2024 in paleobotany
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This
Algae
Chlorophytes
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Ernst, Vachard & Rodríguez |
Devonian (Pragian) |
A probable member of Dasycladales. The type species is B. hispanica. |
Phycological research
- Putative dasycladalean alga Voronocladus dryganti from the Silurian of Ukraine is argued by LoDuca (2024) to be a member of Bryopsidales; the author also reinterprets purported graptolite-like epibionts of V. dryganti, originally described as the new taxon Podoliagraptus algaeoides, as actually representing the uppermost siphons of mature thalli of V. dryganti.[2]
- A diverse charophyte flora, including fossil material of Echinochara cf. peckii representing the oldest record of the family Clavatoraceae reported to date, is described from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) marginal marine beds of southern France by Trabelsi, Sames & Martín-Closas (2024).[3]
Lycophytes
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Cariglino, Zavattieri & Lara |
Triassic |
A member of the family Selaginellaceae .
|
Ferns and fern allies
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Li & Moran in Guo et al. |
Cretaceous |
Burmese amber |
A member of the family Cystodiaceae .
|
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Guo, Zhou & Feng in Guo et al. |
Permian (Lopingian) |
Xuanwei Formation |
A filicalean fern. |
||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
D'Antonio et al. |
Carboniferous |
A member of Sphenophyllales. Genus includes new species H. kostorhysii. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kundu, Hazra & Khan in Kundu et al. |
Miocene |
A member of the family Polypodiaceae. Announced in 2023; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2024. |
Pteridological research
- A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil members of Cyatheales, and on the biogeography of the group throughout its evolutionary history, is published by Ramírez-Barahona (2024).[9]
- Machado et al. (2024) describe fossil material of Pteridium sp. cf. P. esculentum from the Miocene Ñirihuau Formation (Argentina) representing the oldest and southernmost record of Pteridium from South America reported to date.[10]
Bennettitales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comb. nov |
(Wieland) |
Early Jurassic (Toarcian) |
Rosario Formation |
A member of Bennettitales. Moved from Williamsonia huitzilopochtli Wieland. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Velasco de León et al. |
Early-Middle Jurassic |
Cualac Formation |
A member of Bennettitales belonging to the family Williamsoniaceae. |
Conifers
Cupressaceae
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Sokolova et al. |
Paleocene |
A conifer with affinities with the family Cupressaceae. The type species is A. pilosum. Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Vanner et al. |
Cretaceous |
Pinaceae
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Kowalski in Kowalski et al. |
Oligocene to Pliocene |
Cottbus Formation |
The type species is "Pseudotsuga" jechorekiae Czaja (2000). |
||||
Sp. nov |
In press |
Li et al. |
Miocene |
A species of Tsuga. |
Podocarpaceae
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Vanner et al. |
Cretaceous |
Tupuangi Formation |
Other conifers
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Conceição et al. |
Early Cretaceous |
A member of Pinidae of uncertain affinities. The type species is C. placidoi. The name is preoccupied by Cratoxylon Blume. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al. |
Late Triassic (Rhaetian) |
A conifer cone. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Shi et al. |
Permian (Lopingian) |
Sunjiagou Formation |
A conifer wood. The type species is S. zhangziensis. |
||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al. |
Late Triassic (Rhaetian) |
A conifer cone. |
Conifer research
- Xie, Gee & Griebeler (2024) use growth models based on the height–diameter relationships of extant araucarians to determine heights of araucariaceous logs from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation (Utah, United States).[20]
Flowering plants
Monocots
Arecales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ali, Roy & Khan in Ali et al. |
Cretaceous-Paleocene (Maastrichtian-Danian) |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Arecaceae. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Mahato & Khan |
Miocene |
Chunabati Formation |
Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023. |
||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Kumar, Su & Khan in Kumar et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)-Paleocene (Danian) |
A member of the family Arecaceae. The type species is S. acanthorachis. |
Dioscoreales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
In press |
Herrera & Manchester |
Eocene |
Green River Formation |
A species of Dioscorea. |
||||
Sp. nov |
In press |
Herrera & Manchester |
Eocene |
Green River Formation |
A species of Dioscorea. |
Poales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kowalski in Kowalski et al. |
Miocene |
Spremberg Formation |
A species of Sparganium. |
Superasterids
Ericales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Kowalski in Kowalski et al. |
Oligocene to Miocene |
A member of the family Styracaceae. The type species is P. lusatica. |
Gentianales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Ramos et al. |
Pleistocene |
El Palmar Formation |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Apocynaceae. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Ramos et al. |
Pleistocene |
El Palmar Formation |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Apocynaceae. |
Superrosids
Fabales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Hernández-Damián, Rubalcava-Knoth & Cevallos-Ferriz |
Miocene |
La Quinta Formation |
A member of the subfamily Detarieae . The type species is H. mirandae.
|
|||||
Sp. nov |
Zhao, Jia & Su in Zhao et al. |
Miocene |
Sanhaogou Formation |
A species of Mezoneuron. |
Fagales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Manchester et al. |
Eocene |
A species of Juglans. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Manchester et al. |
Eocene |
Buchanan Lake Formation |
A species of Juglans. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Manchester et al. |
Eocene |
Buchanan Lake Formation |
A species of Juglans. |
|||||
Comb. nov |
Valid |
(Kirchheimer) |
Miocene |
A member of the family Myricaceae; moved from Myrica stoppii Kirchheimer (1942). |
Malpighiales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Stults, Hermsen & Starnes |
Oligocene |
A species of Passiflora. |
Myrtales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Ayala-Usma & Lozano-Gutiérrez in Ayala-Usma et al. |
Pleistocene |
A species of Andesanthus. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Woodcock |
Eocene |
Fossil wood with affinities with the family Vochysiaceae. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Ayala-Usma & Lozano-Gutiérrez in Ayala-Usma et al. |
Pleistocene |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Combretaceae. |
Rosales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Akkemik in Akkemik & Toprak |
Miocene (Burdigalian-Serravallian) |
Mut Formation |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Rhamnaceae. |
Sapindales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Ayala-Usma, Lozano-Gutiérrez & Orejuela in Ayala-Usma et al. |
Pleistocene |
A species of Anacardium. |
||||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Mejia-Roldán, Rodríguez-Reyes & Estrada-Ruiz in Mejia-Roldán et al. |
Eocene |
Fossil wood of a member of the family Anacardiaceae. The type species is P. ductifera. |
Saxifragales
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Xu, Zdravchev, Maslova & Jin in Xu et al. |
Oligocene |
Yongning Formation |
A species of Liquidambar. |
Other angiosperms
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et 2 sp. nov |
Friis, Crane & Pedersen in Friis et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) |
Figueira da Foz Formation |
A chloranthoid flowering plant. The type species is A. hedlundii; genus also includes A. norrisii. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Zhang, Su & Oskolski in Zhang et al. |
Miocene |
Dajie Formation |
A species of Cryptocarya. |
|||||
Comb. nov |
Valid |
(Mai) |
Oligocene to Miocene |
A species of Magnolia; moved from Manglietia germanica Mai (1971). |
|||||
Gen. et comb. nov |
Beurel et al. |
Cretaceous |
Burmese amber |
A flowering plant of uncertain affinities. Oskolski et al. (2024) interpreted it as a flowering plant with an affinity to Rhamnaceae, possibly to an extinct basal lineage;[38] on the other hand Beurel et al. (2024) interpreted it as a flowering plant with probable magnoliid affinities.[37] The type species is "Phylica" piloburmensis Shi et al. (2022). |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Rubalcava-Knoth & Cevallos-Ferriz |
Late Cretaceous |
A member of Laurales. |
||||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Friis, Crane & Pedersen in Friis et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Albian) |
Potomac Group |
A chloranthoid flowering plant. The type species is S. alata. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Friis, Crane & Pedersen in Friis et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian) |
Vale de Água clay pit complex |
A chloranthoid flowering plant. The type species is W. portugallica. |
- The first fossil record of a flower of a member of the genus Cryptocarya is reported from the Miocene Zhangpu amber (China) by Beurel et al. (2024).[40]
Other plants
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Chen in Chen, Zhang & Yang |
Permian |
A callipterid seed fern. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Šimůnek |
|||||||
Cordaites roprachticensis[42] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Šimůnek |
||||||
Cordaites setlikii[42] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Šimůnek |
||||||
Comb. nov |
(Halle) |
Permian |
Upper Shihezi Formation |
A seed fern. Moved from Odontopteris orbicularis Halle (1927). |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Sun & Deng in Sun et al. |
Middle Triassic |
Tongchuan Formation |
A seed fern belonging to the family Umkomasiaceae .
|
|||||
Sp. nov |
Juárez-Martínez & Estrada-Ruiz in Juárez-Martínez, Córdova-Tabares & Estrada-Ruiz |
Miocene |
Mexican amber |
||||||
Comb. nov |
(Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al.) |
Late Triassic |
Pollen organ of a plant of uncertain affinities. Moved from Hydropterangium roesleri Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al. (2017) |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Shi et al. |
Late Triassic |
Yangmeilong Formation |
Pollen organ of a plant of uncertain affinities, associated with pinnate leaves of Ptilozamites. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Jin in Jin et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian–Barremian) |
Laiyang Formation |
A member of the family Ephedraceae. The type species is L. compacta. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Mamontov et al. |
Eocene |
Rovno amber |
A liverwort, a species of Leptoscyphus. |
||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Qin, He, Hilton & Wang in Qin et al. |
Permian |
Xuanwei Formation |
A taeniopterid. The type species is P. taeniopteroides. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Jiang & Wan in Jiang et al. |
Permian |
Upper Shihhotse Formation |
Fossil trunk of a gymnosperm. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Nosova in Nosova, Fedyaevskiy & Lyubarova |
Middle Jurassic (Bathonian–Callovian) |
A gymnosperm belonging to the family Pseudotorelliaceae. |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Mamontov & Perkovsky in Mamontov et al. |
Eocene |
A liverwort, a species of Radula. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Gastaldo et al. |
Carboniferous (Tournaisian) |
A tree of uncertain affinities. The type species is S. densifolia. |
Other plant research
- Redescription and a study on the affinities of Stauroxylon beckii is published by Durieux et al. (2024).[54]
- A study on the morphological diversity of cycad leaves throughout their evolutionary history, providing evidence of a dynamic history of diversification, is published by Coiro & Seyfullah (2024).[55]
- Zhang et al. (2024) compile a dataset of macroscopic and cuticular traits of fossils of members of the group Czekanowskiales from China, and use it to classify the studied fossils on the basis of quantitative analytical evidence.[56]
- A study on the morphology and affinities of Furcula granulifer is published by Coiro et al. (2024), who interpret the studied plant as a likely relative of pteridosperms such as Scytophyllum and Vittaephyllum, and interpret F. granulifer as a plant that evolved its hierarchical vein system of leaves convergently with the flowering plants.[57]
- Possible caytonialean pteridosperm fossils are described from the Bajocian strata in the Karachay-Cherkessia (Russia) by Naugolnykh & Mitta (2024).[58]
Palynology
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Thakre et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) |
Palynological research
- A study on the palynoflora from the Permian Emakwezini Formation (South Africa) is published by Balarino et al. (2024), who interpret the studied fossils as providing evidence of the presence of complex forests during the Guadalupian, with plant diversity greater than indicated by the macrofloral record.[60]
- A study on the age of the Santa Clara Abajo and the Santa Clara Arriba formations and their palynomorph assemblages, previously inferred to be Carnian-Norian in age, is published by Benavente et al. (2024), who determine an upper Anisian age for both formations, and interpret their findings as indicating that the taxonomic composition of Triassic Gondwanan palynomorph assemblages correlates more strongly with latitude than with geologic age.[61]
- The interpretation of Cycadopites and Ricciisporites proposed by Vajda et al. (2023), who considered them to represent, respectively, normal and aberrant pollen produced by the same plant with Lepidopteris ottonis foliage and Antevsia zeilleri pollen sacs,[62] is contested by Zavialova (2024);[63] Vajda et al. (2024) subsequently reaffirm that Antevsia zeilleri produced Cycadopites and Ricciisporites pollen.[64]
- Evidence from pollen and spores from the Jiyuan Basin (China), interpreted as indicative of a relationship between two peaks of wildfires of different types and changes in plant communities during the Triassic-Jurassic transition, is presented by Zhang et al. (2024).[65]
- Evidence of high abundances of malformed fern spores from the Lower Saxony Basin (Germany) during the Triassic–Jurassic transition, interpreted as indicative of persistence of volcanic-induced mercury pollution after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event, is presented by Bos et al. (2024).[66]
- Evidence from fossil pollen assigned to the form genus Classopollis, interpreted as indicative of existence of a refugium of members of the family Cheirolepidiaceae, is reported from the Paleocene Lower Wilcox Group (Texas, United States) by Smith et al. (2024).[67]
- Evidence from fossil pollen interpreted as indicative of existence of ecological corridors linking Andean, Atlantic and Amazonian regions of South America during the Last Glacial Maximum, resulting in establishment of complex connectivity patterns between plants from the studied parts of South America, is presented by Pinaya et al. (2024).[68]
General Research
- A study addressing and evaluating the uncertainty of plant fossil phylogenetics is published by Coiro (2024).[69]
- Review of functional traits in the plant fossil record is published by McElwain et al. (2024).[70]
- Davies, McMahon & Berry (2024) describe plant fossils from the Devonian (Hangman Sandstone Formation (Somerset and Devon, United Kingdom), intepreted as remains of cladoxylopsid-dominated forest and possibly the oldest global evidence for the spacing of growing trees.[71]
- Evidence of changes of composition and diversity of the flora from the Carboniferous coal swamps of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield (France) in response to climate and landscape changes is presented by Molina-Solís et al. (2024).[72]
- A study on changes of floral communities in southwestern China during the Permian-Triassic transition is published by Hua et al. (2024), who provide evidence indicative of frequent wildfires that destroyed the stability of wetlands prior to the main extinction phase and inhibited recovery in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction event, and resulted in gradual replacement of fern-dominated floral communities by gymnosperm-dominated ones.[73]
- Gurung et al. (2024) use a new vegetation and climate model to study links between plant geographical range, the long-term carbon cycle and climate, and find that reduced geographical range of plants in Pangaea resulted in increased atmospheric CO2 concentration during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, while the expande geographical range of plants after the breakup of Pangaea amplified global CO2 removal.[74]
Deaths
- Florissant Fossil Beds in Colorado, and fighting pollution. She was the daughter of Aldo Leopold.[75]
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