Coniferous wood fossils as records of paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and paleoenvironment: A review","authors":"Leon Nahuel Torres , Xiao Shi , Yuling Na , Bing Wang , Chi Tian , Wenpei Pei , Yan Liu , Jianxin Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105276","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105276","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trees record a series of physiological responses to climatic and environmental changes within their wood. Consequently, quantitative and qualitative analyses of their tree growth rings enable the retrieval of past climatic and environmental information. Tree growth ring analyses have been extensively utilized in modern forestry, geography, paleoclimatology, and paleontology. This article aims to present the key proxies and anatomical characteristics that have proven valuable in various studies. Ten primary points of analysis are identified for fossil wood, including mean growth ring width, mean sensitivity, annual sensitivity, leaf life-span analysis, percentage of latewood, division of growth ring types, percentage diminution, identification of trauma signs, and solar influence, along with three different isotopes, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, for mummified material. By examining these parameters and employing these methods on fossil conifer wood, we not only gain a unique perspective on leaf longevity and phenology but also develop a more comprehensive understanding of the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions during the conifer's existence. Therefore, tree growth ring analyses offer distinct advantages for investigating fossil conifer wood and facilitating subsequent climatic and environmental reconstructions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pedro Correia , Sofia Pereira , Zbynĕk Šimůnek , Artur A. Sá , Zélia Pereira
{"title":"A new species of Acitheca (Psaroniaceae, Marattiales) with exceptionally and three-dimensionally preserved sporangia from the Buçaco Carboniferous Basin, western central Portugal","authors":"Pedro Correia , Sofia Pereira , Zbynĕk Šimůnek , Artur A. Sá , Zélia Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A new fern fossil-species <em>Acitheca machadoi</em> sp. nov. is erected under the family Psaroniaceae (Marattiales), based on adpression fossil remains of fertile foliage from the Monsarros Formation (upper Stephanian C, upper Gzhelian) of the Buçaco Carboniferous Basin, in western central Portugal. <em>Acitheca machadoi</em> comprises relatively narrow and long fertile pinnules bearing exceptionally and three-dimensionally preserved sporangia with in situ spores. These sporangia are elongate (fusiform) and one of the smallest documented for the genus, with a triangular pyramid-like shape in the upper part and rounded to hexagonal-like attachment base. Its occurrence within an assemblage dominated by mesophytes to hygrophytes, with fewer drought-tolerant forms, suggests a wetland environment with a seasonal climate, framed in the transition from humid to dry conditions in western Iberia during the Late Pennsylvanian–early Permian. This palaeobotanical finding provides new insights on the palaeoecology and species diversity of <em>Acitheca</em>, whose currently known fossil record is certainly underestimated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105274"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Middle Triassic Flora of the Tanga Basin, Tanzania","authors":"Rachel A. Sabuni , Evelyn Kustatscher","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105275","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105275","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Bamba, Pangarawe and Kakindu outcrops of the Tanga Basin (Tanzania) yielded a diverse plant fossil assemblages, including <em>Pagiophyllum</em>, <em>Voltziopsis</em>, <em>Heidiphyllum</em>, and possibly <em>Sphenobaiera</em>. This composition of the plant fossil assemblage suggests a Middle Triassic age for the fossiliferous beds extending the fossil record in the Tanga Basin. The plant remains are preserved in fine-grained shales and silts, suggesting deposition in low-energy environments, such as lakes, with reduced transport from surrounding growing areas. The plants likely thrived in a dynamic ecosystem composed of coniferous forests interspersed with open vegetation, reflecting adaptation to varying environmental conditions driven by a seasonal, monsoonal climate. This study highlights the significance of the Tanga Basin in elucidating the floristic composition of Gondwana's mid-latitudes. The mid-latitudes of Gondwana, generally devoid of plant fossil findings, where previously assigned to the desert biome, whereas the finding support a seasonal climate of the temperate biome during the Triassic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105275"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Illigera fruits (Hernandiaceae) from the Miocene of Alum Bluff, northwestern Florida","authors":"Hai Zhu , Steven R. Manchester , Terry A. Lott","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Middle Miocene Alum Bluff flora in northwestern Florida provides a valuable opportunity for comprehending former floristic diversity and the development of modern temperate forest in southeastern North America. The flora previously was understood to be dominated by deciduous subtropical to temperate taxa. Here, we present newly discovered winged fruits of the tropical genus <em>Illigera</em> (Hernandiaceae). The new fossil species, <em>Illigera berryi</em> Hai Zhu, Manch. et T.A. Lott is the first confirmed thermophilic macrofossil record from the flora and enriches the known floristic diversity. This occurrence expands the paleogeographic distribution of <em>Illigera</em> in North America southeastward and extends the known fossil history of the genus from the Eocene to the Middle Miocene. Combined with previously recognized fossil occurrences from the Eocene of western North America and eastern Asia, the fossil evidence indicates that <em>Illigera</em> had a wide distribution in the Cenozoic, and suggests that the genus may have originated from the Northern Hemisphere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105273"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chris O. Hunt , Lisa Coyle McClung , Laura Edwards , Hwedi el-Rishi , Graeme Barker
{"title":"Pollen–vegetation–rainfall relationships in the Gebel al-Akhdar, Northeast Libya","authors":"Chris O. Hunt , Lisa Coyle McClung , Laura Edwards , Hwedi el-Rishi , Graeme Barker","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Very little work has been done on vegetation–pollen relationships in Northeast Africa, which presents barriers for interpreting pollen diagrams in this region. This paper therefore investigates rainfall-vegetation–pollen relationships in the Gebel al-Akhdar in Northeast Libya. The Gebel al-Akhdar is an unique upland habitat island, isolated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, characterised by a high degree of endemicity amongst its flora and invertebrate fauna, and with an extremely long history of human activity. Orographically-driven rainfall supports dry Mediterranean woodland and maquis on the northern slopes of the Gebel, with scrub-steppe passing into steppe and then pre-desert on the dryer southern slopes. Here we document rainfall/vegetational/pollen relationships along North–South transects across the Gebel al-Akhdar. Vegetation around pollen sample sites was recorded. Precipitation was interpolated from ERA5 satellite data, and from the local meteorological network. Surface pollen assemblages allow us to distinguish habitats with higher effective moisture on the northern slopes of the Gebel from those with lower effective moisture on the southern slopes. Coastal garrigue is characterised by high <em>Pinus</em> pollen, reflecting the very low pollen productivity of this habitat. Despite complexities in the relationship between vegetation and surface pollen, most parts of the rainfall distribution in the Gebel al-Akhdar can be characterised palynologically, giving confidence in the use of palynology to characterise past rainfall regimes in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Nhamutole , M.K. Bamford , P.A. Souza , C.M. Félix , D.A. Carmo , J. Peu
{"title":"Palynology of two drilling cores from the Maniamba Basin, Mozambique (Central Gondwana): Insights on age and palaeoenvironments","authors":"N. Nhamutole , M.K. Bamford , P.A. Souza , C.M. Félix , D.A. Carmo , J. Peu","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the present work, dark siltstones, claystones, shales, coals and carbonaceous shale were critically investigated to identify palynofloral assemblages in Mozambiqueʼs overlooked Karoo-aged Maniamba Basin. The study was based on two borehole cores. It unveiled a rich and diversified microflora composed of four distinct palynoassemblages dominated by striate and non-striate bisaccate pollen grains that have prevailed under humid, warm and arid climate conditions in these Gondwana strata. The lower palynoassemblages 1 (P1) and 2 (P2) in both borehole cores are marked by the occurrence of common and abundant striate and non-striate bisaccate pollen, <em>Protohaploxypinus</em> spp., <em>Protohaploxypinus limpidus</em>, S<em>triatopodocarpites cancellatus</em>, <em>Lueckisporites</em> spp., <em>Scheuringipollenites</em> spp. and colpate <em>Cycadopites cymbatus</em>. Late Permian key taxa such as <em>Marsupipollenites triradiatus</em>, <em>Plicatipollenites gondwanensis</em>, and <em>Guttulapollenites hannonicus</em> are found herein. The palynoassemblages 3 (P3) and 4 (P4), were assigned to the Early Triassic based on the FAD of key taxa, chiefly <em>Platysaccus papilonis</em>, <em>Lunatisporites</em> spp., <em>Lundbladispora</em> sp. and <em>Krauselisporites</em> sp. A younger age is assigned to the K5 Formation in the Maniamba Basin correlating well-known Gondwana sequences from the Katberg and Balfour formations from the Main Karoo Basin (South Africa), the Moatize-Minjova Basin (Mozambique), Sakamena Group (Madagascar), Raniganj-Panchet formations (India), Mid-Zambezi valley (Zambia), and the Salt Range Basin (Pakistan). Fossil wood occurrences support the assigned ages. Although other proxies are needed to identify the Permo-Triassic transition, the obtained new palynological data could spark interest in exploring methane associated with coal beds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105271"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Morphological identification of selected spices by starches, calciphytoliths, and phytoliths","authors":"Zhongzhe Gao , Jianping Zhang , Zehao Zhang , Houyuan Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spices have played a crucial role in shaping human culture and facilitating trade across civilizations. Despite their significance, identifying spices in archaeological contexts remains challenging due to the poor preservation of plant remains. This limitation has hindered our understanding of their historical use and distribution. Here, we used a polarizing microscope to analyze the presence and morphological characteristics of starches, calciphytoliths (calcium oxalate crystals), and phytoliths in 23 different spices. Our analysis revealed that all samples contained at least one type of microfossil, with 11 spices identifiable by starches, 10 by calciphytoliths, and 2 by phytoliths. Notably, Nutmeg (<em>Myristica fragrans</em>), Amomum Fruit (<em>Amomum tsaoko</em>), Kencur (<em>Kaempferia galanga</em>), and Ginger (<em>Zingiber officinale</em>) were identified with higher confidence due to the presence of two or more diagnostic microfossils. This study establishes identification criteria for 18 spices and provides a valuable tool for reconstructing the history of spice use and trade, particularly in regions with poor plant preservation, contributing to a deeper understanding of prehistoric cultural and trade networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qiaoer Ying , Shouliang Sun , Duojia Zhang , Fei Liang , Yuhui Feng , Guodong Wang , Shiying Wang , Eugenia Bugdaeva , Valentina Markevich , Mihai Emilian Popa
{"title":"New palynological data and U–Pb dating from the Jiufotang Formation: Implications for the late Jehol Biota","authors":"Qiaoer Ying , Shouliang Sun , Duojia Zhang , Fei Liang , Yuhui Feng , Guodong Wang , Shiying Wang , Eugenia Bugdaeva , Valentina Markevich , Mihai Emilian Popa","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lower Cretaceous terrestrial strata of northeast China are predominantly located in northern Hebei, western Liaoning, Jilin, and eastern Inner Mongolia Provinces. Among these, the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning has garnered significant global attention due to its rich fossil record, particularly in relation to Jehol Biota. The age of the Jiufotang Formation has long been debated primarily due to the absence of biostratigraphic fossil evidence. In this study, we analyzed the palynological content collected from the Jiufotang Formation in the Pijiagou section of the Fuxin Basin. A total of 41 species in 24 palynomorph genera were recognized as belonging to the <em>Appendicisporites</em>-<em>Pinuspollenites</em>-<em>Jiaohepollis</em> assemblage. We documented the new occurrence of <em>Appendicisporites imperfectus</em> in the Jiufotang Formation, which has been recognized as a valid biostratigraphic indicator for Aptian palynological assemblages, thereby providing crucial new palynological evidence for dating this formation. Furthermore, LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating for a rhyolitic tuff yielded a new age of 118.07 ± 0.98 Ma, suggesting that the Pijiagou section was dated to the middle Aptian. Based on the palynological data, the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang flora was represented by coniferous forests. Considering the associated biota, the palaeoenvironment during the middle Aptian was characterized by a sub-humid warm temperate climate with seasonal changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Imran Asghar , Shan Wan , Jiři Bek , Jun Wang
{"title":"Bisigillariostrobus prolificus gen. et sp. nov., new sigillarian bisporangiate strobili from the early Permian of Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China","authors":"Muhammad Imran Asghar , Shan Wan , Jiři Bek , Jun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A new genus of bisporangiate sigillarian strobili <em>Bisigillariostrobus</em> with the only species <em>Bisigillariostrobus prolificus</em> is proposed. A large number of strobili originates from the Wuda area in Inner Mongolia, China, fossilized during the early Permian period. The specimens are preserved in volcanic tuff, allowing for the study of both morphology and anatomy. The strobili are pedunculate, cylindrical with helically arranged sporophylls. The megasporophylls are on the basal part and microsporophylls on the apical part with each retaining single adaxial sporangium. The sporophylls have a long pedicel and lateral alations, and abaxial heel on the transitional part and a long distal lamina. <em>In situ</em> megaspores are of the <em>Sublagenicula nuda</em> type and microspores are assigned to the dispersed miospore species <em>Crassispora kosankei</em>. Some ontogenetic stages of strobili and megaspores are described. <em>Sublagenicula</em> and <em>Crassispora</em>-producing sigillarians are given and compared with the current species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105259"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cédric Del Rio , Brian A. Atkinson , Thierry Smith
{"title":"A Paleocene occurrence of cornelian cherries Cornus subg. Cornus in the land-mammal site of Berru (Paris Basin, France)","authors":"Cédric Del Rio , Brian A. Atkinson , Thierry Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2024.105257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cornus</em> subgenus <em>Cornus</em>, also called cornelian cherries, is a relatively ancient clade of dogwoods with a complex biogeographic history. Their fossil record attests to a distribution in North America during the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene, whereas the earliest fossil record in Europe is dated as early as the Eocene. Here, we describe a new occurrence of cornelian cherries based on permineralized endocarps from the late Paleocene (ca. 58 Ma) land-mammal locality of Berru, in Northwest France. The 48 studied specimens possess characteristic cornelian cherry endocarp morphology with locules associated with a dorsal germination valve, no central vascularization, and the presence of numerous secretory cavities in the endocarp wall. In addition, the presence of (three)-four locules and a large apical depression strongly suggest affinities with the early Eocene species <em>Cornus multilocularis</em> from the London Clay Formation. This new occurrence expands the stratigraphic range of the species by approximately four to six million years and is the first unequivocal evidence of cornelian cherries in Europe during the Paleocene. The biogeographical history of cornelian cherries remains complex to explore because of its ancient distribution in the Cretaceous and a geographically and stratigraphically patchy Cenozoic record.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 105257"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}