First record of Podocarpoid fossil wood in South China

Abstract

A new species of fossil conifer wood, Podocarpoxylon donghuaiense sp. nov., is described from the late Eocene of Nadu Formation in Baise Basin of the Guangxi Province, South China. This fossil wood is characterized by distinct growth rings, circular to oval tracheids in cross section, 1–2-seriate opposite pits on radial tracheid walls, uniseriate (rarely biseriate) rays, smooth end walls of ray parenchyma cells, and the absence of resin ducts, suggesting its affinity to Podocarpaceae. The new species is distinctive from other Cenozoic woods ascribed to this family by the combination of distinctive growth rings, the absence of axial parenchyma, the occurrence of bordered pits on tangential tracheid walls, and the occurrence of 3–4 cuppressoid or taxodioid pits on cross-fields. This represents the first record of podocarpoid fossil wood in South China and provides fossil evidence for the early dispersal and diversification of Podocarpaceae in eastern Asia as well as for mild temperate seasonal climate in this region during the late Eocene.

Paleoenvironmental Settings of the Soma Coal Basin (Turkey): Insights from Maceral Data, Biomarker, and Carbon Isotopic Composition

“…Nowadays, it has become important to reassess the vegetation community and paleoenvironmental–paleoclimatic conditions in peatlands through extensive research with biomarker analysis from extractable organic matter (EOM) extracted from coals. − Since the coal formation process can be influenced by many natural factors, it should be supported by other data in addition to organic geochemical parameters. Reconstruction of paleoclimate based on n -alkane distributions has been widely applied in peat deposits. , However, these studies were limited to lignite deposits. , Mathews et al determined the paleoclimatic characteristics of the Early Paleogene Barsingsar lignite-bearing Sequence of Rajasthan based on stable carbon isotope data along with biomarker distributions. This study aims to evaluate and compare the organic matter sources and depositional environment characteristics of the upper, middle, and lower coal seams in the Soma-Manisa coal basin in detail and to estimate the hydrocarbon potential in these three seams.…”

“…Reconstruction of paleoclimate based on n -alkane distributions has been widely applied in peat deposits. 26 , 27 However, these studies were limited to lignite deposits. 21 , 28 Mathews et al 21 determined the paleoclimatic characteristics of the Early Paleogene Barsingsar lignite-bearing Sequence of Rajasthan based on stable carbon isotope data along with biomarker distributions.…”