Jun-Ling Dong

Paliurus Fruits from the Oligocene of South China and Their Phytogeographic Implications

Paliurus favonii Unger is recognized and described based on fruits from the Oligocene Ningming flora of Guangxi, South China. Characteristics of the present specimens include circular winged fruits that are 10.0–11.5 mm in diameter with a central endocarp at 3.0 to 4.0 mm in diameter. The specimens fall into the morphological range of the fossil species P. favonii, which has been observed in other Cenozoic sites in the Northern Hemisphere. The present discovery represents the lowest latitude distribution of P. favonii in the world, and we are presenting the first P. favonii fossil described with detailed cuticular characteristics from China. Further, this finding demonstrates that the genus existed in the Oligocene Ningming region, South China, and provides new information for understanding the fossil history. The dispersal mode for winged fossils demonstrates that wind dispersal is well-represented in the Oligocene Ningming flora.

A new species of Meliolinites associated with Buxus leaves from the Oligocene of Guangxi, southern China

A new species of Meliolinites (fossil Meliolaceae), M. buxi sp. nov., is reported from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi, South China. The fungus has hyphopodia characteristics of extant Meliolaceae, such as thick-walled, branching hyphae with appressoria and phialides. However, these fossils entirely lack mycelial or perithecial setae and have only a few phialides, thereby distinguishing the new species from most known species. The fungus was discovered on the adaxial and abaxial cuticles of several fossilized Buxus leaves. Thickening and twisting of cell walls in the Buxus leaf cuticle, along with the parasitic feeding strategy of the extant Meliolaceae, suggest that a parasitic interaction between Buxus and M. buxi seems feasible. The distribution of modern Meliolaceae suggests that they live in warm, humid subtropical-tropical climates. It is possible that the presence of M. buxi indicates a similar climatic condition. The co-occurrence of large-leaf Buxus and floristic comparisons of the Ningming assemblage also corroborate this conclusion.

A new species of Zelkova (Ulmaceae, Ulmoideae) with leaves and fruits from the Oligocene of South China and its biogeographical implications

A new fossil species of Zelkova is described from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi, South China. Zelkova ningmingensis sp. nov. is characterized by leaves with craspedodromous venation pattern and drupaceous fruit type. The new species possesses elliptical to ovate leaves, bearing 7–12 pairs of secondary and simple toothed margin, as well as epidermal cells with straight or rounded anticlinal walls. The species is compared with extant and other fossil species hitherto reported of the genus. It is most similar to the living Zelkova schneideriana in the leaf gross morphology and epidermal characters, which may be suggested to be the ancestral type of Zelkova schneideriana. The discovery of Zelkova ningmingensis sp. nov. in Guangxi indicates that Zelkova has already existed in southern China as early as the Oligocene. In combination with Zelkova material from the Oligocene of Europe, it can be inferred that Eurasian Zelkova had begun to diversify by at least the Oligocene. Because China is the biodiversity centre of modern Zelkova, the fossil herein provides new insights into Zelkova biogeography.

New costapalmate palm leaves from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi, China, and their biogeographic and palaeoclimatic implications

Abstract New palm leaves from the Oligocene Ningming Formation are placed into the morphogenus Sabalites because of their costapalmate leaf shape. Four taxa are described on the basis of leaf compressions with cuticular structure. S. guanxiensis sp. nov. is characterised by hypostomatic leaf blades with a stout costa and a symmetrical base. Sabalites cf. asymmetricus has amphistomatic leaf blades with a long, delicate costa and an asymmetrical base. Sabalites sp. 1 has amphistomatic leaf blades with a long, massive costa and wide segments. Sabalites sp. 2 is characterized by hypostomatic leaf blades with a prominent costa and an asymmetrical base. The four new palm taxa expand our understanding of the floristic elements and features of the Oligocene Ningming flora. Together with the other three palm taxa that were previously reported from the Ningming Formation, our material indicates that the Oligocene Ningming flora had a rich diversity of costapalmate palms. The relatively high species diversity of palms and other plants corroborate that the Oligocene Ningming flora represents a warm and humid climate.

A New Species of Cupressinocladus from the Lower Cretaceous of Guyang Basin, Inner Mongolia, China and Cluster Analysis

Cupressinocladus Seward is a fossil genus of conifers and conifer fossils with reproductive organs are very rare. In general, it is difficult to understand the natural affinities with other conifers. In this paper, a new species, Cupressinocladus guyangensis P.H. Jin et B.N. Sun sp. nov., is reported based on branches with immature female cones from the Lower Cretaceous Guyang Formation of the Guyang Basin in Inner Mongolia, northern China. The foliage shoots are decussate. Leaves are decussate, imbricate, scale-like, weakly dimorphic, and bear longitudinal glands on the abaxial view. Stomata complexes are haplocheilic, monocyclic, irregularly arranged,and spread along the leaf margin. Immature female cones are subglobose with 6-8 cone scales, and three subglobose ovules arranged in a row at the base of the cone scales. Moreover, we performed cluster analysis using a statistics and machine learning toolbox for 23 fossils and extant species based on 16 morphological characters. The result implies that the new species bears a close resemblance to the extant Cupressus funebris Endl. and might have nearest systematic affinities to it.

New fossil leaves and fruits of Lauraceae from the Middle Miocene of Fujian, southeastern China differentiated using a cluster analysis

Abstract The fossil record of Lauraceae can be traced back to the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia based on fossil flowers. Here, we refer a number of new occurrences of leaf and fruit fossils of Lauraceae from the Middle Miocene of Zhangpu, Fujian, China, to seven species. These data provide evidence supporting the fact that a diverse subtropical, or tropical, Lauraceae-dominated evergreen forest surrounded this region 15 million years ago (Mya). The Lauraceae fossils presented in this paper provide evidence for the evolution of this group as well as new materials that enable the study of the Fujian Province Neogene flora. The fossils described in this paper fill in the gaps in studies about Lauraceae pollen in the Middle Miocene from Fotan, Fujian, China. In addition, these fossils also enrich the Middle Miocene fossil records of Lauraceae in eastern Asia, especially improving the study of the macrostructures and reproductive organs of fossil Lauraceae from southern China. The similarity between fossil and modern fruits shows that during the Middle Miocene the fruit morphological of Lauraceae have changed very little. We also identify families where the fossils we report belong to their closest relatives and can be used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of Fujian in the Middle Miocene.

Identification of two new species of Meliolinites associated with Lauraceae leaves from the middle Miocene of Fujian, China

ABSTRACT Several studies have investigated both the paleoclimate and the well-preserved fossil remains from the middle Miocene found in China’s Fujian Province. This study describes two new species of Meliolinites, including their fungal hyphae, reproductive structures, and spores. The distribution of modern Meliolaceae indicates that they live in warm, humid, subtropical to tropical climates. Moreover, the fossil leaves and the epiphyllous fungal remains, indicate the prevalence of a warm, humid, subtropical to tropical climate in this area during the middle Miocene. In addition, it was observed that the surrounding cells of the fungi found on the uninfected host leaves were normal, whereas the infected host leaves themselves were abnormally dim. These features are a reflection of self-protection, and it can, therefore, be inferred that the host leaves were alive when they were infected. The present study used fossil angiosperm leaves with cuticles obtained from the Fotan sediments from Fujian to investigate not only the taxonomy of the fossils but also to interpret the paleoclimate and paleoecology.

The diversity and paleoenvironmental significance of Calophyllum (Clusiaceae) from the Miocene of southeastern China

Abstract Three species within the genus Calophyllum collected from middle Miocene Fotan Group sediments in Zhangpu County, Fujian, southeastern China are described in this paper. These fossils include Calophyllum zhangpuensis sp. nov., Calophyllum striatum, and Calophyllum suraikholaensis. The new fossil species C. zhangpuensis sp. nov. is oval, possesses entire leaves with closely spaced parallel secondary veins and has a round, or slightly retuse, apex. These specimens represent the first known fossil records of this relative wide leaf-type form of Calophyllum from China and have a length:width (L:W) ratio less than 3:1. In combination with the known modern geographic distribution and habitats of this wide leaf-type Calophyllum and other plants, data suggest that the middle Miocene Fotan flora is indicative of a warm climate. Thus, based on available fossil data, we speculate that this genus probably originated in India during the Paleocene before spreading from India to Bangladesh and into China, Sumatra, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Java during the Neogene, leading to its modern distribution. At least, the 3 fossil species in this region can explain floristic exchange between India, Fujian, and South China, which is consistent with previous studies; the occurrence of these 3 species indicates that Calophyllum began to diversity in China no later than the Miocene.

The geological significance of a new species of Coniopteris from the Middle Jurassic of northwestern China

ABSTRACT The genus Coniopteris was a dominate member of most Middle Jurassic floras globally. Strata in northern Xinjiang Province are well-known for containing abundant fern and ginkgo fossils, especially Coniopteris, usually identified as the Coniopteris-Phoenicopsis flora. We report a new species named Coniopteris sandaolingensis X. C. Yuan et B. N. Sun sp. nov in this paper which was collected from the Xishanyao Formation within the Turpan-Hami Basin. This species is recognized and described based on the architecture of its fronds and reproductive organ features. The fertile pinnae in this species are also slightly contracted, which suggests that currently known specimens belong to either Coniopteris or Eboracia to some extent, while its characteristic cup-like indusia show that it belongs to Coniopteris. This species is unique, however, because the first pinnule on the basiscopic side is forked into two equal lanceolate lobes. The results of our comparisons based on fossil Dicksoniaceae lead us to conclude that both present fossil and C. bella are likely transitional species that might provide insights into exactly how Coniopteris has evolved into other genera. The fossils discussed here led us to infer that the climate during the early Middle Jurassic of Sandaoling is warm and humid.