Early Miocene Woods of Egypt

Abstract

Thirty-eight silicified eudicot wood samples were collected from a single locality in the early Miocene Gebel El-Khashab Formation exposed along the Cairo- Bahariya Oasis Desert Road of Egypt. This locality is remarkable because it is dominated by trunks of Bombacoxylon, family Malvaceae (32 samples). Whether this reflects the composition of the original regional vegetation or is a result of sorting during transport prior to fossilization is not known. These woods are characterized by having few, wide vessels, functional traits consistent with the tropical, warm humid climate suggested for the early Miocene of North Africa. Additionally, there is one sample each of wood resembling Terminalioxylon (Combretaceae) and Cynometroxylon (Leguminosae/Caesalpinioideae). Affinities of four other samples could not be determined. A list of all Miocene wood species of Egypt known to date is given along with general interpretations of the paleoclimate in the region and suggestions for future work.

The First Record of Fossil Rubiaceae Wood from Egypt

“…Careful microscopic investigation using the format of the IAWA List of Features Suitable for Hardwood Identification (IAWA Committee 1989) and consulting references such as Metcalfe and Chalk (1950), Jansen et al (2002), APG III (2009 and the database available at the web page: http://insidewood.lib.ncsu.edu/description for fossil and modern woods led us to find out that seventeen specimens belonged to three species namely: Bombacoxylon owenii (Malvaceae-Bombacoideae, seven specimens), Terminalioxylon geinitzii (Combretaceae, four specimens) and Terminalioxylon intermedium (Combretaceae, six specimens) that had already been recorded, described and commented upon from many sites in Egypt (Kräusel, 1939;Youssef, 1993;Kamal, El-Din, 2002;El-Saadawi & Kamal El-Din, 2004;El-Saadawi, et al 2014 andKamal El-Din, et al, 2015). It has to be mentioned, however, that B. owenii, T. geinitzii and T. intermedium are old records to the study area (Kräusel, 1939 andYoussef, 1993).…”

Miocene petrified trees at Bahariya Oasis, Egypt

“…A spectacular locality lies in the Western Desert of Egypt, where large fossil logs are preserved in sediments bordering the Cairo-Bahariya Oasis Desert Road at latitude 29°41′41′′ N and longitude 30°19′23′′ E. Petrified wood occurs abundantly in the Lower Miocene Gebel El-Khashab Formation, which is composed mainly of loose, moderately to poorly sorted sands and gravel deposited by an ancient river. The fossil wood occurs as fragmented tree trunks that are found mingled or scattered on the sand surface or half-buried in various orientations (El-Saadawi et al 2014). Fossil logs range in length from 0.5 to 30 m, and include a variety of dicot taxa and two species of palms (see El-Saadawi et al 2010).…”

Terminalioxylon edwardsii from the Oligocene of Egypt, with a review of the genus in Africa

“…Family: Combretaceae Robert Brown Genus: Terminalioxylon Schönfeld, 1947emend Mädel-Angeliewa & Müller-Stoll, 1973 Generic diagnosis-Growth rings distinct or indistinct, marginal parenchyma sometimes present, vessels solitary or in short to long radial multiples (up to 14 vessels), perforation plates simple, intervessel pits alternate, fibres septate or non-septate, axial parenchyma paratracheal, vasicentric narrow to broad, often more or less aliform, seldom also confluent, chambered crystalliferous strands present or absent, rays 1(-2) cells wide, homocellular or weakly heterocellular, solitary crystals frequently present, mostly in enlarged square to upright cells in rows in between procumbent ray cells (Mädel-Angeliewa & Müller-Stoll, 1973;El-Saadawi et al, 2014). Kräusel, 1939) Specimen No.…”

“…Terminalia, cf. Terminalioxylon*, Terminalioxylon* and Pteleopsis* (Dupéron-Laudoueneix & Dupéron, 1995;Gregory et al, 2009;El-Saadawi et al, 2014). The largest of these genera is Terminalioxylon (51 spp.).…”

“…of Beauchamp, Lemoigne & Petrescu was reported to occur in the Miocene of Egypt by Boureau et al (1983) without mentioning a locality (Dupéron-Laudoueneix & Dupéron, 1995;El-Saadawi & Kamal El-Din, 2004) whereas cf. Terminalioxylon edwardsii was described from the Miocene of Cairo-Bahariya Oasis Desert Road (El-Saadawi et al, 2014). In addition to the woods, a combretaceous leaf species Terminaliophyllum africanum Lejal-Nicol, was recorded from the Eocene of Suez by Lejal-Nicol (1987).…”