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Del Rio, Cédric; Wang, Teng-Xiang; Liu, Jia; Liang, Shui-Qing; Spicer, Robert A.; Wu, Fei-Xiang; Zhou, Zhe-Kun and Su, Tao
(2020).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1418
Abstract
Premise: Apocynaceae is common in the fossil record, especially as seed remains from the Neogene of Europe and North America, but rare in Asia. Intrafamilial assignment is difficult due to the lack of diagnostic characters, and new fossil and modern data are needed to understand the paleobiogeography of this group.
Methods: We studied three Apocynaceae seed impressions from the Lower Eocene Niubao Formation, Jianglang village, Bangor County, central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Morphological data from living and fossil species were phylogenetically mapped to enable systematic assignment.
Results: We describe a new genus, Asclepiadospermum gen. nov., and two new species, A. marginatum sp. nov. and A. ellipticum sp. nov. These species are characterized by an elliptical seed, a margin surrounding the central part of the seed, and polygonal, irregular, and small epidermal cells, and differ mainly in terms of the size of the margin and the shape of the apex. All these characters indicate that this new genus belongs to the subfamily Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae).
Conclusions: These fossils represent the earliest fossil seed records of Asclepiadoideae. Asclepiadospermum indicates a humid tropical to subtropical flora during the early Eocene in central Tibet. Moreover, our discoveries indicate a close floristic connection between Eurasia and Africa during the early Eocene, which expands our knowledge of the floristic linkage between Tibet and other regions at that time.
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- Item ORO ID
- 69209
- Item Type
- Journal Item
- ISSN
- 1537-2197
- Project Funding Details
-
Funded Project Name Project ID Funding Body Not Set 41922010 NSFC National Natural Science Foundation of China Not Set NE/P013805/1 NERC Natural Environment Research Council Not Set 41661134049 NSFC National Natural Science Foundation of China Strategic Priority Research Program XDA20070301 CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program XDB26000000 CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition 2019QZKK0705 Not Set Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences QYZDB-SSW-SMC016 CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences Youth Innovation Promotion Association 2017439 CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences 135 program 2017XTBG-F01 CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences - Keywords
- Asclepiadoideae; biodiversity; biogeography; fossil; paleobotany; paleoenvironment; phylogeny; Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; seed
- Academic Unit or School
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Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) - Copyright Holders
- © 2020 Botanical Society of America
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