A new legume fruit species from the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum in Japan

Ecological and Biogeographic Implications of Asian Cenozoic Fossil Floras

“…The authors of this issue have used a variety of approaches to investigate different kinds of fossil plant remains including fruits, seeds, leaves, wood, and pollen to address questions of systematics, paleobiogeography, paleoecology, and climate change. During recent years, many new fossil floras have been investigated and various taxa have been described in detail (e.g., Huang et al, ; Quan et al, ; Yabe, ; Yabe & Nakagawa, ). Now is an appropriate time to gather the latest evidence of fossil records and paleoenvironmental data to discuss their ecological and biogeographic implications, thus to better understand mechanisms of biogeographic change.…”

“…Asian fossil plant records are key to understanding patterns of plant migration, radiation, and extirpation that have shaped present‐day phytogeographic patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. Investigating the past biodiversity through geological time is critical to understand how this modern botanical richness formed (Popova et al, ; Huang et al, ; Yabe, ; Yabe & Nakagawa, ).…”