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Elatides zhoui sp. nov. Seed cones, cone axis, and bract-scale complexes. A, B, Isolated seed cones attached to short shoots showing helically arranged bract-scale complexes. A, PP55599; B, PP55600. Scale bars p 1 cm. C, D, Isolated seed cones. Note unmodified lower leaves at base. C, PP55601; D, PP55602. Scale bars p 1 cm. E, Stout, woody seed cone axis showing narrowly conical form with bases of bract-scale complexes. PP55603. Scale bar p 1 mm. F, Adaxial view of a bract-scale complex showing four seed attachment scars. Ovuliferous scale is unlobed and not fused with the bract (see fig. 6B for detail). SEM image. PP55604. Scale bar p 1 mm. G, Adaxial view of a single bract-scale complex showing lobed ovuliferous scale and six seed attachment scars. PP55605. Scale bar p 1 mm. H, Adaxial view of a bract-scale complex showing a single seed (black arrow) attached proximally on bract-scale complex. Note denticulate margin of bract-scale complex (white arrow). PP55606. Scale bar p 1 mm. I. Abaxial view of a bract-scale complex showing one median and two lateral resin canals probably located immediately beneath abaxial epidermis. PP55607. Scale bar p 1 mm.
Source publication
Premise of research. Exceptionally well-preserved lignified fossils from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia include abundant conifer leafy shoots with attached pollen cones and seed cones. A whole-plant reconstruction based on these fossils enables a critical evaluation of the relationship of this extinct plant with extant conifers. Methodology. Bulk...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... illustrated material. PP55587 ( fig. 2B, 2G), PP55588 ( fig. 2C), PP55589 ( fig. 2D), PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 2
... illustrated material. PP55587 ( fig. 2B, 2G), PP55588 ( fig. 2C), PP55589 ( fig. 2D), PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 3
... illustrated material. PP55587 ( fig. 2B, 2G), PP55588 ( fig. 2C), PP55589 ( fig. 2D), PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 4
... PP55587 ( fig. 2B, 2G), PP55588 ( fig. 2C), PP55589 ( fig. 2D), PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 5
... 2G), PP55588 ( fig. 2C), PP55589 ( fig. 2D), PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 6
... PP55590 ( fig. 2E, 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 7
... 2F), PP55591 (figs. 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 8
... 2H, 4A-4E), PP55592 ( fig. 2I), PP55593 (fig. 3A, 3D, 3E), PP55594 ( fig. 3B, 3C, 3F), PP55595 ( fig. 3G, 3I), PP55596 ( fig. 3H), PP55597 ( fig. 4F-4H), PP55598 ( fig. 4I), PP55599 ( fig. 5A), PP55600 ( fig. 5B), PP55601 ( fig. 5C), PP55602 ( fig. 5D), PP55603 ( fig. 5E), PP55604 (figs. 5F, 6B), PP55605 ( fig. 5G), PP55606 ( fig. 5H), PP55607 ( fig. 5I), PP55608 ( fig. 6A), PP55609 ( fig. 6C), PP55610 ( fig. 6D, 6G), PP55611 ( fig. 6E, 6H), PP55612 ( fig. 6F), PP55613 ( fig. 6I, 6J), PP55614 ( fig. ...
Context 9
... cone. Seed cones are often solitary and borne laterally on long shoots (figs. 2A, 5E) or may be terminal on smaller shoots that are up to 14 mm long and bear unmodified leaves ( fig. 5A-5D). Seed cones are ovate, 1.8-2.3 cm long and 1.3- 1.7 cm wide. They are usually found with the bract-scale com- plexes still attached (figs. 2A, 5A-5D), although isolated bract- scale complexes and cone axes also occur occasionally (fig. 5E-5I). The cone axes are woody, stout, narrowly conical, and 2.6 mm wide at the base ( fig. 5E). ...
Context 10
... leaves ( fig. 5A-5D). Seed cones are ovate, 1.8-2.3 cm long and 1.3- 1.7 cm wide. They are usually found with the bract-scale com- plexes still attached (figs. 2A, 5A-5D), although isolated bract- scale complexes and cone axes also occur occasionally (fig. 5E-5I). The cone axes are woody, stout, narrowly conical, and 2.6 mm wide at the base ( fig. 5E). Typically, there are more than 50 imbricate bract-scale complexes borne helically on each cone ...
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... bract forms the major part of each bract-scale complex. Each bract is coriaceous, foliate, dorsiventrally flattened, and bilaterally symmetrical, with a slender basal stalk and a tri- angular head ( fig. 5F-5H). The stalks of the bracts gradually taper toward the base and are up to 2.2 mm long and 0.8 mm wide ( fig. 5G, 5H). The triangular heads of the bracts are 4.3- 6.2 mm long and 4.0-6.0 mm wide and have an acuminate apex and denticulate margin ( fig. 5F-5H). Their tips are acic- ular and point outward and are often broken ( fig. 5A-5C). ...
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... bract forms the major part of each bract-scale complex. Each bract is coriaceous, foliate, dorsiventrally flattened, and bilaterally symmetrical, with a slender basal stalk and a tri- angular head ( fig. 5F-5H). The stalks of the bracts gradually taper toward the base and are up to 2.2 mm long and 0.8 mm wide ( fig. 5G, 5H). The triangular heads of the bracts are 4.3- 6.2 mm long and 4.0-6.0 mm wide and have an acuminate apex and denticulate margin ( fig. 5F-5H). Their tips are acic- ular and point outward and are often broken ( fig. 5A-5C). In some specimens the bracts also have minute marginal teeth. As in the leaves, the abaxial cuticle of the bracts ...
Context 13
... flattened, and bilaterally symmetrical, with a slender basal stalk and a tri- angular head ( fig. 5F-5H). The stalks of the bracts gradually taper toward the base and are up to 2.2 mm long and 0.8 mm wide ( fig. 5G, 5H). The triangular heads of the bracts are 4.3- 6.2 mm long and 4.0-6.0 mm wide and have an acuminate apex and denticulate margin ( fig. 5F-5H). Their tips are acic- ular and point outward and are often broken ( fig. 5A-5C). In some specimens the bracts also have minute marginal teeth. As in the leaves, the abaxial cuticle of the bracts often splits to reveal the resin canal beneath ( figs. 2A, 5A, 5I). In the bract head, one median and two lateral resin canals extend longi- ...
Context 14
... head ( fig. 5F-5H). The stalks of the bracts gradually taper toward the base and are up to 2.2 mm long and 0.8 mm wide ( fig. 5G, 5H). The triangular heads of the bracts are 4.3- 6.2 mm long and 4.0-6.0 mm wide and have an acuminate apex and denticulate margin ( fig. 5F-5H). Their tips are acic- ular and point outward and are often broken ( fig. 5A-5C). In some specimens the bracts also have minute marginal teeth. As in the leaves, the abaxial cuticle of the bracts often splits to reveal the resin canal beneath ( figs. 2A, 5A, 5I). In the bract head, one median and two lateral resin canals extend longi- tudinally from the base to the apex and taper distally (fig. 5I). The cuticles ...
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... and are often broken ( fig. 5A-5C). In some specimens the bracts also have minute marginal teeth. As in the leaves, the abaxial cuticle of the bracts often splits to reveal the resin canal beneath ( figs. 2A, 5A, 5I). In the bract head, one median and two lateral resin canals extend longi- tudinally from the base to the apex and taper distally (fig. 5I). The cuticles of the bracts lack ...
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... scales are thin, membranous, and relatively small; they are only about one-fourth the length of the bract. They are tightly adpressed to the adaxial surface of the bract, although they are not fused with it ( fig. 5F-5H). Ovuliferous scales may be either lobed or unlobed, with a denticulate and frilled distal margin ( fig. 6A, 6B). No stoma has been seen on the adaxial surface of the ovuliferous scale ( fig. 6A, ...
Context 17
... Most seed cones in our collection do not contain seeds, suggesting that they were ripe and that the seeds had been shed. However, in a few cone fragments, the bract-scale complexes have seeds attached near the base of the distal por- tion of bract, just proximal to the ovuliferous scale ( fig. 5H). The seeds are inverted, with their micropyles facing toward the cone axis ( fig. ...
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... do not contain seeds, suggesting that they were ripe and that the seeds had been shed. However, in a few cone fragments, the bract-scale complexes have seeds attached near the base of the distal por- tion of bract, just proximal to the ovuliferous scale ( fig. 5H). The seeds are inverted, with their micropyles facing toward the cone axis ( fig. ...
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... The three first diverging subfamilies of the crown group of Cupressaceae (i.e., Cunninghamioideae, Taiwanioideae, and Athrotaxoideae) are currently monotypic (Farjon, 2005); however, they were more diverse in the past as it is evidenced by their abundant fossil record (Hill & Brodribb, 1999;Stockey et al., 2005;LePage, 2009;Shi et al., 2014;Escapa et al., 2016;Herrera et al., 2017;Zhang et al., 2018;Atkinson et al., 2021). Cunninghamioideae, with two extant species within Cunninghamia R. Br. ex A. Rich., is restricted today to continental SE Asia and Taiwan Island (Farjon, 2005), and has the most abundant known fossil record by far, including numerous extinct species widely distributed since the Jurassic until the Neogene, many of which have been studied in phylogenetic analyses (Shi et al., 2014;Herrera et al., 2017;Atkinson et al., 2021). Taiwanioideae is represented by the single extant species Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata, restricted to Chinese Mainland, Indochina, and Taiwan Island (Farjon, 2005), and by numerous fossil species recovered from Cretaceous and Cenozoic sediments of the phylogenetic studies that included extant and fossil species (e.g., Escapa et al., 2008), but they are usually recovered as successive sister clades to all other Cupressaceae (e.g., Shi et al., 2014). ...
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The conifer family Cupressaceae encompasses seven subfamilies. Five of them were once considered to conform the family Taxodiaceae, later eliminated because of its paraphyletic nature but remaining as an informal category for early diverging Cupressaceae lineages. Among the taxodiaceous subfamilies, Athrotaxoideae shows a unique morphology in its ovuliferous complexes (OC) and a phylogenetically unexplored fossil record. We describe the new genus and species Patagotaxodia lefipanensis, based on OC adpressions associated with leafy branches collected at the Maastrichtian section of the Lefipán Formation (Patagonia, Argentina), and we refer it to Athrotaxoideae. We include Patagotaxodia in a total evidence phylogenetic analysis to test its affinity, and we recover it within the subfamilies Athrotaxoideae or Cunninghamioideae. However, we argue that the characters supporting the athrotaxoid affinity are more meaningful in a taxodiaceous systematic context. This placement is also supported by taxon inclusion‐exclusion experiments. We discuss the position of other Cretaceous athrotaxoid records. With basis on the morphological insights provided by the OC morphology of extant and extinct Athrotaxoideae, we study the evolution of the OC morphology in the family in a phylogenetic context and discuss the results in the light of the fossil record of the family. We discuss how and when the different morphologies appeared in the family. Based on phylogenetic, temporal, morphological and ontogenetic evidence, we conclude that the OC morphology shown by the subfamily Athrotaxoideae is intermediate between two of the most common morphologies within extant and extinct Cupressaceae species, one of which would show adaptative advantages over basal morphologies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... It is worth mentioning that some species of Elatides Heer, such as Elatides zhoui (Shi et al., 2014) and Elatides. sp. ...
Terrestrial red beds are extensively developed in the Upper Jurassic of the Sichuan Basin, southern China, where few fossils have been documented. Recently, abundant silicified wood specimens were found in the central Sichuan Basin, but no plant foliage fossils have been recorded from the same strata. Here, we report the first leafy shoot fossils collected from the red beds of the Upper Jurassic Penglaizhen Formation in Shehong City, central Sichuan Basin. Based on careful comparisons with potential Mesozoic conifer fossils, they were assigned to Pagiophyllum, an extinct conifer taxon of the family Cheirolepidicaceae. The generic classification agreed with the palaeovegetation features of the Penglaizhen Formation which were represented by gymnosperms of Araucariaceae (Agathoxylon-type wood) and Cheirolepidiaceae (Brachyoxylon-type wood). The non-coexistence between the leafy shoot fossil and the petrified wood depicted a unique process of fossil preservation, which may be related to the palaeo-flood events in this area. The palaeoclimate background during the Late Jurassic of Shehong was suggested to be a hot and semi-arid or arid condition, supported by the Classopollis-dominated (75–90%) pollen assemblage from the Penglaizhen Formation. The fossil foliage was collected from lacustrine or fluvial sediments. This suggests that the rainy season is a key factor in the development of regional lakes or rivers and flood events, which offered a suitable local environment for plant growth and helped construct a more complex ecological system, allowing a variety of creatures to survive in the central Sichuan Basin area.
... La totalidad de los cortes delgados realizados sobre múltiples especímenes fueron determinados dentro del género Protaxodioxylon, para el cual se definió la nueva especie P. patagonicum (Bodnar y Escapa 2016). La fuerte afinidad del morfogénero con los linajes basales de Cupressaceae, similar a la determinada para Austrohamia mediante sucesivos análisis filogenéticos (Escapa et al. 2008b, Shi et al. 2014, Herrera et al. 2017, soporta también la hipótesis que ambos taxones formaban parte de la misma planta, creciendo en bosques con estrato arbóreo posiblemente monotípico. En cuanto a las pteridospermas, se hallaron en CB restos fragmentarios de Sagenopteris (Fig. 2C), uno de los órganos foliares del orden Caytoniales (Harris 1964), que se caracteriza por poseer un peciolo del cual emergen cuatro folíolos lanceolados con ápice redondeado. ...
En la cuenca de Cañadón Asfalto se reconocen cuatro formaciones depositadas durante el Jurásico: Las Leoneras y Lonco Trapial (Sinemuriano - Pliensbachiano), Cañadón Asfalto (Toarciano - Aaleniano?) y Cañadón Calcáreo (Oxfordiano - Kimmeridgiano). Todas ellas preservan restos megaflorísticos a modo de impresiones, compresiones y permineralizaciones, como así también una diversa microflora. Las megafloras se componen de especies pertenecientes a diversos grupos, incluyendo Equisetales, helechos de las familias Dipteridaceae, Marattiaceae y Osmundaceae, coníferas de las familias Araucariacaeae, Cupressaceae y Cheirolepidiaceae, bennettitales y pteridospermas de las familias Caytoniaceae y Peltaspermaceae, y otras especies de afinidad sistemática incierta. El hallazgo de nuevas localidades y la colección extensiva de especímenes permitieron la reconstrucción de un número importante de especies sobre la base de órganos vegetativos y reproductivos; un recurso significativo para comprender la paleobiología de cada especie y de las comunidades vegetales jurásicas de Gondwana. En base a comparaciones de las especies reconstruidas con sus parientes vivientes más cercanos, y en conjunto con el estudio detallado de caracteres de relevancia para reconstrucciones paleoclimáticas y paleoecológicas (e.g., disposición y tipos de estomas), se discuten y establecen tres períodos dentro del Jurásico representados por las reconstrucciones del bioma reinante en cada una de las formaciones. En el Jurásico inferior bajo, representado por las formaciones Las Leoneras (y equivalentes laterales) y Lonco Trapial, se habrían desarrollado climas con altas temperaturas y niveles de humedad. Luego, hacia la parte más alta del Jurásico inferior, representado por la Formación Cañadón Asfalto, el clima habría sido fuertemente estacional y templado cálido con inviernos húmedos. Finalmente, hacia el Jurásico superior, representado por la Formación Cañadón Calcáreo, las condiciones climáticas se habrían asemejado a las del Jurásico inferior bajo, con altas temperaturas y niveles de humedad.
... The family Cupressaceae can be traced back to the Jurassic of Patagonia, Argentina (Escapa et al., 2008). By the Cretaceous, it was already worldwide established with records from Asia (Shi et al., 2014), Europe (Rothwell et al., 2011), North America (Atkinson et al., 2014), and South America (Escapa et al., 2008). Currently, Cupressaceae still has a worldwide distribution and can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including the West Indies (Judd et al., 1999). ...
The Caribbean islands are one of the most important hotspots of endemism and biodiversity globally, and the scenario of unique examples of biological radiations. Although our knowledge of the current and recently extinct diversity in the area is strong, the origin and evolution of most groups in the region remain obscure because of the absence of fossils from deep time periods. The existence of temporal islands on the Caribbean plate can be traced back to the late Mesozoic, but little evidence of the paleo-communities that once inhabited the archipelago and their relationship with the older lineages in the region has been discovered. Simultaneously, the relationship of the early Caribbean archipelago with the Late Cretaceous–early Paleogene biotic interchange between the Americas has remained unsolved. Here we describe the first evidence of a Late Cretaceous terrestrial community in the region based on several remains recovered at three upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian localities in Central Cuba. The fossil assemblage includes four specimens referable to a midsize pterosaur on the base of morphological and paleohistological characters, as well as seeds and casts of leafy shoots of plants of the families Cupressaceae and Lauraceae. Fossils fruits of a new taxon closely related to Chlorocardium are of particular interest because they correspond to the first direct evidence of the role played by the Caribbean seaway and islands in the First American Biotic Interchange.
... The taxodiaceous subfamiliesthe Cunninghamioideae, Taiwanioideae, Athrotaxoideae, Sequoioideae, and Taxodioideae (Gadek et al. 2000;Mao et al. 2012;Yang et al. 2012)all have relatively low extant species diversity (between one to five species) and small or disjunct geographical ranges (Gadek et al. 2000;Eckenwalder 2009). However, the fossil record clearly demonstrates that they were more diverse and widespread in the past, and were conspicuous components of late Mesozoic ecosystems worldwide (e.g., Rothwell et al. 2011;Serbet et al. 2013;Shi et al. 2014;Rothwell and Ohana 2016;Herrera et al. 2017;Sokolova et al. 2017). ...
... and Cunninghamia konishii Hayata) that are restricted to East Asia and Southeast Asia (Farjon 2005). Numerous extinct species have been assigned to, and phylogenetically recovered within, Cunninghamioideae (see Shi et al. 2014;Herrera et al. 2017). All of these taxa have seed cones with helically arranged foliate bract-scale complexes and a "ligule-like" ovuliferous scale that is incompletely fused to the adaxial surface of a subtending bract (Miller 1975(Miller , 1990Yao et al. 1998;Rothwell et al. 2011;Shi et al. 2014). ...
... Numerous extinct species have been assigned to, and phylogenetically recovered within, Cunninghamioideae (see Shi et al. 2014;Herrera et al. 2017). All of these taxa have seed cones with helically arranged foliate bract-scale complexes and a "ligule-like" ovuliferous scale that is incompletely fused to the adaxial surface of a subtending bract (Miller 1975(Miller , 1990Yao et al. 1998;Rothwell et al. 2011;Shi et al. 2014). Using these morphological criteria, the fossil record of this subfamily reaches back into the Middle Jurassic (Harris 1943;Spencer et al. 2015) and consists of at least 10 genera. ...
Conifers of the taxodiaceous grade of Cupressaceae were more diverse and widespread during the Mesozoic than they are today. The earliest diverging subfamily, Cunninghamioideae, only includes a single extant genus, but has at least 10 fossil genera. Here, two additional cunninghamioid genera are characterized on the basis of permineralized seed cones from the Upper Cretaceous of Hokkaido, Japan. These conifers display seed cone characters typical of cunninghamioids; however, they have a mosaic of characters that are not seen in any reported conifer of Cupressaceae. They are, therefore, designated as two new extinct species: Ohanastrobus hokkaidoensis gen. et sp. nov. and Nishidastrobus japonicum gen. et sp. nov. These newly reported conifers expand the taxonomic and morphological diversity of cunninghamioids. The stratigraphic and paleobiogeographic records of cunninghamioids and other fossil Cupressaceae with foliate seed cones indicate they peak in diversity during the Cretaceous. The living genera Taiwania and Cunninghamia appear during the Albian and Campanian, respectively, and maintain a nearly continuous fossil record through to today, while nearly all other extinct genera of Cupressaceae with foliate cones disappear by the close of the Campanian. As more ancient cunninghamioids are recovered, our understanding of macroevolutionary patterns of this once diverse lineage will be further elucidated.
... nov., based on ovulate cones from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia and China preserved as both lignitized compressions and siliceous permineralizations. This species is a new addition to a diverse conifer assemblage documented from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia (Leslie et al. 2013;Shi et al. 2014;Herrera et al. 2015Herrera et al. , 2016Herrera et al. , 2017Herrera et al. , 2020. The exceptional preservation of these fossils has facilitated observations of external morphology and internal anatomy at different developmental stages, providing insights into the natural history of this species. ...
... Pollen cones of S. gracile demonstrate some similarities with those of the former family Taxodiaceae (now included in Cupressaceae sensu lato). The delicate microsporophyll lamina in the middle and apical cone parts of S. gracile, where the lamina often is not preserved and only numerous pollen sacs are visible, was also described for pollen cones of Elatides zhoui Shi, Leslie, Herendeen, Ichinnorov, Takahashi, Knopf et Crane from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia (Shi et al. 2014). However, cones of E. zhoui are about 10 times smaller than those of S. gracile. ...
Premise of research. Jurassic localities of fossil flora in the Irkutsk Region (East Siberia) are rich in reproductive remains of gymnosperms with in situ pollen. Our aim was to understand the morphology of pollen grains from conifer cones of Schidolepium gracile in the context of the botanical affinity of their parent plant.
Methodology. Pollen grains were studied in transmitted light as well as with SEM and TEM.
Pivotal results. The pollen grains demonstrate an unusual combination of morphological and ultrastructural traits. In pollen masses, they appear circular, asaccate, and flattened in a polar position. Detached monads show a polar and equatorial position equally often; the outlines are rounded, oval, and irregular. An equatorial-distal saccus was revealed. A small trilete scar is occasionally present. The surface is fossulate. The ectexine is formed by structural elements that fused with each other by their lateral surfaces partially or completely. The element is a solid elongated cylinder with a rounded external end and narrowing internal end/ends. The elements are arranged along their length, perpendicular to the pollen surface. The endexine is more electron dense than the ectexine, and it is prominent and appears homogeneous. We revealed variations in pollen morphology that we consider preservational, although the existence of two species of Schidolepium is not excluded. One of the cones was contaminated by pollen grains of the Cycadopites type; electron microscopical data proved their ginkgoalean affinity.
Conclusions. The exine ultrastructure excludes an araucariaceous affinity, in spite of a relatively close general morphology. Certain similarities to Cerebropollenites were found in the exine ultrastructure, but it possesses a distal aperture and proximal saccus-like extensions. Although the pollen cones have something in common with the Taxodiaceae and Voltziales, the palynological data do not support this relationship. The plant apparently represents an early member of an evolutionary line within conifers.
