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A new species of Ulnaria (Kützing) Compère is described from the Miocene Trout Creek fossil locality, situated in Harney County, Oregon, USA. The rock material from which the new species is described consisted of a subsample taken from the matrix harboring a plant fossil collected in 1932 or 1933 and archived at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new species differs from all other taxa in the genus by possessing club-shaped valves that are asymmetric about the transverse axis, and frustules that are cuneate-shaped in girdle view. In addition to its unique shape, valves of the new species have a well-developed ocellulimbus (pore field) at each apex, a single rimoportula at one or both poles and closed girdle bands. The virgae are thick relative to the vimines, areolae possess exterior closing plates, and on larger specimens, the uniseriate striae can become biseriate near the valve margins. Material at the Trout Creek locality was deposited approximately 15.6–14 Ma during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO). Given the diatom species co-occurring with the new Ulnaria species, it likely inhabited the plankton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian (Changhsingian) Umm Irna Formation (Jordan) yields important plant fossils that have influenced our understanding of the early evolution of plants that later dominated the vegetation of the Mesozoic. The formation was deposited in a fluvial regime characterised by the co-occurrence of stacked small-scale braided channels and of larger, higher-sinuosity channels with deposition on point bars, all intercalated into a heterogeneous background sedimentation of finer-grained floodplain deposits, including stacked crevasse-splay deposits, interspersed abandoned-channel and oxbow-lake fills, and lenses of peaty back-swamp deposits. Here, we document the remarkable compositional variability expressed in 124 palynomorph assemblages that were recovered from different argillaceous deposits in the Umm Irna Formation within a ∼2 km2 outcrop area around a major meandering channel. Our results reveal lateral and vertical variation within individual argillaceous units, as well as lateral variation between different argillaceous units in the same sedimentary complex at similar stratigraphic levels. When combined with plant macrofossil data, the results show that variability in the palynological content may be influenced mainly by two factors. The first is connectedness to the major channel; the drainage system carried a mixture of palynomorphs from across the floodplain but also from a large hinterland of tributaries draining higher parts of the floodplain and uplands beyond to the south and east. The second is the influence of local vegetation communities on the floodplain which would likely be more marked in less connected parts of the floodplain. These findings have implications for the palynological study of alluvial sequences of the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic, and for understanding the ability to identify mudstone units via palynological fingerprinting. Such individual units are of great importance as baffles to fluid flow in reservoirs that might be used for oil and gas, low-temperature geothermal energy storage, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen storage in alluvial successions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of plant biogeographic ranges over time and migration routes is crucial for understanding ancient global plate tectonic configurations. This paper deals with a new fossil plant from the uppermost part of the Taiyuan Formation (earliest Asselian) in the Wuda Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China. It has a taeniopterid morphology comprising strap-shaped leaves with a prominent midrib and arching secondary veins, and it exhibits dimorphism between its fertile and vegetative leaves. The fertile leaf has a slightly lobed margin, with each lateral vein terminating in a marginal lobe that bears a synangium. Each synangium consists of primarily two, occasionally three, oval sporangia. Based on these distinctive characteristics it is identified as a new species of Ilfeldia. Previously, Ilfeldia had a highly restricted record in the Upper Pennsylvanian of Portugal and Germany into the lower Permian of Germany. The sedimentary and floral context suggests Ilfeldia was a xerophilous element that underwent long-distance dispersal during the Late Pennsylvanian to earliest Asselian, migrating from Gondwana (Iberia) to Cathaysia (North China) via Euramerica (Eastern Avalonia). The palaeogeographical distribution over time of Ilfeldia supports the continental model of the Wegenerian Pangaea configuration and underscores the continental connection between Euramerica and Cathaysia in the Late Pennsylvanian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the developmental innovations that underpin the diversity of plant form alive today, such as those facilitating apical growth, branching, leaves, roots, wood and seeds, all evolved over 360 million years ago. Fossils, as our only direct record of plant form in the past, are thus essential for interpreting the origin and evolution of these innovations. The focus of this Spotlight is to showcase the rich plant fossil record open for developmental interpretation and to cement the role that fossils play at a time when increases in genome sequencing and new model species make tackling major questions in the area of plant evolution and development tractable for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants and arthropods are primary drivers of terrestrial ecosystem function. Trace fossils of plant-arthropod interactions (PAIs) provide a unique window into assessing terrestrial ecosystem states through geological time and evaluating changes in herbivorous arthropod feeding guilds in the wake of global biotic crises. The end-Permian event (EPE; c. 252 Ma) resulted in the loss of keystone plant species from humid tropical and high-latitude ecosystems and the extinction of several major insect groups. The subsequent Early to Middle Triassic evinced diminished terrestrial productivity, punctuated by a series of second-order biotic crises that hindered recovery. Here, we survey records of Gondwanan Early to Middle Triassic floral assemblages for evidence of PAIs as an indication of ecosystem recovery following the EPE. We compiled a comprehensive dataset of fossil plant taxa and PAIs for lower Mesozoic strata of Gondwana, revealing an increase in specific and generic floral diversity from the Early to Middle Triassic. We noted a lack of PAIs reported from many localities with abundant fossil leaves, which might be interpreted to be a consequence of a post-EPE delay in the recovery of arthropod feeding guilds compared to the flora. However, by comparing floral assemblages between regions of Gondwana, our results also partly attribute the absence of PAIs to the relative paucity of palaeoichnological and palaeobotanical studies of this interval. To test for potential under-reporting of PAIs in the Triassic, we present a case study of the well-described Australian Middle Triassic Benolong Flora. In contrast to existing Australian Early to Middle Triassic PAI reports on only three plant specimens, this systematic investigation revealed 44 PAI traces comparable to published examples, hosted by 40 fossil plant fragments (7.77% of fragments assessed; N = 591). Margin-feeding traces constituted the dominant Functional Feeding Group (FFG) identified (23 examples: 3.72% of fragments assessed). Our review highlights several Early and Middle Triassic Gondwanan plant fossil-rich successions and existing collections that require further examination. We predict that investigations of these assemblages will greatly elucidate the relationships between rapidly changing environments during the Early and Middle Triassic and their effects on the plant and arthropod communities in the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Museum has a large palaeontological collection of Triassic specimens from the Sydney Basin, including many type specimens. This study reviewed every presently described Sydney Basin Hawkesbury Sandstone plant and animal taxon that has representative specimens held in the Australian Museum. Fifty-two taxa are included from numerous sites. These include three amphibians, twenty-eight fishes, eleven insects, one horseshoe “crab”, one scorpion, three crustaceans, two molluscs and three plants. Basic taxonomic history is noted, together with specimen registration numbers and their position in the collection. Also included are references to relevant specimens held in the Geological Survey of New South Wales and the Natural History Museum, London collections. Images of every taxon are included. To place the collection in context, particularly for educators working with students, brief descriptions of the geology that forms the Hawkesbury Sandstone, and the inferred ecosystems that existed during the Middle Triassic, are included. The results of this study will help to facilitate further researchers by providing important details of the fossil collections held at the Australian Museum.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several diatom species, including Cymbella amplificata, C. janischii and Navicula aurora, are largely restricted to Asia and western North America. These disjunctions likely represent recent long-distance dispersals or chance introductions. The two continents also support clusters of diatom species in several fossil and extant genera. One of these genera, Gomphosinica, is exclusive to the two continents but includes only one species in common. This suggests that these disjunct clusters of species arose from common precursors that underwent radiations while being separated for millennia. The divergence of these lineages likely began more than 25 Ma when island arcs of Asian (Siberian) origin docked on North America. The Asian/North American connection is not restricted to diatoms; vascular plants and dinosaur fossils also exhibit this connection. Differences between diatom floras east and west of the Rocky Mountains, as first noted by Ehrenberg, can be explained by differences in Earth history and geology. Researchers interested in diatom biogeography would do well to become familiar with the tectonic history and geology of their geographic regions of interest. Some cases of ‘invasive’ or ‘alien’ diatoms may simply be that changing conditions allowed existing but latent species to prosper and become apparent to the unaided eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elongated biconvex Carex fossil fruits are relatively common in fossil assemblages, but they are of much uncertain taxonomic affinity. Three fossil-species have been erected to accommodate the materials from the respective type localities (C. klarae, C. paucifloriformis and C. paucifloroides) and a number of superficially similar-looking fossils were reported from other sites. The formerly proposed affinities mostly pointed to the extant C. pauciflora (subgen. Euthyceras) or Carex sect. Cyperoideae (subgen. Vignea), depending on the authors. But despite the similar superficial resemblance of the fossil remains to these not very closely related sedge taxa, other groups are also possible matches. We used a comparative approach employing stereomicroscope and SEM to analyze the affinities of several Old World "mummified" fossils (ca. 23 to 0.1 Ma) of elongated biconvex fruits. Several samples showed a fair preservation of previously unattested microscopic characters. In particular, one of them allowed us to detect an indirect record of fine silica body morphologies (impressions) on the periclinal walls, which permitted the sound taxonomic placement of the remains from the Miocene of Siberia as a Carex sect. Cyperoideae. In all the other fossils analyzed, the epidermal cell outline and the central position of the main silica body were sufficient to discard assignment to subgen. Euthyceras, despite a purported affinity to C. pauciflora reported in previous literature. In the absence of detailed information on silica bodies, epidermal cell (exocarp) details in fossil specimens do not seem to be determinant for the systematic placement. However, the addition of diagnostic style characters pointed to sect. Cyperoideae as the best match with the available information. Our data support a continued presence of Carex sect. Cyperoideae in the Old World since the Miocene, which candidates Eurasia as a possible place of origin for it, despite DNA-based reconstructions alone proposed North America. This study underlines the importance of detailed taxonomic studies to properly address the identity of fossils and unravel the biogeographic history of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Palm fossils are often used as evidence for warm and wet palaeoenvironments, reflecting the affinities of most modern palms. However, several extant palm lineages tolerate cool and/or arid climates, making a clear understanding of the taxonomic composition of ancient palm communities important for reliable palaeoenvironmental inference. However, taxonomically identifiable palm fossils are rare and often confined to specific facies. Although the resolution of taxonomic information they provide remains unclear, phytoliths (microscopic silica bodies) provide a possible solution because of their high preservation potential under conditions where other plant fossils are scarce. We thus evaluate the taxonomic and palaeoenvironmental utility of palm phytoliths. Methods We quantified phytolith morphology of 97 modern palm and other monocot species. Using this dataset, we tested the ability of five common discriminant methods to identify nine major palm clades. We then compiled a dataset of species' climate preferences and tested if they were correlated with phytolith morphology using a phylogenetic comparative approach. Finally, we reconstructed palm communities and palaeoenvironmental conditions at six fossil sites. Key results Best-performing models correctly identified phytoliths to their clade of origin only 59 % of the time. Although palms were generally distinguished from non-palms, few palm clades were highly distinct, and phytolith morphology was weakly correlated with species' environmental preferences. Reconstructions at all fossil sites suggested that palm communities were dominated by Trachycarpeae and Areceae, with warm, equable climates and high, potentially seasonal rainfall. However, fossil site reconstructions had high uncertainty and often conflicted with other climate proxies. Conclusions While phytolith morphology provides some distinction among palm clades, caution is warranted. Unlike prior spatially restricted studies, our geographically and phylogenetically broad study indicates phytolith morphology may not reliably differentiate most palm taxa in deep time. Nevertheless, it reveals distinct clades, including some likely to be palaeoenvironmentally informative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires have been shown to have been common in many Carboniferous ecosystems worldwide yet we still have little understanding of the detail of what, where and how such fires occur or indeed their effects both on the local ecosystem as well as on the Earth System as a whole. The Kingswood Limestone, of late Viséan (Mississippian age) found near Pettycur in Fife, Scotland, is interpreted as being deposited within a crater lake. The limestone contains a range of volcanic clasts together with charcoalified and uncharred plants. Two distinctive communities existed. One dominated by the small scrambling lycopsid Oxroadia that is permineralised and a second dominated by a range of pteridosperms and other gymnosperms preserved as charcoal. Fires surrounding a crater lake charred the plants that were then washed into the lake by post-fire erosion. All plant organs are found as charcoal including woody axes, leaves, pollen organs and ovules. Oxroadia that was living close to the lake was not affected by fire. Rising lake and sea levels allowed saline water to be introduced to the lake and connection to the sea was established. Many new charcoalified plants have still to be formally described. The Kingswood flora, together with the nearby Pettycur flora represents two of the most important Mississippian plant sites globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Viséan (mid-Mississippian) anatomically preserved flora from Pettycur, Fife, Scotland is one of the most significant plant assemblages (lagerstätte) from this period anywhere in the world. It has been known from the later 19th century, mainly from loose limestone blocks found on the beach. Thin sections of limestones showing outstanding permineralised plants offered a number of the most eminent British palaeobotanists of their day to describe many of the plants. Most of the thin sections were made commercially so that an understanding of the formation of the deposit as a whole proved difficult. The peel technique developed in the 1950s allowed large slices of limestone to be peeled but only small pieces of the peels were ever mounted and studied by the new authors. Large collections (more than 100) of loose blocks on the beach and from in situ from within basaltic lava flows by the author and colleagues from the late 1970s onwards have been slabbed and peeled and provide the opportunity for new studies and an assessment of the plant assemblages and possible communities present. At least 25 plant organ species are present representing more than 13 whole plant species. Of particular significance is the occurrence of the four main lycopsid tree types that dominate later Pennsylvanian peats and the occurrence of five ferns. It is shown also that a number of the plants may also be preserved as charcoal, especially zygopterid ferns such as Metaclepsydropsis. Of particular importance is the occurrence of true permineralised peats that provide evidence of the botanical composition of the earliest peat-forming mire at a time of rapid global change with a sudden fall of atmospheric CO 2 and rise in O 2 that would have also had an effect upon wildfire systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flowering plants (angiosperms) are the dominant and defining group of the Earth ecosystems today. However, from which group and by what way flowers, especially their gynoecia (the key characteristic organs of angiosperms), are derived have been key questions in botany, and have remained unanswered despite botanists' efforts over centuries. Such an embarrassing situation can be attributed to the lack of plants with partially enclosed ovules, which are supposed fill a position between gymnosperms and angiosperms. Here, we report a fossil plant that has apparent coniferous vegetative and reproductive characters but has a single seed partially wrapped by the subtending bract. Such a morphology suggests that a carpel of some angiosperms is equivalent to a lateral appendage (a bract plus its axillary seed) of this fossil. Such a non-traditional interpretation of the homology of angiosperm carpels is compatible with various new progresses made in botany and is in line with Tomlinson's recent hypothesis. Together with other fossil evidence reported recently, it appears that gynoecia in angiosperms are derived in multiple ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil woods are preserved as calcareous permineralizations in the Upper Cretaceous Northumberland Formation on Collishaw Point, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. They are well preserved, often including peripheral tissues, and reveal the diversity and structure of vegetation in the region ca. 72 million years ago. We describe a new genus and species based on two specimens. Two specimens were cut using a rock saw to expose the fossil wood in transverse and longitudinal sections. Thin sections were prepared using the cellulose acetate peel technique. Peels were mounted on slides with Eukitt mounting medium. Anatomical description follows the IAWA guidelines. We compared the anatomy of the fossils with that of other plants using data available in the published literature and the InsideWood database. The combination of wide vessels and high vessel frequency given the narrow diameter of the stem, combined with the abrupt increase in vessel diameter near the pith indicates this plant had hydraulic properties typical of a climbing plant (liana). The anatomy of the rays, the arrangement of the vessels and their pitting, and the thickness of the bark are also consistent with the climbing habit, but not diagnostic of any extant family. This is the second species of liana to be described from the Hornby Island assemblage, providing new information about the composition of structurally complex mixed conifer–angiosperm forests in the Late Cretaceous of western North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycorrhizal association is one of the earliest and diversely distributed symbiotic associations on the Earth. This association helped early terrestrial plants to colonize the land by improved supply of nutrients like phosphate, nitrogen and zinc. It also helped plants to tolerate unfavorable soil conditions with increased water retention capacity, resistance to drought and pathogens. In return, fungi benefitted with carbon as their food source from the plants. More than 80% of terrestrial plants including pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms are reported to form arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association. Plants with root systems appeared on land during the Devonian period and many of them like pteridophytes still exist today. Various molecular and fossil studies confirm that the plants belonging to Ordovician-Devonian are associated with fungi, which are very similar to genus Glomus. AM association is very common in pteridophytes and the growth of its sporophyte and gametophyte is directly affected in the presence of AM association. Pteridophytes as early land plants with root systems have a very significant place in the plant kingdom. They have evolved and adapted to fill various habitats and facilitated early terrestrialization of other land plants by providing suitable niche with the help of AM fungi. In spite of pteridophytes being a very important plant group in the land system, very few reports are available on fungal-pteridophyte association. The present review is an effort to gather information about AM association in pteridophytes that might help in unraveling the evolution and significance of plant and fungi association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants and insects are two of the more diverse and abundant organisms in terrestrial ecosystems. The fossil record of plant-insect interactions offers crucial insights into the coevolutionary dynamics between these groups, shedding light on the intricate relationships that have shaped terrestrial ecosystems. The study of fossil interactions is especially relevant in mid-Cretaceous ecosystems, a time of dramatic changes in the composition of floras and, consequently, in plantinsect relationships. Here, we describe the first suite of plant-insect interactions from the mid-Cretaceous of Mexico. We studied 554 plant fossils from the El Chango Lagerstatte (Cintalapa Formation, Chiapas, Mexico), including vegetative (leaves) and reproductive structures (fruits and seeds). The flora was dominated by gymnosperms (89.3%) followed by angiosperms (10.7%); other groups, such as pteridophytes and bryophytes, were absent. In total, 5.4% of the plant specimens hosted some damage. Angiosperms (all broad-leafed forms), despite being much less common than gymnosperms, expressed more evidence of damage by herbivores (35.6% of specimens damaged). In contrast, the narrow-leafed gymnosperms, the dominant group in the flora, hosted a much lower proportion of herbivory damage (1.8% of specimens damaged). The diversity of damage types (DTs) was relatively low: 14 DTs were identified, corresponding to seven FFGs, including margin feeding, hole feeding, surface feeding, piercing and sucking, oviposition, galling, and mining. Comparison with the other midCretaceous plant-insect assemblages reveals a similar richness of DTs for angiosperms but a lower richness and diversity of DTs on gymnosperms from El Chango. These results indicate preferential herbivory on angiosperms (rather than on the available gymnosperms in the assemblage) by terrestrial arthropods during a period of major changes in the structure of terrestrial ecosystems. However, it is challenging to resolve whether this apparent preference is because insects particularly targeted angiosperms or if the herbivores simply targeted broad leaves in general, since most of the available gymnosperms from El Chango are scale-leafed forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work contains the results of fern–arthropod interactions from a midland Atlantic Rainforest locality and addresses the taphonomic, morphological and ecological implications of insect damage on ferns to interpret them on fossil plant assemblages. Six functional feeding groups – margin feeding, hole feeding, surface feeding, piercing and sucking, mining and galling – are present on the three fern species inhabiting the understory of an Araucaria Forest in the Atlantic Forest biome, southern Brazil. We recognised 19 damage types (DTs), including 14 arthropod-induced DTs, three of which are newly proposed herein. Five of the DTs found were first recorded on ferns. Of the DTs found, the proportion of guilds such as mining and galling shows a significant similarity with those of an upland locality. Products of arachnids and insect behaviour on ferns made up 25% of all fern–arthropod interactions in the midland locality, which included dead bodies and byproducts from processes of arthropod life cycle, which are unlikely to be preserved in the fossil record. This rate of arthropod products consists of significant evidence of interactions to unveil deep-time relationships between arthropods and plants. Lastly, leaf damage on living ferns is more frequent than those occurring in fossil plant assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new genus of Leliacladus Batista & L.Kunzmann with the type species Leliacladus (Brachyphyllum) castilhoi (Duarte, 1985) Batista & L.Kunzmann gen. nov. et comb. nov., a rare fossil conifer that has been described from the Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Romualdo Formation of the Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. We decided to leave this new fossil-genus unasigned to any existing family as it does not display sufficient number of anatomical characters. We re-studied the type material of the type species as well as we described additional new material from the Aptian Crato Formation of the same basin. The more recently found fossil materials include large portions of leafy shoots excavated from laminated lacustrine limestones. In contrast to the type material, the new material shows the replacement of organic matter by iron oxide, which is suitable for investigating anatomical features of the wood and leaves. The material allowed for a reappraisal of the systematic position of the fossil plant. Together, the morphological and anatomical characters revealed sufficient evidence to separate the conifer from Brachyphyllum and accommodate it in a new fossil-genus. Leliacladus gen. nov. is defined by the presence of comparatively thick and short claviform lateral branches, and the absence of thinner ultimate order branches with gradual tapering axes. The wood is characterized by dense tracheids with uniseriate pitting in the radial walls and cross-fields that possess one or two large pits. The rays are one to three cells high. The epidermises of the densely and helically arranged scale leaves show non-papillate cyclocytic stomatal complexes slightly sunken that are mostly scattered and randomly arranged across the abaxial surface. This combination of characters suggests the material belongs to the conifer families Podocarpaceae or Cheirolepidiaceae. The arrangement of the sparsely branched, but woody shoots of Leliacladus castilhoi gen. nov. et comb. nov. suggest a hypothetical candelabra-like growth habit of the plant, and the remarkable thickness of the axes suggests a hypothetical xeromorphic adaptation to the semiarid paleoenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil epifoliar fungi are valuable indicators of paleoenvironment and paleoecology. The Meliolaceae, members of which typically inhabit the surface of living plants as biotrophs or pathogens, is one of the largest groups of epifoliar fungi. In this study, we report a novel fossil species of Meliolinites Selkirk (fossil Meliolaceae), Meliolinites tengchongensis, on the lower epidermis of compressed fossil Rhodoleia (Hamamelidaceae) leaves from the Upper Pliocene Mangbang Formation of Tengchong, Yunnan, southwestern China. Meliolinites tengchongensis is characterized by web-like, superficial, brown to dark brown, septate, and branching mycelia bearing 2-celled appressoria and unicellular phialides. The fungal colonies also include ellipsoidal, 5-celled, 4-septate ascospores and dark brown perithecia with suborbicular outline and verrucose surface. The well-preserved vegetative and reproductive organs help us to explore the potential disease process of the new fossil species. Besides, the presence of fungal remains indicates that the fungal taxon might have maintained its host preference since at least the Late Pliocene. Furthermore, the occurrence of both fossil fungi and their host plants in Tengchong indicate a subtropical–tropical, warm, and humid climate during the Late Pliocene, whereas the distribution pattern of the fungi on the host leaves suggests that Rhodoleia may have been a part of the middle–upper canopies in the Tengchong Late Pliocene multilayered forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rhynie Chert (Lower Devonian, Scotland) hosts a remarkably well‐preserved early terrestrial ecosystem. Organisms including plants, fungi, arthropods, and bacteria were rapidly silicified due to inundation by silica‐rich hot spring fluids. Exceptional molecular preservation has been noted by many authors, including some of the oldest evidence of lignin in the fossil record. The evolution of lignin was a critical factor in the diversification of land plants, providing structural support and defense against herbivores and microbes. However, the timing of the evolution of lignin decay processes remains unclear. Studies placing this event near the end of the Carboniferous are contradicted by evidence for fungal pathogenesis in Devonian plant fossils, including from the Rhynie Chert. We conducted organic geochemical analyses on a Rhynie Chert sample, including hydropyrolysis (HyPy) of kerogen and high‐resolution mass spectrometric mapping of a thin section, to elucidate the relationship between lignin and the potential fungal marker perylene. HyPy of kerogen showed an increase in relative abundance of perylene supporting its entrapment within the silicate matrix of the chert. Lignin monomers were isolated through an alkaline oxidation process, showing a distribution dominated by H‐type monomers. G‐ and S‐type monomers were also detected, preserved by rapid silicification. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including perylene, a known marker for lignin‐degrading fungi, were also concentrated in the kerogen and found to be localized within silicified plant fragments. Our results strongly link perylene in the Rhynie Chert to the activity of phytopathogenic fungi, demonstrating the importance of fungal degradation processes as far back as the Early Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because their resistant, sporopolleninous walls preserve a record of morphogenetic change during spore formation, fossil cryptospores provide a direct physical record of the evolution of sporogenesis during the algal–plant transition. That transition itself is a story of the evolution of development—it is not about phylogeny. Here, we review the fossil record of terrestrially derived spore/cryptospore assemblages and attempt to place these microfossils in their evolutionary context with respect to the origin of complex multicellularity in plants. Cambrian cryptospores show features related to karyokinesis seen in extant charophytes, but they also possess ultrastructure similar to that seen in liverworts today. Dyadospora, a cryptospore dyad recovered from sporangia of Devonian embryophytes, first occurs in the earliest Ordovician. Tetrahedraletes, a likely precursor to the trilete spore, first occurs in the Middle Ordovician. These fossils correspond to evolutionary novelties that were acquired during a period of genome assembly prior to the existence of upright, axial sporophytes. The cryptospore/spore fossil record provides a temporal scaffold for the acquisition of novel characters relating to the evolution of plant sporogenesis during the Cambrian–Silurian interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower Frasnian (Upper Devonian) Maywood Formation records incision of valleys into lower Paleozoic bedrock in fluvial to estuarine settings in northern Wyoming and deposition in estuarine to marine environments in southern Montana (USA). A distinctive fossil assemblage of microconchids, plant compression fossils, fish fossils, and microspores represent fauna and flora that lived in, and adjacent to, salinity-stressed ecological niches in the upper reaches of the Maywood valleys. A similar fossil assemblage is recorded in older Devonian valley-fill deposits of the Lower Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation, indicating that valley incision and subsequent transgression, occurred repeatedly over a span of nearly 30 million years with organisms tracking the marine incursions into the valleys. The fossil charcoal in the Maywood Formation captures a record of fire in adjacent terrestrial ecosystems. The amount of dioxygen (O2) was thus above the fire window level (16% by volume) and might have been near modern levels in the earliest Late Devonian atmosphere. The nearshore deposits of the Maywood Formation are overlain by extensive shallow carbonate shelf strata of the Jefferson Formation, likely resulting from a global transgression in the earliest Frasnian. A paired positive and negative 813Ccarbonate [carb] isoto-Paul M. Myrow © https://orcid.org/0000-0003 -3253-3699 tpmyrow@coloradocollege.edu pic excursion in the Jefferson with a range of >6%c is a signal of the globally recognized "punctata" Event. The unconformably overlying Madison Limestone is lower Carboniferous, except for a thin basal Upper Devonian unit with marine palynomorphs. The Madison regionally records eastward transgression and establishment of widespread marine deposition. It also contains two positive 813Ccarb excursions (up to ~7.5‰) that make up the mid-Tournaisian (= Kinder-hookian-Osagean boundary) carbon isotope excursion (TICE/KOBE). These isotope data provide a framework for regional and global correlation of northern Rocky Mountain strata and an archive of environmental and evolutionary change during the middle-late Paleozoic transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinctive, reticulately sculptured ellipsoidal endocarp impressions have been discovered in Middle Miocene lake deposits of Idaho and eastern Oregon in the northwestern USA. We describe a new species based on these endocarp impressions and compare them morphologically with previously described extinct and extant species of Sabia (Sabiaceae) using light microscopy and micro-CT scanning. Sabia megacarpa sp. nov. endocarps are distinguished by their large size but resemble other species of Sabia in their asymmetric elliptical shape, reticulate surface ribs, unilocular morphology and gland-dotted endocarp surface. Although Sabia is now native to Southeast Asia and Malesia, the fossil record indicates this genus was formerly present in Europe and North America. The new species indicates that Sabia survived until at least 16 million years ago in western North America.

• This study summarizes all existing and unpublished data on the Late Triassic plant fossils in Guangdong. • Four regional assemblages have been distinguished in the Late Triassic by marine fossils such as ammonites and bivalves. • The Late Triassic climate in the Guangdong region was mainly warm and humid, either tropical or subtropical. • During the Late Triassic, central and northern Guangdong were located at similar latitude, along the southern coastline of the South China Block. Triassic-Jurassic deposits are well developed in Guangdong Province, South China. In particular, the Upper Triassic coal-bearing strata which alternate between marine and terrestrial deposits yield diverse and abundant fossil plants, ammonites and bivalves. These strata provide a significant reference for the study of palaeoenvironmental variations in the lower latitude regions. In this paper, we review the major progress on Late Triassic floral studies in this area. Specifically, we compare the regional plant assemblages from different fossil sites in central and northern Guangdong which have been dated with marine fauna. 155 species belonging to 56 genera of fossil plants have been reported so far in northern and central Guangdong. The Late Triassic floras in Guangdong are mainly composed of Bennettitales and ferns, followed by horsetails, seed ferns, cycads, ginkgos and conifers. In ascending order, four regional plant fossil assemblages can be recognized in the Late Triassic deposits, namely the Pachypteris - Lindleycladus Assemblage (Julian), the Pterophyllum - Baiera Assemblage (late Julian), the Clathropteris - Otozamites Assemblage (Tuvalian), and the Danaeopsis - Anomozamites Assemblage (Rhaetian). In general, the Late Triassic climate in the Guangdong region was mainly humid and warm and either tropical or subtropical. The fossil plants corroborate palaeomagnetic evidence that the central and northern Guangdong region was located at approximately the same latitude as it is today and formed the southern coastline of the South China Block during the Late Triassic. Palaeogeographically, the transgression started at the end of the Julian and the south coastal terrane consisted of a western bay, a peninsula and an eastern bay. During the regression period, post-Rhaetian, the bays evolved into a gulf coastal plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to properly manage the frequency within the Mexican interconnected system (MIS), composed of 158 generators, 2022 buses, 3025 lines, and a system composed of seven control areas working together to satisfy an operating condition with a demand of 20 GW. An extension of the conventional load frequency control formulation is used to execute studies for assessing the frequency behaviour in the different control areas of the MIS under sudden load increments. Likewise, to estimate the impact that variations in inertia in the different control areas may have on frequency stability. Energy storage elements are proposed by observing frequency excursions, which can provide fast support and avoid frequency nadir values below 0.025 Hz. In addition, they help to restore the nominal frequency. An optimisation formulation quantifies the storage required for the different control areas. The results exhibit an improvement in the transient frequency behaviour. On the other hand, when acquiring the energy storage elements, it is also considered prudent to use them for the ancillary services' benefit. With this purpose, a methodology is utilised to estimate the emission changes in the control regions based on the percentage reduction in displaced fossil fuel plants. Functions to determine the global emissions of different technologies for generating electricity were investigated hinged on actual historical data; through this, the diminution in polluting emissions is quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triassic and Jurassic strata are thick and widely distributed in the Sichuan Basin, South China. In particular, the continental Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation is well-exposed in this region, yielding rich assemblages of fossil plants. Here, a new Rhaetian fossil assemblage is reported from Zilanba in the Guangyuan area, northern Sichuan Basin. In this locality, 29 species of fossil plants belonging to 17 genera have been newly collected and identified within Member III of the Xujiahe Formation. Based on the floral assemblages and previous magnetostratigraphic and palynostratigraphic studies, the host strata are considered Rhaetian in age. This flora in the Guangyuan area is dominated by Cycadales and Bennettitales but also contains abundant ferns and less common sphenopsids, conifers and other gymnosperms. The occurrence of some climate-diagnostic plants, such as Dipteridaceae, Anthrophyopsis and Ptilozamites, indicate that this area experienced a humid and warm tropical or subtropical climate during the Rhaetian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal, whether active or passive, plays a crucial role in biogeography by facilitating the movement of propagules away from their original location. Botanical geographical zonation, resulting from the co‐evolution of plants and their environment, has been established since the remarkable plant diversification during the Devonian Period (c. 419–359 Ma). However, a significant knowledge gap exists in understanding plant dispersal between living and fossil organisms due to the rarity of opportunities for tracing plant dispersal in geological history. In this study, we present evidence of two plant dispersal routes and verify their occurrence through the examination of geographical zonation, changes in plant diversity, and latitudinal and longitudinal gradients during the Devonian. We analyse global occurrence data from widely‐distributed and extensively‐studied Devonian plants. The two dispersal routes, namely clockwise and anticlockwise, connect the South China and Euramerica–Siberia realms. These routes clearly demonstrate inland and inter‐land dispersal models, closely linked to Devonian sea–land topography and dispersal vectors such as wind and ocean currents. Moreover, these models probably apply to all Devonian plants. Our comprehensive synthesis of plant dispersal in deep time reveals that propagule diversity and dispersal vectors have progressively increased and become more complex over time, facilitating plant colonization and diversity changes. Importantly, our study unveils the dispersal models of fossil plants, demonstrating the equivalent models observed in extant plants that have been established since the Devonian Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A minuscule fraction of the Earth's paleobiological diversity is preserved in the geological record as fossils. What plant remnants have withstood taphonomic filtering, fragmentation, and alteration in their journey to become part of the fossil record provide unique information on how plants functioned in paleo‐ecosystems through their traits. Plant traits are measurable morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, or phenological characteristics that potentially affect their environment and fitness. Here, we review the rich literature of paleobotany, through the lens of contemporary trait‐based ecology, to evaluate which well‐established extant plant traits hold the greatest promise for application to fossils. In particular, we focus on fossil plant functional traits, those measurable properties of leaf, stem, reproductive, or whole plant fossils that offer insights into the functioning of the plant when alive. The limitations of a trait‐based approach in paleobotany are considerable. However, in our critical assessment of over 30 extant traits we present an initial, semi‐quantitative ranking of 26 paleo‐functional traits based on taphonomic and methodological criteria on the potential of those traits to impact Earth system processes, and for that impact to be quantifiable. We demonstrate how valuable inferences on paleo‐ecosystem processes (pollination biology, herbivory), past nutrient cycles, paleobiogeography, paleo‐demography (life history), and Earth system history can be derived through the application of paleo‐functional traits to fossil plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study discusses the outcome of palynlogical and palaeobotanocal investigations of Middle Jurassic strata of the Tabas Block. The most commonly identified spore type is a trilete spore, Klukisporites, which accounts for 30 per cent, and the genus Ischyosporites which makes up 12 per cent of the spore collection. Plant fossils recovered from the borehole studied are indicative of a varied assemblage, starting with a diverse range of ferns and followed by Cycadophytes, Ginkgophytes and Coniferophytes. The predominance of the Lowland group in the Tabas Block during the Bajocian–Bathonian, as indicated by the Sporomorph EcoGroup (SEG) and Plant EcoGroup (PEG) models, suggests that the strata studied were laid down mainly in a lowland environment. Dinoflagellate cysts were found in locations that correspond to river and coastal ecogroups, hinting at marine influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleogene is a crucial period when terrestrial and marine ecosystems recovered from major disruptions and gradually approached their modern states. In the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions, the Paleogene also represents a significant phase of tectonic evolution in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau-Himalaya orogeny, reorganization of Asian climates, and evolution of biodiversity. Due to limitations in research conditions and understanding, there are still many controversies regarding stratigraphic divisions in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions In recent years, extensive studies on sedimentary petrology, magnetostratigraphy, and isotope dating have been conducted in the region. Numerous fossils have been discovered and reported, contributing to a more systematic understanding of biostratigraphy. These studies have laid a solid foundation for the comprehensive investigation of the stratigraphy, biotas and paleogeographic evolution of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions during the Paleogene. In this paper, we integrate recent research on fossils, isotopic dating, magnetostratigraphy, and geochemistry to refine the stratigraphic divisions and correlation framework of different tectonic units in the region, building upon previous studies. Since the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, the knowledge of Paleogene floras has gradually expanded. This paper discusses the biostratigraphic significance of extinct and newly appeared taxa based on the latest dating results of these plant species. The new understanding of fossil species such as the "Eucalyptus" and Arecaceae establishes connections between the Paleogene flora of the Qinghai-Tibetan region and the biotas of Gondwana, specifically Oceania and South America. The evolutionary history of key taxa near the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone indicates that the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates occurred approximately 65–54 Ma. Paleoelevation reconstructions, based on plant fossils, suggest that the Hengduan Mountain had already formed their current topographic pattern prior to the Early Oligocene. The warm and humid lowlands adjacent to the main suture zones in the Paleogene Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau served as the primary pathway for biota exchanges. The relatively low elevation of the Himalaya during the Paleogene did not effectively block the moisture from the Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most common macrofossils in the highly diverse flora from Laguna del Hunco (early Eocene of Chubut, Argentina) are "Celtis" ameghinoi leaves, whose true affinities have remained enigmatic for a century. The species accounts for 14% of all plant fossils in unbiased field counts and bears diverse insect-feeding damage, suggesting high biomass and paleoecological importance. The leaves have well-preserved architecture but lack cuticles or reproductive attachments. We find that the fossils only superficially resemble Celtis and comparable taxa in Cannabaceae, Ulmaceae, Rhamnaceae, Malvaceae, and many other families. However, the distinctive foliar morphology conforms in detail to Dobinea (Anacardiaceae), a genus with two species of shrubs and large herbs ranging from India's Far East and Tibet to Myanmar and central China, and we propose Dobineaites ameghinoi (E.W. Berry) gen. et comb. nov. for the fossils. This discovery strengthens the extensive biogeographic links between Eocene Patagonia and mainland Asia, provides the first fossil record related to Dobinea, and represents a rare Gondwanan macrofossil occurrence of Anacardiaceae, which was widespread and diversified in the Northern Hemisphere at the time. The diverse leaf architecture of Anacardiaceae includes several patterns usually associated with other taxa, and many other leaf fossils in this family may remain misidentified. Los macrofósiles más comunes en la flora altamente diversa de la Laguna del Hunco (Eoceno temprano de Chubut, Argentina) son hojas de "Celtis" ameghinoi, conocidas desde hace un siglo y cuyas afinidades han sido enigmáticas. La especie representa el 14% del total de las hojas fósiles en censos imparciales de campo, y los ejemplares exhiben diversos daños producidos por alimentación de insectos, lo que sugiere que habrían tenido elevada biomasa e importancia ecológica. Las hojas presentan la arquitectura bien conservada, pero carecen de cutículas o conexiones con estructuras reproductivas. Encontramos que los fósiles sólo se parecen superficialmente a Celtis y a taxones comparables de Cannabaceae, Ulmaceae, Rhamnaceae, Malvaceae, y muchas otras familias. Sin embargo, la morfología foliar distintiva se ajusta en detalle a Dobinea (Anacardiaceae), un género con dos especies de arbustos y grandes hierbas que se distribuye desde el Oriente de la India y el Tíbet hasta Myanmar y China central. Proponemos Dobineaites ameghinoi (E.W. Berry) gen. et comb. nov. para las hojas fósiles. Este hallazgo refuerza los ya extensos vínculos biogeográficos entre el Eoceno de Patagonia y Asia continental, proporciona el primer registro fósil relacionado con Dobinea y representa una rara presencia macrofósil gondwánica de Anacardiaceae, una familia que estaba muy extendida y diversificada en el hemisferio norte en ese momento. La diversa arquitectura foliar de las Anacardiaceae incluye varios patrones comúnmente asociados con otros grupos de plantas por lo que muchos fósiles de hojas de esta familia pueden permanecer aun mal identificados. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red Bed type sediment-hosted stratabound copper (SSC) deposits consist of replaced, disseminated to veinlets copper sulphides, hosted by thick, haematite-stained sequences of sandstone, conglomerate, and siltstone. More than 120 sediment-hosted stratabound copper (SSC) deposits and occurrences have been reported in Iran. Ravar–Tabas–Eshghabad is the major Red Bed type SSC belt in Iran, with a cumulative tonnage of more than 400 Mt ore at ~1–2% Cu. These deposits are hosted in Garedu Red Bed Formation (including reddish conglomerates and micro-conglomerates, red siltstones and sandstones), and copper sulphides (chalcocite, with minor chalcopyrite and bornite) are concentrated in local reducing conditions that are achieved around plant fossil accumulations, within grey paleochannels in the upper part of the Garedu Red Bed Formation. These deposits are usually explored using geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing methods. However, the host layers usually extend laterally up to tens of kilometres, and the critical point is to find the paleochannels in the host horizons where organic matter and plant fossils accumulate, especially in underground mining and boreholes. The lateral extension of ore-bearing lenses is usually 50–150 m, so it is not easy to find them within the reduced horizons. Recognizing neotocite textures (including diffusion, radial DLA (diffusion-limited aggregation), cat footprint, and spotty), and distribution in the host rocks of the Red Bed type SSC deposits can be used as a clue to find the ore lenses, organic matter, and plant fossil accumulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Namyang flora and the initial palaeoenvironmental implications of the Late Miocene Kocham Formation in North Hamgyong Province, northern DPRK, are discussed based on gross morphology. The Namyang megafossil beds are tuffaceous lacustrine deposits consisting mainly of diatomites intercalating with eruptive deposits. The Namyang fossil plant assemblage consists of 31 taxa belonging to 12 families and 20 genera, which was dominated by deciduous angiosperms. The dominant taxa were Zelkova, Fagus, Betula, Tilia, Juglans, Carpinus, and Acer. Spores and pollen data resemble the vegetation type as reflected by macrofossils, though differences exist between macrofossils and pollen records. The Namyang flora is comparable with the modern mixed mesophytic formation in a warm temperate climatic condition from the paleobotanic data. The upper Miocene Namyang flora represents a major resource for Cenozoic continental paleoclimatic interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transformation requires replacing power plants based on fossil raw materials with renewable energy. Energy harvesting plays an important, although not fully appreciated, role here. Distributed, local power supply systems for small receivers, based on various sources which previously dissipated energy, may contribute to changing the current energy paradigm. This article presents an overview of energy harvesting technologies and various energy sources used in this process. Particular attention was paid to sources of a less conventional nature. The aim of this article is to encourage and direct scientists with the potential to explore this topic to look for new, previously unexploited energy sources and innovative and effective methods of obtaining useful energy in the harvesting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fossil species of the leafy liverwort family Lophocoleaceae is described based on an inclusion in the late Eocene Rovno amber. Based on morphological similarity this species is assigned to the extant genus Leptoscyphus, as L. davidii sp. nov., representing the first fossil member of this genus and family. It is also the first bryophyte plant from the fossil resins being described in the Zhitomir Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himgir sub-basin is the southwestern part of the Ib River Basin, Odisha, India. A Lower Gondwana fossil horizon was explored along the road section near Himgir Village, Sundargarh District, Odisha and plant megafossils (1002 specimens) comprising both pteridophytes and gymnosperms, four plant groups, ten genera and fifty-five species were reported. Pteridophytes (Equisetales, Sphenophyllales and Filicales) are represented by Schizoneura gondwanensis Feistmantel, 1876, equisetaceous stems, Trizygia speciosa Royle, 1839 and Neomariopteris talchirensis Maithy, 1974. Gymnosperms are represented by one plant group namely Glossopteridales (46 species Glossopteris) along with stem casts, fructifications and scale leaves. The occurrence of Late Permian floras, the lack of distinctive Dicroidium flora of the Triassic period in this assemblage, and the red bed facies (ferruginous red sandstone and ferruginous red shale) of the investigated locality reveal that the exposure belongs to Lower Kamthi Formation of Wuchiapingian to Changhsingian age. The macrofloral assemblage demonstrates a warm-humid climate with flashing rainfall and moderate light intensity. Vegetation of the studied sub-basin has also been studied to portray the palaeobiodiversity of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest intermontane basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Qaidam Basin provides unique insight into paleoclimatic change and its relationship with global change and uplift on the TP. In this study, based on morphological comparison, fossil fruit of Cyclocarya from the Early Oligocene Shangganchaigou Formation in the Qaidam Basin is assigned as Cyclocarya cf. weylandii. The discovery of Cyclocarya cf. weylandii demonstrates the occurrence of Cyclocarya in the Oligocene sediment in Qaidam Basin. This is the first record of Cyclocarya fossil of Early Oligocene Age in China and indicates that Cyclocarya has existed on the northeastern TP since at least the Early Oligocene. The living analogues of the current fossil now lives in sub-tropical China, where the East Asian Monsoon is prevalent. Integrating the new fossils and previously reported fossil remains of plants and fishes, it can be inferred that the Early Oligocene Qaidam Basin was primarily influenced by westerly circulation and had a relatively warm and humid climate, which was in sharp contrast to the present-day climate in Qaidam Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian-Triassic transition saw extreme climatic changes that severely impacted the terrestrial ecosystem. Fossil plants, particularly fossil woods, are sensitive to climatic changes, and they, therefore, are unique materials revealing extreme environmental and climatic changes on land at that time. Abundant conifer woods were discovered in the Lopingian (Late Permian) strata of the Sunjiagou Formation in Shanxi Province, North China. The newly finding permineralized woods record the unique landscape of Lopingian North China. They represent a new conifer genus and species: Shanxiopitys zhangziensis gen. et sp. nov. Analyses of growth pattern and anatomical characteristics of the fossil woods indicate these trees grew under optimal growing conditions, and without seasonal growth cessation. However, climate signals from leaf fossils, vertebrate fossils and sedimentary evidences indicate a strongly seasonal climate in North China during the Lopingian. Thus, it is speculated that these trees likely lived in the gallery forests, which were distributed along the paleo-rivers within a seasonal landscape in the central North China block during the Lopingian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although molecular phylogenetics remains the most widely used method of inferring the evolutionary history of living groups, the last decade has seen a renewed interest in morphological phylogenetics, mostly driven by the promises that integrating the fossil record in phylogenetic trees offers to our understanding of macroevolutionary processes and dynamics and the possibility that the inclusion of fossil taxa could lead to more accurate phylogenetic hypotheses. The plant fossil record presents some challenges to its integration in a phylogenetic framework. Phylogenies including plant fossils often retrieve uncertain relationships with low support, or lack of resolution. This low support is due to the pervasiveness of morphological convergence among plant organs and the fragmentary nature of many plant fossils, and it is often perceived as a fundamental weakness reducing the utility of plant fossils in phylogenetics. Here I discuss the importance of uncertainty in morphological phylogenetics and how we can identify important information from different patterns and types of uncertainty. I also review a set of methodologies that can allow us to understand the causes underpinning uncertainty and how these practices can help us to further our knowledge of plant fossils. I also propose that a new visual language, including the use of networks instead of trees, represents an improvement on the old visualization based on consensus trees and more adequately serves phylogeneticists working with plant fossils. This set of methods and visualization tools represents an important way forward in a fundamental field for our understanding of the evolutionary history of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary critiques a scientific paper on the fossil flora of the Azores, pointing out inaccuracies and inconsistencies. The authors dispute the claim that there are no fossil plants on certain islands and provide evidence to the contrary. They also highlight errors in geological maps, taxonomic determinations, and descriptions of geological formations. The critique emphasizes the need for more accurate research, including detailed photographic evidence and replication of results. The authors encourage further study but urge improvements in taxonomy, geological descriptions, and evidence presentation. [Extracted from the article]

The presence of Andean plant genera in moist forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Coast has been historically hypothesized as the result of cross-continental migrations starting at the eastern Andean flanks. Here we test hypotheses of former connections between the Atlantic and Andean forests by examining distribution patterns of selected cool and moist-adapted plant arboreal taxa present in 54 South American pollen records of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), ca. 19–23 cal ka, known to occur in both plant domains. Pollen taxa studied include Araucaria, Drimys, Hedyosmum, Ilex, Myrsine, Podocarpus, Symplocos, Weinmannia, Myrtaceae, Ericaceae and Arecaceae. Past connectivity patterns between these two neotropical regions as well as individual ecological niches during the LGM were explored by cluster analysis of fossil assemblages and modern plant distributions. Additionally, we examined the ecological niche of 137 plant species with shared distributions between the Andes and coastal Brazil. Our results revealed five complex connectivity patterns for South American vegetation linking Andean, Amazonian and Atlantic Forests and one disjunction distribution in southern Chile. This study also provides a better understanding of vegetation cover on the large and shallow South American continental shelf that was exposed due to a global sea level drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The wild dwarf almond (Prunus tenella) is one of the national key grade II-protected wild plants in China. It is a relic deciduous forest species from the middle Eocene of the ancient Mediterranean Sea and is also known as a "living fossil of plants." It is distributed in Southeast Europe, West Asia, Central Asia, Siberia, and Xinjiang (Tacheng) and other areas of China. The plant grows on arid slopes, steppes, depressions, and valleys at an altitude of 1,200 m. The seeds of wild dwarf almonds are frost resistant and contain oil and bitter lentil glycosides, which possess medicinal value. Additionally, the seeds of wild dwarf almonds can be used as the original material for breeding new varieties of almonds and obtain ornamental flowers and trees. Results: The complete mitochondrial genome of P. tenella was sequenced and assembled using two sequencing platforms, namely, Illumina Novaseq6000 and Oxford Nanopore PromethION. The assembled genome was 452,158-bp long with a typical loop structure. The total number of A, T, C, and G bases in the genome was 122,066 (26.99%), 124,114 (27.45%), 103,285 (22.84%), and 102,693 (22.71%), respectively, with a GC content of 45.55%. A total of 63 unique genes, including 36 protein-coding genes, 24 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes, were identified in the genome. Furthermore, codon usage, sequence duplication, RNA editing, and mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA fragment transfer events in the genome were analyzed. A phylogenetic tree was also constructed using 30 protein-coding genes that are common to the mitochondrial genomes of 24 species, which indicated that the genome of wild lentils is highly conserved with those of apples and pears belonging to Rosaceae. Conclusion: Assembly and annotation of the P. tenella mitochondrial genome provided comprehensive information about the mitochondrial genome of wild dwarf almonds, This study provides information on the mitochondrial genome of Prunus species and serves as a reference for further evolutionary studies on wild dwarf almonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the reasons why renewable energies are so attractive compared to fossil fuels is their low environmental impact. In addition, geothermal power plants contribute tremendously to sustainable energy generation for cities despite their lower energy efficiency than fossil fuel plants. The multi-heat recovery will eliminate the applicability defect mentioned. Therefore, this paper studies a novel tri-generation schema with the maximum use of heat loss through a multi-heat recovery technique in two principal processes, namely waste heat-to-power and power-to-H 2 and -purified water. A double-flash binary cycle, Rankine cycle, electrolyzer unit, and reverse osmosis desalination system all play a part in the creation of this system. The technical feasibility of the system is scrutinized based on energy-exergy, environmental, sustainability, and exergoeconomic metrics and bi-objective optimization. Generally, 1st separator pressure made the strongest effect on the measured variables among decision variables. The increase in this parameter led to an upward-and-downward behavior of the net electricity and exergetic efficiency; while the cost of products experienced a converse trend. Also, the produced H 2 and purified water together with the tri-generation gain output ratio augmented. Changes were not observed in net electricity and purified water with the change in 2nd separator pressure, but the H 2 production rate changed significantly. Through bi-objective optimization, net electricity, purified water production rate, and total investment cost rate also significantly increase. Based on the optimum design mode, the CO 2 emission rate and the sustainability index are higher than under the base case design. • Using multi-heat recovery technique in two principal processes, namely, waste heat-to-power and power-to-H2 and -purified water. • Evaluation of system indices based on energy-exergy and exergoeconomic metrics and bi-objective optimization. • Exergetic efficiency, TGOR, and the cost of products improved by 5.19%, 109.52%, and 8.54%, separately, thanks to bi-objective optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence emission is common in plants. While fluorescence microscopy has been widely used to study living plants, its application in quantifying the fluorescence of fossil plants has been limited. Fossil plant fluorescence, from original fluorophores or formed during fossilization, can offer valuable insights into fluorescence in ancient plants and fossilization processes. In this work, we utilize two-photon fluorescence microspectroscopy to spatially and spectrally resolve the fluorescence emitted by amber-embedded plants, leaf compressions, and silicified wood. The advanced micro-spectroscope utilized, with its pixel-level spectral resolution and line-scan excitation capabilities, allows us to collect comprehensive excitation and emission spectra with high sensitivity and minimal laser damage to the specimens. By applying linear spectral unmixing to the spectrally resolved fluorescence images, we can differentiate between (a) the matrix and (b) the materials that comprise the fossil. Our analysis suggests that the latter correspond to durable tissues such as lignin and cellulose. Additionally, we observe potential signals from chlorophyll derivatives/tannins, although minerals may have contributed to this. This research opens doors to exploring ancient ecosystems and understanding the ecological roles of fluorescence in plants throughout time. Furthermore, the protocols developed herein can also be applied to analyze non-plant fossils and biological specimens. New protocols allow the collection of fluorescence excitation and emission spectra from a variety of fluorescent plant megafossils, enabling research into the underlying fluorescent molecules, including potential remnants of original fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinctive, reticulately sculptured ellipsoidal endocarp impressions have been discovered in Middle Miocene lake deposits of Idaho and eastern Oregon in the northwestern USA. We describe a new species based on these endocarp impressions and compare them morphologically with previously described extinct and extant species of Sabia (Sabiaceae) using light microscopy and micro-CT scanning. Sabia megacarpa sp. nov. endocarps are distinguished by their large size but resemble other species of Sabia in their asymmetric elliptical shape, reticulate surface ribs, unilocular morphology and gland-dotted endocarp surface. Although Sabia is now native to Southeast Asia and Malesia, the fossil record indicates this genus was formerly present in Europe and North America. The new species indicates that Sabia survived until at least 16 million years ago in western North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Polypodiaceae, the largest leptosporangiate fern family, is distributed mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of India, China, New Zealand, and Malaysia. This family has a rich macrofossil record in the Cenozoic sediments of China, but no macrofossil of Polypodiaceae has been reported from the Cenozoic sediments of India to date. Here, we report for the first time the occurrence of fossil frond remains resembling morphologically those of the extant microsoroid wart fern genus Microsorum Link from the late Miocene Siwalik sediments exposed around Sarkaghat, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya, India. Methodology. The present frond fossils were revealed by careful removal of the overlying matrix and studied under light compound, stereo zoom, and inverted fluorescence microscopes. They are identified based on their detailed morphological (macro and micro) features and through the comparison with other modern Polypodiaceae genera as well as with earlier reported polypodiceous fern fossil species. Pivotal results. The fossil frond specimens are described here as a new species, namely, Palaeosorum siwalikum Kundu, Hazra et Khan sp. nov. The new Siwalik vascular cryptogam species is characterized by leaf shape (simple frond with entire margin), venation pattern (brochidodromous nature of secondary veins, tertiary and quaternary veins reticulate, anastomosing and forming a row of irregular or quadrangular-shaped areoles between two lateral secondary veins), and presence of free included veinlets (unbranched or forked, ending with club-shaped hydathodes). Conclusions. These new fossil materials confirm the existence of a Microsorum -like plant in the Siwalik Miocene forests of Himachal Pradesh. We review in detail the fossil record and highlight the phytogeographic history of Polypodiaceae. In addition, we also suggest probable migratory routes for this fern family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]