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A new species of the genus Oxycraspedus Kuschel from the tribe Oxycraspedini (Belidae: Oxycoryninae) is described from late Eocene Baltic amber. Oxycraspedus argetus n. sp. is similar to the extant Oxycraspedus minutus but differs in having the elytral interstriae narrower than the striae, large and dense punctation in the striae, a flattened, non-impressed forehead, more convex body and a rostrum about 1.4 times as long as the pronotum. A new species differs from the Baltic amber Oxycraspedus poinari by having the body covered with white elongate scales, a weak convex body and the first tarsomere without a spine. Extinct weevils of this monophagous in Recent genus indicate the presence of their host plants, belonging to the family Araucariaceae (and probable to the genus Araucaria) in the late Eocene Baltic amber forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We studied fossil woods from the Neuquén Basin (Mendoza Province, Argentina). • All the fossil woods are conifers. • One fossil species was found, Agathoxylon antarcticum. • Specimens show rotting patterns and dark globules that resemble bacterial activity. An assemblage of four silicified woods from the Neuquén Group (Upper Cretaceous) collected in the Cara Cura Mountain Range, southwest of Mendoza Province, Argentina is described. The specimens are composed of secondary xylem, and the preservation varies among them. Two specimens were assigned to Agathoxylon antarcticum (Poole et Cantrill) Pujana et al., related to Araucariaceae. This fossil-species is characterized by its distinct growth ring boundaries, uni- to biseriate araucarian pitting on tracheid radial walls, and araucarioid cross-fields. Other specimens could not be assigned to a fossil-genus because of their poor preservation, but they show a conifer anatomy. The distinct growth ring boundaries of some specimens suggest annual seasonality. Additionally, the presence of small globose structures in areas of highly degraded secondary xylem is consistent with the erosion bacteria type observed in modern and fossil woods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The mid-Cretaceous is an important time for the diversification of forests globally, including the rise to dominance of the angiosperms and the beginning of the isolation of Zealandia. In New Zealand, little information is available on the mid-Cretaceous xyloflora. New specimens of fossil wood from the mid-Cretaceous Tupuangi Formation were collected from Waihere Bay, Pitt Island, Chatham Islands, of which 16 well-preserved samples were identified, representing Araucariaceae (Agathoxylon , 5 samples), Cupressaceae (Taxodioxylon and Cupressinoxylon , one sample each), Podocarpaceae (Protophyllocladoxylon , one sample), and the 'Group B' and 'Group C' Mesozoic conifers (four samples each) defined in Bamford & Philippe (2008). Of these, only Taxodioxylon had been identified previously from the Tupuangi Formation. Two new species are erected, Cupressoxylon dianneae sp. nov. and Protophyllocladoxylon jacobusii sp. nov. These records are important for understanding the mid-Cretaceous flora of New Zealand and the history of the unique modern flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) in conifers is usually characterized as a multi-step process starting with the development of proembryogenic cell masses and followed by histodifferentiation, somatic embryo development, maturation, desiccation, and plant regeneration. Our current understanding of conifers' SE is mainly derived from studies using Pinaceae species as a model. However, the evolutionary relationships between conifers are not clear. Some hypotheses consider conifers as a paraphyletic group and Gnetales as a closely related clade. In this review, we used an integrated approach in order to cover the advances in knowledge on SE in conifers and Gnetales, discussing the state-of-the-art and shedding light on similarities and current bottlenecks. With this approach, we expect to be able to better understand the integration of these clades within current studies on SE. Finally, the points discussed raise an intriguing question: are non-Pinaceae conifers less prone to expressing embryogenic competence and generating somatic embryos as compared to Pinaceae species? The development of fundamental studies focused on this morphogenetic route in the coming years could be the key to finding a higher number of points in common between these species, allowing the success of the SE of one species to positively affect the success of another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Until now, Wollemia nobilis was thought to differ from all other members of the Araucariaceae in having unbranched primary branches, except following some instances of traumatic damage to the branch apex. This paper reports on the serendipitous discovery of abundant secondary branching on seedling Wollemi pines. Aims: I document the occurrence of secondary branches from axillary meristems, along the whole length of annual growth cycles of primary branches. Methods: The abundance and location of secondary branching was observed, photographed and documented in over 90 nursery seedlings being grown for sale across two growing seasons. Key results: Secondary buds and both secondary and tertiary branches occurred on 1-year-old primary branch segments on numerous seedlings being grown under standard commercial-nursery conditions. Conclusions: Wollemia is capable of secondary and tertiary branch development without traumatic injury to the primary or secondary branch apex, thus confirming an earlier report that all or nearly all leaf axils in Wollemia may contain viable axillary meristems. This contradicts previous expectations that secondary branches will not develop without prior apical trauma to primary branches. Implications: Secondary branching, as reported here, opens the door to further assessment of the fossil record for specimens that may broaden the concept of Wollemia and possibly its former distribution. The occurrence of these secondary branches should allow a reconsideration of the characters that distinguish the genus from other members of the family. They also broaden the understanding of the evolutionary potential of the species. Wollemia are distinguished from other members of their family by their long, unbranched, short-lived primary branches. An abundance of secondary branches, growing from the axils of leaves of primary branches of Wollemi pines were found on many seedlings. Tertiary branches growing from the leaf axils of the secondaries were also produced. The cause of this branching is known, but confirmed the prediction that buds occur in every leaf axil. The fossil record and evolutionary links of Wollemia to other Araucariaceae should be re-examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agathis (Araucariaceae) is a genus of broadleaved conifers that today inhabits lowland to upper montane rainforests of Australasia and Southeast Asia. A previous report showed that the earliest known fossils of the genus, from the early Paleogene and possibly latest Cretaceous of Patagonian Argentina, host diverse assemblages of insect and fungal associations, including distinctive leaf mines. Here, we provide complete documentation of the fossilized Agathis herbivore communities from Cretaceous to Recent, describing and comparing insect and fungal damage on Agathis across four latest Cretaceous to early Paleogene time slices in Patagonia with that on 15 extant species. Notable fossil associations include various types of external foliage feeding, leaf mines, galls, and a rust fungus. In addition, enigmatic structures, possibly armored scale insect (Diaspididae) covers or galls, occur on Agathis over a 16-million-year period in the early Paleogene. The extant Agathis species, throughout the range of the genus, are associated with a diverse array of mostly undescribed damage similar to the fossils, demonstrating the importance of Agathis as a host of diverse insect herbivores and pathogens and their little-known evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assemblage of 22 fossil woods was collected from sandstones of the Solari/Botucatú Formation, Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, at Paraje Tres Cerros, Corrientes Province, Argentina. The preservation of most fossils is poor. However, twelve samples have radial pitting and a few cross-fields preserved. These characters allow the assignment of fossil woods to the Araucariaceae. All the fossils seem to be of the same taxonomic unit with the following main characteristics: growth ring boundaries distinct (poorly marked), intertracheary araucarian radial pitting, uni- to biseriate bordered pits, wide tracheids, araucarioid cross-field pitting, uniseriate rays, and absence of axial parenchyma and resin canals. The fossils were assigned to cf. Agathoxylon Hartig. The size of the fossil woods and the growth ring curvatures indicate that the samples were part of big trees. The width of the growth rings also indicates significant annual growth. The taxonomic assignment suggests that monospecific forests of Araucariaceae developed in the area. This is the record of the first Mesozoic fossil remains from the Corrientes Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of improving the knowledge on Triassic conifers resides in that the modern clades originated during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic. More than 30 conifer-like fossil woods are known from the Triassic strata of Argentina. Whereas some have not been linked to any family, others have been related to the "Protopinaceae", Taxaceae, Podocarpaceae, Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, or Hirmeriellaceae (=Cheirolepidiaceae). The diversity of woods with anatomy close to derived conifers contrasts with the scarce Triassic record of leaves and micro and megasporangiate cones, which could be explained by a combination of taphonomic and evolutionary causes. In order to provide information to resolve this controversy, the anatomy and systematic affinities of Triassic permineralized conifer-like trunks and woods described to date for Argentina were reassessed. As a result of this review, it emerged that the woods previously assigned to Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae do not have enough preserved characters to support such assignment, or they have characters that are homoplasic in the context of Mesozoic gymnosperms and therefore their affinity is ambiguous. On the contrary, the reevaluation of the woods related to the Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae and Hirmeriellaceae (=Cheirolepidiaceae) allows us to support their affinity with these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe 21 silicified woods from the Kachaike Formation (Albian, mid-Cretaceous), collected in the Tucu Tucu Ranch, westcentral Santa Cruz Province, Argentinean Patagonia. The specimens are composed entirely of secondary xylem, and their preservation varies among them. Anatomical studies indicate that they are conifers related to the families Araucariaceae and Hirmeriellaceae (=Cheirolepidiaceae) and are placed into two fossil species: Agathoxylon antarcticum and Brachyoxylon patagonicum. All the specimens studied show marked growth rings, indicating annual seasonality. Decay patterns similar to those produced by modern xylophagous fungi are also recognized. The presence of Araucariaceae and Hirmeriellaceae fossil woods allows a better understanding of the paleoflora of the Kachaike Formation, based previously only on palynological and fossil leaf studies. In addition, it provides additional information regarding conifers' dominance of the tree canopy during the Cretaceous of Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although conifers have very homogeneous wood anatomical structure, some of their features allow differentiation of genera or groups of genera. Softwood anatomy is reviewed and the authors have added contributions, grouping features in five blocks (axial tracheids, axial parenchyma, rays, resin canals and mineral inclusions), with special attention to their diagnostic value at the family, genus or species levels. The discussion addresses, in axial tracheids: growth rings, intercellular spaces, pit arrangement, presence of scalloped tori, torus extensions, notches, warty layer, organic deposits, helical and callitroid thickenings, bars of Sanio and trabeculae; in axial parenchyma: presence or absence, arrangement and type of transverse end walls; in rays: composition, type of horizontal and end walls and cross-field pitting; in resin canals: epithelium and the presence of normal or traumatic resin canals; and in mineral inclusions: presence or absence. Wood structure is characterised at the family level, discussing the main elements that can be used for diagnosis at the genus level or in groups of genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first phytochemical analysis on the leaves of Agathis microstachya J.F. Bailey & C.T. White collected in Rome was reported in this work. The study evidenced the presence of four compounds i.e., 7,4'''-dimethoxy-agathisflavone (1), 7,7''-dimethoxy-cupressuflavone (2), dactylifric acid (3) and shikimic acid (4) which were identified by means of spectroscopic techniques. Compounds (1, 2, 4) were reported in the species for the first time as well as this is the second report on the presence of dactylifric acid (3) in the whole Araucariaceae family. The absence of diterpenoids from the studied accession is also important. All these chemotaxonomic aspects were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Biodiversity hotspots harbor 77% of endemic plant species. Patagonian Temperate Forest (PTF) is a part of a biodiversity hotspot, but over the past centuries, has been over-exploited, fragmented and replaced with exotic species plantations, lately also threatened by climate change. Objectives: Our aim is to better understand patterns of habitat suitability and niche overlap of nine endemic gymnosperm species, key elements of the PTF, complementing traditional approaches of biodiversity conservation. Methods: Using R packages and 3016 occurrence data, we deployed ecological niche models (ENM) in MaxEnt via kuenm, and classified species according to Rabinowitz's types of rarity. We then overlapped their niches calculating Schoener's D index, and considered types of rarity in a spatial ecological context. Finally, we overlay high species' suitability and protected areas and detected conservation priorities using GapAnalysis. Results: We generated simplified ENMs for nine Patagonian gymnosperms and found that most niches overlap, and only one species displayed a unique niche. Surprisingly, we found that three species have divergent suitability of habitats across the landscape and not related with previously published geographic structure of neutral genetic variation. We showed that the rarer a species is the smaller niche volume tend to have, that six out of nine studied species have high conservation priority, and that there are conservation gaps in the PTF. Conclusion: Our approach showed that there are unprotected suitable areas for native key species at high risk in PTF. Suggesting that integrating habitat-suitability models of multiple species, types of rarity, and niche overlap, can be a handy tool to identify potential conservation areas in global biodiversity hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) in conifers is usually characterized as a multi-step process starting with the development of proembryogenic cell masses and followed by histodifferentiation, somatic embryo development, maturation, desiccation, and plant regeneration. Our current understanding of conifers’ SE is mainly derived from studies using Pinaceae species as a model. However, the evolutionary relationships between conifers are not clear. Some hypotheses consider conifers as a paraphyletic group and Gnetales as a closely related clade. In this review, we used an integrated approach in order to cover the advances in knowledge on SE in conifers and Gnetales, discussing the state-of-the-art and shedding light on similarities and current bottlenecks. With this approach, we expect to be able to better understand the integration of these clades within current studies on SE. Finally, the points discussed raise an intriguing question: are non-Pinaceae conifers less prone to expressing embryogenic competence and generating somatic embryos as compared to Pinaceae species? The development of fundamental studies focused on this morphogenetic route in the coming years could be the key to finding a higher number of points in common between these species, allowing the success of the SE of one species to positively affect the success of another.

Premise: The Cenozoic Macquarie Harbour Formation (MHF) hosts one of the oldest and southernmost post-Cretaceous fossil plant assemblages in Australia. Coinciding with the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO) and predating the breakup of Australia from Antarctica, it offers critical data to study the diversity and extent of the Austral Polar Forest Biome, and the floristic divergence between Australasia and South America resulting from the Gondwana breakup., Methods: The micromorphology and macromorphology of new fossil plant compressions from the MHF were described and systematically analyzed. Previously published non-flowering plant records were reviewed and revised. Macrofossil abundance data were provided. The flora was compared with other early Paleogene assemblages from across the Southern Hemisphere., Results: Twelve species of non-flowering plants were identified from the macrofossil record. Conifers include Araucariaceae (Araucaria macrophylla, A. readiae, A. timkarikensis sp. nov., and Araucarioides linearis), Podocarpaceae (Acmopyle glabra, Dacrycarpus mucronatus, Podocarpus paralungatikensis sp. nov., and Retrophyllum sp.), and Cupressaceae (Libocedrus microformis). Dacrycarpus linifolius was designated a junior synonym of D. mucronatus. Further components include a cycad (Bowenia johnsonii, Zamiaceae), a pteridosperm (Komlopteris cenozoicus, Umkomasiaceae), and a fern (Lygodium dinmorphyllum, Schizaeaceae)., Conclusions: The fossil assemblage represents a mixed near-polar forest with a high diversity of conifers. The morphology and preservation of several species indicate adaptations to life at high latitudes. The coexistence of large- and small-leaved conifers implies complex, possibly open forest structures. Comparisons with contemporaneous assemblages from Argentina support a circumpolar biome during the EECO, reaching from southern Australia across Antarctica to southern South America., (© 2024 The Author(s). American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America.)

This paper describes a petrified trunk collected from a conglomerate bed of the Springhill Formation (Berriasian–Valanginian) in the Estancia El Álamo locality, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The fossil trunk is classified within theubiquitous genus Agathoxylon and the wood anatomy shows a close affinity to that of Araucariaceae. This Patagonianwood has a distinct combination of anatomical characteristics unique among all known species from the Jurassic andCretaceous of Western Gondwana allowing to diagnose a new fossil taxon Agathoxylon mendezii sp. nov. Sedimentologicaland megafloristic proxies of the Springhill Formation suggest that Agathoxylon mendezii sp. nov. grew under awarm and wet climate, which indicates a subtropical to temperate palaeoenvironment. However, the large number of frostrings in the earlywood of this araucarian tree suggests that the palaeoenvironment at Estancia El Álamo was subjected torecurrent disturbances, most likely caused by regional continuous volcanic activity originating from volcanoes locatedfar away to the west. This activity would have produced periodic stratospheric veils that promoted rapid decreases insurface air temperature; the wood response to such stressful conditions would have been the formation of numerous (atleast five) frost rings. Although recurrent eruptions in Patagonia during the Early Cretaceous are well recorded, this studyis the first to register eruptions recorded in a coniferous wood.

Although conifers have very homogeneous wood anatomical structure, some of their features allow differentiation of genera or groups of genera. Softwood anatomy is reviewed and the authors have added contributions, grouping features in five blocks (axial tracheids, axial parenchyma, rays, resin canals and mineral inclusions), with special attention to their diagnostic value at the family, genus or species levels. The discussion addresses, in axial tracheids: growth rings, intercellular spaces, pit arrangement, presence of scalloped tori, torus extensions, notches, warty layer, organic deposits, helical and callitroid thickenings, bars of Sanio and trabeculae; in axial parenchyma: presence or absence, arrangement and type of transverse end walls; in rays: composition, type of horizontal and end walls and cross-field pitting; in resin canals: epithelium and the presence of normal or traumatic resin canals; and in mineral inclusions: presence or absence. Wood structure is characterised at the family level, discussing the main elements that can be used for diagnosis at the genus level or in groups of genera.

Bark beetles, fossil wood, Upper Cretaceous, wood-colonizing fungi, Araucariaceae, Ascomycota Here we describe a fungus colonizing wood of the extinct conifer I Agathoxylon i Hartig from the Upper Cretaceous Mzamba Formation of Pondoland (South Africa), and we draw comparisons with a blue stain fungus colonizing the wood of extant I Pinus strobus i . Keywords: Araucariaceae; Ascomycota; bark beetles; fossil wood; Upper Cretaceous; wood-colonizing fungi EN Araucariaceae Ascomycota bark beetles fossil wood Upper Cretaceous wood-colonizing fungi 1032 1037 6 01/10/22 20220201 NES 220201 Introduction Fossil fungi are frequently observed in association with fossil plants in a geological record that dates back over 400 Myr to the beginning of the Devonian Period (e.g. Strullu-Derrien I et al i ., 2014, 2018; Taylor I et al i ., 2015; Krings I et al i ., 2018; Krings & Harper, 2019). In most modern trees, two types of wood can be recognized: sapwood is the outer, pale-coloured wood, and heartwood the inner, mostly darker wood (Githiomi & Dougal, 2012). [Extracted from the article]

The marine Quaternary (Chaudian) terrace V in the outskirts of Sudak accommodates layers saturated with lenses and fragments of fossil coal scrutinized by the lithological, coal petrographical, and paleobotanical methods. The results show that this brown coal of the vitrinite composition can be defined as gagate (or jet), a variety of the humic coal formed mainly from the remnants of Araucariaceae or similar coniferous taxa. In terms of the microtexture and composition of plant remnants, this coal is similar to that in the basement bed of terrace V and was likely redeposited from sediments of the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) Kopsel Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Amber has been reported from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation, as isolated clasts or within plant tissues. Undescribed cones of uncertain gymnosperm affinity have also been recovered with amber preserved in situ. Here, we provide multiple lines of evidence to determine the botanical affinity of this enigmatic, conspicuous cone type, and to better understand the diversity of amber-source plants present in the Crato Formation and beyond. Results A new taxon of amber-bearing pollen cone Araripestrobus resinosus gen. nov. et sp. nov. is described here from complete cones and characteristic disarticulated portions. The best-preserved cone portion has both in situ amber infilling the resin canals inside the preserved microsporophyll tissues and pollen of the Eucommiidites-type. This places this genus within the Erdtmanithecales, an incompletely known gymnosperm group from the Mesozoic. FTIR analysis of the in situ amber indicates a potential araucariacean conifer affinity, although affinity with cupressacean conifers cannot be definitely ruled out. Pyr-GC-MS analysis of the Araripestrobus resinosus gen. nov. et sp. nov. in situ fossil resin shows that it is a mature class Ib amber, thought to indicate affinities with araucariacean and cupressacean, but not pinaceous, conifers. This is the first confirmed occurrence of this class of amber in the Crato Formation flora and in South America, except for an archaeological sample from Laguna Guatavita, Colombia. Conclusions The combined results of the cones’ novel gross morphology and the analyses of the in situ amber and pollen clearly indicate that the new taxon of resinous gymnosperm pollen cones from the Crato Formation is affiliated with Erdtmanithecales. The cone morphology is very distinct from all known pollen cone types of this extinct plant group. We therefore assume that the plant group that produced Eucommiidites-type pollen is much more diverse in habits than previously thought. Moreover, the diversity of potential amber source plants from the Crato Formation is now expanded beyond the Araucariaceae and the Cheirolepidiaceae to include this member of the Erdtmanithecales. Despite dispersed Eucommiidites pollen being noted from the Crato Formation, this is the first time macrofossils of Erdtmanithecales have been recognized from the Early Cretaceous of South America.

The gymnosperms are a taxon of plants that release large amounts of pollen. Some genera of this group are specifically studied because their pollen is known to be the cause of respiratory diseases. The medical interest in allergenic bioaerosol has led to the need for daily aerobiological monitoring. The technique applied involves the use of an instrument that aspirates a volume of air corresponding to human inhalation and the identification under the light microscope of the allergenic bio-particulate present. Morphology alone does not allow to distinguish the non-saccate pollen thus they are attributed to a single category, i.e., Cupressaceae-Taxaceae, without distinction between genera belonging to the different families. This research represents an attempt to overcome the difficulties in the recognition of non-saccate gymnosperm pollen. Twenty-one species belonging to the Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, and Taxaceae families were selected in Perugia (Umbria, central Italy). The most common species and other less widespread ones were selected, all characterized by non-saccate pollen. The results obtained allowed us to identify four morphologies: aperturoidate, areolate-papillate, areolate-porate, and porate. This study provides further knowledge regarding the morphological characteristics of these pollen grains, in order to overcome the general definition of inaperturates attributed to the pollen of some gymnosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a petrified trunk collected from a conglomerate bed of the Springhill Formation (Berriasian-Valanginian) in the Estancia El Álamo locality, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The fossil trunk is classified within the ubiquitous genus Agathoxylon and the wood anatomy shows a close affinity to that of Araucariaceae. This Patagonian wood has a distinct combination of anatomical characteristics unique among all known species from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of Western Gondwana allowing to diagnose a new fossil taxon Agathoxylon mendezii sp. nov. Sedimentological and megafloristic proxies of the Springhill Formation suggest that Agathoxylon mendezii sp. nov. grew under a warm and wet climate, which indicates a subtropical to temperate palaeoenvironment. However, the large number of frost rings in the earlywood of this araucarian tree suggests that the palaeoenvironment at Estancia El Álamo was subjected to recurrent disturbances, most likely caused by regional continuous volcanic activity originating from volcanoes located far away to the west. This activity would have produced periodic stratospheric veils that promoted rapid decreases in surface air temperature; the wood response to such stressful conditions would have been the formation of numerous (at least five) frost rings. Although recurrent eruptions in Patagonia during the Early Cretaceous are well recorded, this study is the first to register eruptions recorded in a coniferous wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Message: In Araucaria angustifolia, the seed scale is part of the ovule, the female gametophyte presents a monosporic origin and arises from a coenocytic tetrad, and the pollen tube presents a single axis. The seed cone of conifers has many informative features, and its ontogenetic data may help interpret relationships among function, development patterns, and homology among seed plants. We reported the seed cone development, from pollination to pre-fertilization, including seed scale, ovule ontogeny, and pollen tube growth in Araucaria angustifolia. The study was performed using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT). During the pollination period, the ovule arises right after the seed scale has emerged. From that event to the pre-fertilization period takes about 14 months. Megasporogenesis occurs three weeks after ovule formation, producing a coenocytic tetrad. At the same time as the female gametophyte's first nuclear division begins, the pollen tube grows through the seed scale adaxial face. Until maturity, the megagametophyte goes through the free nuclei stage, cellularization stage, and cellular growth stage. Along its development, many pollen tubes develop in the nucellar tissue extending straight toward the female gametophyte. Our observations show that the seed scale came out of the same primordia of the ovule, agreeing with past studies that this structure is part of the ovule itself. The formation of a female gametophyte with a monosporic origin that arises from a coenocytic tetrad was described for the first time in conifers, and the three-dimensional reconstruction of the ovule revealed the presence of pollen tubes with only one axis and no branches, highlighting a new pattern of pollen tube growth in Araucariaceae., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The updated taxonomic revision of the Early-Middle Ordovician graptolites from the eastern Argentine Puna allows describing Sigmagraptus praecursor, Baltograptus extremus, B. geometricus, B. vacillans, Cymatograptus protobalticus, Expansograptus constrictus, E. pusillus, E. similis, and Corymbograptus v-fractus tullbergi for the first time in this region. The analyzed material was collected from the volcano-sedimentary deposits assigned to the Cochinoca-Escaya Magmatic-Sedimentary Complex and exposed at the Muñayoc and Santa Rosa sections, Jujuy Province. This taxonomic analysis confirms the occurrence of 23 taxa in the studied region, from which S. praecursor, B. extremus, and E. pusillus were not previously documented in South America. Additionally, it contributes to the clarification of the faunal graptolite affinities earlier postulated for Northwestern Argentina. Quantitative paleobiogeographic analyses of clusters and principal coordinates were carried out, including the described species and previous certain graptolite assignations for the Puna region, to quantify its faunal affinities with Baltoscandia, Great Britain, North America, and Southwestern China. Finally, our results are discussed and compared with those formerly obtained in paleobiogeographic analyses based on different fossil groups from Northwestern Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new coral Heteroamphiastrea loeseri gen. et sp. nov., Family Carolastraeidae, Superfamily Heterocoenioidea, is described from the lower Aptian of the Lindi region (Tendaguru area) in southeast Tanzania. The new genus is characterised by a cerioid colony type, an underdeveloped septal system with bilateral symmetry defined by a strong main septum with secondary outgrowths and the presence of a marginarium. Overall, this monospecific genus shows skeletal features of the family Carolastraeidae, but like other genera of the family, it shares some morphological features with the families Heterocoeniidae (Heterocoenioidea) and Amphiastreidae (Amphiastreoidea). Heteroamphiastrea gen. nov. exemplifies corals with relatively rare morphology. They are the most controversial Mesozoic corals without consensus on highrank taxonomy. Heterocoenioidea and Amphiastreoidea have been recently classified into the suborder Heterocoeniina, Amphiastreina or Pachythecaliina, separately or together. Further, they were classified into the Order Scleractinia or into the extinct Order Hexanthiniaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Araripe Basin, located in the Northeast of Brazil, contains many fossils. Among these, the gymnosperms stand out, especially species of the fossil taxon Brachyphyllum. It encompasses conifer shoots with helically arranged scale-like, adpressed leaves whose length does not exceed the width. This foliage morphotype was widely distributed during the Mesozoic, and species accommodated in this genus can be attributed to different families if their anatomical characters are taken into consideration. In the Araripe basin, specifically in the Crato and Romualdo formations, Brachyphyllum obesum is frequently found and was attributed to the family Araucariaceae based on leaf epidermal and xylem characters. In this work, we describe a new species from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Brachyphyllum sattlerae sp. nov., based on the following morphological and anatomical features: sub-main shoots with lateral branches oppositely disposed and almost exclusively decussately arranged leaves; scarious leaf margins; rugose abaxial leaf surfaces; non-papillate epidermal cells; stomata distributed in longitudinal rows except close to the leaf margins and scarce at the leaf base; stomatal openings obliquely oriented; and hypodermis with a sinuous pattern around the substomatal chamber. Some of these features are distinctive of Araucariaceae, which indicates that B. sattlerae sp. nov. also belongs to this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Eocene floras of Patagonia document biotic response to the final separation of Gondwana. The conifer genus Araucaria, distributed worldwide during the Mesozoic, has a disjunct extant distribution between South America and Australasia. Fossils assigned to Australasian Araucaria Sect. Eutacta usually are represented by isolated organs, making diagnosis difficult. Araucaria pichileufensis E.W. Berry, from the middle Eocene Río Pichileufú (RP) site in Argentine Patagonia, was originally placed in Sect. Eutacta and later reported from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco (LH) locality. However, the relationship of A. pichileufensis to Sect. Eutacta and the conspecificity of the Araucaria material among these Patagonian floras have not been tested using modern methods. Methods: We review the type material of A. pichileufensis alongside large (n = 192) new fossil collections of Araucaria from LH and RP, including multi‐organ preservation of leafy branches, ovuliferous complexes, and pollen cones. We use a total evidence phylogenetic analysis to analyze relationships of the fossils to Sect. Eutacta. Results: We describe Araucaria huncoensis sp. nov. from LH and improve the whole‐plant concept for Araucaria pichileufensis from RP. The two species respectively resolve in the crown and stem of Sect. Eutacta. Conclusions: Our results confirm the presence and indicate the survival of Sect. Eutacta in South America during early Antarctic separation. The exceptionally complete fossils significantly predate several molecular age estimates for crown Eutacta. The differentiation of two Araucaria species demonstrates conifer turnover during climate change and initial South American isolation from the early to middle Eocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many fossil and molecular data suggest migrations from Malesia and Asia to Australia appear to dominate floristic exchange between Australian and Asian rainforests, evidence is emerging that demonstrate dispersal of plant groups from Australia to Asia. In this paper, a new species Agathis ledongensis sp. nov. is described on the basis of silicified wood from the late Oligocene–early Miocene of the Qiutangling Formation in Ledong, Hainan Island, South China. It is the first fossil record of Agathis in the Northern Hemisphere, and the only known fossil evidence of its dispersal outside of Gondwana. The close affinity of the fossil wood from Ledong with the genus Agathis was confirmed by comparing quantitative traits in 31 wood samples of 20 species representing all three extant genera of the Araucariaceae. The percentage of tracheids with uniseriate pitting on radial walls is shown as an additional diagnostic trait for separating Agathis and Wollemia from Araucaria. The wood of Agathis ledongensis provides evidence for the dispersal of this important plant group from Australia, or another Gondwanan terrane, to eastern Asia based on reliable fossil data. It records the occurrence of this genus in Hainan Island by the early Miocene, i.e. at the beginning of the formation of the island chains between Australia and the South-East Asia and thus the provision of a land migration route. As the land routes between these continents were restricted at that time, the migration of Agathis to Malesia and Asia was presumably facilitated by long-distance dispersal of its winged seeds by wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. We collate and interpret previously undescribed foliar material of Araucaria section Eutacta from Australian Cenozoic sediments. Methodology. The fossils we describe here were collected over several decades and were identified by direct comparisons with extant and fossil species using light and scanning electron microscopy. Pivotal results. Fossil leaves and leafy shoots of three new species of Araucaria section Eutacta (A. macrophylla , A. mollifolia , and A. balfourensis), along with new records of the previously described A. planus , are described from eight localities in southeastern Australia, spanning the early Eocene to the early Miocene. Conclusions. These well-preserved fossils add significantly to our knowledge of Araucaria and confirm the dominance of the section Eutacta compared with other sections in the region during that time. The range of leaf morphology exhibited is similar to that seen in extant New Caledonian species and probably reflects past phases of radiation in similar wet climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge about plant miRNAs has increased exponentially, with thousands of miRNAs been reported in different plant taxa using high throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools. Nevertheless, several groups of plants remain unexplored, and the gap of knowledge about conifer miRNAs is considerable. There is no sequence or functional information available on miRNAs in Araucariaceae. This group is represented in Brazil by only one species, Araucaria angustifolia, an endangered species known as Brazilian pine. In the present study, Brazilian pine has its transcriptome explored with respect to small RNAs, representing the first description in a member of the Araucariaceae family. The screening for conserved miRNAs in Brazilian pine revealed 115 sequences of 30 miRNA families. A total of 106 precursors sequences were predicted. Forty one comprised conserved miRNAs from 16 families, whereas 65 were annotated as novel miRNAs. The comparison of Brazilian pine precursors with sRNA libraries of other five conifer species indicates that 9 out 65 novel miRNAs are conserved among gymnosperms, while 56 seems to be specific for Brazilian pine or restricted to Araucariaceae family. Analysis comparing novel Brazilian pine miRNAs precursors and Araucaria cunninghamii RNA-seq data identified seven orthologs between both species. Mature miRNA identified by bioinformatics predictions were validated using stem-loop RT-qPCR assays. The expression pattern of conserved and novel miRNAs was analyzed in five different tissues of 3-month-old Araucaria seedlings. The present study provides insights about the nature and composition of miRNAs in an Araucariaceae species, with valuable information on miRNAs diversity and conservation in this taxon.

A new fossil conifer Araucaria rothwellii J.Kvaček from the Campanian-Maastrichtian marine sediments of the Bozova Formation in southeastern Turkey is described based on leaf compressions and leaf impressions. The new species is characterized by twigs possessing helically arranged broadly lanceolate leaves with attenuate apexes and slightly narrowed bases. Amphistomatic leaves bear stomata arranged in rows surrounded by four to six subsidiary cells; the rows are longitudinal to the leaf margin. Ordinary epidermal cells are elongately rhomboidal with straight or slightly undulate anticlinal walls. Comparisons with already published fossil species and recent species are provided. The new fossil species A. rothwellii is similar in macro- and micromorphology to extant A. bidwillii , which is indigenous to Queensland in northeast Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge about plant miRNAs has increased exponentially, with thousands of miRNAs been reported in different plant taxa using high throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools. Nevertheless, several groups of plants remain unexplored, and the gap of knowledge about conifer miRNAs is considerable. There is no sequence or functional information available on miRNAs in Araucariaceae. This group is represented in Brazil by only one species, Araucaria angustifolia , an endangered species known as Brazilian pine. In the present study, Brazilian pine has its transcriptome explored with respect to small RNAs, representing the first description in a member of the Araucariaceae family. The screening for conserved miRNAs in Brazilian pine revealed 115 sequences of 30 miRNA families. A total of 106 precursors sequences were predicted. Forty one comprised conserved miRNAs from 16 families, whereas 65 were annotated as novel miRNAs. The comparison of Brazilian pine precursors with sRNA libraries of other five conifer species indicates that 9 out 65 novel miRNAs are conserved among gymnosperms, while 56 seems to be specific for Brazilian pine or restricted to Araucariaceae family. Analysis comparing novel Brazilian pine miRNAs precursors and Araucaria cunninghamii RNA-seq data identified seven orthologs between both species. Mature miRNA identified by bioinformatics predictions were validated using stem-loop RT-qPCR assays. The expression pattern of conserved and novel miRNAs was analyzed in five different tissues of 3-month-old Araucaria seedlings. The present study provides insights about the nature and composition of miRNAs in an Araucariaceae species, with valuable information on miRNAs diversity and conservation in this taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An undescribed labdane-like diterpene with a rare spiro-β-lactone function was identified from the ethanol extract of the male cones of the coniferous tree Wollemia nobilis. This spirolabdadienolide (IUPAC name: syn - ent -8(17),13-labdadien-19,18-olid-15-oic acid methyl ester; trivial name: wollemolide), was isolated by means of traditional and high performance chromatography techniques and structurally elucidated through NMR and MS. In addition, six further known metabolites were evidenced in the extract. Wollemolide, which may be considered an additional chemotaxonomic marker, and 4′- O -methyl-scutellarein, a simple flavonoid, had not been isolated in our previous phytochemical study on the same plant organ. This demonstrates how the molecular pattern of a plant species is in continuous movement and changes with the passing of time according to the climate of the year. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A reassessment of Wollemia nobilis male cones was carried out. • An undescribed syn - ent -labdadiene derivative was isolated. • A seasonal variability of metabolites was observed. • This is the first report on the presence of simple flavonoids in W. nobilis. • The chemosystematic relevance of isolated compounds was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are reports of permineralised woods in Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata in Mexico, there are few palaeobotanical studies based on coniferous stems. Four taxa of fossil wood from three localities in Mexico are described at the anatomical level and identified taxonomically based on detailed comparisons with woods of extant and fossil taxa. Agathoxylon gilii sp. nov. and A. jericonse sp. nov. are determined from the Todos Santos Formation (Upper Jurassic), in Chiapas; A. parrensis sp. nov. is described from the Las Encinas Formation (Palaeocene) in Coahuila; and Taxodioxylon cabullensis sp. nov. corresponds with material from the Packard Shale Formation in Sonora. Dominance of Araucariaceae and Cupressaceae in this region during the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic is further supported by leaf records, but these materials may also represent other taxa, like Cheirolepidaceae, which may have araucarioid secondary xylem. Records of Brachyphyllum and/or Pagiophyllum , which may represent araucarioid or cheirolepidaceous taxa, and different cupressaceous leaves, have been collected in rocks of the same period in nearby formations. At present, the amalgamation of isolated organs to form one plant is uncertain and, thus, there is an open challenge to reconstruct the plants and better understand these extinct communities. The new fossil taxa will add to the diversity of extinct plants and conifer communities during the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic in low-latitude North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Sexual functions in gymnosperms are mostly performed by separate reproductive structures, which largely reduces sexual interference and sets the scene for morphological and functional sexual specialization. The evolutionary trajectories followed by traits related to the male and female functions are therefore expected to be uncoupled. Studies on the fossil record of the conifer family Araucariaceae revealed important morphological changes occurring in reproductive cones. Here, we explored the pattern of evolution of male and female cone sizes in Araucariaceae, with a special focus on Araucaria —the most variable and widespread genus in the family. Methodology. We gathered data on male and female cone sizes from fossils and extant Araucariaceae species. Focusing on Araucaria , we analyzed whether cone sizes are phylogenetically structured. Furthermore, we compared the evolutionary trajectories of male and female cone sizes by evaluating the goodness of fit of different evolutionary models. Finally, we evaluated whether different selective regimes across the phylogeny could have shaped cone morphology. Pivotal results. Size changes in Araucariaceae occurred in both male and female cones, with the largest cones appearing in extant Araucaria. In this genus, different evolutionary models best described cone size changes, with male cone evolution best described by a model not influenced by phylogeny and female cone evolution by a stabilizing selection model with two optima. This resulted in contrasting phylogenetic signals, with female cone size being more phylogenetically structured than male cone size. Conclusions. Changes in cone size in Araucariaceae occurred in both male and female cones. The largest male and female cones appeared in Araucaria through uncoupled evolutionary pathways, both involving a natural selection component as a driver of evolutionary change. A contrasting pattern of phylogenetic signal in male and female cone size reflected the uncoupled evolutionary trajectories followed by these sexual structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Araucarian pollen cones Rabagostrobus hispanicus gen. et sp. nov. and their associated foliage Brachyphyllum obesum Heer are described from Lower Cretaceous (Albian) strata of northern Spain. Male cones consist of helically arranged microsporophylls bearing 5-8 elongate pollen sacs with in situ inaperturate Araucariacites-type pollen. The new taxon is compared to material described previously from the Early Cretaceous of North and South Americas. Sterile twigs of B. obesum bear helically arranged leaves with wrinkled margins. Its cuticle has files of predominantly transversely oriented stomata. Both twigs and pollen cones occur as inclusions in amber from the Pe~nacerrada 1 outcrop (Álava Province), and as compressions are recorded from the amber-bearing strata sediments of the Rábago/El Soplao outcrop. Inclusions of araucariacean plant remains and the co-occurrence of amber and male cone and twig compressions suggest that the amber in these two localities, or at least some of it, was produced by araucariacean plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stepwise fragmentation of Gondwana had a lasting impact on Southern Hemisphere ecosystems, but its consequences remain difficult to ascertain without detailed knowledge of the biota colonizing the supercontinent before and during breakup. This palynological study characterizes the Early Cretaceous vegetation of the southern Perth Basin, a key location during the separation of Greater India from Western Australia. The well-preserved palynological assemblages recorded here include marine and putative freshwater dinoflagellate cysts and diverse spore and pollen associations. The palynomorphs indicate lacustrine, fluvial and estuarine depositional settings in the southern Perth Basin between the Berriasian and Hauterivian. The estuarine assemblages are characterized by rare to common marine dinoflagellate cysts, which indicate the early stages of marine deposition, conditions that later prevailed across most of the basin. The Early Cretaceous vegetation of the study area, as inferred from spores and pollen, is interpreted to consist mainly of conifer forests dominated by Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae and Cheirolepidiaceae with an understory of ferns (Osmundaceae, Schizaeaceae) and other spore-producers (clubmosses, mosses, liverworts and hornworts). Two vegetation-types are hypothesized for the region with their distribution related to substrate characteristics and water availability: a more mesic, structurally complex, riverine forest within paleovalleys and topographic lows, and a more open forest accross the hinterland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review article, the phytochemistry of the species belonging to the Araucariaceae family is explored. Among these, in particular, it is given a wide overview on the phytochemical profile of Wollemia genus, for the first time. In addition to this, the ethnopharmacology and the general biological activities associated to the Araucariaceae species are singularly described. Lastly, the chemotaxonomy at the genus and family levels is described and detailed.

ABSTRACT Charcoal is widely accepted as evidence of the occurrence of palaeo-wildfire. Although fossil charcoal remains have been used in many studies, investigation into the anatomical changes occurring during charring are few. The present study analyses changes in selected anatomical characters during artificial charring of modern wood of three species of the genus Araucaria (i.e. Araucaria angustifolia, Araucaria bidwillii and Araucaria columnaris). Wood samples of the studied species was charred under controlled conditions at varying temperatures. Measurements of anatomical features of uncharred wood and artificial charcoal were statistically analysed. The anatomical changes were statistically correlated with charring temperatures and most of the parameters showed marked decreases with increasing charring temperature. Compared to the intrinsic variability in anatomical features, both within and between growth rings of an individual plant, the changes induced by temperature account only for a comparatively small percentage of the observed variability. Regarding Araucaria charcoal, it seems possible that at least general taxonomic and palaeoenvironmental implications can be drawn from such material. However, it is not clear so far whether these results and interpretations based on only three taxa, can be generalized for the entire family and anatomically similar fossil taxa or not.

Well preserved fossil wood in the form of tree stumps, logs, branches, roots and occasionally bark is common throughout the Gore Lignite Measures, southern New Zealand. The main objective of the present study is to identify the range of forest trees present using anatomical features such as: distinct growth rings; presence or absence of axial parenchyma; uniseriate to triseriate, opposite to alternate, separate or contiguous tracheid pitting; and taxodioid, cupressoid and araucarioid cross-field pitting. Specimens of silicified and lignified wood are described and illustrated from four localities within the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene Gore Lignite Measures, Southland: Newvale Coal Mine; Mataura Coal Mine; Cosy Dell Coal Pit; and Bennett’s Pit. The fossil wood specimens include examples of Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae and Podocarpaceae. Three specimens from Newvale Mine resemble Araucariaceae, while one is assigned to Cupressaceae. Cosy Dell Coal Pit preserved branches of Podocarpaceae. Large stumps and branches preserved at the Mataura Coal Mine are identified as Cupressaceae and Podocarpaceae. Wood recovered from Bennett’s Pit resembles either Cupressaceae or Podocarpaceae. Araucariaceae, in the form of Agathis Salisb. trees are today restricted to the northern North Island. Cupressaceae and Podocarpaceae are still extant in modern forests throughout New Zealand. So far, no angiosperm wood has been recognised from the lignite deposits. The forests in which these trees lived were in or near oligotrophic swamps on a deltaic plain. Identification of samples of fossil wood provides new data that can be used to reconstruct the forest vegetation of the Gore Lignite Measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: The fossil record of Agathis historically has been restricted to Australasia. Recently described fossils from the Eocene of Patagonian Argentina showed a broader distribution than found previously, which is reinforced here with a new early Paleocene Agathis species from Patagonia. No previous phylogenetic analyses have included fossil Agathis species. Methods: We describe macrofossils from Patagonia of Agathis vegetative and reproductive organs from the early Danian, as well as leaves with Agathis affinities from the latest Maastrichtian. A total evidence phylogenetic analysis is performed, including the new Danian species together with other fossil species having agathioid affinities. Key Results: Early Danian Agathis immortalis sp. nov. is the oldest definite occurrence of Agathis and one of the most complete Agathis species in the fossil record. Leafy twigs, leaves, pollen cones, pollen, ovuliferous complexes, and seeds show features that are extremely similar to the living genus. Dilwynites pollen grains, associated today with both Wollemia and Agathis and known since the Turonian, were found in situ within the pollen cones. Conclusions: Agathis was present in Patagonia ca. 2 million years after the K‐Pg boundary, and the putative latest Cretaceous fossils suggest that the genus survived the K–Pg extinction. Agathis immortalis sp nov. is recovered in a stem position for the genus, while A. zamunerae (Eocene, Patagonia) is recovered as part of the crown. A Mesozoic divergence for the Araucariaceae crown group, previously challenged by molecular divergence estimates, is supported by the combined phylogenetic analyses including the fossil taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, four species of Agathoxylon are described from the La Matilde Formation, Gran Bajo de San Julián and central and south-western sectors of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Agathoxylon agathioides (Kräusel and Jain) n. comb., Agathoxylon santalense (Sah and Jain) n. comb., Agathoxylon termieri (Attims) Gnaedinger and Herbst, and the new species Agathoxylon santacruzense n. sp. are described based on a detailed description of the secondary xylem. In this work, it was possible to construct scatter plots to elucidate the anatomical differences between the fossil species described on quantitative anatomical data. Comparisons are made with other Agathoxylon species from Gondwana. These parameters can be used to discriminate genera and species of wood found in the same formation, as well as to establish differences/similarities between other taxa described in other formations. Some localities contain innumerable "in situ" petrified trees, which allowed us to infer that these taxa formed small forests, or local forests, or small forests within a dense forest, which is a habitat coincident with the extant Araucariaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: We describe a new araucarian species, Araucaria lefipanensis, from the Late Cretaceous flora of the Lefipán Formation, in Patagonia (Argentina) based on reproductive and vegetative remains, with a combination of characters that suggest mosaic evolution in the Araucaria lineage. Methods: The studied fossils were found at the Cañadón del Loro locality. Specimens were separated into two leaf morphotypes, and their morphological differences were tested with MANOVA. Key Results: The new species Araucaria lefipanensis is erected based on the association of dimorphic leaves with cuticle remains and isolated cone scale complexes. The reproductive morphology is characteristic of the extant section Eutacta, whereas the vegetative organs resemble those of the sections Intermedia, Bunya, and Araucaria (the broad‐leaved clade). Conclusions: The leaf dimorphism of A. lefipanensis is similar to that of extant A. bidwillii, where dimorphism is considered to be related to seasonal growth. The leaf dimorphism in A. lefipanensis is consistent with the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions previously suggested for the Lefipán Formation, which is thought to have been a seasonal subtropical forest. The new species shows evidence of mosaic evolution, with cone scale complexes morphologically similar to section Eutacta and leaves similar to the sections of the broad‐leaved clade, constituting a possible transitional form between these two well‐defined lineages. More complete plant concepts, especially those including both reproductive and vegetative remains are necessary to understand the evolution of ancient plant lineages. This work contributes to this aim by documenting a new species that may add to the understanding of the early evolution of the sections of Araucaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defaunation, invasive species and forest fragmentation are considered to be the major drivers for the disruption of key ecological processes, particularly those related to plant animal-interactions such as seed dispersal and predation. The disruption of critical phases in the plant life cycle may ultimately have negative impacts on plant recruitment and the survival of plant populations. Here, for the first time we compared the seed removal and recruitment of Araucaria angustifolia , a critically endangered and relictual gymnosperm species, in multiple sites, including continuous and fragmented forest areas in the Brazilian Atlantic subtropical forest. Our sampling included seed removal experiment monitored by camera traps and surveys of A. angustifolia recruitment. We found that seed survival and recruitment were related to the density of adult A. angustifolia . Therefore the formation of large and dense groves, which is a characteristic of pristine Araucaria moist forests endangered by forest fragmentation and selective logging, may be an attempt to satiate seed predator communities. Additionally, forest fragmentation and the introduction of wild boar decreased seed survival to very low, and forest fragmentation decreased recruitment by fourfold on average. Increase protection and recuperation of Araucaria moist forests and the eradication of the invasive wild boar where possible are necessary measures for increasing seed survival rates and the recruitment of this relictual conifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]