Search

The document titled "From the Editor's Desk" is a letter from Dr. Nancy E. Todd, the new editor of the journal BIOS. Dr. Todd has a background in paleontology, evolution, anatomy, and environmental studies. She shares her academic journey, which includes studying archaeology and physical anthropology at Bryn Mawr College, working on zooarchaeological material in Zaire, and collaborating with renowned paleobiologists at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. Dr. Todd's current research focuses on the anatomy and evolution of elephants, as well as investigating the impact of human activities on ecosystems. She expresses her enthusiasm for working with undergraduate students and supporting their research projects. Dr. Todd is honored to be a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and looks forward to her role as the editor of BIOS. [Extracted from the article]

Mid to Late Devonian witnessed the emergence of the first forest and global flora prosperity on the Earth. West Junggar, a distinct sub-terrain of the Kazakhstan Paleoblock, in which Middle to Upper Devonian plant fossil-rich deposits are exposed, that significantly contribute to our understanding of Devonian plant diversity and flora evolution. In this study, we report a new plant assemblage from the Hongguleleng Formation in the Kekesayi and western Yangzhuang sections of West Junggar, Xinjiang, China. The dominant palynomorphs in this assemblage are retusoid and laevigate trilete spores with occasional scolecodonts. Macroplants of the assemblage consist of tree-like and herbaceous lycopsids. At least two floral turnovers were documented in West Junggar during the Devonian. The first one occurred at the end of the Givetian Age and saw the transformation of the Hujiersite Flora dominated of herbaceous lycopsids, turning into the flora with arborescent plants as typical of the Zhulumute Flora. The second turnover might occur near the Frasnian-Famennian boundary and saw the forest of the Zhulumute Flora shifting into the Hongguleleng Flora with more widely-distributed members. • A new Late Devonian plant assemblage from West Junggar, Xinjiang. • Macro- and micro- plant fossils from the Late Devonian Hongguleleng Flora • Two floral turnovers in West Junggar during the Devonian. • Potential plant dispersal between West Junggar and Laurussia, Gondwana, South China paleoplates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive anatomical and mineralogical study of fossil wood fragments from fields in the vicinity of Bečov and Břvany villages (NW Bohemia, Czech Republic) indicates that Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Cupressaceae s.l.) predominates, but also identifies another coniferous wood: Pinuxylon parryoides (Pinaceae) and three angiosperms Quercoxylon böckhianum , Castanoxylon bavaricum and Lithocarpoxylon sp. (all Fagaceae). This paper therefore presents the first occurrence of Pinaceae and Fagaceae fossil wood in the volcanic rocks of the České Středohoří Mts. as well as its youngest palaeobotanical record in general, late Oligocene in age (26.56 ± 0.38 Ma). The samples were buried by alkaline pyroclastic deposits and were mineralized by carbonates. Two distinct depositional processes burying the fossil woods were identified. Closer to the vent, the woods occur in a near-vent pyroclastic fall deposits of the former pyroclastic cone, whereas more distant sites consist of pyroclastic flow deposits. Carbonate mineralization mostly consists of dolomite, but subordinate amounts of magnesite (likely the first time this is documented in fossil wood) as well as calcite and siderite are present. Only one sample collected in the same area, bearing clear signs of riverbed transport (Lithocarpoxylon sp.), was perfectly silicified, but its origin remains unclear. • Consideration of individual and interspecific variability in fossil wood anatomy. • Whole-plant concept and its application when defining new fossil plant taxa. • Unique mineralization of fossil wood with magnesite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exceptionally well-preserved impression fossils of Cyrillopteris (ex. Odontopteris) orbicularis (Halle) comb. et emend. nov. have been described from the lower part of the middle–upper Permian Upper Shihezi (Upper Shihhotse) Formation in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, North China. For the first time, this typical Cathaysian seed fern is confirmed to have a bipartite frond with two bipinnate branches, comparable with that of C. genuina (Grand'Eury) Laveine et Oudoire from the Pennsylvanian of France. Entire-margined cyclopteriod elements occur in the proximal portion of the long petiole. With increasing proximity of the bifurcation, the cyclopteroid elements progressively differentiate into pinnae with individual pinnules. True intercalary pinnules, which would be fully inserted on the primary rachides, are not present. Characteristics of our new specimens provide new information on the frond architecture of C. orbicularis (Halle) comb. et emend. nov., and allow a relatively complete circumscription of the overall features of this taxon, an emendation of the species diagnosis, and the presentation of an accurate frond reconstruction. Specimens of C. orbicularis comb. et emend. nov. are preserved with mesophytes and xerophytes from the same interval, demonstrating the vegetation in the research area grew under a seasonal subhumid to semiarid climates during the late Guadalupian. • Cyrillopteris (ex. Odontopteris) orbicularis comb. et emend. nov. is proposed based on new materials. • It has a bipartite frond with two bipinnate branches with cyclopteroid elements. • Associated plant fossils indicate a seasonal subhumid to semiarid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons found underground in liquid form and is a valuable fuel with a complex chemical structure. Crude oil is known to come from decaying plants and animals as a fossil product that emerged from the anaerobic process millions of years ago. In the formation of oil, it is accepted that crude oil has an organic origin, and most of the crude oil is found in sedimentary rocks, and the sediments have an organic and inorganic content. In this study, a voltammetric method was developed for the analysis of nickel, one of the metals with the highest density as a heavy metal in crude oil. In the developed voltammetric method, the boron-doped diamond electrode was activated in the cathodic direction at −3.0 V in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 media. As a result of this cathodic activation, nickel gave a very sensitive anodic signal around −0.15 V on the electrode surface. This anodic signal was determined to be linear in the range of 0.05–0.6 μM around −0.15 V in BR (pH 3.0) media by the anodic stripping voltammetry method. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were determined to be 0.003 μM and 0.01 μM, respectively. The proposed method allowed the selective analysis of nickel in the crude oil sample without any separation and enrichment process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectacular fossil plant assemblage preserved in the non-marine Mount Flora Formation of the northern Antarctic Peninsula represents the diverse Jurassic flora that once covered the Gondwanan continents at high paleolatitudes. The depositional facies of the formation plays a key role in the tectonic interpretations and basin evolution models that attempt to reconcile large igneous province magmatism, continental break up, and magmatic arc development throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Limited U–Pb in situ geochronology reported from the Mount Flora Formation and adjacent units lack the necessary resolution to overcome ambiguous correlations and biostratigraphic discrepancies. We present two high-precision U–Pb zircon ages (CA-ID-TIMS method) from a distinct tuffaceous interval of the Mount Flora Formation at Hope Bay, which document a terminal Middle Jurassic age (Callovian Stage) for the formation and its paleoflora. In excess of 1400 new collected fossil plant specimens exhibit a highly diverse Jurassic plant association that dominated the Antarctic Peninsula nearly 17 million years after its disappearance from northern Patagonia. This suggests similar paleoecological conditions were established diachronously throughout basins of southern Gondwana, possibly facilitating floral migrations in response to local climate change. The depositional facies of the Mount Flora Formation, its age proximity to the marine Nordenskjöld Formation in the Antarctic Larsen Basin and its coincidence with a regional unconformity in the northern Patagonia point out to a complex interplay among magmatic arc development, tectonic extension and continental break up that dominated the geologic and paleoenvironmental evolution of southern Gondwana near the end of the Middle Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Devonian flora of South China is composed of many endemic members and has been studied mainly based on Yunnanmaterials. We in this study report a new Lower Devonian plant locality, recognize four sub-regions of the Early Devonian flora from South China and furthermore demonstrate these plants' distribution pattern and probable dispersal route. The new finds of plant fossils are from the Lower Devonian of Hezhang County, Guizhou Province, and include Zosterophyllopsida Demersatheca and Euphyllophytopsida Pauthecophyton. Demersatheca contigua, consisting of cylindrical strobili with four longitudinal rows of sporangia decussately arranged, shows great similarities to the plant from Yunnan and Guangxi localities. Pauthecophyton hezhangensis sp. nov. has distinct fertile units with grouped sporangia and each unit with two or three fusiform sporangia. The new locality belongs to the Guizhou sub-region and shares some taxa with the eastern Yunnan and Cathaysia sub-regional floras within South China, in which the shared plant members are distributed around the epicontinental sea. We suggest that the Guizhou sub-region might act as a bridge during plant dispersal from eastern Yunnan to Cathaysia Oldland in the Early Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lycopodiaceae are one of three surviving families of lycopsids, a lineage of vascular plants with a fossil history dating to at least the Early Devonian or perhaps the Late Silurian (c. 415 Ma). Many fossils have been linked to crown Lycopodiaceae, but the lack of well‐preserved material has hindered definitive recognition of this group in the paleobotanical record.New, exceptionally well‐preserved permineralized lycopsid fossils from the Early Cretaceous (125.6 ± 1.0 Ma) of Inner Mongolia, China, were examined in detail using acetate peel and micro‐computed tomography techniques. The anatomy of extant Lycopodiaceae was analyzed for comparison using fluorescence microscopy. Phylogenetic relationships of the new fossil to extant Lycopodiaceae were evaluated using parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses.Lycopodicaulis oellgaardii gen. et sp. nov. provides the earliest unequivocal and best‐documented evidence of crown Lycopodiaceae and Lycopodioideae, based on anatomically‐preserved fossil material.Recognition of Lycopodicaulis in Asia during the Early Cretaceous indicates the presence of crown Lycopodiaceae at this time, and striking similarities of stem anatomy with extant species provide a framework for the understanding of the interaction of branching and vascular anatomy in crown‐group lycopsids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silurian and Devonian plant fossil record is the basis for our understanding of the early evolution of land plants, yet our appreciation of early global phytogeographic evolution has been constrained by the focus of most studies on deposits from Europe, North America, and, more recently, South China. Devonian plants have been recorded rarely from northeastern China, and among previous records, few plants have been illustrated and formally described. In this article, megafossil plants representing a Late Devonian-aged (probably Famennian) flora are described from a locality at northern Sonid Zuoqi, Inner Mongolia, NE China. The flora includes Melvillipteris sonidia new species, Archaeopteris sp., and fragments of some other plants. The new plant shows main axes and two orders of lateral branches. The first-order branches of this plant show a typical zigzag appearance and are borne in pairs on main axes. Second-order branches are straight or slightly flexed, and are borne helically or alternately on first-order branches. Sterile ultimate appendages and fertile structures of M. sonidia n. sp. are borne alternately on second-order branches. An associated palynological assemblage, as well as U-Pb ages of detrital zircon grains from adjacent horizons, are also reported, indicating a Late Devonian age in accord with the megafossil plants. The present study contributes to our appreciation of the Devonian floristic diversity of the Xing'an Block, and, through our review of the record of early vascular plants from NE China, more broadly to the understanding of the mid-latitude vegetation of the Northern Hemisphere during the Late Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Galatian Volcanic Province (GVP) located in central-north Anatolia had a rich woody flora. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the early Miocene woody flora of the GVP from two fossil sites from Doğanyurt Village of the city of Beypazarı in the Province of Ankara. The fossil sites, which are near to each other, have small pieces of fossil woods. Total 16 fossil woods were collected from two neighbour sites. Three thin sections as transversal, tangential and radial sections from each sample were taken, and they were identified microscopically. As a result, ten fossil species were identified, three of which are new (Cercioxylon mediterraneum Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik, sp. nov., Cryptocaryoxylon irregularis Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik, sp. nov., and Myricoxylon doganyurtensis Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik sp. nov.) and the rest fossil species (Glyptostroboxylon rudolphii Dolezych & van der Burgh, Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Göppert) Kräusel, Pinuxylon Gothan, Aceroxylon aceroides Akkemik, Pistacioxylon ufukii Akkemik, Salicoxylon galatianum Akkemik, and Ulmoxylon cf. carpinifolia Greguss) are found also in these two fossil sites. The fossil Myrica, identified for the first time in Turkey as a wood, has many leaf fossils from the early Miocene sites. The most common fossil trees in the Miocene time of GVP, which are G. rudolphii and T. gypsaceum, were also identified in these new sites. The fossil wood assemblage may indicate that the area had a subtropical climate in lowland, with riparian and swamp growth conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a paleobotanical (paleocarpological) layer-by-layer study of three peat sections located near the Pogorel'skii Bor experimental station operated by the Institute of Forest SB RAS (the interfluve of the Buzim and Sukhoi Buzim rivers) are presented. The study area is located in the transitional zone between subtaiga grassy small-leaved and coniferous forests and the Krasnoyarsk nonzonal forest–steppe. The climate of the region is extreme continental, moderately warm, and insufficiently humid. The objects of paleocarpological analysis were macrofossils (macro-residues of fossil plants (generative and vegetative parts of plants). Data from each section were used to construct carpograms (histograms showing the quantitative distribution of macro-residues in the identified fossil complexes, in accordance with the section stratigraphy). As a result of a comparative analysis of the species composition of paleocarpological complexes taking the data on radiocarbon 14C dating (nine dates) into account, the evolution of the vegetation cover of the territory of Pogorel'skii Bor was reconstructed by using hypsometric levels and seven time intervals, starting in the second half of the Atlantic period of the Blytt-Cernander chronological scheme of the Holocene. On this basis, digital maps of paleophytocenoses were compiled. Analysis of the formation of vegetation over the last 6000 years has shown that in the first half of the period the birch–larch forest–steppe with an alternation of shallow lakes prevailed on the territory. The onset of cooling and humidification (5000–3500 BP) contributed to the development of a subaiga forest-vegetation complex with the involvement of dark coniferous species. The subsequent warming (3500–3000 and 1300–800 BP) contributed to the return of forest–steppe and the development of steppe complexes. The leading tree species in the first half of the period were Siberian larch and birch, and, later, Scotch pine. A decrease in the role of larch, and an enhancement of the position of pine and steppe elements in forest phytocenoses during a later period (300 BP) were caused by climate change, as well as by the increased influence of the anthropogenic factor. The regional features of the paleoclimatic regime of Pogorel'skii Bor forest in the latest Holocene are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to assess if the targets set by the European Commission (EC) relating to the share of renewables and CO2 emissions by 2030 will be accomplished by the Iberian power system. In this regard, several projections for each generation technology's installed capacity in the future power system are identified. These forecasts were issued by governmental and private Iberian organizations and by the European Association of Transmission System Operators (ENTSOE), the latter with three scenarios regarding the speed of the energy transition. The outputs of the study are extended to the 2040 horizon and include the energy generated by each technology, the CO2 emissions, the costs involved in the decarbonization, and the storage capacity needed to compensate for the renewables' variability. The conclusion is that the Iberia peninsular is on the right path to achieve a fully decarbonized power system by 2040, outperforming by far the EC's targets in 2030 if the governmental projections are followed. A significant capacity of storage options is envisaged to compensate for the variability of generation from renewables and to replace the power regulation services provided by the fossil fuel plants that will be shut down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of fossil floras through geological time is mainly based on various differently preserved plant parts, often found isolated under restricted taphonomic circumstances. Preservation of whole plants is exceptionally rare in the geological record but provides the most reliable proof of ancient plants, especially those lacking a nearest living relative like the late Paleozoic pteridosperms. Among them, the medullosan seed ferns represent the largest and most essential systematic group. Medullosaleans are well known from the large Euramerican tropical swamp forests of Carboniferous age, but also from seasonally dry, clastic-soil habitats of Late Pennsylvanian-early Permian intramontane basins in central Europe. An exceptional taphonomic window that offered three-dimensional preservation of early Permian plants is located in Chemnitz, eastern Germany. Here, a forest ecosystem had been buried by pyroclastic deposits in a geological instant, 291 ± 2 Ma ago. Medullosaleans are both abundant and diverse in this striking autochthonous assemblage. The upper part of a Medullosa stellata var. typica individual broke at its top resulting from the overload of volcanic ash and was buried upside-down in the basal pyroclastics. The tree crown consists of the anatomically preserved apical stem, ten attached Alethopteris schneideri foliated fronds with Myeloxylon-type petioles and rachises. Though already discovered during the scientific excavation in 2010, the remarkable find required several years of preparation work, documentation, and reconstruction. The fronds were up to 3.5 m long, bifurcating, and bore numerous bipinnately compound pinnae preserved pulvinated in life position. The apical stem vascular system consists of a cylindrical peripheral vascular segment and up to 87 central accessory strands, each surrounded by manoxylic wood and secondary phloem. The reconstructed tree is supposed to have been self-supporting and of slender stature. Its architectural model is comparable to modern tree ferns or cycads and adapted to have grown in light-deficient lower-storey (sub-) tropical forests, usually not exceeding 15 m in height. Apical meristematic growth dominated, whereas only minor secondary growth occurred during ontogenesis. The densely attached frond bases followed a 3/8 phyllotaxis and were most likely abscised shortly after becoming photosynthetically inactive. A high water-conducting potential is assumed due to the tree's cauline, petiolar and leaf vascular anatomies. Concerning the extensive leaf surface of the densely foliated fronds, considerable transpiration is hypothesised. Alethopteris schneideri foliage is stratigraphically significant for lower Permian (Asselian-Sakmarian) continental strata of central Europe, preferring habitats of wet clastic soils in sub-humid, seasonal palaeoclimate. The new insights provide a substantial step towards the first whole-plant concept of intramontane medullosaleans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malay Archipelago is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, but it suffers high extinction risks due to severe anthropogenic pressures. Paleobotanical knowledge provides baselines for the conservation of living analogs and improved understanding of vegetation, biogeography, and paleoenvironments through time. The Malesian bioregion is well studied palynologically, but there have been very few investigations of Cenozoic paleobotany (plant macrofossils) in a century or more. We report the first paleobotanical survey of Brunei Darussalam, a sultanate on the north coast of Borneo that still preserves the majority of its extraordinarily diverse, old-growth tropical rainforests. We discovered abundant compression floras dominated by angiosperm leaves at two sites of probable Pliocene age: Berakas Beach, in the Liang Formation, and Kampong Lugu, in an undescribed stratigraphic unit. Both sites also yielded rich palynofloral assemblages from the macrofossil-bearing beds, indicating lowland fern-dominated swamp (Berakas Beach) and mangrove swamp (Kampong Lugu) depositional environments. Fern spores from at least nine families dominate both palynological assemblages, along with abundant fungal and freshwater algal remains, rare marine microplankton, at least four mangrove genera, and a diverse rainforest tree and liana contribution (at least 19 families) with scarce pollen of Dipterocarpaceae, today's dominant regional life form. Compressed leaves and rare reproductive material represent influx to the depocenters from the adjacent coastal rainforests. Although only about 40% of specimens preserve informative details, we can distinguish 23 leaf and two reproductive morphotypes among the two sites. Dipterocarps are by far the most abundant group in both compression assemblages, providing rare, localized evidence for dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforests in the Malay Archipelago before the Pleistocene. The dipterocarp fossils include winged Shorea fruits, at least two species of plicate Dipterocarpus leaves, and very common Dryobalanops leaves. We attribute additional leaf taxa to Rhamnaceae (Ziziphus), Melastomataceae, and Araceae (Rhaphidophora), all rare or new fossil records for the region. The dipterocarp leaf dominance contrasts sharply with the family's <1% representation in the palynofloras from the same strata. This result directly demonstrates that dipterocarp pollen is prone to strong taphonomic filtering and underscores the importance of macrofossils for quantifying the timing of the dipterocarps' rise to dominance in the region. Our work shows that complex coastal rainforests dominated by dipterocarps, adjacent to swamps and mangroves and otherwise similar to modern ecosystems, have existed in Borneo for at least 4-5 million years. Our findings add historical impetus for the conservation of these gravely imperiled and extremely biodiverse ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossils constitute the principal repository of data that allow for independent tests of hypotheses of biological evolution derived from observations of the extant biota. Traditionally, transformational series of structure, consisting of sequences of fossils of the same lineage through time, have been employed to reconstruct and interpret morphological evolution. More recently, a move toward an updated paradigm was fueled by the deliberate integration of developmental thinking in the inclusion of fossils in reconstruction of morphological evolution. The vehicle for this is provided by structural fingerprints—recognizable morphological and anatomical structures generated by (and reflective of) the deployment of specific genes and regulatory pathways during development. Furthermore, because the regulation of plant development is both modular and hierarchical in nature, combining structural fingerprints recognized in the fossil record with our understanding of the developmental regulation of those structures produces a powerful tool for understanding plant evolution. This is particularly true when the systematic distribution of specific developmental regulatory mechanisms and modules is viewed within an evolutionary (paleo-evo-devo) framework. Here, we discuss several advances in understanding the processes and patterns of evolution, achieved by tracking structural fingerprints with their underlying regulatory modules across lineages, living and fossil: the role of polar auxin regulation in the cellular patterning of secondary xylem and the parallel evolution of arborescence in lycophytes and seed plants; the morphology and life history of early polysporangiophytes and tracheophytes; the role of modularity in the parallel evolution of leaves in euphyllophytes; leaf meristematic activity and the parallel evolution of venation patterns among euphyllophytes; mosaic deployment of regulatory modules and the diverse modes of secondary growth of euphyllophytes; modularity and hierarchy in developmental regulation and the evolution of equisetalean reproductive morphology. More generally, inclusion of plant fossils in the evo-devo paradigm has informed discussions on the evolution of growth patterns and growth responses, sporophyte body plans and their homology, sequences of character evolution, and the evolution of reproductive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bottom hole temperature of 214 °C at 4700 m shows good potential for the development of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in the ZR2 well, Zhacang geothermal field, China. A reservoir stimulation plan has to be established to optimize the use of this target reservoir, with the objectives of increasing heat extraction and ensuring the service life. In this study, we used the lab parameters, ZR2 well logging data, and inverted in-situ stress data to conduct a numerical investigation to optimize reservoir stimulation and develop geothermal extraction strategies for the granodiorite reservoir at depths of 4100–4700 m. The results indicate that gel-proppant hydraulic fracturing and a two-horizontal-well system are feasible for this tight and unconfined reservoir. An installed capacity of 5.57 MW –6.80 MW and total power generation of 1695 GW · h are expected under the optimal combination of an injection temperature of 7.2 °C, an injection rate of 50 kg/s, and fracture spacing of 50 m during the 30-year operation period. The final production temperature will be maintained at approximately 171.3 °C, and the temperature drop is only 10.7%. The proposed geothermal engineering project will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 0.57–1.98 Mt compared to a fossil fuel plant. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is estimated at 0.0413 $ / kW · h , which is much lower than the industrial electricity price of Qinghai province; thus, this project has significant development potential from an economic perspective. • Two-horizontal-well EGS based on gel-proppant hydraulic fracturing are proposed. • Optimized reservoir stimulation and heat extraction strategies are investigated. • The proposed EGS are evaluated by economic efficiency and environmental influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate saltmarshes and tropical mangrove swamps (mangals) are marine‐influenced, productive ecosystems that enhance nutrient transfers between land and sea and facilitate colonization of lineages between terrestrial and marine habitats. Mangals have existed since the late Cretaceous, but the time of origin of saltmarshes is less clear. On the basis of phylogenetic and fossil evidence for plants and molluscs specialized to these ecosystems, I propose that saltmarsh vegetation of angiosperms began during the latest Eocene to Early Oligocene (35–30 Ma), at least 34 m.y. after the origin of mangals. The plants that colonized saltmarshes then and later have mainly temperate origins, contrasting with the tropical‐forest origins of mangroves. Unlike the plants, the few saltmarsh‐specialized molluscs are derived from tropical lineages and reflect recent colonizations. The development of saltmarshes during the Neogene enhanced near shore productivity along temperate and Arctic coastlines. Saltmarsh vegetation originated at least 35 million years after angiosperm mangroves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neogene plant fossils from low latitudes of China are critical for understanding the history of plant diversity and paleoenvironment in that region. Here we describe well-preserved Cercis fruit fossils from the Fotan Group (~14.7 Ma) in Fujian, southeastern China. Based on detailed morphological and anatomical comparisons with extant and fossil species, we refer to these fossils as Cercis zhangpuensis sp. nov. Cercis zhangpuensis, most similar to C. chinensis A.V. Bunge among extant species of the genus. The currently described species is the southmost fossil record of the genus in Asia. In addition, we have studied cuticle structures of Cercis pod fossils for the first time. The occurrence of Cercis fossils indicates that the genus existed in Fujian, China since the middle Miocene. Available fossil records indicate that Cercis firstly appeared in North America during the Eocene, then spread in Europe and Asia since the Oligocene, with its distribution attaining the peak in the Miocene. We conclude that East Asia may represent one of the major centres of diversification of Cercis in the Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We describe the first evidence of fossil Abies wood from the late early Miocene fossil plant assemblage of Wiesa in east Germany. The comparatively well-preserved piece of xylitic wood was recovered in the kaolin quarry at Hasenberg hill in Wiesa. The Wiesa assemblage is characterized as being allochthonous and partly parautochthonous mass deposits of diaspores, leaves, and wood. The latter component is rather incompletely studied so far. The described fossil is characterized by high rays, mostly uniseriate bordered pits, generally thick and pitted horizontal and tangential ray cell walls, but also partly smooth horizontal ray cell walls, absence of ray tracheids, the occurrence of traumatic resin canals, and rare occurrence of axial parenchyma of two types. This type of fossil wood has been described as Abietoxylon shakhtnaense Blokhina from the Oligo-Miocene of Sakhalin, Russia. Due to nomenclatural issues of Abietoxylon a recombination to Cedroxylon Kraus emend. Gothan is proposed following common practice for affiliation of abietoid fossil wood of Cenozoic age. Cedroxylon shakhtnaense comb. nov. shares anatomical characteristics with the wood of extant Abies Mill., in particular with sections Abies and Grandis , and is most closely related to section Grandis. The properly preserved fossil wood from Wiesa provides the opportunity of applying qualitative and quantitative analyses for testing and discussing its placement in relationship to intra-tree variability and ontogenetic aspects. The first evidence of fossil wood of Abies from Wiesa confirms again the presence of the genus in mid-latitude subtropical zonal vegetation during the beginning of the Miocene Climatic Optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Araucariaceae are currently disjunctively distributed over the Southern Hemisphere, dominating only some restricted habitats. In contrast, fossil representatives of this group from both hemispheres have been reported from the Mesozoic. In the Araripe Basin (northeast Brazil), fossil representatives of Araucariaceae mainly come from the Crato Formation (ca. 120 Ma). They comprise very abundant sterile leafy shoots, rare detached ovuliferous complexes, and dispersed pollen. The morphological variety of the conifer remains showing araucarioid affinities indicates more diversity in the group, which requires investigation. Methodology. Anatomical features were observed using microscopic slides under optical microscopy and with direct observation under SEM. Pivotal results. We describe vegetative shoots of Araucaria violetae sp. nov. on the basis of gross morphological and anatomical characters. The whiplike (pen)ultimate branches bear densely packed helically arranged awl-shaped leaves. Overall, the new species resembles foliage shoots of species of the extant section Eutacta. They could be interpreted either as portions of ultimate shoots of plagiotropic branches or as portions of caducous adventitious shoots. Importantly, we identify mucilage cells in the leaf parenchyma. Conclusions. The new species provides strong evidence for species diversity among Araucaria in the Araripe Basin. Mucilage cells possibly contributed to the water-use efficiency of the fossil plant in a presumed regional hot and semiarid climate. This cell type is present in extant species of the genera Araucaria and Wollemia but absent in extant species of Agathis. However, its presence in Emwadea microcarpa , a fossil stem agathioid, suggests that mucilage cells were lost in stem group agathioids. Thus, our study contributes to the understanding of mucilage cell evolution in Araucariaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Role in Agroecosystems" analyzes the importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in agricultural ecosystems. These symbiotic microorganisms have beneficial effects on plant communities and the ecosystem as a whole. Their function goes beyond plant nutrition, as they also contribute to increased plant productivity and the dynamics of communities and ecosystems. Agroecosystems, on the other hand, are ecosystems modified by humans for food and fiber production, and their relationship with biodiversity is complex. Soil microorganisms play an important role in agroecosystems, influencing processes such as nutrient cycles and crop productivity. Soil microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, play an important role in regulating plant productivity and diversity. These microorganisms can increase the supply of limiting nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, but they can also have negative effects when they act as pathogens or compete for nutrients. In addition, fossil evidence has been found of the presence of AMF in terrestrial plants over 460 million years ago. AMF can also contribute to nutrient mobilization and carbon flow in the soil, as well as the bioremediation of different types of plant stress. The diversity and productivity of plants can be influenced by the presence and diversity of AMF. The article discusses the importance of soil characteristics in the composition of mycorrhizal communities. It is mentioned that studies comparing the occurrence of mycorrhizal species and communities in different types of soil are scarce. It is highlighted that different soil properties, such as organic matter, texture, and the presence of elements such as zinc and magnesium, play a significant role in the composition of the mycorrhizal community. Additionally, it is mentioned that mycorrhizal fungi can influence the structure of the bacterial community and that the intentional movement of introduced mycorrhizal fungi can have negative ecological consequences. The importance of understanding biotic interactions in the soil and the adaptability of mycorrhizal fungi to different environmental conditions is emphasized. The article discusses the impact of the introduction of non-resident arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the diversity and composition of the existing mycorrhizal community. It is mentioned that the introduction of AMF can alter the structure of the resident mycorrhizal community, but it is not known if this is due to a direct effect of the fungus on the plant or a change in the mycorrhizal community. It is also highlighted that the persistence and invasiveness of introduced AMF are difficult to measure in field experiments. It is concluded that it is necessary to understand the mechanisms that govern the community composition of AMF for their sustainable use. The article "Journal of Experimental Botany" presents a series of references and links to other articles and studies related to mycorrhiza, a symbiosis between plants and fungi. These studies range from the evolution of terrestrial plants and their relationship with mycorrhizal fungi to the presence of mycorrhizae in fossils of ancient plants. The importance of mycorrhizae in plant nutrition and their relationship with climate and soil chemistry is also discussed. Additionally, studies on the detection of mycorrhizal fungi in different ecosystems and their potential applications in agriculture and ecological restoration are mentioned. [Extracted from the article]

Research on Polish Mesozoic macroflora has remarkably changed over the last 100 years. Compared with traditional nineteenth-century taxonomical and evolutionary studies, modern research also investigates of fossil plant diversity, plant interactions with the environment and animals, and deep changes in vegetation influenced by environmental and climate change. In this review, we present the most important turning points in Polish Mesozoic macroflora research and the development of cognitive techniques by discussing selected studies carried out by Polish palaeobotanists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Palaeozoic Era, plants conquered the land and covered greater and greater areas from coastal lowlands to highlands. Palaeobotanical data based on macroremains from Polish Palaeozoic strata complete and enrich the picture of these processes. Knowledge about Polish Palaeozoic macrofloras developed significantly in the last hundred years but is very unevenly distributed among successive geological periods. Ordovician and Silurian macrofossils are single finds. Cores from deep boreholes provided significant material for recognition of Early Devonian plants. Carboniferous floras, especially from coal measures, are best known, as they are most numerous in taxa and specimens. Permian floras are very rare. Based on Devonian and Carboniferous fossils, many new, evolutionarily important taxa were proposed and have entered world science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Senado Formation, the knowledge about fossil diatoms flora is quite scarce; in Cuba, general speaking, studies are practically lacking. Determining Distephanosira architecturalis species represented a challenge due to its predominance in high latitudes. The aim of this research is to make public the first record of Distephanosira architecturalis for the Senado Formation in Central Cuba, providing its description based on biological microscopy. Distephanosira architecturalis was observed in sediments from Senado Formation, so its presence represents an extension of knowledge about distribution of taxon's area and, in addition, allows us to consider the lower part of this unit with a stratigraphic distribution from the Middle Eocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successions of Jurassic strata located in the Arctic region normally yield rich assemblages of terrestrially-derived and marine palynomorphs, reflecting relatively warm air and sea-surface temperatures. The land plant floras were prone to the development of local communities and regional provincialism, whereas the marine biotas thrived across extensive open marine areas with high productivity, resulting in the rapid evolution of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) following their earliest fossil record in the Triassic. Dinocysts exhibit low taxonomic richness and provide low biostratigraphic resolution throughout the Lower Jurassic sections. By contrast, they are diverse in Middle and Upper Jurassic strata where they provide excellent biostratigraphic markers for correlating and dating both surface and subsurface sections. Over twenty formal and informal biozonations based on the first and last occurrences of dinocysts have been erected in Alaska, Arctic Canada, the Barents Sea region, Greenland and northern Russia, many of which are correlated with macrofossils, including ammonites, that occur in the same sections. This paper presents a compilation of 214 Jurassic palynostratigraphic events (118 first occurrences and 96 last occurrences) that have regional chronostratigraphic value in the Circum-Arctic, based on their published records. Each event is correlated with the base of a chronostratigraphical unit (including formal stages and sub-Boreal ammonite zones), or as an estimated percentage above the base of the chronostratigraphical unit relative to the entire unit. The relationships of each event to stages and key fossil zonal schemes is shown on chronostratigraphic plots using the 2020 version of TimeScale Creator®. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A megafossil flora (i.e., Shuicheng flora) has been collected from the Upper Permian Longtan Formation coal-bearing rock series in the Wangjiazhai coal district, Shuicheng county, western Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Shuicheng flora, as an important part of the late Permian Cathaysian flora in South China, thrived in warm and humid conditions after the eruption of the Emeishan basalt but disappeared during the end-Permian mass extinction event. Here the fossil plants including 13 species in 9 genera were systematically described and compared. Results of systematic taxonomic studies demonstrate that these fossil plants are dominated by ferns and pteridosperms, followed by some sphenopsids, ginkgophytes and lycopsids. Taphonomic analysis shows that these fossil plants are mainly dominated by parautochthonous burial and accompanied by a small number of heterochthonous burial. Meanwhile, the palaeoecological reconstruction of Shuicheng flora suggests that these plants including lepidodendrids presented tall trees, calamites presented trees, ferns and pteridosperms presented trees, small trees, shrub, microphanerophytes and herbaceous plants, and ginkgopsida presented trees grown on detrital substrates under warm and humid climatic conditions and constituted a portion of the terrestrial landscape in western Guizhou Province during the Wuchiapingian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper underscores the systematic study of the two species Ptilophyllum cutchense (Morris) Bose and Kasat and Ptilophyllum acutifolium (Morris) Bose and Kasat of the genus Ptilophyllum Morris. These species of the bennettitalean flora have been recorded for the first time from a newly discovered fossiliferous sedimentary succession of the Pariwar Formation cropping out near Serawa Village located at about 2 km west of Sanu Village of the Jaisalmer Basin. The investigated Serawa Section entails extremely rich record of undiversified bennettitalean flora. The Ptilophyllum cutchense of this studied succession also presents its first record from the Pariwar Formation of the Jaisalmer Basin. Ribbed axes are also described in this section. The floral record from the exposure near Serawa Village has been found somewhat different from the floral records made by earlier workers from the other known localities of the Pariwar Formation. The presence of leaf impressions, calcareous nannofossils and bioturbations in the successive horizons of the studied succession indicates the presence of shallow marine condition at the time of deposition of the rock unit under present endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a small number of well preserved Late Pennsylvanian plant fossils physically associated with an 8‐cm‐long assumed anthracitic axis on one of the larger rock slabs (phyllite) described by Leo Lesquereux from the Southern Anthracite Field, USA. The fragmentary fossils, not larger than 1.6 mm, resemble microscopically 'fossilized‐cuticles'. Additionally, observed are 10–28 μm diametric bodies reminiscent of spores. Effectively demonstrated is the co‐occurrence of two preservation modes of plant material: (1) as assumed anthracitic axis; and (2), as 'fossilized‐cuticle' in a metamorphic environment. An organometallic process is hypothesized for stabilizing the preservation states with novel research potential for plant‐fossil preservation in an anthracitic terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss a recent assessment by Dörken et al. (2021) regarding the affinities of the Eocene fossil species Huncocladus laubenfelsii from Laguna del Hunco (Patagonia, Argentina). We originally (Andruchow-Colombo et al. , 2019) assigned this species to the conifer family Podocarpaceae as the first certain South American macrofossil record of the phyllocladoid lineage (Huncocladus + Phyllocladus), based on a combination of numerous macro- and micromorphological vegetative characters. However, Dörken et al. (2021) rejected the podocarpaceous affinity of H. laubenfelsii and considered it to be more closely related to the cycad genera Bowenia or Eobowenia. Their assessment was based almost entirely on two cuticular characters, with only superficial consideration of the abundant additional evidence available that included several diagnostic macromorphological features. We review the two characters mentioned by these authors, and other features, and find that their suggestion is contradicted by the available evidence, maintaining our original assignment. Critical characters include presence/absence of a midvein, secondary venation pattern, arrangement and general morphology of the photosynthetic structures, and morphology and disposition of epidermal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protolepidodendralean lycopsid Leclercqia represents one of the best studied Devonian plants, with a worldwide distribution, but is not known from the palaeocontinents that constitute the present northeastern China. Two species of the genus, Leclercqia cf. L. complexa and Leclercqia sp., are described for the first time from the Hanuo Obo Formation of Dong Ujimqin Qi, Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, an area poorly documented by record of early vascular plants. The first species is characterized by three‐dimensional, five‐tipped leaves, which show a long, downwardly recurved, central segment and two pairs of short, lateral segments, while the latter species bears seven‐tipped leaves and more robust axes. Our discovery confirms that the Hanuo Obo Formation is a distinctive lithological unit in Inner Mongolia, and suggests a Middle to Late Devonian (but no later than Frasnian) age for this formation based on the global spatio‐temporal occurrence of Leclercqia. The present finding indicates the spread of protolepidodendraleans to the Xing'an Block, or a part of the Mongolian Block, representing the northernmost distribution of this group during the Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Southern conifers have evolved under different evolutionary pressures compared with northern lineages, but in both regions these plants have undergone extensive extinction and range alteration over the Cenozoic (the last 66 Myr). It is not possible to observe the ecology of fossils directly, but indirect evidence of changes in bioclimatic envelopes can be derived from no‐analogue assemblages (i.e., groups of co‐occurring fossils that have climatically incongruous living relatives). We identify and examine the specific pairs of no‐analogue fossils within assemblages to disentangle the effects of climatic factors on past conifer extinctions and suggest which of these factors are likely to threaten southern conifer biodiversity in the future. Location: Southern Hemisphere. Time period: Cenozoic. Major taxa studied: Conifers. Methods: We use a recently developed method, "hyperoverlap", to identify no‐analogue pairs of southern conifers. We characterize each pair in terms of temperature and precipitation and evaluate temporal patterns in no‐analogue pairs. These analyses represent a novel approach to studying both no‐analogue fossils and past changes in bioclimatic envelopes. Results: We identified 240 no‐analogue pairs in the Cenozoic record of southern conifers. Most (75.4%) observations of no‐analogue pairs are likely to result from a change in the thermal (rather than hydrological) distribution between the fossil taxa and their extant counterparts, regardless of region or assemblage age. Thus, the fossil record shows some thermal lability, but strong hydrological stability in the tolerances of these plants. This implies that most southern conifers have inhabited wet climates through the Cenozoic, which is consistent with physiological evidence suggesting strong conservatism in drought tolerance. Main conclusions: Southern conifers have adapted successfully to a wide range of temperatures, but future changes in rainfall are likely to pose the greatest threat to these plants, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through increased incidence of fire in mesic areas). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1833 and 1836 in England, then in Prussia and finally in France, young botanists experimented with making plant fossils to understand better how such fossils could be formed and how to interpret fossil assemblages. These experiments are described and discussed. Despite these promising beginnings, plant taphonomy was not really developed as a science until much later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal combustion for power generation made up 30% of global CO2 emissions in 2018. To achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global average temperatures below 2°C, power generation must be decarbonized globally by mid‐century. This requires a rapid phase‐out of coal‐fired power generation. However, global coal power expansion continues, mostly in developing countries where electricity demand continues to increase. Since the early 2010s, Southeast Asia's coal power capacity expansion has been among the fastest in the world, following China and India, but its implications for the global climate and regional energy transition remain understudied. Here we examine Southeast Asia's power generation pipeline as of mid‐2020 and evaluate its implications for the region's CO2 emissions over the plant lifetime as well as projected electricity generation between 2020‐2030 in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We find that power plants under construction and planned in Southeast Asia as of 2020 will more than double the region's fossil fuel power generation capacity. If all fossil fuel plants under development are built, Southeast Asia's power sector CO2 emissions will increase by 72% from 2020 to 2030 and long‐term committed emissions will double. Moreover, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, projected electricity generation from fossil fuel plants under development, combined with generation from renewable capacity targets and existing power capacity, will exceed future national electricity demand. As a result, fossil fuel plants will likely be underutilized and/or become stranded assets while also potentially crowding out renewable energy deployment. Plain Language Summary: Fossil fuel power plants lock in CO2 emissions for their multi decades‐long lifetime and interfere with global decarbonization efforts to address climate change. To avoid catastrophic climate change, the world must phase out fossil fuel power plants and transition to a low carbon energy system rapidly. However, Southeast Asia's fossil fuel generation capacity continues to expand. To understand the implications of this fossil fuel fleet expansion for the global climate and regional electricity supply, we analyze the long‐term committed CO2 emissions from operating, under‐construction, and planned fossil fuel plants in the region as well as projected electricity generation in three countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We find that the expanding fossil fuel power fleet in Southeast Asia will double the region's power sector CO2 emissions. Furthermore, it will likely cause an "oversupply" of electricity, which will either result in financial losses and/or will crowd out renewable energy deployment. Power sector planning in Southeast Asia must recognize these risks and ensure a timely transition to low carbon energy. Key Points: Power plants under development in Southeast Asia will double the region's fossil fuel capacity and its committed power sector CO2 emissionsPower supply projections from 2020 to 2030 for fossil fuel plants in Indonesia and the Philippines greatly exceed projected demandCoal and gas plants in Indonesia and the Philippines will likely become stranded assets and/or will crowd out renewable deployment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective communication of taxonomic concepts is crucial to meaningful application in all biological sciences, and thus the development and following of best practices in taxonomy and the formulation of clear and practical rules of nomenclature underpin a wide range of scientific studies. The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (the Code), currently the Shenzhen Code of 2018, provides these rules. Although early versions of the Code were designed mainly with extant plants in mind, the Code has been increasingly used for fossil plants and, in recent decades, for organic-walled microfossils, the study of which is called palaeopalynology, or simply palynology. However, rules embodied in the Code do not fully reflect the needs and practices of this discipline; and taxonomic practices between fossil applications, especially in palynology, have tended to diverge from practices for extant plants. Differences in these rules and practices present specific challenges. We therefore review the Shenzhen Code as it applies to palynology, clarifying procedures and recommending approaches based on best practices, for example, in the designation and use of nomenclatural types. The application of nomenclatural types leads to taxonomic stability and precise communication, and lost or degraded types are therefore problematic because they remove the basis for understanding a taxon. Such problems are addressed using examples from the older European literature in which type specimens are missing or degraded. A review of the three most important conventions for presenting palynological taxonomic information, synonymies, diagnoses/descriptions and illustrations, concludes with recommendations of best practices. Palynology continues to play an important role in biostratigraphy, palaeoenvironmental analyses, and evolutionary studies, and is contributing increasingly to our understanding of past climates and ocean systems. To contribute with full potential to such applied studies, consistent communication of taxonomic concepts, founded upon clear rules of nomenclature, is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trwyn y Parc solution pipes on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK are one of only three onshore Miocene fossil flora bearing sites. Here, we revise the palynostratigraphy and present new palaeoclimate data for this geoheritage site. By comparison to palynological data from northern Europe the age has been refined from Miocene to Middle Miocene, possibly Langhian. This is confirmed by palaeoclimate reconstructions comparable to the German Middle Miocene, especially the Langhian after the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO). This new information not only confirms the regional importance of Trwyn y Parc, but shows it to be of national importance. Our findings show that this Regionally Important Geodiversity Site (RIGs) is of national importance as it is the oldest onshore fossiliferous Neogene deposit in the UK. Based on this, and the unique fossil flora preserved at Trwyn y Parc, the site has significant geoheritage value and should be upgraded to Geological Conservation Review (GCR) status and subsequently protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Insect fluid‐feeding on fossil vascular plants is an inconspicuous and underappreciated mode of herbivory that can provide novel data on the evolution of deep‐time ecological associations and indicate the host‐plant preferences of ancient insect herbivores. Previous fossil studies have documented piercing‐and‐sucking herbivory but often are unable to identify culprit insect taxa.One line of evidence are punctures and scale‐insect impression marks made by piercing‐and‐sucking insects that occasionally provide clues to the systematic identities and relationships of particular insect herbivores.We report here the earliest occurrences of piercing and sucking on early angiosperms as evidenced by scale insect covers, impression marks, punctures and body fossils – notably a mealybug – from the Lower Cretaceous Rose Creek Flora of the Dakota Formation (c. 103 Ma), in southeastern Nebraska, USA. The mealybug, two other scale insect taxa, and several distinctive damage types on laurel leaves and seed‐plant stems at Rose Creek document a diverse guild of piercing‐and‐sucking insects on early angiosperms.The discovery of an Early Cretaceous female mealybug indicates an early herbivorous association with a laurel host. These data provide direct evidence for co‐associations and possible coevolution of scale insects and their plant hosts during early angiosperm diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil and gas potential of the southeast of Western Siberia dictates increased attention to plant phytoleimmas from the Naunak and Tyumen formations. The morphological features of fossil plants are often insufficient for distinguishing horizons or formations within sedimentary strata. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy allows revealing new diagnostic features in the structures of phytofossils. It has been established that the structure of the Czekanowskiales phytoleimmas from the Tyumen Formation, in contrast to those from the Naunak Formation, have a greater number of nitrogen bonds of amino acids and an increased number of oxygen and hydrogen bonds with carbon in the form of carboxyl (1690 cm–1), carbonic (1600 cm–1), and methylene (2920 cm–1) compounds. According to the spectral characteristics of the diffuse reflection of bands at 7500, 4000, 3040, 2920, 2860, 2000, 1690, 1600, 1260, 1090 and 1030 cm–1, indicating to some extent the chemical structure of phytofossils (ancient plants) and herbarium (modern plants), carbon and ether bonds in framework compounds (1600, 1260 cm–1) and bonds of inorganic compounds (1090 cm–1), which are an integral part of organic matter, were revealed in the phytoleimmas of horsetail plants. Consequently, the bonds of the structural elements forming the frame tissues of the plant, while decreasing in quantity during fossilization, retain the appearance of the original tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, demand for electricity has seen a steady increase, with nations striving to meet the demand. However, Nigeria is abysmally struggling to meet the increasing demand with the meagre per capita electricity consumption of 151 kWh, which is lower than the average of per capita electricity in Africa. Presently, the grid-tied electricity installed capacity in Nigeria, estimated at 13,435 MW is primarily generated by fossil and hydro-power plants at approximate distribution of 82.3% and 17.7%, respectively. This work presents single capsule that shows a holistic narrative of the energy access sector in view of energy penetration, sustainability, technology advancement and energy policy evolution. From available records, renewable energy sources in Nigeria are equitably distributed throughout the country, unlike the fossil reserves that are mostly concentrated in the south-south geopolitical zone. Also, there are huge potentials buried within untapped renewable energy in the country, namely wind, small-scale hydropower, geothermal, tidal and biomass energy. Furthermore, cutting edge power generation technologies that incorporate fuel cell, gas-, steam-, and low grade-turbine with carbon capture and fired by dual fuel of natural gas and biomass is promising for both energy access and climate action. The Federal Government of Nigeria's friendly energy policies, coupled with political will to excite implementation are panacea to significantly drive energy access for sustainable socio-economic development. [Display omitted] •The current electricity generation in Nigeria is relatively poor, and below policy targets. •Electricity generation in Nigeria is heavily dominated by high-carbon emission technologies. •Nigeria has huge renewable energy potentials to meet the Sustainable Development Goals SDG-7 and SDG-13. •Natural gas-biomass (gasified) fuelled low-carbon energy conversion technology with CCS is promising in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the concept of Virtual Paleobiology and its applications in the field of paleontology. The use of X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) allows for the virtual representation of fossils, enhancing paleontologists' ability to study and understand the biology, evolution, and ecology of organisms. The article presents various research studies that utilize μCT to analyze marine and terrestrial fossils, including measurements of planktic foraminiferal tests, changes in foraminifera calcification, biostratigraphic analysis of conodont microfossils, and morphological analysis of fossil plants and animal skulls. The article concludes by highlighting the potential of μCT in creating online databases and expressing gratitude to the authors and reviewers who contributed to the research. [Extracted from the article]

B Cover Legend b Xylem and cortical sclerenchyma of I Kenrickia i , a 400 million-year-old fossil plant from the Devonian of Quebec (Canada). Image courtesy of A. M. F. Tomescu (Toledo I et al. i , pp. 914-927). [Extracted from the article]

There can be no doubt that early land plant evolution transformed the planet but, until recently, how and when this was achieved was unclear. Coincidence in the first appearance of land plant fossils and formative shifts in atmospheric oxygen and CO 2 are an artefact of the paucity of earlier terrestrial rocks. Disentangling the timing of land plant bodyplan assembly and its impact on global biogeochemical cycles has been precluded by uncertainty concerning the relationships of bryophytes to one another and to the tracheophytes, as well as the timescale over which these events unfolded. New genome and transcriptome sequencing projects, combined with the application of sophisticated phylogenomic modelling methods, have yielded increasing support for the Setaphyta clade of liverworts and mosses, within monophyletic bryophytes. We consider the evolution of anatomy, genes, genomes and of development within this phylogenetic context, concluding that many vascular plant (tracheophytes) novelties were already present in a comparatively complex last common ancestor of living land plants (embryophytes). Molecular clock analyses indicate that embryophytes emerged in a mid-Cambrian to early Ordovician interval, compatible with hypotheses on their role as geoengineers, precipitating early Palaeozoic glaciations. Donoghue et al. integrate the latest genomic, developmental, and fossil evidence to provide an up-to-date view of the evolution of land plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]