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Lai Y, Gandolfo MA, Crepet WL, Nixon KC. Paleoaltingia gen. nov., a new genus of Altingiaceae from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey. Am J Bot 2021; 108:461-471. [PMID: 33660257 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Altingiaceae is a small family with a bimodal Northern Hemisphere distribution in eastern North America and eastern Asia, and a rich Cenozoic fossil record. The charcoalified fossil infructescence Paleoaltingia gen. nov. from Turonian (Late Cretaceous) deposits of New Jersey, provides new evidence of early Altingiaceae reproductive structures and has biogeographical implications in understanding modern distribution. METHODS Fossils were prepared using standard methods for obtaining and processing mesofossils. The fossils were examined with light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy for observing structural and anatomical details. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using a combined matrix of molecular and morphological data. RESULTS Based on morphological features of the fossil and the phylogenetic analyses, the new genus, Paleoaltingia, with two species (Paleoaltingia ovum-dinosauri and P. polyodonta) is erected. The phylogenetic position of Paleoaltingia confirms affinities with living Altingiaceae. CONCLUSIONS The combination of characters-simple capitate infructescence, syncarpous bicarpellate, and bilocular ovary, unique sterile phyllome structures-indicates that the fossil taxa have close affinities to modern Altingiaceae. The unique characters of the phyllomes provide new information on the floral diversity of Altingiaceae. The emergence of Paleoaltingia in Late Cretaceous sediments of Northeastern North America represents the earliest fossil record of Altingiaceae and provides new insights into its biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjun Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - William L Crepet
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Kevin C Nixon
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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Jud NA, Gandolfo MA. Fossil evidence from South America for the diversification of Cunoniaceae by the earliest Palaeocene. Ann Bot 2021; 127:305-315. [PMID: 32860407 PMCID: PMC7872129 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cunoniaceae are woody plants with a distribution that suggests a complex history of Gondwanan vicariance, long-distance dispersal, diversification and extinction. Only four out of ~27 genera in Cunoniaceae are native to South America today, but the discovery of extinct species from Argentine Patagonia is providing new information about the history of this family in South America. METHODS We describe fossil flowers collected from early Danian (early Palaeocene, ~64 Mya) deposits of the Salamanca Formation. We compare them with similar flowers from extant and extinct species using published literature and herbarium specimens. We used simultaneous analysis of morphology and available chloroplast DNA sequences (trnL-F, rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) to determine the probable relationship of these fossils to living Cunoniaceae and the co-occurring fossil species Lacinipetalum spectabilum. KEY RESULTS Cunoniantha bicarpellata gen. et sp. nov. is the second species of Cunoniaceae to be recognized among the flowers preserved in the Salamanca Formation. Cunoniantha flowers are pentamerous and complete, the anthers contain in situ pollen, and the gynoecium is bicarpellate and syncarpous with two free styles. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Cunoniantha belongs to crown-group Cunoniaceae among the core Cunoniaceae clade, although it does not have obvious affinity with any tribe. Lacinipetalum spectabilum, also from the Salamanca Formation, belongs to the Cunoniaceae crown group as well, but close to tribe Schizomerieae. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the importance of West Gondwana in the evolution of Cunoniaceae during the early Palaeogene. The co-occurrence of C. bicarpellata and L. spectabilum, belonging to different clades within Cunoniaceae, indicates that the diversification of crown-group Cunoniaceae was under way by 64 Mya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Jud
- Department of Biology, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Deanna R, Wilf P, Gandolfo MA. New physaloid fruit-fossil species from early Eocene South America. Am J Bot 2020; 107:1749-1762. [PMID: 33247843 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Solanaceae is a scientifically and economically important angiosperm family with a minimal fossil record and an intriguing early evolutionary history. Here, we report a newly discovered fossil lantern fruit with a suite of features characteristic of Physalideae within Solanaceae. The fossil comes from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site (ca. 52 Ma) in Chubut, Argentina, which previously yielded the only other physaloid fruit fossil, Physalis infinemundi. METHODS The fruit morphology and calyx venation pattern of the new fossil were compared with P. infinemundi and extant species of Solanaceae. RESULTS Physalis hunickenii sp. nov. is clearly distinct from P. infinemundi in its fruiting calyx with wider primary veins, longer and thinner lobes, and especially in its venation pattern with high density, transverse tertiary veins; these features support its placement in a new species. In comparison with extant physaloid genera, the calyx venation pattern and other diagnostic traits reinforce placement of the new fossil, like P. infinemundi, within the tribe Physalideae of Solanaceae. CONCLUSIONS Both species of fossil nightshades from Laguna del Hunco represent crown-group Solanaceae but are older than all prior age estimates of the family. Although at least 20 transoceanic dispersals have been proposed as the driver of range expansion of Solanaceae, the Patagonian fossils push back the diversification of the family to Gondwanan times. Thus, overland dispersal across Gondwana is now a likely scenario for at least some biogeographic patterns, in light of the ancient trans-Antarctic land connections between South America and Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Deanna
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, IMBIV (CONICET-UNC), CC 495, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ, UNC), Medina Allende s.n., Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80305, USA
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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Zamaloa MC, Gandolfo MA, Nixon KC. 52 million years old Eucalyptus flower sheds more than pollen grains. Am J Bot 2020; 107:1763-1771. [PMID: 33274448 PMCID: PMC7839439 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Fossils provide fundamental evidence of the evolutionary processes that crafted today's biodiversity and consequently for understanding life on Earth. We report the finding of Myrtaceidites eucalyptoides pollen grains preserved within the anthers of a 52-million-year-old Eucalyptus flower collected at Laguna del Hunco locality of Argentinean Patagonia and discuss its implications in understanding the evolutionary history of the iconic Australian genus Eucalyptus. METHODS Pollen grains were extracted from the flower's anthers and were then observed under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The phylogenetic position of the fossil was investigated by adding pollen data to a previously published total-evidence matrix and analyzing it using parsimony. RESULTS We erect the species Eucalyptus xoshemium for the fossil flower. Pollen extracted from E. xoshemium belongs to the species Myrtaceidites eucalyptoides, which, until now, was only known as dispersed pollen. The numerous pollen grains recovered from the single flower allowed estimation of M. eucalyptoides' variability. Results of the phylogenetic analysis reinforce the position of this fossil within crown group Eucalyptus. CONCLUSIONS The discovery of these pollen grains within a Patagonian Eucalyptus fossil flower confirms the hypothesis that Myrtaceidites eucalyptoides represents fossil pollen in the Eucalyptus lineage, extends the geographic and stratigraphic fossil pollen record, and supports an earlier age for crown-group eucalypts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Zamaloa
- Museo Paleontológico Egidio FeruglioAvda. Fontana 140Trelew, Chubut9100Argentina
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- LH Bailey HortoriumPlant Biology SectionSchool of Integrative Plant ScienceCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Kevin C. Nixon
- LH Bailey HortoriumPlant Biology SectionSchool of Integrative Plant ScienceCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
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Pujana RR, Wilf P, Gandolfo MA. Conifer wood assemblage dominated by Podocarpaceae, early Eocene of Laguna del Hunco, central Argentinean Patagonia. PhytoKeys 2020; 156:81-102. [PMID: 32913410 PMCID: PMC7456426 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.156.54175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
During the early Eocene, Patagonia had highly diverse floras that are primarily known from compression and pollen fossils. Fossil wood studies from this epoch are scarce in the region and largely absent from the Laguna del Hunco flora, which has a highly diverse and excellently preserved compression assemblage. A collection of 26 conifer woods from the Laguna del Hunco fossil-lake beds (early Eocene, ca. 52 Ma) from central-western Patagonia was studied, of which 12 could be identified to genus. The dominant species is Phyllocladoxylon antarcticum, which has affinity with early-diverging Podocarpaceae such as Phyllocladus and Prumnnopitys. A single specimen of Protophyllocladoxylon francisiae probably represents an extinct group of Podocarpaceae. In addition, two taxonomic units of cf. Cupressinoxylon with putative affinity to Podocarpaceae were found. Diverse Podocarpaceae taxa consistent with the affinities of these woods were previously reported from vegetative and reproductive macrofossils as well as pollen grains from the same source unit. Some of the woods have galleries filled with frass. Distinct growth ring boundaries indicate seasonality, inferred to represent seasonal light availability. Growth ring widths suggest that the woods came from mature trees, whereas the widths and types of some rings denote near-uniform temperature and water availability conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto R. Pujana
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Ciudad de Buenos Aires 1405, ArgentinaMuseo Argentino de Ciencias NaturalesBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802, USAPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States of America
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- LH Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USACornell UniversityIthacaUnited States of America
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Wilf P, Nixon KC, Gandolfo MA, Cúneo NR. Eocene Fagaceae from Patagonia and Gondwanan legacy in Asian rainforests. Science 2019; 364:364/6444/eaaw5139. [PMID: 31171664 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw5139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The beech-oak family Fagaceae dominates forests from the northern temperate zone to tropical Asia and Malesia, where it reaches its southern limit. We report early Eocene infructescences of Castanopsis, a diverse and abundant fagaceous genus of Southeast Asia, and co-occurring leaves from the 52-million-year-old Laguna del Hunco flora of southern Argentina. The fossil assemblage notably includes many plant taxa that associate with Castanopsis today. The discovery reveals novel Gondwanan history in Fagaceae and the characteristic tree communities of Southeast Asian lower-montane rainforests. The living diaspora associations persisted through Cenozoic climate change and plate movements as the constituent lineages tracked post-Gondwanan mesic biomes over thousands of kilometers, underscoring their current vulnerability to rapid climate change and habitat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Kevin C Nixon
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - N Rubén Cúneo
- CONICET, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, 9100 Trelew, Chubut, Argentina
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Givnish TJ, Zuluaga A, Spalink D, Soto Gomez M, Lam VKY, Saarela JM, Sass C, Iles WJD, de Sousa DJL, Leebens-Mack J, Chris Pires J, Zomlefer WB, Gandolfo MA, Davis JI, Stevenson DW, dePamphilis C, Specht CD, Graham SW, Barrett CF, Ané C. Monocot plastid phylogenomics, timeline, net rates of species diversification, the power of multi-gene analyses, and a functional model for the origin of monocots. Am J Bot 2018; 105:1888-1910. [PMID: 30368769 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY We present the first plastome phylogeny encompassing all 77 monocot families, estimate branch support, and infer monocot-wide divergence times and rates of species diversification. METHODS We conducted maximum likelihood analyses of phylogeny and BAMM studies of diversification rates based on 77 plastid genes across 545 monocots and 22 outgroups. We quantified how branch support and ascertainment vary with gene number, branch length, and branch depth. KEY RESULTS Phylogenomic analyses shift the placement of 16 families in relation to earlier studies based on four plastid genes, add seven families, date the divergence between monocots and eudicots+Ceratophyllum at 136 Mya, successfully place all mycoheterotrophic taxa examined, and support recognizing Taccaceae and Thismiaceae as separate families and Arecales and Dasypogonales as separate orders. Only 45% of interfamilial divergences occurred after the Cretaceous. Net species diversification underwent four large-scale accelerations in PACMAD-BOP Poaceae, Asparagales sister to Doryanthaceae, Orchidoideae-Epidendroideae, and Araceae sister to Lemnoideae, each associated with specific ecological/morphological shifts. Branch ascertainment and support across monocots increase with gene number and branch length, and decrease with relative branch depth. Analysis of entire plastomes in Zingiberales quantifies the importance of non-coding regions in identifying and supporting short, deep branches. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first resolved, well-supported monocot phylogeny and timeline spanning all families, and quantify the significant contribution of plastome-scale data to resolving short, deep branches. We outline a new functional model for the evolution of monocots and their diagnostic morphological traits from submersed aquatic ancestors, supported by convergent evolution of many of these traits in aquatic Hydatellaceae (Nymphaeales).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Givnish
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | | | - Daniel Spalink
- Department of Ecosystem Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77840, USA
| | - Marybel Soto Gomez
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Vivienne K Y Lam
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Chodon Sass
- The University and Jepson Herbarium, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - William J D Iles
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Danilo José Lima de Sousa
- Departamento de Ciéncias Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Bahia, 44036-900, Brazil
| | - James Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - J Chris Pires
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
| | - Wendy B Zomlefer
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences and L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Jerrold I Davis
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences and L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | | | - Claude dePamphilis
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Chelsea D Specht
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences and L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Sean W Graham
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Craig F Barrett
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, USA
| | - Cécile Ané
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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Gandolfo MA, Nixon KC, Crepet WL, Grimaldi DA. A late Cretaceous fagalean inflorescence preserved in amber from New Jersey. Am J Bot 2018; 105:1424-1435. [PMID: 29901855 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY An inflorescence with three pistillate flowers in amber from the early Upper Cretaceous (Turonian, ~90-94 million years ago) of central New Jersey represents the oldest known flowers with features present in an early stem complex of the Fagales. The inflorescence has characteristics of Nothofagaceae, but also has strikingly distinct characters that suggest it is intermediate between Nothofagus and other Fagales. This intermediacy is consistent with its northern hemisphere distribution. METHODS We investigated this new fossil by comparing it with extant and fossil members of the Fagales using light microscopy and nano-computed tomography. In addition, for exploring its relationships, we mapped the morphological characters onto a widely accepted molecular-based tree of modern basal Fagales using standard methods of character optimization. KEY RESULTS The phylogenetic position of the fossil inflorescence can be unequivocally determined by the presence of unique features, singly and in combination, that are found only in "basal" members of Fagales. The fossil adds critical information on the features of the early stem Fagales, evolution of the cupule in Nothofagaceae and Fagaceae, and a reasonable biogeographic hypothesis for the differentiation of southern (e.g., Nothofagaceae) and northern hemisphere Fagales. CONCLUSIONS This new fossil provides insight into the early evolution of Fagales and suggests that early stem Fagales that had not yet differentiated into modern families were present in the Late Cretaceous of North America. Based on available evidence, the fossil is best interpreted as an early stem member of the Fagales, with features that suggest a transition from a more generalized Nothofagus-like fagalean ancestor with some unique presumably plesiomorphic features. The presence of an enlarged perianth and flexuous styles also suggests the possibility of insect pollination, which has been lost in all Fagales with the exception of some members of subfamily Castaneoideae in Fagaceae sensu stricto (which otherwise are very different from this fossil). The poorly developed, bract-like cupule valves of the fossil can be interpreted as primitive (i.e., incipient) or as reduced from more developed cupules that are found in most modern Fagaceae and Nothofagaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA
| | - Kevin C Nixon
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA
| | - William L Crepet
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA
| | - David A Grimaldi
- Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th New York, NY, 10024, USA
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Jud NA, Iglesias A, Wilf P, Gandolfo MA. Fossil moonseeds from the Paleogene of West Gondwana (Patagonia, Argentina). Am J Bot 2018; 105:927-942. [PMID: 29882954 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The fossil record is critical for testing biogeographic hypotheses. Menispermaceae (moonseeds) are a widespread family with a rich fossil record and alternative hypotheses related to their origin and diversification. The family is well-represented in Cenozoic deposits of the northern hemisphere, but the record in the southern hemisphere is sparse. Filling in the southern record of moonseeds will improve our ability to evaluate alternative biogeographic hypotheses. METHODS Fossils were collected from the Salamanca (early Paleocene, Danian) and the Huitrera (early Eocene, Ypresian) formations in Chubut Province, Argentina. We photographed them using light microscopy, epifluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy and compared the fossils with similar extant and fossil Menispermaceae using herbarium specimens and published literature. KEY RESULTS We describe fossil leaves and endocarps attributed to Menispermaceae from Argentinean Patagonia. The leaves are identified to the family, and the endocarps are further identified to the tribe Cissampelideae. The Salamancan endocarp is assigned to the extant genus Stephania. These fossils significantly expand the known range of Menispermaceae in South America, and they include the oldest (ca. 64 Ma) unequivocal evidence of the family worldwide. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the importance of West Gondwana in the evolution of Menispermaceae during the Paleogene. Currently, the fossil record does not discern between a Laurasian or Gondwanan origin; however, it does demonstrate that Menispermaceae grew well outside the tropics by the early Paleocene. The endocarps' affinity with Cissampelideae suggests that diversification of the family was well underway by the earliest Paleocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Jud
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ari Iglesias
- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ambiente INIBIOMA (UNCO-CONICET), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, 8400, Argentina
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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Jud NA, Gandolfo MA, Iglesias A, Wilf P. Fossil flowers from the early Palaeocene of Patagonia, Argentina, with affinity to Schizomerieae (Cunoniaceae). Ann Bot 2018; 121:431-442. [PMID: 29309506 PMCID: PMC5838809 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Early Palaeocene (Danian) plant fossils from Patagonia provide information on the recovery from the end-Cretaceous extinction and Cenozoic floristic change in South America. Actinomorphic flowers with eight to ten perianth parts are described and evaluated in a phylogenetic framework. The goal of this study is to determine the identity of these fossil flowers and to discuss their evolutionary, palaeoecological and biogeographical significance. Methods More than 100 fossilized flowers were collected from three localities in the Danian Salamanca and Peñas Coloradas Formations in southern Chubut. They were prepared, photographed and compared with similar extant and fossil flowers using published literature and herbarium specimens. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological and molecular data. Key results The fossil flowers share some but not all the synapomorphies that characterize the Schizomerieae, a tribe within Cunoniaceae. These features include the shallow floral cup, variable number of perianth parts arranged in two whorls, laciniate petals, anthers with a connective extension, and a superior ovary with free styles. The number of perianth parts is doubled and the in situ pollen is tricolporate, with a surface more like that of other Cunoniaceae outside Schizomerieae, such as Davidsonia or Weinmannia. Conclusions An extinct genus of crown-group Cunoniaceae is recognized and placed along the stem lineage leading to Schizomerieae. Extant relatives are typical of tropical to southern-temperate rainforests, and these fossils likely indicate a similarly warm and wet temperate palaeoclimate. The oldest reliable occurrences of the family are fossil pollen and wood from the Upper Cretaceous of the Antarctica and Argentina, whereas in Australia the family first occurs in upper Palaeocene deposits. This discovery demonstrates that the family survived the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary event in Patagonia and that diversification of extant lineages in the family was under way by the earliest Cenozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Jud
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ari Iglesias
- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ambiente INIBIOMA-CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Jud NA, Gandolfo MA, Iglesias A, Wilf P. Flowering after disaster: Early Danian buckthorn (Rhamnaceae) flowers and leaves from Patagonia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176164. [PMID: 28489895 PMCID: PMC5425202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Southern-Hemisphere terrestrial communities from the early Paleocene are poorly known, but recent work on Danian plant fossils from the Salamanca Formation in Chubut Province, Argentina are providing critical data on earliest Paleocene floras. The fossils described here come from a site in the Salamanca Formation dating to ca. 1 million years or less after the end-Cretaceous extinction event; they are the first fossil flowers reported from the Danian of South America, and possible the entire Southern Hemisphere. They are compressions and impressions in flat-laminated light gray shale, and they belong to the family Rhamnaceae (buckthorns). Flowers of Notiantha grandensis gen. et sp. nov. are pentamerous, with distinctly keeled calyx lobes projecting from the hypanthium, clawed and cucullate emarginate petals, antepetalous stamens, and a pentagonal floral disk that fills the hypanthium. Their phylogenetic position was evaluated using a molecular scaffold approach combined with morphological data. Results indicate that the flowers are most like those of extant ziziphoid Rhamnaceae. The associated leaves, assigned to Suessenia grandensis gen. et sp. nov. are simple and ovate, with serrate margins and three acrodromous basal veins. They conform to the distinctive leaves of some extant Rhamnaceae in the ziziphoid and ampelozizyphoid clades. These fossils provide the first unequivocal megafossil evidence of Rhamnaceae in the Southern Hemisphere, demonstrating that Rhamnaceae expanded beyond the tropics by the earliest Paleocene. Given previous reports of rhamnaceous pollen in the late Paleogene and Neogene of Antarctica and southern Australia, this new occurrence increases the possibility of high-latitude dispersal of this family between South America and Australia via Antarctica during the Cenozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A. Jud
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Ari Iglesias
- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ambiente INIBIOMA-CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Carvalho MR, Wilf P, Hermsen EJ, Gandolfo MA, Cúneo NR, Johnson KR. First record of Todea (Osmundaceae) in South America, from the early Eocene paleorainforests of Laguna del Hunco (Patagonia, Argentina). Am J Bot 2013; 100:1831-1848. [PMID: 24018858 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The early Eocene Laguna del Hunco caldera-lake paleoflora (ca. 52 Ma) from Chubut Province, Argentina, is notably diverse and includes many conifer and angiosperm lineages that are extinct in South America but extant in Australasian rainforests. No ferns have been previously described from Laguna del Hunco. We describe and interpret a new species of fossil Osmundaceae based on fertile and sterile pinnae. • METHODS The fossil specimens were compared with other extant and fossil Osmundaceae based on living and herbarium material and published descriptions. A morphological matrix based on 29 characters was constructed for 17 living species in Osmundaceae, four species assigned to the fossil genus Todites, and the new fossil species. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted under parsimony using morphology and total evidence matrices. • KEY RESULTS Both the new fossil and the Todites species were consistently resolved within the leptopteroid clade of Osmundaceae, and the new species resolved in a clade with the two living Todea species, which are now restricted to Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and southern Africa. • CONCLUSIONS Todea amissa sp. nov. is the first record of Todea, living or fossil, in South America and only the second fossil record worldwide. The distribution of extant Todea on Gondwanan continents other than South America is broadly shared with other taxa from Laguna del Hunco, further indicating that a large component of this flora represents a Gondwanic biome that is no longer found on the South American continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica R Carvalho
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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Cooper L, Walls RL, Elser J, Gandolfo MA, Stevenson DW, Smith B, Preece J, Athreya B, Mungall CJ, Rensing S, Hiss M, Lang D, Reski R, Berardini TZ, Li D, Huala E, Schaeffer M, Menda N, Arnaud E, Shrestha R, Yamazaki Y, Jaiswal P. The plant ontology as a tool for comparative plant anatomy and genomic analyses. Plant Cell Physiol 2013; 54:e1. [PMID: 23220694 PMCID: PMC3583023 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcs163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The Plant Ontology (PO; http://www.plantontology.org/) is a publicly available, collaborative effort to develop and maintain a controlled, structured vocabulary ('ontology') of terms to describe plant anatomy, morphology and the stages of plant development. The goals of the PO are to link (annotate) gene expression and phenotype data to plant structures and stages of plant development, using the data model adopted by the Gene Ontology. From its original design covering only rice, maize and Arabidopsis, the scope of the PO has been expanded to include all green plants. The PO was the first multispecies anatomy ontology developed for the annotation of genes and phenotypes. Also, to our knowledge, it was one of the first biological ontologies that provides translations (via synonyms) in non-English languages such as Japanese and Spanish. As of Release #18 (July 2012), there are about 2.2 million annotations linking PO terms to >110,000 unique data objects representing genes or gene models, proteins, RNAs, germplasm and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from 22 plant species. In this paper, we focus on the plant anatomical entity branch of the PO, describing the organizing principles, resources available to users and examples of how the PO is integrated into other plant genomics databases and web portals. We also provide two examples of comparative analyses, demonstrating how the ontology structure and PO-annotated data can be used to discover the patterns of expression of the LEAFY (LFY) and terpene synthase (TPS) gene homologs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Cooper
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Ramona L. Walls
- New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Justin Elser
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Dennis W. Stevenson
- New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Barry Smith
- Department of Philosophy, University at Buffalo, 126 Park Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
| | - Justin Preece
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
| | - Balaji Athreya
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
| | - Christopher J. Mungall
- Berkeley Bioinformatics Open-Source Projects, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Mailstop 64-121, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stefan Rensing
- Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Manuel Hiss
- Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Lang
- Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Reski
- Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany
- FRIAS - Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tanya Z. Berardini
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Donghui Li
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eva Huala
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mary Schaeffer
- Agriculture Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Division of Plant Sciences, Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Naama Menda
- Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, 533 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 148533, USA
| | - Elizabeth Arnaud
- Bioversity International, via dei Tre Denari, 174/a, Maccarese, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosemary Shrestha
- Genetic Resources Program, Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico
| | - Yukiko Yamazaki
- Center for Genetic Resource Information, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540 Japan
| | - Pankaj Jaiswal
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA
- These authors contributed equally to the development of the Plant Ontology
- *Corresponding author: E-mail,: ; Fax, +1-541-737-3573
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Walls RL, Athreya B, Cooper L, Elser J, Gandolfo MA, Jaiswal P, Mungall CJ, Preece J, Rensing S, Smith B, Stevenson DW. Ontologies as integrative tools for plant science. Am J Bot 2012; 99:1263-75. [PMID: 22847540 PMCID: PMC3492881 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Bio-ontologies are essential tools for accessing and analyzing the rapidly growing pool of plant genomic and phenomic data. Ontologies provide structured vocabularies to support consistent aggregation of data and a semantic framework for automated analyses and reasoning. They are a key component of the semantic web. METHODS This paper provides background on what bio-ontologies are, why they are relevant to botany, and the principles of ontology development. It includes an overview of ontologies and related resources that are relevant to plant science, with a detailed description of the Plant Ontology (PO). We discuss the challenges of building an ontology that covers all green plants (Viridiplantae). KEY RESULTS Ontologies can advance plant science in four keys areas: (1) comparative genetics, genomics, phenomics, and development; (2) taxonomy and systematics; (3) semantic applications; and (4) education. CONCLUSIONS Bio-ontologies offer a flexible framework for comparative plant biology, based on common botanical understanding. As genomic and phenomic data become available for more species, we anticipate that the annotation of data with ontology terms will become less centralized, while at the same time, the need for cross-species queries will become more common, causing more researchers in plant science to turn to ontologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona L. Walls
- New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458-5126 USA
| | - Balaji Athreya
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2902 USA
| | - Laurel Cooper
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2902 USA
| | - Justin Elser
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2902 USA
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, New York 14853 USA
| | - Pankaj Jaiswal
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2902 USA
| | - Christopher J. Mungall
- Berkeley Bioinformatics Open-Source Projects, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Mailstop 64-121, Berkeley, California 94720 USA
| | - Justin Preece
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2902 USA
| | - Stefan Rensing
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barry Smith
- Department of Philosophy, University at Buffalo, 126 Park Hall, Buffalo, New York 14260 USA
| | - Dennis W. Stevenson
- New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458-5126 USA
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Sauquet H, Ho SYW, Gandolfo MA, Jordan GJ, Wilf P, Cantrill DJ, Bayly MJ, Bromham L, Brown GK, Carpenter RJ, Lee DM, Murphy DJ, Sniderman JMK, Udovicic F. Testing the Impact of Calibration on Molecular Divergence Times Using a Fossil-Rich Group: The Case of Nothofagus (Fagales). Syst Biol 2011; 61:289-313. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syr116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hervé Sauquet
- Laboratoire Écologie, Systématique, Évolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR 8079, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Simon Y. W. Ho
- Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Maria A. Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Gregory J. Jordan
- School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - David J. Cantrill
- National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia
| | - Michael J. Bayly
- School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Lindell Bromham
- Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Gillian K. Brown
- National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia
- School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Raymond J. Carpenter
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Biology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Daphne M. Lee
- Department of Geology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Daniel J. Murphy
- National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia
| | - J. M. Kale Sniderman
- School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Frank Udovicic
- National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia
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16
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Ksepka DT, Benton MJ, Carrano MT, Gandolfo MA, Head JJ, Hermsen EJ, Joyce WG, Lamm KS, Patané JSL, Phillips MJ, Polly PD, Van Tuinen M, Ware JL, Warnock RCM, Parham JF. Synthesizing and databasing fossil calibrations: divergence dating and beyond. Biol Lett 2011; 7:801-3. [PMID: 21525049 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergence dating studies, which combine temporal data from the fossil record with branch length data from molecular phylogenetic trees, represent a rapidly expanding approach to understanding the history of life. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center hosted the first Fossil Calibrations Working Group (3-6 March, 2011, Durham, NC, USA), bringing together palaeontologists, molecular evolutionists and bioinformatics experts to present perspectives from disciplines that generate, model and use fossil calibration data. Presentations and discussions focused on channels for interdisciplinary collaboration, best practices for justifying, reporting and using fossil calibrations and roadblocks to synthesis of palaeontological and molecular data. Bioinformatics solutions were proposed, with the primary objective being a new database for vetted fossil calibrations with linkages to existing resources, targeted for a 2012 launch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Ksepka
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Crisp MD, Arroyo MTK, Cook LG, Gandolfo MA, Jordan GJ, McGlone MS, Weston PH, Westoby M, Wilf P, Linder HP. Phylogenetic biome conservatism on a global scale. Nature 2009; 458:754-6. [DOI: 10.1038/nature07764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 504] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2008] [Accepted: 01/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Crepet WL, Nixon KC, Gandolfo MA. An extinct calycanthoid taxon, Jerseyanthus calycanthoides , from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey. Am J Bot 2005; 92:1475-1485. [PMID: 21646165 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.92.9.1475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A new fossil genus and species, Jerseyanthus calycanthoides, is described from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian, ∼90 MYBP) Raritan Formation of New Jersey. Flowers have cupulate receptacles bearing imbricately arranged tepals that subtend a series of recurved tepals near the cup margin. Recurved tepal subtends a "stamen-staminode" pair, that includes a laminar stamen with ramified connective extensions, and an outer staminode. Outer staminodes are geniculate and incurved, and in aggregate their inner extremities define a circular area above the carpels and carpellodes. Each "stamen-staminode" pair apparently subtends (is opposite to) an inner tepal. Pollen is rounded and disulculate, with tectate columellate wall structure. Carpels are located at the center of the receptacle and have elongate styles that extend to and beyond the opening defined by the staminodal organs. Carpels are surrounded by tomentose carpellodes. Carpels include one marginally ridged seed. While these fossils do not match exactly any living species in morphology, they share numerous characters with extant members of Calycanthaceae and can be unequivocally placed within that family. Affinities of Jerseyanthus and Virginianthus were evaluated by including them in a combined analysis for the Laurales. Jerseyanthus is placed within Calycanthaceae as a sister taxon to the modern genus Calycanthus.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Crepet
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, 228 Plant Science Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 USA
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Wilf P, Johnson KR, Cúneo NR, Smith ME, Singer BS, Gandolfo MA. Eocene Plant Diversity at Laguna del Hunco and Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina. Am Nat 2005; 165:634-50. [PMID: 15937744 DOI: 10.1086/430055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2004] [Accepted: 02/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The origins of South America's exceptional plant diversity are poorly known from the fossil record. We report on unbiased quantitative collections of fossil floras from Laguna del Hunco (LH) and Río Pichileufú (RP) in Patagonia, Argentina. These sites represent a frost-free humid biome in South American middle latitudes of the globally warm Eocene. At LH, from 4,303 identified specimens, we recognize 186 species of plant organs and 152 species of leaves. Adjusted for sample size, the LH flora is more diverse than comparable Eocene floras known from other continents. The RP flora shares several taxa with LH and appears to be as rich, although sampling is preliminary. The two floras were previously considered coeval. However, (40)Ar/(39)Ar dating of three ash-fall tuff beds in close stratigraphic association with the RP flora indicates an age of 47.46+/-0.05 Ma, 4.5 million years younger than LH, for which one tuff is reanalyzed here as 51.91+/-0.22 Ma. Thus, diverse floral associations in Patagonia evolved by the Eocene, possibly in response to global warming, and were persistent and areally extensive. This suggests extraordinary richness at low latitudes via the latitudinal diversity gradient, corroborated by published palynological data from the Eocene of Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
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Crepet WL, Nixon KC, Gandolfo MA. Fossil evidence and phylogeny: the age of major angiosperm clades based on mesofossil and macrofossil evidence from Cretaceous deposits. Am J Bot 2004; 91:1666-82. [PMID: 21652316 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.91.10.1666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The fossil record has played an important role in the history of evolutionary thought, has aided the determination of key relationships through mosaics, and has allowed an assessment of a number of ecological hypotheses. Nonetheless, expectations that it might accurately and precisely mirror the progression of taxa through time seem optimistic in light of the many factors potentially interfering with uniform preservation. In view of these limitations, attempts to use the fossil record to corroborate phylogenetic hypotheses based on extensive comparisons among extant taxa may be misplaced. Instead we suggest a method-minimum age node mapping-for combining reliable fossil evidence with hypotheses of phylogeny. We use this methodology in conjunction with a phylogeny for angiosperms to assess timing in the history of major angiosperm clades. This method places many clades both with and without fossil records in temporal perspective, reveals discrepancies among clades in propensities for preservation, and raises some interesting questions about angiosperm evolution. By providing a context for understanding the gaps in the angiosperm fossil record this technique lends credibility and support to the remainder of the angiosperm record and to its applications in understanding a variety of aspects of angiosperm history. In effect, this methodology empowers the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Crepet
- 228 Plant Science Building, L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-4301 USA
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21
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Gandolfo MA, Nixon KC, Crepet WL. Cretaceous flowers of Nymphaeaceae and implications for complex insect entrapment pollination mechanisms in early angiosperms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:8056-60. [PMID: 15148371 PMCID: PMC419556 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0402473101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on recent molecular systematics studies, the water lily lineage (Nymphaeales) provides an important key to understanding ancestral angiosperm morphology and is of considerable interest in the context of angiosperm origins. Therefore, the fossil record of Nymphaeales potentially provides evidence on both the timing and nature of diversification of one of the earliest clades of flowering plants. Recent fossil evidence of Turonian age (approximately 90 million years B.P.) includes fossil flowers with characters that, upon rigorous analysis, firmly place them within Nymphaeaceae. Unequivocally the oldest floral record of the Nymphaeales, these fossils are closely related to the modern Nymphaealean genera Victoria (the giant Amazon water lily) and Euryale. Although the fossils are much smaller than their modern relatives, the precise and dramatic correspondence between the fossil floral morphology and that of modern Victoria flowers suggests that beetle entrapment pollination was present in the earliest part of the Late Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Gandolfo
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4303, USA.
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