Fossil assemblage

In a small area in Sec. 6, T. 22 S., R. 44 W., Prowers County, Colorado, there are three roughly circular areas from 100 to 200 feet in diameter in which collapsed and brecciated masses of the Hays limestone member and Smoky Hill marl member of the Niobrara formation occur in contact with the uppermost part of the underlying Carlile shale. They are probably exhumed sink holes formed as a result of the development of solution caverns within the Greenhorn limestone or within soluble horizons in deeper lying rocks. As a result of repeated roof subsidence such caverns may have worked their way upward through the overlying rocks by a process of natural stoping, probably during Pleistocene time. The exposures now observed represent cross sections of the natural stopes at levels somewhat below the height they originally reached.

@article{dane1934fossil,
    author = "Dane, Carle H. and Pierce, W. G.",
    title = "Fossil Sink Holes in Cretaceous Beds of Prowers County, Colorado",
    year = "1934",
    journal = "AAPG Bulletin",
    abstract = "In a small area in Sec. 6, T. 22 S., R. 44 W., Prowers County, Colorado, there are three roughly circular areas from 100 to 200 feet in diameter in which collapsed and brecciated masses of the Hays limestone member and Smoky Hill marl member of the Niobrara formation occur in contact with the uppermost part of the underlying Carlile shale. They are probably exhumed sink holes formed as a result of the development of solution caverns within the Greenhorn limestone or within soluble horizons in deeper lying rocks. As a result of repeated roof subsidence such caverns may have worked their way upward through the overlying rocks by a process of natural stoping, probably during Pleistocene time. The exposures now observed represent cross sections of the natural stopes at levels somewhat below the height they originally reached.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1306/3d932c84-16b1-11d7-8645000102c1865d",
    doi = "10.1306/3d932c84-16b1-11d7-8645000102c1865d",
    number = "11",
    openalex = "W2128429037",
    pages = "1493-1505",
    volume = "18"
}

@article{coope1975climatic2,
    author = "Coope, G. R",
    title = "Climatic Fluctuations in Northwest Europe Since the Last Interglacial, Indicated by Fossil Assemblages of Coleoptera, in Wright, A. E., and Moseley, F., eds., Ice Ages",
    year = "1975",
    journal = "Ancient and Modern, 6 of Geological Journal Special Issue: p. 153-168",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Coope, G. R., 1975, Climatic Fluctuations in Northwest Europe Since the Last Interglacial, Indicated by Fossil Assemblages of Coleoptera, in Wright, A. E., and Moseley, F., eds., Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern, 6 of Geological Journal Special Issue: p. 153-168.}"
}

@article{romero1976a,
    author = "Romero, Edgardo J. and Hickey, Leo J.",
    title = "A Fossil Leaf of Akaniaceae from Paleocene Beds in Argentina",
    year = "1976",
    journal = "Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2307/2484888",
    doi = "10.2307/2484888",
    number = "3",
    openalex = "W2795724398",
    pages = "126",
    volume = "103",
    references = "doi101086329676, doi1023072395267, doi1023072421840"
}

@article{doi101007bf02860849,
    author = "Hickey, Leo and Doyle, James A.",
    title = "Early cretaceous fossil evidence for angiosperm evolution",
    year = "1977",
    journal = "The Botanical Review",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02860849",
    doi = "10.1007/bf02860849",
    openalex = "W2049896126",
    references = "crossref1994continental, doi101007bf02858880, doi1010800072139519759989755, doi101111j136530911964tb00459x, doi101111j1469185x1970tb01644x"
}

@misc{bonaparte1980a1,
    author = "Bonaparte, J. F. and Powell, J. E",
    title = "A continental assemblage of tetrapods from the Upper Cretaceous beds of El Brete, northwest Argentina",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Mem. Soc. Geol. Fr., v. 139, p. 19-28",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bonaparte, J. F., and Powell, J. E., 1980, A continental assemblage of tetrapods from the Upper Cretaceous beds of El Brete, northwest Argentina: Mem. Soc. Geol. Fr., v. 139, p. 19-28.}"
}

@misc{osmolska1980the3,
    author = "Osmolska, H",
    title = "The Late Cretaceous vertebrate assemblages of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Memoirs of the Geological Society of France, v. 139, p. 145-150",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Osmolska, H., 1980, The Late Cretaceous vertebrate assemblages of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia: Memoirs of the Geological Society of France, v. 139, p. 145-150.}"
}

@article{doi101007bf02860537,
    author = "Müller, Jan‐Peter",
    title = "Fossil pollen records of extant angiosperms",
    year = "1981",
    journal = "The Botanical Review",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02860537",
    doi = "10.1007/bf02860537",
    openalex = "W2024827286",
    references = "doi101007bf02860067, doi101007bf02860849, doi1010160012825272900384, doi1010160034666768900511, doi1010800072139519739989729, doi1010800072139519759989755, doi1011639789004631038, doi102134agronj195300021962004500040018x, doi1023071220386, doi1023071484763, doi1023072258301, doi1023072395198, doi1023072418725, romero1976a"
}

Abstract- Several prominent cladists have questioned the importance of fossils in phylogenctic inference, and it is becoming increasingly popular to simply fit extinct forms, if they are considered at all, to a cladogram of Recent taxa. Gardiner's (1982) and Løvtrup's (1985) study of amniote phylogeny exemplifies this differential treatment, and we focused on that group of organisms to test the proposition that fossils cannot overturn a theory of relationships based only on the Recent biota. Our parsimony analysis of amniote phylogeny, special knowledge contributed by fossils being scrupulously avoided, led to the following best fitting classification, which is similar to the novel hypothesis Gardiner published: (lepidosaurs (turtles (mammals (birds, crocodiles)))). However, adding fossils resulted in a markedly different most parsimonious cladogram of the extant taxa: (mammals (turtles (lepidosaurs (birds, crocodiles)))). That classification is like the traditional hypothesis, and it provides a better fit to the stratigraphic record. To isolate the extinct taxa responsible for the latter classification, the data were successively partitioned with each phylogenetic analysis, and we concluded that: (1) the ingroup, not the outgroup, fossils were important; (2) synapsid, not reptile, fossils were pivotal; (3) certain synapsid fossils, not the earliest or latest, were responsible. The critical nature of the synapsid fossils seemed to lie in the particular combination of primitive and derived character slates they exhibited. Classifying those fossils, along with mammals, as the sister group to the lineage consisting of birds and crocodiles resulted in a relatively poor fit to data; one involving a 2-4 fold increase in evolutionary reversals! Thus, the importance of the critical fossils, collectively or individually, seems to reside in their relative primitive-ness, and the simplest explanation for their more conservative nature is that they have had less time to evolve. While fossils may be important in phylogenetic inference only under certain conditions, there is no compelling reason to prejudge their contribution. We urge systematists to evaluate fairly all of the available evidence.

@article{doi101111j109600311988tb00514x,
    author = "Gauthier, Jacques and Kluge, Arnold G. and Rowe, Timothy",
    title = "AMNIOTE PHYLOGENY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSSILS",
    year = "1988",
    journal = "Cladistics",
    abstract = "Abstract- Several prominent cladists have questioned the importance of fossils in phylogenctic inference, and it is becoming increasingly popular to simply fit extinct forms, if they are considered at all, to a cladogram of Recent taxa. Gardiner's (1982) and Løvtrup's (1985) study of amniote phylogeny exemplifies this differential treatment, and we focused on that group of organisms to test the proposition that fossils cannot overturn a theory of relationships based only on the Recent biota. Our parsimony analysis of amniote phylogeny, special knowledge contributed by fossils being scrupulously avoided, led to the following best fitting classification, which is similar to the novel hypothesis Gardiner published: (lepidosaurs (turtles (mammals (birds, crocodiles)))). However, adding fossils resulted in a markedly different most parsimonious cladogram of the extant taxa: (mammals (turtles (lepidosaurs (birds, crocodiles)))). That classification is like the traditional hypothesis, and it provides a better fit to the stratigraphic record. To isolate the extinct taxa responsible for the latter classification, the data were successively partitioned with each phylogenetic analysis, and we concluded that: (1) the ingroup, not the outgroup, fossils were important; (2) synapsid, not reptile, fossils were pivotal; (3) certain synapsid fossils, not the earliest or latest, were responsible. The critical nature of the synapsid fossils seemed to lie in the particular combination of primitive and derived character slates they exhibited. Classifying those fossils, along with mammals, as the sister group to the lineage consisting of birds and crocodiles resulted in a relatively poor fit to data; one involving a 2-4 fold increase in evolutionary reversals! Thus, the importance of the critical fossils, collectively or individually, seems to reside in their relative primitive-ness, and the simplest explanation for their more conservative nature is that they have had less time to evolve. While fossils may be important in phylogenetic inference only under certain conditions, there is no compelling reason to prejudge their contribution. We urge systematists to evaluate fairly all of the available evidence.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.1988.tb00514.x",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1096-0031.1988.tb00514.x",
    openalex = "W1978557909",
    references = "crossref1943the, currie1985cranial, doi101001jama194302840160064031, doi1010079781468488517, doi101007978146848851721, doi101016002555648290027x, doi1010160169534789901626, doi101016b9781483198279500198, doi101016b9781483231426500124, doi101017cbo9780511693281002, doi101038142004a0, doi10108002724634198810011708, doi101086628623, doi101093sysbio1811, doi101093sysbio33183, doi1010970000505319311100000026, doi101098rstb19830079, doi101111j109636421977tb01031x, doi101111j109636421985tb01796x, doi101146annureven10010165000525, doi1023071005355, doi1023071220820, doi1023071292217, doi1023071441916, doi1023072412407, doi1023072412685, doi1023072413134, doi1023072413259, doi1023072413454, doi1023072485224, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi10560219780801847806, doi105962bhltitle6408, doi105962bhltitle82144, openalexw1534787790, openalexw1534857865, openalexw2954279587, openalexw2983381470, openalexw3146596760, openalexw3184837389, openalexw575222456, roaf1943the"
}

@book{crossref1992new,
    title = "New Aspects on Tethyan Cretaceous Fossil Assemblages",
    year = "1992",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-5644-5",
    doi = "10.1007/978-3-7091-5644-5",
    openalex = "W566260707"
}

The oldest angiosperm leaves from Patagonia were reported from Baquero Formation (Barremian-Aptian) in a mesofitic flora of more than one hundred gymnosperm and fern species. The next younger records are from the Chubut Group, a thick assemblage of pyroclastic sediments, with sand and conglomerate facies and frequent paleosols. In the Sierra de San Bernardo area sediments are mainly tufaceous and fluvial, deposited under an arid climate in shallow lakes and swamps of the alluvial plains. The sea was hundreds of kilometers to the West. Four Formations were described: Matasiete (Aptian), Castillo and Bajo Barreal (Senonian) and Laguna Palacios (Campanian-Maastrichtian). We explored in the Senonian Formations, and studied a few outcrops that can be sorted as: a) Monospecific, with only Onychiopsis sp., in palustral sediments. b) Strongly dominated by Eauisetum sp, and few remains of two dicot species with large, entire margined, low rank leaves, in palustral sediments. c) Strongly dominated by two species of angiosperms with small leaves, associated with remains of conifers in tufaceous beds deposited in the alluvial plain. d) Dominated by a few species of dicots, with medium size, entire margined leaves. Also with about 10 species of ferns, gymnosperms and lobate angiosperms. They are in alluvial plains sediments. e) More balanced associations, with several abundant species, including angiosperms with lobate and leaves. They are in fluvial sediments. Although angiosperm radiation and taphonomy undoubtedly accounts for differences of plant composition between outcrops, it seems apparent that the record of early angiosperms in Chubut Group is represented by remains of many different plant associations, with few species, adapted to different environments, that probably coexisted, and developed under an arid climate, far from the sea.

@article{romero1992early,
    author = "Romero, Edgardo J. and Palma, Ricardo",
    title = "Early angiosperm fossil leaves in Chubut Group, Cretaceous, Argentina",
    year = "1992",
    journal = "The Paleontological Society Special Publications",
    abstract = "The oldest angiosperm leaves from Patagonia were reported from Baquero Formation (Barremian-Aptian) in a mesofitic flora of more than one hundred gymnosperm and fern species. The next younger records are from the Chubut Group, a thick assemblage of pyroclastic sediments, with sand and conglomerate facies and frequent paleosols. In the Sierra de San Bernardo area sediments are mainly tufaceous and fluvial, deposited under an arid climate in shallow lakes and swamps of the alluvial plains. The sea was hundreds of kilometers to the West. Four Formations were described: Matasiete (Aptian), Castillo and Bajo Barreal (Senonian) and Laguna Palacios (Campanian-Maastrichtian). We explored in the Senonian Formations, and studied a few outcrops that can be sorted as: a) Monospecific, with only Onychiopsis sp., in palustral sediments. b) Strongly dominated by Eauisetum sp, and few remains of two dicot species with large, entire margined, low rank leaves, in palustral sediments. c) Strongly dominated by two species of angiosperms with small leaves, associated with remains of conifers in tufaceous beds deposited in the alluvial plain. d) Dominated by a few species of dicots, with medium size, entire margined leaves. Also with about 10 species of ferns, gymnosperms and lobate angiosperms. They are in alluvial plains sediments. e) More balanced associations, with several abundant species, including angiosperms with lobate and leaves. They are in fluvial sediments. Although angiosperm radiation and taphonomy undoubtedly accounts for differences of plant composition between outcrops, it seems apparent that the record of early angiosperms in Chubut Group is represented by remains of many different plant associations, with few species, adapted to different environments, that probably coexisted, and developed under an arid climate, far from the sea.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200008108",
    doi = "10.1017/s2475262200008108",
    openalex = "W2782924332",
    pages = "250-250",
    volume = "6"
}

This indispensable reference provides the only comprehensive discussion of biomarkers and how they are used with other geochemical methods to reduce the risk associated with exploration for petroleum. The guide brings together information on biomarkers and related technology that is now disseminated in hundreds of research papers, and creates general guidelines for the use of selected parameters. For a broad audience including company exploration geologies, geochemists, geochemical coordinators, and managers.

@article{doi105860choice302690,
    title = "The biomarker guide: interpreting molecular fossils in petroleum and ancient sediments",
    year = "1993",
    journal = "Choice Reviews Online",
    abstract = "This indispensable reference provides the only comprehensive discussion of biomarkers and how they are used with other geochemical methods to reduce the risk associated with exploration for petroleum. The guide brings together information on biomarkers and related technology that is now disseminated in hundreds of research papers, and creates general guidelines for the use of selected parameters. For a broad audience including company exploration geologies, geochemists, geochemical coordinators, and managers.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.30-2690",
    doi = "10.5860/choice.30-2690",
    openalex = "W1578727128"
}

ABSTRACT The most commonly cited apomorphy of Archosauriformes is an opening in the snout known as the antorbital cavity. Despite the ubiquity and prominence of the antorbital cavity, its function and importance in craniofacial evolution have been problematic. Discovering the significance of the antorbital cavity is a two step process: first, establishing the function of the bony cavity (that is, its soft-tissue relations), and second, determining the biological role of the enclosed structure. The first step is the most fundamental, and hence is examined at length. Three hypotheses for the function of the antorbital cavity have been advanced, suggesting that it housed (1) a gland, (2) a muscle, or (3) a paranasal air sinus. Thus, resolution is correctly viewed as a “soft-tissue problem,” and is addressed within the context of the extant phylogenetic bracket (EPB) approach for reconstructing the unpreserved features of fossil organisms. The soft-anatomical relations of the antorbital cavity (or any bony structure) are important because (1) soft tissues generally have morphogenetic primacy over bony tissues and (2) inferences about soft tissues are the foundation for a cascading suite of paleobiological inferences. The EPB approach uses the shared causal associations between soft tissues and their osteological correlates (i.e., the signatures imparted to the bones by the soft tissues) that are observed in the extant outgroups of the fossil taxon of interest to infer the soft-anatomical attributes of the fossil; based on the assessment at the outgroup node, a hierarchy characterizing the strength of the inference can be constructed. This general approach is applied to the problem of the function of the antorbital cavity, taking each hypothesized soft-tissue candidate—gland, muscle, and air sac—in turn, (1) establishing the osteological correlates of each soft-tissue system in the EPB of any fossil archosaur (i.e., extant birds and crocodilians), (2) formulating a hypothesis of homology based on similarities in these causal associations between birds and crocodilians, (3) testing this hypothesis by surveying fossil archosaurs for the specified osteological correlates, and (4) accepting or rejecting the hypothesis based on its phylogenetic congruence. Using this approach, fossil archosaurs can be reliably reconstructed with a Glandula nasalis, M. pterygoideus, pars dorsalis, and Sinus antorbitalis that are homologous with those of extant archosaurs; however, the osteological correlates of only the antorbital paranasal air sinus involve the several structures associated with the antorbital cavity. Additional evidence for the pneumatic nature of the antorbital cavity comes from the presence of numerous accessory cavities (especially in theropod dinosaurs) surrounding the main antorbital cavity. To address the origin of the antorbital cavity, the EPB approach was applied to basal archosauriforms; the data are not as robust, but nevertheless suggest that the cavity appeared as a housing for a paranasal air sinus. The second step in discovering the evolutionary significance of the antorbital cavity is to assess the function of the enclosed paranasal air sac. In fact, the function of all pneumaticity is investigated here. Rather than the enclosed volume of air (i.e., the empty space) being functionally important, better explanations result by focusing on the pneumatic epithelial diverticulum itself. It is proposed here that the function of the epithelial air sac is simply to pneumatize bone in an opportunistic manner within the constraints of a particular biomechanical loading regime. Trends in facial evolution in three clades of archosaurs (crocodylomorphs, ornithopod dinosaurs, and theropod dinosaurs) were examined in light of this new perspective. Crocodylomorphs and ornithopods both show trends for reduction and enclosure of the antorbital cavity (but for different reasons), whereas theropods show a trend for relatively poorly constrained expansion. These findings are consistent with the view of air sacs as opportunistic pneumatizing machines, with weight reduction and design optimality as secondary effects.

@article{doi10108002724634199710011027,
    author = "Witmer, Lawrence M.",
    title = "The Evolution of the Antorbital Cavity of Archosaurs: A Study in Soft-Tissue Reconstruction in the Fossil Record with an Analysis of the Function of Pneumaticity",
    year = "1997",
    journal = "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology",
    abstract = "ABSTRACT The most commonly cited apomorphy of Archosauriformes is an opening in the snout known as the antorbital cavity. Despite the ubiquity and prominence of the antorbital cavity, its function and importance in craniofacial evolution have been problematic. Discovering the significance of the antorbital cavity is a two step process: first, establishing the function of the bony cavity (that is, its soft-tissue relations), and second, determining the biological role of the enclosed structure. The first step is the most fundamental, and hence is examined at length. Three hypotheses for the function of the antorbital cavity have been advanced, suggesting that it housed (1) a gland, (2) a muscle, or (3) a paranasal air sinus. Thus, resolution is correctly viewed as a “soft-tissue problem,” and is addressed within the context of the extant phylogenetic bracket (EPB) approach for reconstructing the unpreserved features of fossil organisms. The soft-anatomical relations of the antorbital cavity (or any bony structure) are important because (1) soft tissues generally have morphogenetic primacy over bony tissues and (2) inferences about soft tissues are the foundation for a cascading suite of paleobiological inferences. The EPB approach uses the shared causal associations between soft tissues and their osteological correlates (i.e., the signatures imparted to the bones by the soft tissues) that are observed in the extant outgroups of the fossil taxon of interest to infer the soft-anatomical attributes of the fossil; based on the assessment at the outgroup node, a hierarchy characterizing the strength of the inference can be constructed. This general approach is applied to the problem of the function of the antorbital cavity, taking each hypothesized soft-tissue candidate—gland, muscle, and air sac—in turn, (1) establishing the osteological correlates of each soft-tissue system in the EPB of any fossil archosaur (i.e., extant birds and crocodilians), (2) formulating a hypothesis of homology based on similarities in these causal associations between birds and crocodilians, (3) testing this hypothesis by surveying fossil archosaurs for the specified osteological correlates, and (4) accepting or rejecting the hypothesis based on its phylogenetic congruence. Using this approach, fossil archosaurs can be reliably reconstructed with a Glandula nasalis, M. pterygoideus, pars dorsalis, and Sinus antorbitalis that are homologous with those of extant archosaurs; however, the osteological correlates of only the antorbital paranasal air sinus involve the several structures associated with the antorbital cavity. Additional evidence for the pneumatic nature of the antorbital cavity comes from the presence of numerous accessory cavities (especially in theropod dinosaurs) surrounding the main antorbital cavity. To address the origin of the antorbital cavity, the EPB approach was applied to basal archosauriforms; the data are not as robust, but nevertheless suggest that the cavity appeared as a housing for a paranasal air sinus. The second step in discovering the evolutionary significance of the antorbital cavity is to assess the function of the enclosed paranasal air sac. In fact, the function of all pneumaticity is investigated here. Rather than the enclosed volume of air (i.e., the empty space) being functionally important, better explanations result by focusing on the pneumatic epithelial diverticulum itself. It is proposed here that the function of the epithelial air sac is simply to pneumatize bone in an opportunistic manner within the constraints of a particular biomechanical loading regime. Trends in facial evolution in three clades of archosaurs (crocodylomorphs, ornithopod dinosaurs, and theropod dinosaurs) were examined in light of this new perspective. Crocodylomorphs and ornithopods both show trends for reduction and enclosure of the antorbital cavity (but for different reasons), whereas theropods show a trend for relatively poorly constrained expansion. These findings are consistent with the view of air sacs as opportunistic pneumatizing machines, with weight reduction and design optimality as secondary effects.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1997.10011027",
    doi = "10.1080/02724634.1997.10011027",
    openalex = "W1973023986",
    references = "coria1995a, crossref1976allosaurus, currie1985cranial, doi10100797836426953391, doi1010160021929082902469, doi101016b9781483231426500124, doi101017s0022336000026706, doi101017s0022336000059126, doi101017s0094837300004310, doi101017s247526300000091x, doi101038019118a0, doi101038063003a0, doi101038114085a0, doi10108002724634199110011386, doi10108002724634199110011426, doi10108002724634199210011473, doi10108002724634199310011511, doi10108002724634199410011538, doi10108002724634199510011250, doi101098rstb19610007, doi101098rstb19650003, doi101098rstb19850092, doi101098rstb19910056, doi101098rstb19920117, doi101098rstb19950125, doi101111j109600311991tb00045x, doi101111j109636421978tb01049x, doi101111j146363951921tb00489x, doi101111j1469185x1990tb01427x, doi101111j146979981913tb06148x, doi101111j155856461965tb01720x, doi101111j174966321940tb57047x, doi101111j216409471940tb00068x, doi101126science11282807, doi101126science2665183267, doi101126science2725264986, doi101139e93179, doi10125900071285586941029, doi1015468p4gnhz, doi1015468yhxmzl, doi1023072406439, doi1023072413454, doi1023072421859, doi1023072992444, doi10230730135049, doi1023073514548, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi105281zenodo16673433, doi105479si03629236110i, doi105860choice326223, doi105962bhlpart22965, doi105962bhltitle54054, doi105962p226819, madsen1976a, openalexw1489366593, openalexw1534857865, openalexw193970361, openalexw2603028126, openalexw2788234611, openalexw3140893762, openalexw3184837389, openalexw607142922, openalexw616953834, rowe1989a, sues1978a, walker1964triassic"
}

Palaeobotany applied to freshwater plants is an emerging field of palaeontology. Hydrophytic plants reveal evolutionary trends of their own, clearly distinct from those of the terrestrial and marine flora. During the Precambrian, two groups stand out in the fossil record of freshwater plants: the Cyanobacteria (stromatolites) in benthic environments and the prasinophytes (leiosphaeridian acritarchs) in transitional planktonic environments. During the Palaeozoic, green algae (Chlorococcales, Zygnematales, charophytes and some extinct groups) radiated and developed the widest range of morphostructural patterns known for these groups. Between the Permian and Early Cretaceous, charophytes dominated macrophytic associations, with the consequence that over tens of millions of years, freshwater flora bypassed the dominance of vascular plants on land. During the Early Cretaceous, global extension of the freshwater environments is associated with diversification of the flora, including new charophyte families and the appearance of aquatic angiosperms and ferns for the first time. Mesozoic planktonic assemblages retained their ancestral composition that was dominated by coenobial Chlorococcales, until the appearance of freshwater dinoflagellates in the Early Cretaceous. In the Late Cretaceous, freshwater angiosperms dominated almost all macrophytic communities worldwide. The Tertiary was characterised by the diversification of additional angiosperm and aquatic fern lineages, which resulted in the first differentiation of aquatic plant biogeoprovinces. hytoplankton also diversified during the Eocene with the development of freshwater diatoms and chrysophytes. Diatoms, which were exclusively marine during tens of millions of years, were dominant over the Chlorococcales during Neogene and in later assemblages. During the Quaternary, aquatic plant communities suffered from the effects of eutrophication, paludification and acidification, which were the result of the combined impact of glaciation and anthropogenic disturbance.

@article{doi101344105000001619,
    author = "Martín‐Closas, Carles",
    title = "The fossil recordand evolution of freshwater plants: A review",
    year = "2003",
    journal = "Geologica Acta",
    abstract = "Palaeobotany applied to freshwater plants is an emerging field of palaeontology. Hydrophytic plants reveal evolutionary trends of their own, clearly distinct from those of the terrestrial and marine flora. During the Precambrian, two groups stand out in the fossil record of freshwater plants: the Cyanobacteria (stromatolites) in benthic environments and the prasinophytes (leiosphaeridian acritarchs) in transitional planktonic environments. During the Palaeozoic, green algae (Chlorococcales, Zygnematales, charophytes and some extinct groups) radiated and developed the widest range of morphostructural patterns known for these groups. Between the Permian and Early Cretaceous, charophytes dominated macrophytic associations, with the consequence that over tens of millions of years, freshwater flora bypassed the dominance of vascular plants on land. During the Early Cretaceous, global extension of the freshwater environments is associated with diversification of the flora, including new charophyte families and the appearance of aquatic angiosperms and ferns for the first time. Mesozoic planktonic assemblages retained their ancestral composition that was dominated by coenobial Chlorococcales, until the appearance of freshwater dinoflagellates in the Early Cretaceous. In the Late Cretaceous, freshwater angiosperms dominated almost all macrophytic communities worldwide. The Tertiary was characterised by the diversification of additional angiosperm and aquatic fern lineages, which resulted in the first differentiation of aquatic plant biogeoprovinces. hytoplankton also diversified during the Eocene with the development of freshwater diatoms and chrysophytes. Diatoms, which were exclusively marine during tens of millions of years, were dominant over the Chlorococcales during Neogene and in later assemblages. During the Quaternary, aquatic plant communities suffered from the effects of eutrophication, paludification and acidification, which were the result of the combined impact of glaciation and anthropogenic disturbance.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1344/105.000001619",
    doi = "10.1344/105.000001619",
    openalex = "W1998420479"
}

@article{leanza2004cretaceous,
    author = "Leanza, Héctor A and Apesteguı́a, Sebastián and Novas, Fernando E and de la Fuente, Marcelo S",
    title = "Cretaceous terrestrial beds from the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and their tetrapod assemblages",
    year = "2004",
    journal = "Cretaceous Research",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2003.10.005",
    doi = "10.1016/j.cretres.2003.10.005",
    number = "1",
    openalex = "W1984516282",
    pages = "61-87",
    volume = "25",
    references = "doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi10108002724634199810011115, doi101126science28454232137, doi101130spe218p31, doi101306m62593c19, doi1023073889325, doi105860choice393984, doi105962p226819, openalexw1025856234, openalexw3112865229"
}

Abstract Hyperpycnal flows originate when sediment-laden fluvial discharges enter standing, lower-density water. Because of their excess density, the flows plunge near the river mouth and continue to travel basinward as a quasi-steady and fully turbulent underflow. The related deposits are hyperpycnites, and constitute a particular type of turbidite with poorly known facies and facies tracts. Although hyperpycnal flows seem to be quite common in present times, their occurrence in fossil strata is poorly documented. This paper addresses the characteristics and depositional processes of shallow lacustrine sandy hyperpycnites, on the basis of the field analysis of well-exposed Lower Cretaceous strata (Rayoso Formation) in the Neuquen Basin of west-central Argentina. The Rayoso Formation is composed of clastic (and minor evaporitic) red beds up to 1200 m thick, deposited in a shallow perennial lake of variable salinity affected by long-lived hyperpycnal flows. Main clastic facies are composed of fine-grained sandstones with climbing ripples and plane beds. Other common sandstone facies include massive beds and low-angle cross stratification. Most sandstone facies are related to traction plus fallout processes, and often show a vertical fluctuation between sedimentary facies originated under different traction-plus-fallout conditions within single beds. These fluctuations are interpreted to be evidence of deposition from flow fluctuations in sustained hyperpycnal flows. Most beds internally show the existence of three depositional phases, acceleration (AP), erosion plus bypass (EP), and deceleration (DP), which record the complete evolution of a single long-lived hyperpycnal flow at a fixed point. Additionally, the depositional evolution of a single long-lived hyperpycnal flow with distance records initially the progressive basinward migration of the AP and EP phases, and finally an overall deposition under the DP phase both in proximal and distal areas. This evolution provides an adequate explanation for the basinward extension of channelized features, and for the occurrence of fine-grained sandstones with climbing ripples both in proximal and distal positions within the same hyperpycnal system. Consequently, facies analysis derived from application of the Bouma sequence is not valid for deposits of quasi-steady hyperpycnal flows.

@article{doi102110jsr200612,
    author = "Zavala, Carlos and Ponce, Juan José and Arcuri, Mariano and Drittanti, Daniel I. and Freije, H. and Asensio, Maximiliano",
    title = "Ancient Lacustrine Hyperpycnites: A Depositional Model from a Case Study in the Rayoso Formation (Cretaceous) of West-Central Argentina",
    year = "2006",
    journal = "Journal of Sedimentary Research",
    abstract = "Abstract Hyperpycnal flows originate when sediment-laden fluvial discharges enter standing, lower-density water. Because of their excess density, the flows plunge near the river mouth and continue to travel basinward as a quasi-steady and fully turbulent underflow. The related deposits are hyperpycnites, and constitute a particular type of turbidite with poorly known facies and facies tracts. Although hyperpycnal flows seem to be quite common in present times, their occurrence in fossil strata is poorly documented. This paper addresses the characteristics and depositional processes of shallow lacustrine sandy hyperpycnites, on the basis of the field analysis of well-exposed Lower Cretaceous strata (Rayoso Formation) in the Neuquen Basin of west-central Argentina. The Rayoso Formation is composed of clastic (and minor evaporitic) red beds up to 1200 m thick, deposited in a shallow perennial lake of variable salinity affected by long-lived hyperpycnal flows. Main clastic facies are composed of fine-grained sandstones with climbing ripples and plane beds. Other common sandstone facies include massive beds and low-angle cross stratification. Most sandstone facies are related to traction plus fallout processes, and often show a vertical fluctuation between sedimentary facies originated under different traction-plus-fallout conditions within single beds. These fluctuations are interpreted to be evidence of deposition from flow fluctuations in sustained hyperpycnal flows. Most beds internally show the existence of three depositional phases, acceleration (AP), erosion plus bypass (EP), and deceleration (DP), which record the complete evolution of a single long-lived hyperpycnal flow at a fixed point. Additionally, the depositional evolution of a single long-lived hyperpycnal flow with distance records initially the progressive basinward migration of the AP and EP phases, and finally an overall deposition under the DP phase both in proximal and distal areas. This evolution provides an adequate explanation for the basinward extension of channelized features, and for the occurrence of fine-grained sandstones with climbing ripples both in proximal and distal positions within the same hyperpycnal system. Consequently, facies analysis derived from application of the Bouma sequence is not valid for deposits of quasi-steady hyperpycnal flows.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2006.12",
    doi = "10.2110/jsr.2006.12",
    openalex = "W2103160195",
    references = "doi101016jmarpetgeo200309001, doi101306bc74397316be11d78645000102c1865d, doi101306m62593c19, doi102110sedred200434"
}

Neotropical rainforests have a very poor fossil record, making hypotheses concerning their origins difficult to evaluate. Nevertheless, some of their most important characteristics can be preserved in the fossil record: high plant diversity, dominance by a distinctive combination of angiosperm families, a preponderance of plant species with large, smooth-margined leaves, and evidence for a high diversity of herbivorous insects. Here, we report on an approximately 58-my-old flora from the Cerrejón Formation of Colombia (paleolatitude approximately 5 degrees N) that is the earliest megafossil record of Neotropical rainforest. The flora has abundant, diverse palms and legumes and similar family composition to extant Neotropical rainforest. Three-quarters of the leaf types are large and entire-margined, indicating rainfall >2,500 mm/year and mean annual temperature >25 degrees C. Despite modern family composition and tropical paleoclimate, the diversity of fossil pollen and leaf samples is 60-80% that of comparable samples from extant and Quaternary Neotropical rainforest from similar climates. Insect feeding damage on Cerrejón fossil leaves, representing primary consumers, is abundant, but also of low diversity, and overwhelmingly made by generalist feeders rather than specialized herbivores. Cerrejón megafossils provide strong evidence that the same Neotropical rainforest families have characterized the biome since the Paleocene, maintaining their importance through climatic phases warmer and cooler than present. The low diversity of both plants and herbivorous insects in this Paleocene Neotropical rainforest may reflect an early stage in the diversification of the lineages that inhabit this biome, and/or a long recovery period from the terminal Cretaceous extinction.

@article{doi101073pnas0905130106,
    author = "Wing, Scott L. and Herrera, Fabiany and Jaramillo, Carlos and Gómez‐Navarro, Carolina and Wilf, Peter and Labandeira, Conrad C.",
    title = "Late Paleocene fossils from the Cerrejón Formation, Colombia, are the earliest record of Neotropical rainforest",
    year = "2009",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "Neotropical rainforests have a very poor fossil record, making hypotheses concerning their origins difficult to evaluate. Nevertheless, some of their most important characteristics can be preserved in the fossil record: high plant diversity, dominance by a distinctive combination of angiosperm families, a preponderance of plant species with large, smooth-margined leaves, and evidence for a high diversity of herbivorous insects. Here, we report on an approximately 58-my-old flora from the Cerrejón Formation of Colombia (paleolatitude approximately 5 degrees N) that is the earliest megafossil record of Neotropical rainforest. The flora has abundant, diverse palms and legumes and similar family composition to extant Neotropical rainforest. Three-quarters of the leaf types are large and entire-margined, indicating rainfall >2,500 mm/year and mean annual temperature >25 degrees C. Despite modern family composition and tropical paleoclimate, the diversity of fossil pollen and leaf samples is 60-80\% that of comparable samples from extant and Quaternary Neotropical rainforest from similar climates. Insect feeding damage on Cerrejón fossil leaves, representing primary consumers, is abundant, but also of low diversity, and overwhelmingly made by generalist feeders rather than specialized herbivores. Cerrejón megafossils provide strong evidence that the same Neotropical rainforest families have characterized the biome since the Paleocene, maintaining their importance through climatic phases warmer and cooler than present. The low diversity of both plants and herbivorous insects in this Paleocene Neotropical rainforest may reflect an early stage in the diversification of the lineages that inhabit this biome, and/or a long recovery period from the terminal Cretaceous extinction.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0905130106",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.0905130106",
    openalex = "W2145246852"
}

Although temporal calibration is widely recognized as critical for obtaining accurate divergence-time estimates using molecular dating methods, few studies have evaluated the variation resulting from different calibration strategies. Depending on the information available, researchers have often used primary calibrations from the fossil record or secondary calibrations from previous molecular dating studies. In analyses of flowering plants, primary calibration data can be obtained from macro- and mesofossils (e.g., leaves, flowers, and fruits) or microfossils (e.g., pollen). Fossil data can vary substantially in accuracy and precision, presenting a difficult choice when selecting appropriate calibrations. Here, we test the impact of eight plausible calibration scenarios for Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae, Fagales), a plant genus with a particularly rich and well-studied fossil record. To do so, we reviewed the phylogenetic placement and geochronology of 38 fossil taxa of Nothofagus and other Fagales, and we identified minimum age constraints for up to 18 nodes of the phylogeny of Fagales. Molecular dating analyses were conducted for each scenario using maximum likelihood (RAxML + r8s) and Bayesian (BEAST) approaches on sequence data from six regions of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Using either ingroup or outgroup constraints, or both, led to similar age estimates, except near strongly influential calibration nodes. Using early but risky fossil constraints in addition to safe but late constraints, or using assumptions of vicariance instead of fossil constraints, led to older age estimates. In contrast, using secondary calibration points yielded drastically younger age estimates. This empirical study highlights the critical influence of calibration on molecular dating analyses. Even in a best-case situation, with many thoroughly vetted fossils available, substantial uncertainties can remain in the estimates of divergence times. For example, our estimates for the crown group age of Nothofagus varied from 13 to 113 Ma across our full range of calibration scenarios. We suggest that increased background research should be made at all stages of the calibration process to reduce errors wherever possible, from verifying the geochronological data on the fossils to critical reassessment of their phylogenetic position.

@article{doi101093sysbiosyr116,
    author = "Sauquet, Hervé and Ho, Simon Y. W. and Gandolfo, María A. and Jordan, Gregory J. and Wilf, Peter and Cantrill, David J. and Bayly, Michael J. and Bromham, Lindell and Brown, Gillian K. and Carpenter, Raymond J. and Lee, Daphne M. and Murphy, Daniel J. and Sniderman, Kale and Udovicic, Frank",
    title = "Testing the Impact of Calibration on Molecular Divergence Times Using a Fossil-Rich Group: The Case of Nothofagus (Fagales)",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Systematic Biology",
    abstract = "Although temporal calibration is widely recognized as critical for obtaining accurate divergence-time estimates using molecular dating methods, few studies have evaluated the variation resulting from different calibration strategies. Depending on the information available, researchers have often used primary calibrations from the fossil record or secondary calibrations from previous molecular dating studies. In analyses of flowering plants, primary calibration data can be obtained from macro- and mesofossils (e.g., leaves, flowers, and fruits) or microfossils (e.g., pollen). Fossil data can vary substantially in accuracy and precision, presenting a difficult choice when selecting appropriate calibrations. Here, we test the impact of eight plausible calibration scenarios for Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae, Fagales), a plant genus with a particularly rich and well-studied fossil record. To do so, we reviewed the phylogenetic placement and geochronology of 38 fossil taxa of Nothofagus and other Fagales, and we identified minimum age constraints for up to 18 nodes of the phylogeny of Fagales. Molecular dating analyses were conducted for each scenario using maximum likelihood (RAxML + r8s) and Bayesian (BEAST) approaches on sequence data from six regions of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Using either ingroup or outgroup constraints, or both, led to similar age estimates, except near strongly influential calibration nodes. Using early but risky fossil constraints in addition to safe but late constraints, or using assumptions of vicariance instead of fossil constraints, led to older age estimates. In contrast, using secondary calibration points yielded drastically younger age estimates. This empirical study highlights the critical influence of calibration on molecular dating analyses. Even in a best-case situation, with many thoroughly vetted fossils available, substantial uncertainties can remain in the estimates of divergence times. For example, our estimates for the crown group age of Nothofagus varied from 13 to 113 Ma across our full range of calibration scenarios. We suggest that increased background research should be made at all stages of the calibration process to reduce errors wherever possible, from verifying the geochronological data on the fossils to critical reassessment of their phylogenetic position.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syr116",
    doi = "10.1093/sysbio/syr116",
    openalex = "W2171217030",
    references = "doi101016b9780444594259000287, doi101111j14698137201103794x, doi101371journalpone0001615, doi1018900921381"
}

Cenozoic South American Land Mammal Ages (SALMAs) have historically been correlated to the geologic time scale using 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating and magnetostratigraphy. At Gran Barranca (68.7W, 45.7S)-one of South America's key areas for constraining SALMAs-existing radioisotopic ages have uncertainties of up to 4 m.y. To better constrain the ages of mammalian assemblages, we employed high-precision (<40 k.y.) U-Pb dating using single zircon crystals. We dated nine tuffs from the Sarmiento Formation containing middle Eocene-early Miocene faunas (Barrancan, Mustersan, Tinguirirican, Deseadan, Colhuehuapian, and "Pinturan"). The new dates span from 39.861 0.037 Ma to 19.041 0.027 Ma. The La Cancha Tuff, occurring within the Tinguirirican faunal level yielded an age of 33.581 0.015 Ma, confi rming that the Vera Member contains the only fossiliferous geologic section encompassing the Eocene-Oligocene transition in the Southern Hemisphere. The pre-Deseadan fauna, La Cantera, is 30.77 Ma, the age of the Colhuehuapian is expanded to 21.1-20.1 Ma, and the Pinturan may be as old as ca. 19 Ma. The new U-Pb dates confi rm that atmospheric temperatures and vegetation remained constant across the Eocene-Oligocene transition in Patagonia and that hypsodonty occurred in South American ungulates much earlier than on any other conti-nent. Additionally, refi nement of the SALMA boundaries will eventually provide the context necessary to compare faunal transitions across continents, although currently too much data are missing to allow such comparisons. Finally, the new ages provide a highresolution age model from which hypotheses about rates of environmental and evolutionary change at Gran Barranca can be tested.

@article{doi101130b306601,
    author = "Dunn, Regan E. and Madden, Richard H. and Kohn, Matthew J. and Schmitz, Mark D. and Strömberg, Caroline A. E. and Carlini, Alfredo A. and Ré, Guillermo H. and Crowley, James L.",
    title = "A new chronology for middle Eocene-early Miocene South American Land Mammal Ages",
    year = "2012",
    journal = "Geological Society of America Bulletin",
    abstract = {Cenozoic South American Land Mammal Ages (SALMAs) have historically been correlated to the geologic time scale using 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating and magnetostratigraphy. At Gran Barranca (68.7W, 45.7S)-one of South America's key areas for constraining SALMAs-existing radioisotopic ages have uncertainties of up to 4 m.y. To better constrain the ages of mammalian assemblages, we employed high-precision (<40 k.y.) U-Pb dating using single zircon crystals. We dated nine tuffs from the Sarmiento Formation containing middle Eocene-early Miocene faunas (Barrancan, Mustersan, Tinguirirican, Deseadan, Colhuehuapian, and "Pinturan"). The new dates span from 39.861 0.037 Ma to 19.041 0.027 Ma. The La Cancha Tuff, occurring within the Tinguirirican faunal level yielded an age of 33.581 0.015 Ma, confi rming that the Vera Member contains the only fossiliferous geologic section encompassing the Eocene-Oligocene transition in the Southern Hemisphere. The pre-Deseadan fauna, La Cantera, is 30.77 Ma, the age of the Colhuehuapian is expanded to 21.1-20.1 Ma, and the Pinturan may be as old as ca. 19 Ma. The new U-Pb dates confi rm that atmospheric temperatures and vegetation remained constant across the Eocene-Oligocene transition in Patagonia and that hypsodonty occurred in South American ungulates much earlier than on any other conti-nent. Additionally, refi nement of the SALMA boundaries will eventually provide the context necessary to compare faunal transitions across continents, although currently too much data are missing to allow such comparisons. Finally, the new ages provide a highresolution age model from which hypotheses about rates of environmental and evolutionary change at Gran Barranca can be tested.},
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1130/b30660.1",
    doi = "10.1130/b30660.1",
    openalex = "W1964990749",
    references = "doi101016jchemgeo200503011, doi101017cbo9780511536045, doi10102992jb01202, doi10102994jb03098, doi101103physrevc41889, doi101126science1133822, doi101146annurevearth040809152402, doi102110pec95040129, doi102307634028, openalexw2797914455"
}

Molecular data on relationships within angiosperms confirm the view that their increasing morphological diversity through the Cretaceous reflected their evolutionary radiation. Despite the early appearance of aquatics and groups with simple flowers, the record is consistent with inferences from molecular trees that the first angiosperms were woody plants with pinnately veined leaves, multiparted flowers, uniovulate ascidiate carpels, and columellar monosulcate pollen. Molecular data appear to refute the hypothesis based on morphology that angiosperms and Gnetales are closest living relatives. Morphological analyses of living and fossil seed plants that assume molecular relationships identify glossopterids, Bennettitales, and Caytonia as angiosperm relatives; these results are consistent with proposed homologies between the cupule of glossopterids and Caytonia and the angiosperm bitegmic ovule. Jurassic molecular dates for the angiosperms may be reconciled with the fossil record if the first angiosperms were restricted to wet forest understory habitats and did not radiate until the Cretaceous.

@article{doi101146annurevearth042711105313,
    author = "Doyle, James A.",
    title = "Molecular and Fossil Evidence on the Origin of Angiosperms",
    year = "2012",
    journal = "Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences",
    abstract = "Molecular data on relationships within angiosperms confirm the view that their increasing morphological diversity through the Cretaceous reflected their evolutionary radiation. Despite the early appearance of aquatics and groups with simple flowers, the record is consistent with inferences from molecular trees that the first angiosperms were woody plants with pinnately veined leaves, multiparted flowers, uniovulate ascidiate carpels, and columellar monosulcate pollen. Molecular data appear to refute the hypothesis based on morphology that angiosperms and Gnetales are closest living relatives. Morphological analyses of living and fossil seed plants that assume molecular relationships identify glossopterids, Bennettitales, and Caytonia as angiosperm relatives; these results are consistent with proposed homologies between the cupule of glossopterids and Caytonia and the angiosperm bitegmic ovule. Jurassic molecular dates for the angiosperms may be reconciled with the fossil record if the first angiosperms were restricted to wet forest understory habitats and did not radiate until the Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105313",
    doi = "10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105313",
    openalex = "W2096805856",
    references = "doi101007s006060100308z, doi101073pnas0709121104, doi101093sysbio274401, doi101111j10958339200900996x, doi101111j109600311988tb00514x, doi101344105000001619, doi1023071218350, doi1023072258301, doi1023072399846, doi1023072412923, doi1023072992015, doi104159harvard9780674864856"
}

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Land plants play an essential role in the evolution of terrestrial life. Their time of origin and diversification is fundamental to understanding the evolution of life on land. We investigated the timing and the rate of molecular evolution of land plants, evaluating the effects of different types of molecular data, including temporal information from fossils, and using different molecular clock methods. • METHODS: Ages and absolute rates were estimated independently with two substitutionally different data sets: a highly conserved 4-gene data set and matK, a fast-evolving gene. The vascular plant backbone and the crown nodes of all major lineages were calibrated with fossil-derived ages. Dates and absolute rates were estimated while including or excluding the calibrations and using two relaxed clocks that differ in their implementation of temporal autocorrelation. • KEY RESULTS: Land plants diverged from streptophyte alga 912 (870-962) million years ago (Mya) but diversified into living lineages 475 (471-480) Mya. Ages estimated for all major land-plant lineages agree with their fossil record, except for angiosperms. Different genes estimated very similar ages and correlated absolute rates across the tree. Excluding calibrations resulted in the greatest age differences. Different relaxed clocks provided similar ages, but different and uncorrelated absolute rates. • CONCLUSIONS: Whole-genome rate accelerations or decelerations may underlie the similar ages and correlated absolute rates estimated with different genes. We suggest that pronounced substitution rate changes around the angiosperm crown node may represent a challenge for relaxed clocks to model adequately.

@article{doi103732ajb1200416,
    author = "Magallón, Susana and Hilu, Khidir W. and Quandt, Dietmar",
    title = "Land plant evolutionary timeline: Gene effects are secondary to fossil constraints in relaxed clock estimation of age and substitution rates",
    year = "2013",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Land plants play an essential role in the evolution of terrestrial life. Their time of origin and diversification is fundamental to understanding the evolution of life on land. We investigated the timing and the rate of molecular evolution of land plants, evaluating the effects of different types of molecular data, including temporal information from fossils, and using different molecular clock methods. • METHODS: Ages and absolute rates were estimated independently with two substitutionally different data sets: a highly conserved 4-gene data set and matK, a fast-evolving gene. The vascular plant backbone and the crown nodes of all major lineages were calibrated with fossil-derived ages. Dates and absolute rates were estimated while including or excluding the calibrations and using two relaxed clocks that differ in their implementation of temporal autocorrelation. • KEY RESULTS: Land plants diverged from streptophyte alga 912 (870-962) million years ago (Mya) but diversified into living lineages 475 (471-480) Mya. Ages estimated for all major land-plant lineages agree with their fossil record, except for angiosperms. Different genes estimated very similar ages and correlated absolute rates across the tree. Excluding calibrations resulted in the greatest age differences. Different relaxed clocks provided similar ages, but different and uncorrelated absolute rates. • CONCLUSIONS: Whole-genome rate accelerations or decelerations may underlie the similar ages and correlated absolute rates estimated with different genes. We suggest that pronounced substitution rate changes around the angiosperm crown node may represent a challenge for relaxed clocks to model adequately.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1200416",
    doi = "10.3732/ajb.1200416",
    openalex = "W2145697624",
    references = "doi10108000241160410006483, doi101146annurevearth042711105313, openalexw1921158499"
}

@article{doi101016jpalaeo201405031,
    author = "Utescher, Torsten and Bruch, Angela A and Erdei, Boglárka and François, Louis and Ivanov, Dimiter and Jacques, Frédéric M.B. and Kern, Andrea and Liu, Yu‐Sheng and Mosbrugger, Volker and Spicer, Robert A.",
    title = "The Coexistence Approach—Theoretical background and practical considerations of using plant fossils for climate quantification",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.05.031",
    doi = "10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.05.031",
    openalex = "W2127986962",
    references = "doi101016jpalaeo201002025, doi101016jrevpalbo200606008, doi101017s009483730001410x, doi101073pnas0505267102, doi101098rstb19930109"
}

Premise of research: Discoveries of fossil flowers in Cretaceous rocks offer improved evidence for relationships with living clades, but for more secure inferences formal phylogenetic analyses are desirable. We extend previous analyses of magnoliids, monocots, and basal eudicots to Aptian, Albian, and Cenomanian fossils related to the basal “ANITA” lines and Chloranthaceae. Methodology: We performed parsimony analyses of a morphological data set of Recent angiosperms and published fossils, with the arrangement of Recent taxa constrained to backbone trees based primarily on molecular data. Pivotal results: Not only Monetianthus (as previously inferred) but also Carpestella is nested within Nymphaeaceae, while Pluricarpellatia may be a stem relative of Cabombaceae or Nymphaeaceae. Anacostia (with Similipollis pollen) is nested within Austrobaileyales. The position of Couperites (with Clavatipollenites pollen) is ambiguous: it may be on the stem lineage of Chloranthaceae (and Ceratophyllum, if this extant aquatic is related to Chloranthaceae), nested in Chloranthaceae, or more basal. Plants with Asteropollis pollen and reduced tepals are related to the chloranthaceous genus Hedyosmum. Zlatkocarpus, which also has a reduced perianth, may be either a stem relative or a crown group member of Chloranthaceae. Plants that produced loosely reticulate Pennipollis pollen are more likely related to Chloranthaceae and/or Ceratophyllum than to monocots. We confirm that Canrightia, with bisexual flowers and a reduced perianth, is a stem relative of Chloranthaceae. Despite similarities to Piperales, Appomattoxia (with Tucanopollis pollen) is more likely near the base of the ANITA grade or related to Chloranthaceae and/or Ceratophyllum. Conclusions: The Cretaceous rise of angiosperms involved the radiation not only of magnoliids, eudicots, and monocots but also of basal ANITA lines, including both aquatic Nymphaeales and woody groups. Our results reaffirm the early diversity of Chloranthaceae and clarify their floral evolution, in which a shift to unisexual flowers preceded loss of the perianth.

@article{doi101086675935,
    author = "Doyle, James A. and Endress, Peter K.",
    title = "Integrating Early Cretaceous Fossils into the Phylogeny of Living Angiosperms: ANITA Lines and Relatives of Chloranthaceae",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "International Journal of Plant Sciences",
    abstract = "Premise of research: Discoveries of fossil flowers in Cretaceous rocks offer improved evidence for relationships with living clades, but for more secure inferences formal phylogenetic analyses are desirable. We extend previous analyses of magnoliids, monocots, and basal eudicots to Aptian, Albian, and Cenomanian fossils related to the basal “ANITA” lines and Chloranthaceae. Methodology: We performed parsimony analyses of a morphological data set of Recent angiosperms and published fossils, with the arrangement of Recent taxa constrained to backbone trees based primarily on molecular data. Pivotal results: Not only Monetianthus (as previously inferred) but also Carpestella is nested within Nymphaeaceae, while Pluricarpellatia may be a stem relative of Cabombaceae or Nymphaeaceae. Anacostia (with Similipollis pollen) is nested within Austrobaileyales. The position of Couperites (with Clavatipollenites pollen) is ambiguous: it may be on the stem lineage of Chloranthaceae (and Ceratophyllum, if this extant aquatic is related to Chloranthaceae), nested in Chloranthaceae, or more basal. Plants with Asteropollis pollen and reduced tepals are related to the chloranthaceous genus Hedyosmum. Zlatkocarpus, which also has a reduced perianth, may be either a stem relative or a crown group member of Chloranthaceae. Plants that produced loosely reticulate Pennipollis pollen are more likely related to Chloranthaceae and/or Ceratophyllum than to monocots. We confirm that Canrightia, with bisexual flowers and a reduced perianth, is a stem relative of Chloranthaceae. Despite similarities to Piperales, Appomattoxia (with Tucanopollis pollen) is more likely near the base of the ANITA grade or related to Chloranthaceae and/or Ceratophyllum. Conclusions: The Cretaceous rise of angiosperms involved the radiation not only of magnoliids, eudicots, and monocots but also of basal ANITA lines, including both aquatic Nymphaeales and woody groups. Our results reaffirm the early diversity of Chloranthaceae and clarify their floral evolution, in which a shift to unisexual flowers preceded loss of the perianth.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1086/675935",
    doi = "10.1086/675935",
    openalex = "W1980104683",
    references = "doi101007bf02860537, doi101007bf02860849, doi10103846528, doi10103846536, doi101073pnas0708072104, doi101073pnas0709121104, doi101111j001438202001tb00826x, doi101126science1069349, doi101344105000001619, doi1023072421840, doi103732ajb0900346"
}

The Salamanca Formation of the San Jorge Basin (Patagonia, Argentina) preserves critical records of Southern Hemisphere Paleo cene biotas, but its age remains poorly resolved, with estimates ranging from Late Cretaceous to middle Paleocene. We report a multi-disciplinary geochronologic study of the Salamanca Formation and overlying Ro Chico Group in the western part of the basin. New constraints include (1) an 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age determination of 67.31 0.55 Ma from a basalt fl ow underlying the Salamanca Formation, (2) micropaleontological results indicating an early Danian age for the base of the Salamanca Formation, (3) laser ablation HR-MC-ICP-MS (high resolutionmulti collector-inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry) U-Pb ages and a high-resolution TIMS (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) age of 61.984 0.041(0.074) [0.100] Ma for zircons from volcanic ash beds in the Peas Coloradas Formation (Ro Chico Group), and (4) paleomagnetic results indicating that the Salamanca Formation in this area is entirely of normal polarity, with reversals occurring in the Ro Chico Group. Placing these new age constraints in the context of a sequence stratigraphic model for the basin, we correlate the Salamanca Formation in the study area to Chrons C29n and C28n, with the Banco Negro Inferior (BNI), a mature widespread fossiliferous paleosol unit at the top of the Salamanca Formation, corresponding to the top of Chron C28n. The diverse paleo botanical assemblages from this area are here assigned to C28n (64.67-63.49 Ma), ~2-3 million years older than previously thought, adding to growing evidence for rapid Southern Hemisphere fl oral recovery after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction. Important Peligran and "Carodnia" zone vertebrate fossil assemblages from coastal BNI and Peas Coloradas exposures are likely older than previously thought and correlate to the early Torrejonian and early Tiffanian North American Land Mammal Ages, respectively.

@article{doi101130b309151,
    author = "Clyde, William C. and Wilf, Peter and Iglesias, Ari and Slingerland, Rudy and Barnum, Timothy and Bijl, Peter K. and Bralower, Timothy J. and Brinkhuis, Henk and Comer, Emily Elizabeth and Huber, Brian T. and Ibáñez-Mejía, Mauricio and Jicha, Brian R. and Krause, J. Marcelo and Schueth, Jonathan D. and Singer, Brad S. and Raigemborn, M. Sol and Schmitz, Mark D. and Sluijs, Appy and del Carmen Zamaloa, María",
    title = "New age constraints for the Salamanca Formation and lower Rio Chico Group in the western San Jorge Basin, Patagonia, Argentina: Implications for Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction recovery and land mammal age correlations",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Geological Society of America Bulletin",
    abstract = {The Salamanca Formation of the San Jorge Basin (Patagonia, Argentina) preserves critical records of Southern Hemisphere Paleo cene biotas, but its age remains poorly resolved, with estimates ranging from Late Cretaceous to middle Paleocene. We report a multi-disciplinary geochronologic study of the Salamanca Formation and overlying Ro Chico Group in the western part of the basin. New constraints include (1) an 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age determination of 67.31 0.55 Ma from a basalt fl ow underlying the Salamanca Formation, (2) micropaleontological results indicating an early Danian age for the base of the Salamanca Formation, (3) laser ablation HR-MC-ICP-MS (high resolutionmulti collector-inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry) U-Pb ages and a high-resolution TIMS (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) age of 61.984 0.041(0.074) [0.100] Ma for zircons from volcanic ash beds in the Peas Coloradas Formation (Ro Chico Group), and (4) paleomagnetic results indicating that the Salamanca Formation in this area is entirely of normal polarity, with reversals occurring in the Ro Chico Group. Placing these new age constraints in the context of a sequence stratigraphic model for the basin, we correlate the Salamanca Formation in the study area to Chrons C29n and C28n, with the Banco Negro Inferior (BNI), a mature widespread fossiliferous paleosol unit at the top of the Salamanca Formation, corresponding to the top of Chron C28n. The diverse paleo botanical assemblages from this area are here assigned to C28n (64.67-63.49 Ma), \textasciitilde 2-3 million years older than previously thought, adding to growing evidence for rapid Southern Hemisphere fl oral recovery after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction. Important Peligran and "Carodnia" zone vertebrate fossil assemblages from coastal BNI and Peas Coloradas exposures are likely older than previously thought and correlate to the early Torrejonian and early Tiffanian North American Land Mammal Ages, respectively.},
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1130/b30915.1",
    doi = "10.1130/b30915.1",
    openalex = "W2139693275",
    references = "casal2009dientes, doi1010079781489957603, doi1010160012821x77900607, doi101029gl017i002p00159, doi101103physrevc41889, doi101111j1365246x1980tb02601x, doi101126science1059412, doi101126science1154339, doi101126science1177265, doi101130b306601, doi101146annurevearth050212124217, doi101371journalpone0052455, openalexw2797914455, openalexw62718268"
}

@article{doi101016jcretres201510025,
    author = "Xi, Dangpeng and Cao, Wenxin and Huang, Qinghua and do Carmo, Dermeval Aparecido and Li, Shun and Jing, Xia and Tu, Yujie and Jia, Jianzhong and Haiying, QU and Zhao, Jing and Wan, Xiaoqiao",
    title = "Late Cretaceous marine fossils and seawater incursion events in the Songliao Basin, NE China",
    year = "2015",
    journal = "Cretaceous Research",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.025",
    doi = "10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.025",
    openalex = "W2193492619",
    references = "doi101016jearscirev201308016"
}

@article{doi101016jquascirev201501032,
    author = "Rawat, Suman and Gupta, Anil K. and Sangode, S. J. and Srivastava, Priyeshu and Nainwal, H. C.",
    title = "Late Pleistocene–Holocene vegetation and Indian summer monsoon record from the Lahaul, Northwest Himalaya, India",
    year = "2015",
    journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.01.032",
    doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.01.032",
    openalex = "W1976259730",
    references = "doi101016jrevpalbo200606008, doi101073pnas1004933107"
}

Peer Reviewed

@article{doi101111boj12233,
    author = "Iles, William J. D. and Smith, Selena Y. and Gandolfo, María A. and Graham, Sean W.",
    title = "Monocot fossils suitable for molecular dating analyses",
    year = "2015",
    journal = "Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society",
    abstract = "Peer Reviewed",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12233",
    doi = "10.1111/boj.12233",
    openalex = "W1581113927",
    references = "doi101007bf02860540, doi101086675935, doi101130b309151"
}

@article{doi101016jearscirev201606008,
    author = "Wolfe, Joanna M. and Daley, Allison C. and Legg, David and Edgecombe, Gregory D.",
    title = "Fossil calibrations for the arthropod Tree of Life",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Earth-Science Reviews",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.06.008",
    doi = "10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.06.008",
    openalex = "W2951557978",
    references = "doi101002gj1045, doi101016b9780444594259000196, doi101016b9780444594259000214, doi101016b9780444594259000238, doi101016jcretres201203014, doi101016jcub201205018, doi101016jpalaeo201005031, doi101017cbo9780511535512, doi101038nature08742, doi101038nature09038, doi101038ncomms3485, doi101073pnas1012675108, doi101086675935, doi101093molbevmsj024, doi101093molbevmss216, doi101093sysbio4611, doi101093sysbiosys058, doi101093sysbiosyv080, doi101098rstb19810033, doi101111brv12168, doi101111j15023931200800115x, doi101111syen12132, doi101126science1107765, doi101126science1257570, doi1011631875986607303002, doi101186147121481452, doi101371journalpone0130127, doi10166600223360200680638jmftld20co2, doi101666090751, doi105860choice501469, doi107717peerj1719, doi107717peerj62, müller1983crustacea, openalexw1900040508"
}

@article{doi101038nature17415,
    author = "Bloch, Jonathan I. and Woodruff, Emily D. and Wood, Aaron R. and Rincón, Aldo F. and Harrington, Arianna and Morgan, Gary and Foster, David A. and Montes, Camilo and Jaramillo, Carlos and Jud, Nathan A. and Jones, D. S. and MacFadden, Bruce J.",
    title = "First North American fossil monkey and early Miocene tropical biotic interchange",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Nature",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature17415",
    doi = "10.1038/nature17415",
    openalex = "W2338850562",
    references = "doi101038nature14120, doi101130b306601"
}

@inproceedings{andsanchez2019shells,
    author = "Sanchez, Israel and Heckert, Andrew B. and Foster, John R. and Brand, Nickolas",
    title = "SHELLS, SHARKS AND STORMS: COMBINING FOSSIL AND SEDIMENTARY RECORDS TO DESCRIBE AN UPPER CRETACEOUS NEAR-MARINE FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGE FROM NORTHWEST COLORADO",
    year = "2019",
    booktitle = "Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2019se-327222",
    doi = "10.1130/abs/2019se-327222",
    openalex = "W2948552357"
}

The timing of the origin of angiosperms is a hotly debated topic in plant evolution. Molecular dating analyses that consistently retrieve pre-Cretaceous ages for crown-group angiosperms have eroded confidence in the fossil record, which indicates a radiation and possibly also origin in the Early Cretaceous. Here, we evaluate paleobotanical evidence on the age of the angiosperms, showing how fossils provide crucial data for clarifying the situation. Pollen floras document a Northern Gondwanan appearance of monosulcate angiosperms in the Valanginian and subsequent poleward spread of monosulcates and tricolpate eudicots, accelerating in the Albian. The sequence of pollen types agrees with molecular phylogenetic inferences on the course of pollen evolution, but it conflicts strongly with Triassic and early Jurassic molecular ages, and the discrepancy is difficult to explain by geographic or taphonomic biases. Critical scrutiny shows that supposed pre-Cretaceous angiosperms either represent other plant groups or lack features that might confidently assign them to the angiosperms. However, the record may allow the Late Jurassic existence of ecologically restricted angiosperms, like those seen in the basal ANITA grade. Finally, we examine recently recognized biases in molecular dating and argue that a thoughtful integration of fossil and molecular evidence could help resolve these conflicts.

@article{doi101111nph15708,
    author = "Coiro, Mario and Doyle, James A. and Hilton, Jason",
    title = "How deep is the conflict between molecular and fossil evidence on the age of angiosperms?",
    year = "2019",
    journal = "New Phytologist",
    abstract = "The timing of the origin of angiosperms is a hotly debated topic in plant evolution. Molecular dating analyses that consistently retrieve pre-Cretaceous ages for crown-group angiosperms have eroded confidence in the fossil record, which indicates a radiation and possibly also origin in the Early Cretaceous. Here, we evaluate paleobotanical evidence on the age of the angiosperms, showing how fossils provide crucial data for clarifying the situation. Pollen floras document a Northern Gondwanan appearance of monosulcate angiosperms in the Valanginian and subsequent poleward spread of monosulcates and tricolpate eudicots, accelerating in the Albian. The sequence of pollen types agrees with molecular phylogenetic inferences on the course of pollen evolution, but it conflicts strongly with Triassic and early Jurassic molecular ages, and the discrepancy is difficult to explain by geographic or taphonomic biases. Critical scrutiny shows that supposed pre-Cretaceous angiosperms either represent other plant groups or lack features that might confidently assign them to the angiosperms. However, the record may allow the Late Jurassic existence of ecologically restricted angiosperms, like those seen in the basal ANITA grade. Finally, we examine recently recognized biases in molecular dating and argue that a thoughtful integration of fossil and molecular evidence could help resolve these conflicts.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15708",
    doi = "10.1111/nph.15708",
    openalex = "W2911613445",
    references = "doi1010800191612220171374309, doi101086675935"
}

@article{barreda2020early,
    author = "Barreda, Viviana D. and Zamaloa, María del Carmen and Gandolfo, María A. and Jaramillo, Carlos and Wilf, Peter",
    title = "Early Eocene Spore and Pollen Assemblages from the Laguna del Hunco Fossil Lake Beds, Patagonia, Argentina",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "International Journal of Plant Sciences",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1086/708386",
    doi = "10.1086/708386",
    number = "6",
    openalex = "W3028878010",
    pages = "594-615",
    volume = "181",
    references = "doi101002ajb21467, doi101016jrevpalbo200606008, doi101073pnas1423653112, doi101086430055, doi101093molbevmsw157, doi101126science1059412, doi101126science1080475, doi101126science1260947, doi101146annurevearth050212124217, doi101371journalpone0052455, doi1023071484763"
}

PREMISE: Solanaceae is a scientifically and economically important angiosperm family with a minimal fossil record and an intriguing early evolutionary history. Here, we report a newly discovered fossil lantern fruit with a suite of features characteristic of Physalideae within Solanaceae. The fossil comes from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site (ca. 52 Ma) in Chubut, Argentina, which previously yielded the only other physaloid fruit fossil, Physalis infinemundi. METHODS: The fruit morphology and calyx venation pattern of the new fossil were compared with P. infinemundi and extant species of Solanaceae. RESULTS: Physalis hunickenii sp. nov. is clearly distinct from P. infinemundi in its fruiting calyx with wider primary veins, longer and thinner lobes, and especially in its venation pattern with high density, transverse tertiary veins; these features support its placement in a new species. In comparison with extant physaloid genera, the calyx venation pattern and other diagnostic traits reinforce placement of the new fossil, like P. infinemundi, within the tribe Physalideae of Solanaceae. CONCLUSIONS: Both species of fossil nightshades from Laguna del Hunco represent crown-group Solanaceae but are older than all prior age estimates of the family. Although at least 20 transoceanic dispersals have been proposed as the driver of range expansion of Solanaceae, the Patagonian fossils push back the diversification of the family to Gondwanan times. Thus, overland dispersal across Gondwana is now a likely scenario for at least some biogeographic patterns, in light of the ancient trans-Antarctic land connections between South America and Australia.

@article{doi101002ajb21565,
    author = "Deanna, Rocío and Wilf, Peter and Gandolfo, María A.",
    title = "New physaloid fruit‐fossil species from early Eocene South America",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE: Solanaceae is a scientifically and economically important angiosperm family with a minimal fossil record and an intriguing early evolutionary history. Here, we report a newly discovered fossil lantern fruit with a suite of features characteristic of Physalideae within Solanaceae. The fossil comes from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site (ca. 52 Ma) in Chubut, Argentina, which previously yielded the only other physaloid fruit fossil, Physalis infinemundi. METHODS: The fruit morphology and calyx venation pattern of the new fossil were compared with P. infinemundi and extant species of Solanaceae. RESULTS: Physalis hunickenii sp. nov. is clearly distinct from P. infinemundi in its fruiting calyx with wider primary veins, longer and thinner lobes, and especially in its venation pattern with high density, transverse tertiary veins; these features support its placement in a new species. In comparison with extant physaloid genera, the calyx venation pattern and other diagnostic traits reinforce placement of the new fossil, like P. infinemundi, within the tribe Physalideae of Solanaceae. CONCLUSIONS: Both species of fossil nightshades from Laguna del Hunco represent crown-group Solanaceae but are older than all prior age estimates of the family. Although at least 20 transoceanic dispersals have been proposed as the driver of range expansion of Solanaceae, the Patagonian fossils push back the diversification of the family to Gondwanan times. Thus, overland dispersal across Gondwana is now a likely scenario for at least some biogeographic patterns, in light of the ancient trans-Antarctic land connections between South America and Australia.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1565",
    doi = "10.1002/ajb2.1565",
    openalex = "W3108238919",
    references = "barreda2020early, doi101002j153721971973tb10192x, doi101038s4147701904210, doi101038s41598018371862, doi101073pnas0801962105, doi10107997818459358490000, doi101111nph13264, doi101126sciadv1600883, doi101146annurevecolsys110218024737, doi1023072395021, doi10230725065407, openalexw3147934212"
}

@article{doi101016jgloplacha2021103556,
    author = "Barreda, Viviana D. and Palazzesi, Luis",
    title = "Role of climate and tectonism on the modernization of Patagonian floras: Evidence from the fossil record",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "Global and Planetary Change",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103556",
    doi = "10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103556",
    openalex = "W3178333053",
    references = "doi101016jjsames2020103022"
}

@article{doi101016jjsames2021103513,
    author = "Palazzesi, Luis and Vizcaı́no, Sergio F. and Barreda, Viviana D. and Cuitiño, José I. and del Río, Claudia J. and Goin, Francisco J. and Estebenet, M. Sol González and Guler, M. Verónica and Gandolfo, María A. and Kay, Richard F. and Parras, Ana and Reguero, Marcelo and del Carmen Zamaloa, María",
    title = "Reconstructing Cenozoic Patagonian biotas using multi-proxy fossil records",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "Journal of South American Earth Sciences",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103513",
    doi = "10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103513",
    openalex = "W3195064847",
    references = "doi101016jjsames2020103022"
}

@article{doi101038s41559020013878,
    author = "Silvestro, Daniele and Bacon, Christine D. and Ding, Wenna and Zhang, Qiuyue and Donoghue, Philip C. J. and Antonelli, Alexandre and Xing, Yaowu",
    title = "Fossil data support a pre-Cretaceous origin of flowering plants",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "Nature Ecology \& Evolution",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01387-8",
    doi = "10.1038/s41559-020-01387-8",
    openalex = "W3124735104",
    references = "doi101086675935"
}

Abstract With c. 24 700 species (10% of all flowering plants), Asteraceae are one of the largest and most phenotypically diverse angiosperm families, with considerable economic and ecological importance. Asteraceae are distributed worldwide, from nearly polar latitudes all the way to the tropics, and occur across a diverse range of habitats from extreme deserts to swamps and from lowland rainforests to alpine tundra. Altogether, these characteristics make this family an outstanding model system to address a broad range of eco-evolutionary questions. In this review, we summarize recent progress in our understanding of Asteraceae on the basis of joint efforts by specialists in the fields of palaeobotany, cytogenetics, comparative genomics and phylogenomics. We will highlight how these developments are opening up new possibilities for integrating fields and better comprehending evolution beyond Asteraceae.

@article{doi101093botlinneanboac032,
    author = "Palazzesi, Luis and Pellicer, Jaume and Barreda, Viviana D. and Loeuille, Benoît and Mandel, Jennifer R. and Pokorny, Lisa and Siniscalchi, Carolina M. and Tellerı́a, Marı́a Cristina and Leitch, Ilia J. and Hidalgo, Oriane",
    title = "Asteraceae as a model system for evolutionary studies: from fossils to genomes",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society",
    abstract = "Abstract With c. 24 700 species (10\% of all flowering plants), Asteraceae are one of the largest and most phenotypically diverse angiosperm families, with considerable economic and ecological importance. Asteraceae are distributed worldwide, from nearly polar latitudes all the way to the tropics, and occur across a diverse range of habitats from extreme deserts to swamps and from lowland rainforests to alpine tundra. Altogether, these characteristics make this family an outstanding model system to address a broad range of eco-evolutionary questions. In this review, we summarize recent progress in our understanding of Asteraceae on the basis of joint efforts by specialists in the fields of palaeobotany, cytogenetics, comparative genomics and phylogenomics. We will highlight how these developments are opening up new possibilities for integrating fields and better comprehending evolution beyond Asteraceae.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boac032",
    doi = "10.1093/botlinnean/boac032",
    openalex = "W4293071250",
    references = "barreda2020early, doi101038nature22380, doi101038ncomms14953, doi101073pnas1112041109, doi101073pnas1903871116, doi101086713445, doi101093plcellkoaa015, doi101111nph13491, doi1023074135449, doi103390genes9020088, doi103732ajb1400119, openalexw1524898375"
}

Los caracteres diagnósticos de Solanumxylon paranensis fueron reestudiados utilizando microscopio óptico y electrónico. El holotipo de este leño fósil fue encontrado en la Formación Paraná (Mioceno Tardío), en la localidad fosilífera de Toma Vieja (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Se discute la posición taxonómica y la afinidad de Solanumxylon, y se enmienda su diagnosis. La presencia combinada de los siguientes caracteres sugiere afinidades con las Solanaceae: porosidad difusa, vasos solitarios, raramente múltiples radiales y en racimos; placas de perforación simples; punteaduras intervasculares alternas; punteaduras radio-vasculares similares a las punteaduras de los vasos y/o aparentemente simples (redondeadas); radios de 1 a 4 células de ancho, todas las células de los radios procumbentes o procumbentes en el cuerpo con una fila de células marginales verticales y/o cuadradas; fibras con punteaduras simples a aparentemente areoladas, fibras septadas presentes; parénquima axial paratraqueal escaso. Este trabajo proporciona detalles más confiables sobre la asignación sistemática de Solanumxylon paranensis dentro de las Solanaceae y su afinidad con Solanum. Este fósil podría ser utilizado en nuevos estudios filogenéticos, incrementando nuestro conocimiento sobre la historia y diversidad de Solanum.

@article{doi105710amgh131020223518,
    author = "Franco, María Jimena and Brea, Mariana",
    title = "Redescription of Solanumxylon paranensis, Late Miocene of Paraná Formation (Entre Ríos, Argentina): A Reliable Fossil Wood of Solanaceae",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Ameghiniana",
    abstract = "Los caracteres diagnósticos de Solanumxylon paranensis fueron reestudiados utilizando microscopio óptico y electrónico. El holotipo de este leño fósil fue encontrado en la Formación Paraná (Mioceno Tardío), en la localidad fosilífera de Toma Vieja (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Se discute la posición taxonómica y la afinidad de Solanumxylon, y se enmienda su diagnosis. La presencia combinada de los siguientes caracteres sugiere afinidades con las Solanaceae: porosidad difusa, vasos solitarios, raramente múltiples radiales y en racimos; placas de perforación simples; punteaduras intervasculares alternas; punteaduras radio-vasculares similares a las punteaduras de los vasos y/o aparentemente simples (redondeadas); radios de 1 a 4 células de ancho, todas las células de los radios procumbentes o procumbentes en el cuerpo con una fila de células marginales verticales y/o cuadradas; fibras con punteaduras simples a aparentemente areoladas, fibras septadas presentes; parénquima axial paratraqueal escaso. Este trabajo proporciona detalles más confiables sobre la asignación sistemática de Solanumxylon paranensis dentro de las Solanaceae y su afinidad con Solanum. Este fósil podría ser utilizado en nuevos estudios filogenéticos, incrementando nuestro conocimiento sobre la historia y diversidad de Solanum.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.5710/amgh.13.10.2022.3518",
    doi = "10.5710/amgh.13.10.2022.3518",
    openalex = "W4312906131",
    references = "doi101002ajb21565"
}

), all rare or new fossil records for the region. The dipterocarp leaf dominance contrasts sharply with the family's <1% representation in the palynofloras from the same strata. This result directly demonstrates that dipterocarp pollen is prone to strong taphonomic filtering and underscores the importance of macrofossils for quantifying the timing of the dipterocarps' rise to dominance in the region. Our work shows that complex coastal rainforests dominated by dipterocarps, adjacent to swamps and mangroves and otherwise similar to modern ecosystems, have existed in Borneo for at least 4-5 million years. Our findings add historical impetus for the conservation of these gravely imperiled and extremely biodiverse ecosystems.

@article{doi107717peerj12949,
    author = "Wilf, Peter and Zou, Xiaoyu and Donovan, Michael P. and Kocsis, László and Briguglio, Antonino and Shaw, David and Slik, JW Ferry and Lambiase, Joseph J.",
    title = "First fossil-leaf floras from Brunei Darussalam show dipterocarp dominance in Borneo by the Pliocene",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "PeerJ",
    abstract = "), all rare or new fossil records for the region. The dipterocarp leaf dominance contrasts sharply with the family's <1\% representation in the palynofloras from the same strata. This result directly demonstrates that dipterocarp pollen is prone to strong taphonomic filtering and underscores the importance of macrofossils for quantifying the timing of the dipterocarps' rise to dominance in the region. Our work shows that complex coastal rainforests dominated by dipterocarps, adjacent to swamps and mangroves and otherwise similar to modern ecosystems, have existed in Borneo for at least 4-5 million years. Our findings add historical impetus for the conservation of these gravely imperiled and extremely biodiverse ecosystems.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12949",
    doi = "10.7717/peerj.12949",
    openalex = "W4221072138",
    references = "barreda2020early, doi101007bf02860537, doi1010160034666768900511, doi101016jrevpalbo2021104441, doi101038nature02999, doi10107997818459358490000, doi101111j109636421858tb02500x, doi101126science1194442, doi101144gslsp19961060111, doi1023073515620, doi105860choice496872, openalexw641398428"
}

PREMISE: The spurge family Euphorbiaceae is prominent in tropical rainforests worldwide, particularly in Asia. There is little consensus on the biogeographic origins of the family or its principal lineages. No confirmed spurge macrofossils have come from Gondwana. METHODS: We describe the first Gondwanan macrofossils of Euphorbiaceae, represented by two infructescences and associated peltate leaves from the early Eocene (52 Myr ago [Ma]) Laguna del Hunco site in Chubut, Argentina. RESULTS: The infructescences are panicles bearing tiny, pedicellate, spineless capsular fruits with two locules, two axile lenticular seeds, and two unbranched, plumose stigmas. The fossils' character combination only occurs today in some species of the Macaranga-Mallotus clade (MMC; Euphorbiaceae), a widespread Old-World understory group often thought to have tropical Asian origins. The associated leaves are consistent with extant Macaranga. CONCLUSIONS: The new fossils are the oldest known for the MMC, demonstrating its Gondwanan history and marking its divergence by at least 52 Ma. This discovery makes an Asian origin of the MMC unlikely because immense oceanic distances separated Asia and South America 52 Ma. The only other MMC reproductive fossils so far known are also from the southern hemisphere (early Miocene, southern New Zealand), far from the Asian tropics. The MMC, along with many other Gondwanan survivors, most likely entered Asia during the Neogene Sahul-Sunda collision. Our discovery adds to a substantial series of well-dated, well-preserved fossils from one undersampled region, Patagonia, that have changed our understanding of plant biogeographic history.

@article{doi101002ajb216169,
    author = "Wilf, Peter and Iglesias, Ari and Gandolfo, María A.",
    title = "The first Gondwanan Euphorbiaceae fossils reset the biogeographic history of the Macaranga‐Mallotus clade",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE: The spurge family Euphorbiaceae is prominent in tropical rainforests worldwide, particularly in Asia. There is little consensus on the biogeographic origins of the family or its principal lineages. No confirmed spurge macrofossils have come from Gondwana. METHODS: We describe the first Gondwanan macrofossils of Euphorbiaceae, represented by two infructescences and associated peltate leaves from the early Eocene (52 Myr ago [Ma]) Laguna del Hunco site in Chubut, Argentina. RESULTS: The infructescences are panicles bearing tiny, pedicellate, spineless capsular fruits with two locules, two axile lenticular seeds, and two unbranched, plumose stigmas. The fossils' character combination only occurs today in some species of the Macaranga-Mallotus clade (MMC; Euphorbiaceae), a widespread Old-World understory group often thought to have tropical Asian origins. The associated leaves are consistent with extant Macaranga. CONCLUSIONS: The new fossils are the oldest known for the MMC, demonstrating its Gondwanan history and marking its divergence by at least 52 Ma. This discovery makes an Asian origin of the MMC unlikely because immense oceanic distances separated Asia and South America 52 Ma. The only other MMC reproductive fossils so far known are also from the southern hemisphere (early Miocene, southern New Zealand), far from the Asian tropics. The MMC, along with many other Gondwanan survivors, most likely entered Asia during the Neogene Sahul-Sunda collision. Our discovery adds to a substantial series of well-dated, well-preserved fossils from one undersampled region, Patagonia, that have changed our understanding of plant biogeographic history.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16169",
    doi = "10.1002/ajb2.16169",
    openalex = "W4367668953",
    references = "barreda2020early, doi101002ajb21467, doi101002ajb21565, doi101016jjsames2020103022, doi101073pnas1205818109, doi10107997818459358490000, doi101093sysbiosyr116, doi101146annurevearth081320064052, doi1023072395021, doi1023072399084, doi10230725065407, doi10274700206814489791, doi105860choice323884, doi105962bhltitle110147"
}

PREMISE: Acmopyle (Podocarpaceae) comprises two extant species from Oceania that are physiologically restricted to ever-wet rainforests, a confirmed fossil record based on leaf adpressions and cuticles in Australia since the Paleocene, and a few uncertain reports from New Zealand, Antarctica, and South America. We investigated fossil specimens with Acmopyle affinities from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site in Patagonia, Argentina. METHODS: We studied 42 adpression leafy-shoot fossils and included them in a total evidence phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Acmopyle grayae sp. nov. is based on heterophyllous leafy shoots with three distinct leaf types. Among these, bilaterally flattened leaves uniquely preserve subparallel, linear features that we interpret as accessory transfusion tissue (ATT, an extra-venous water-conducting tissue). Some apical morphologies of A. grayae shoots are compatible with the early stages of ovuliferous cone development. Our phylogenetic analysis recovers the new species in a polytomy with the two extant Acmopyle species. We report several types of insect-herbivory damage. We also transfer Acmopyle engelhardti from the middle Eocene Río Pichileufú flora to Dacrycarpus engelhardti comb. nov. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the biogeographically significant presence of the endangered West Pacific genus Acmopyle in Eocene Patagonia. Acmopyle is one of the most drought-intolerant genera in Podocarpaceae, possibly due to the high collapse risk of the ATT, and thus the new fossil species provides physiological evidence for the presence of an ever-wet rainforest environment at Laguna del Hunco during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

@article{doi101002ajb216221,
    author = "Andruchow‐Colombo, Ana and Rossetto‐Harris, Gabriella and Brodribb, Timothy J. and Gandolfo, María A. and Wilf, Peter",
    title = "A new fossil Acmopyle with accessory transfusion tissue and potential reproductive buds: Direct evidence for ever‐wet rainforests in Eocene Patagonia",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE: Acmopyle (Podocarpaceae) comprises two extant species from Oceania that are physiologically restricted to ever-wet rainforests, a confirmed fossil record based on leaf adpressions and cuticles in Australia since the Paleocene, and a few uncertain reports from New Zealand, Antarctica, and South America. We investigated fossil specimens with Acmopyle affinities from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site in Patagonia, Argentina. METHODS: We studied 42 adpression leafy-shoot fossils and included them in a total evidence phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Acmopyle grayae sp. nov. is based on heterophyllous leafy shoots with three distinct leaf types. Among these, bilaterally flattened leaves uniquely preserve subparallel, linear features that we interpret as accessory transfusion tissue (ATT, an extra-venous water-conducting tissue). Some apical morphologies of A. grayae shoots are compatible with the early stages of ovuliferous cone development. Our phylogenetic analysis recovers the new species in a polytomy with the two extant Acmopyle species. We report several types of insect-herbivory damage. We also transfer Acmopyle engelhardti from the middle Eocene Río Pichileufú flora to Dacrycarpus engelhardti comb. nov. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the biogeographically significant presence of the endangered West Pacific genus Acmopyle in Eocene Patagonia. Acmopyle is one of the most drought-intolerant genera in Podocarpaceae, possibly due to the high collapse risk of the ATT, and thus the new fossil species provides physiological evidence for the presence of an ever-wet rainforest environment at Laguna del Hunco during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16221",
    doi = "10.1002/ajb2.16221",
    openalex = "W4386019798",
    references = "doi101002ajb21467"
}

Abstract The Podocarpaceae are a morphologically diverse conifer family that have a cryptic fossil record reported since the Permian. We reviewed the fossil record of Podocarpaceae, tested the affinities of its oldest records using phylogenetic analyses, compiled macrofossil occurrence records, and investigated the diversity, distribution, and morphology of Podocarpaceae through time. We found that Permian, Triassic, and some Jurassic fossils referred to Podocarpaceae should not be placed in the family. Our total-evidence phylogenetic analyses, which sampled all major conifer lineages, recovered the Triassic Rissikia and the Jurassic Nothodacrium as stem-group conifers and the Jurassic Mataia as part of the Araucariales stem group. We further discuss the phylogenetic position of the Mesozoic enigmatic conifers Pararaucaria (Cheirolepidiaceae) and Telemachus (Voltziales), which were recovered most frequently in the conifer stem group. We conclude that the earliest reliable Podocarpaceae occurrences are from the Jurassic of both hemispheres and have scale-like leaves. Most extant genera appear in the fossil record between the Late Cretaceous and the Early Cenozoic. Many extant leaf morphologies appear in the Early Cretaceous, coeval with angiosperm diversification, consistent with the hypothesis that expanded leaves in Podocarpaceae are adaptive responses for light harvesting in angiosperm-dominated environments today.

@article{doi101093botlinneanboad027,
    author = "Andruchow‐Colombo, Ana and Escapa, Ignacio H. and Aagesen, Lone and Matsunaga, Kelly K. S.",
    title = "In search of lost time: tracing the fossil diversity of Podocarpaceae through the ages",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society",
    abstract = "Abstract The Podocarpaceae are a morphologically diverse conifer family that have a cryptic fossil record reported since the Permian. We reviewed the fossil record of Podocarpaceae, tested the affinities of its oldest records using phylogenetic analyses, compiled macrofossil occurrence records, and investigated the diversity, distribution, and morphology of Podocarpaceae through time. We found that Permian, Triassic, and some Jurassic fossils referred to Podocarpaceae should not be placed in the family. Our total-evidence phylogenetic analyses, which sampled all major conifer lineages, recovered the Triassic Rissikia and the Jurassic Nothodacrium as stem-group conifers and the Jurassic Mataia as part of the Araucariales stem group. We further discuss the phylogenetic position of the Mesozoic enigmatic conifers Pararaucaria (Cheirolepidiaceae) and Telemachus (Voltziales), which were recovered most frequently in the conifer stem group. We conclude that the earliest reliable Podocarpaceae occurrences are from the Jurassic of both hemispheres and have scale-like leaves. Most extant genera appear in the fossil record between the Late Cretaceous and the Early Cenozoic. Many extant leaf morphologies appear in the Early Cretaceous, coeval with angiosperm diversification, consistent with the hypothesis that expanded leaves in Podocarpaceae are adaptive responses for light harvesting in angiosperm-dominated environments today.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boad027",
    doi = "10.1093/botlinnean/boad027",
    openalex = "W4385575280",
    references = "doi101016jjsames2020103022"
}

Fossil discoveries can transform our understanding of plant diversification over time and space. Recently described fossils in many plant families have pushed their known records farther back in time, pointing to alternative scenarios for their origin and spread. Here, we describe two new Eocene fossil berries of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) from the Esmeraldas Formation in Colombia and the Green River Formation in Colorado (USA). The placement of the fossils was assessed using clustering and parsimony analyses based on 10 discrete and five continuous characters, which were also scored in 291 extant taxa. The Colombian fossil grouped with members of the tomatillo subtribe, and the Coloradan fossil aligned with the chili pepper tribe. Along with two previously reported early Eocene fossils from the tomatillo genus, these findings indicate that Solanaceae were distributed at least from southern South America to northwestern North America by the early Eocene. Together with two other recently discovered Eocene berries, these fossils demonstrate that the diverse berry clade and, in turn, the entire nightshade family, is much older and was much more widespread in the past than previously thought.

@article{doi101111nph18904,
    author = "Deanna, Rocío and Martínez, Camila and Manchester, Steven R. and Wilf, Peter and Campos, Abel and Knapp, Sandra and Chiarini, Franco and Barboza, Gloria E. and Bernardello, Gabriel and Sauquet, Hervé and Dean, Ellen and Orejuela, Andrés and Smith, Stacey D.",
    title = "Fossil berries reveal global radiation of the nightshade family by the early Cenozoic",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "New Phytologist",
    abstract = "Fossil discoveries can transform our understanding of plant diversification over time and space. Recently described fossils in many plant families have pushed their known records farther back in time, pointing to alternative scenarios for their origin and spread. Here, we describe two new Eocene fossil berries of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) from the Esmeraldas Formation in Colombia and the Green River Formation in Colorado (USA). The placement of the fossils was assessed using clustering and parsimony analyses based on 10 discrete and five continuous characters, which were also scored in 291 extant taxa. The Colombian fossil grouped with members of the tomatillo subtribe, and the Coloradan fossil aligned with the chili pepper tribe. Along with two previously reported early Eocene fossils from the tomatillo genus, these findings indicate that Solanaceae were distributed at least from southern South America to northwestern North America by the early Eocene. Together with two other recently discovered Eocene berries, these fossils demonstrate that the diverse berry clade and, in turn, the entire nightshade family, is much older and was much more widespread in the past than previously thought.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18904",
    doi = "10.1111/nph.18904",
    openalex = "W4360816235",
    references = "doi101002ajb21565"
}

Abstract Deep-time (=pre-Quaternary) maar lakes and certain other, hydrologically deep volcanogenic lakes, are often excellent Konservat-Lagerstätten representing unique windows into past biota and ecosystems. Many deposits from such lakes contain animal and plant remains in extraordinary preservation, often with soft tissues or fine morphological and anatomical details preserved. Such Lagerstätten have the potential to provide in-depth information on a variety of organisms, which is important for understanding their biology and ecology, their evolution and palaeobiogeography, but also for elucidating entire ecosystems with their numerous biotic and abiotic interactions. The formation of such Lagerstätten is intimately linked to volcanic processes, amongst which phreatomagmatic explosions that formed maar-diatreme volcanoes are probably the most important, but also other volcanic processes can lead to the formation of deep volcanogenic lakes (e.g. in certain calderas). Maar lakes and other volcanogenic Konservat-Lagerstätten occur in a large number of volcanically active regions worldwide, although older deposits are often difficult to access as they are more likely to be eroded or covered by younger deposits. The accessibility of many of the better-known localities is often connected to the mining of natural resources, ranging from diamonds, to volcanic rocks such as basalts to the lacustrine sediments that may have filled volcanic craters, including diatomites and ‘oil-shales’. Most or even all of the maar and other volcanogenic lakes presented here in greater detail, can be considered as important geoheritage sites. Although currently some of these deposits have at least some kind of legal protection as monuments of natural heritage, others remain in danger of being exploited commercially for natural resources and hence, ultimately destroyed. Moreover, many scientific questions related to these ancient lakes and their biota covered here in more detail, as well as those related to lakes only briefly mentioned in passing, have not been posed, let alone answered. This makes maar lakes and other volcanogenic lakes important resources for present-day and future research. The present contribution should be seen as a global call to scientists to find further localities that represent similar volcanogenic lacustrine settings, as they may be the source of vital and surprising new information about the plants, animals, and environments of the past. Examples of pre-Quaternary maar and other volcanogenic lakes that are presented here in greater detail include the following localities: Paleocene: Menat (France); Eocene: Messel, Eckfeld (Germany), Mahenge (Tanzania); Oligocene: Enspel, Rott, Hammerunterwiesenthal, Baruth, Kleinsaubernitz (Germany); Miocene: Foulden Maar, Hindon Maar Complex (New Zealand), Randeck Maar, Hirnkopf-Maar, Höwenegg, Öhningen (Germany); Pliocene: Ruppach-Goldhausen (Germany), Camp dels Ninots (Spain).

@article{doi101007s12549024006350,
    author = "Uhl, Dieter and Wuttke, Michael and Aiglstorfer, Manuela and Gee, Carole T. and Grandi, Federica and Höltke, Olaf and Kaiser, Thomas M. and Kaulfuß, Uwe and Lee, Daphne E. and Lehmann, Thomas and Oms, Oriol and Poschmann, Markus and Rasser, Michael W. and Schindler, Thomas and Smith, Krister T. and Suhr, Peter and Wappler, Torsten and Wedmann, Sonja",
    title = "Deep-time maar lakes and other volcanogenic lakes as Fossil-Lagerstätten – An overview",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments",
    abstract = "Abstract Deep-time (=pre-Quaternary) maar lakes and certain other, hydrologically deep volcanogenic lakes, are often excellent Konservat-Lagerstätten representing unique windows into past biota and ecosystems. Many deposits from such lakes contain animal and plant remains in extraordinary preservation, often with soft tissues or fine morphological and anatomical details preserved. Such Lagerstätten have the potential to provide in-depth information on a variety of organisms, which is important for understanding their biology and ecology, their evolution and palaeobiogeography, but also for elucidating entire ecosystems with their numerous biotic and abiotic interactions. The formation of such Lagerstätten is intimately linked to volcanic processes, amongst which phreatomagmatic explosions that formed maar-diatreme volcanoes are probably the most important, but also other volcanic processes can lead to the formation of deep volcanogenic lakes (e.g. in certain calderas). Maar lakes and other volcanogenic Konservat-Lagerstätten occur in a large number of volcanically active regions worldwide, although older deposits are often difficult to access as they are more likely to be eroded or covered by younger deposits. The accessibility of many of the better-known localities is often connected to the mining of natural resources, ranging from diamonds, to volcanic rocks such as basalts to the lacustrine sediments that may have filled volcanic craters, including diatomites and ‘oil-shales’. Most or even all of the maar and other volcanogenic lakes presented here in greater detail, can be considered as important geoheritage sites. Although currently some of these deposits have at least some kind of legal protection as monuments of natural heritage, others remain in danger of being exploited commercially for natural resources and hence, ultimately destroyed. Moreover, many scientific questions related to these ancient lakes and their biota covered here in more detail, as well as those related to lakes only briefly mentioned in passing, have not been posed, let alone answered. This makes maar lakes and other volcanogenic lakes important resources for present-day and future research. The present contribution should be seen as a global call to scientists to find further localities that represent similar volcanogenic lacustrine settings, as they may be the source of vital and surprising new information about the plants, animals, and environments of the past. Examples of pre-Quaternary maar and other volcanogenic lakes that are presented here in greater detail include the following localities: Paleocene: Menat (France); Eocene: Messel, Eckfeld (Germany), Mahenge (Tanzania); Oligocene: Enspel, Rott, Hammerunterwiesenthal, Baruth, Kleinsaubernitz (Germany); Miocene: Foulden Maar, Hindon Maar Complex (New Zealand), Randeck Maar, Hirnkopf-Maar, Höwenegg, Öhningen (Germany); Pliocene: Ruppach-Goldhausen (Germany), Camp dels Ninots (Spain).",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-024-00635-0",
    doi = "10.1007/s12549-024-00635-0",
    openalex = "W4405902236",
    references = "doi101002ajb216169, doi101146annurevento120120102849"
}

Two silicified fossil woods are identified as a new species of Laurinoxylon from the Huitrera Formation at Laguna del Hunco in the Chubut Province of Argentina. Supporting characters include the absence of growth ring boundaries, vessels solitary or in short radial multiples, sim­ple and scalariform perforation plates, alternate intervessel pitting, scalariform vessel-ray pits, scarce axial parenchyma, septate fibres, rays usually one to four cells wide, and idioblasts com­monly associated with rays and rarely with the axial parenchyma. The fossil woods resemblemembers of the Perseae-Cinnamomeae-Laureae clade but do not closely match any extant genus; they therefore probably represent an extinct lineage. Although lauraceous woods are known from other Palaeocene and Eocene floras in Patagonia, the presence of the family at Laguna del Hunco was previously based only on leaf compressions without preserved cuticulardetails. Our new record confirms the occurrence of Lauraceae in the diverse Laguna del Hunco flora, which contains many genera associated with extant rainforest floras.

@article{doi1010800311551820242426030,
    author = "Pujana, Roberto R. and Jud, Nathan A. and Wilf, Peter and Gandolfo, María A.",
    title = "Lauraceous fossil woods from the early Eocene of Laguna del Hunco, Argentine Patagonia",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Alcheringa An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology",
    abstract = "Two silicified fossil woods are identified as a new species of Laurinoxylon from the Huitrera Formation at Laguna del Hunco in the Chubut Province of Argentina. Supporting characters include the absence of growth ring boundaries, vessels solitary or in short radial multiples, sim­ple and scalariform perforation plates, alternate intervessel pitting, scalariform vessel-ray pits, scarce axial parenchyma, septate fibres, rays usually one to four cells wide, and idioblasts com­monly associated with rays and rarely with the axial parenchyma. The fossil woods resemblemembers of the Perseae-Cinnamomeae-Laureae clade but do not closely match any extant genus; they therefore probably represent an extinct lineage. Although lauraceous woods are known from other Palaeocene and Eocene floras in Patagonia, the presence of the family at Laguna del Hunco was previously based only on leaf compressions without preserved cuticulardetails. Our new record confirms the occurrence of Lauraceae in the diverse Laguna del Hunco flora, which contains many genera associated with extant rainforest floras.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2024.2426030",
    doi = "10.1080/03115518.2024.2426030",
    openalex = "W4404778362",
    references = "cevallosferriz2021cretaceous, doi101002ajb21467, doi101002ajb216169"
}

Fossilized plant-insect herbivore associations provide fundamental information about the assembly of terrestrial communities through geologic time. However, fossil evidence of associations originating in deep time and persisting to the modern day is scarce. We studied the insect herbivore damage found on 284 Eucalyptus frenguelliana leaves from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco rainforest locality in Argentinean Patagonia and compared damage patterns with those observed on extant, rainforest-associated Eucalyptus species from Australasia (> 10 000 herbarium sheets reviewed). In the fossil material, we identified 28 insect herbivory damage types, including 12 types of external feeding, one of piercing-and-sucking, five of galls, and 10 of mines. All 28 damage types were observed in the herbarium specimens. The finding of all the fossil damage types on extant Eucalyptus specimens suggests long-standing associations between multiple insect herbivore lineages and their host genus spanning 52 million years across the Southern Hemisphere. This long-term persistence, probably enabled through niche conservatism in wet eucalypt forests, demonstrates the imprint of fossil history on the composition of extant insect herbivore assemblages. Although the identities of most insect culprits remain unknown, we provide a list of Eucalyptus species and specific population locations to facilitate their discovery, highlighting the relevance of fossils in discovering extant biodiversity.

@article{doi101111nph20316,
    author = "Giraldo, L. Alejandro and Wilf, Peter and Donovan, Michael P. and Kooyman, Robert M. and Gandolfo, María A.",
    title = "Fossil insect‐feeding traces indicate unrecognized evolutionary history and biodiversity on Australia's iconic Eucalyptus",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "New Phytologist",
    abstract = "Fossilized plant-insect herbivore associations provide fundamental information about the assembly of terrestrial communities through geologic time. However, fossil evidence of associations originating in deep time and persisting to the modern day is scarce. We studied the insect herbivore damage found on 284 Eucalyptus frenguelliana leaves from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco rainforest locality in Argentinean Patagonia and compared damage patterns with those observed on extant, rainforest-associated Eucalyptus species from Australasia (> 10 000 herbarium sheets reviewed). In the fossil material, we identified 28 insect herbivory damage types, including 12 types of external feeding, one of piercing-and-sucking, five of galls, and 10 of mines. All 28 damage types were observed in the herbarium specimens. The finding of all the fossil damage types on extant Eucalyptus specimens suggests long-standing associations between multiple insect herbivore lineages and their host genus spanning 52 million years across the Southern Hemisphere. This long-term persistence, probably enabled through niche conservatism in wet eucalypt forests, demonstrates the imprint of fossil history on the composition of extant insect herbivore assemblages. Although the identities of most insect culprits remain unknown, we provide a list of Eucalyptus species and specific population locations to facilitate their discovery, highlighting the relevance of fossils in discovering extant biodiversity.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20316",
    doi = "10.1111/nph.20316",
    openalex = "W4404828220",
    references = "doi101002ajb21467, doi101002ajb216169"
}

The Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) today exhibits the highest marine biodiversity, which has been evolving since the early Miocene. The existence of this high palaeobiodiversity is attested to by the presence of many fossil invertebrates; however, the region’s fossil fish record is sparse and understudied, which is also the case for cartilaginous fishes. Elasmobranch fossils are dominantly represented by shark and ray teeth in the geological record and can give a quick overview of the composition of the fauna. The first IAA elasmo fossils, shark teeth were described from Java (Indonesia) at the end of the 19th century, and until today, most of the publications are known from this island. In the early and middle of the 20th century, remarkable fossils were also reported from the islands of Madura (NE Java) and Sulawesi, some with detailed taxonomical descriptions. In addition, only sporadic reports on fossil occurrences exist elsewhere from the IAA, but these lack any detailed taxonomic accounts. In 2019 our research group reported a late Miocene elasmobranch fauna from Brunei (Borneo), which is now the most diverse known shallow water fossil assemblage from the entire IAA. This fauna was described from a single fossiliferous outcrop, called Ambug Hill. However, several new localities have been discovered and studied over the years, as a result the number of fossils increased, and their age range extended. Here we provide an overview of these new sites and their elasmobranch fossils, and describe remains from ten taxa among, of which eight are new to the IAA fossil record (Chiloscyllium sp., cf. Hemitriakis sp., Paragaleus sp., Carcharhinus borneensis, C. limbatus, Lamiopsis sp., Scoliodon sp., Rhinobatos sp.). The overall north Bornean elasmo assemblage is then compared with other IAA occurrences. An extended fauna list is given based on literature review and preliminary investigation of the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre collection in Leiden (The Netherlands) where most of the fossil fishes of the early explorations are stored. These assemblages are also briefly summarized, and attention is drawn to some of the unique and thus far unreported taxa (e.g., Dalatias licha).

@article{doi103390d16060323,
    author = "Kocsis, László",
    title = "The Elasmobranch Fossil Record of the Indo-Australian Archipelago since the Miocene: A Literature Review and New Discoveries from Northern Borneo",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Diversity",
    abstract = "The Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) today exhibits the highest marine biodiversity, which has been evolving since the early Miocene. The existence of this high palaeobiodiversity is attested to by the presence of many fossil invertebrates; however, the region’s fossil fish record is sparse and understudied, which is also the case for cartilaginous fishes. Elasmobranch fossils are dominantly represented by shark and ray teeth in the geological record and can give a quick overview of the composition of the fauna. The first IAA elasmo fossils, shark teeth were described from Java (Indonesia) at the end of the 19th century, and until today, most of the publications are known from this island. In the early and middle of the 20th century, remarkable fossils were also reported from the islands of Madura (NE Java) and Sulawesi, some with detailed taxonomical descriptions. In addition, only sporadic reports on fossil occurrences exist elsewhere from the IAA, but these lack any detailed taxonomic accounts. In 2019 our research group reported a late Miocene elasmobranch fauna from Brunei (Borneo), which is now the most diverse known shallow water fossil assemblage from the entire IAA. This fauna was described from a single fossiliferous outcrop, called Ambug Hill. However, several new localities have been discovered and studied over the years, as a result the number of fossils increased, and their age range extended. Here we provide an overview of these new sites and their elasmobranch fossils, and describe remains from ten taxa among, of which eight are new to the IAA fossil record (Chiloscyllium sp., cf. Hemitriakis sp., Paragaleus sp., Carcharhinus borneensis, C. limbatus, Lamiopsis sp., Scoliodon sp., Rhinobatos sp.). The overall north Bornean elasmo assemblage is then compared with other IAA occurrences. An extended fauna list is given based on literature review and preliminary investigation of the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre collection in Leiden (The Netherlands) where most of the fossil fishes of the early explorations are stored. These assemblages are also briefly summarized, and attention is drawn to some of the unique and thus far unreported taxa (e.g., Dalatias licha).",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/d16060323",
    doi = "10.3390/d16060323",
    openalex = "W4399180546",
    references = "doi107717peerj12949"
}

Residents of Jasinga, West Java, consistently reported the presence of an abundance of wood fossils. We examined geological settings and wood fossils to investigate the paleovegetation types in the region. This research aims to map the distribution of wood fossils and interpret the paleoenvironment based on paleontological evidence. Lithostratigraphic measurements were performed, followed by a description of wood fossil anatomy in micro-thin section observations, isolation of palynological fossils from the host rock through chemical preparation techniques, and geochemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Our findings indicate that the area comprises Pliocene fluvial-volcanoclastic deposits containing several dipterocarp wood fossils, including Parashoreoxylon, Dryobalaonoxylon, Shoreoxylon, Anisopteroxylon, and Dipterocarpoxylon. There were also non-dipterocarp wood fossils from Apocynaceae, Combretaceae, Fabaceae, and Olacaceae. Most wood fossils in these deposits were silicified (SiO2: 92.7 ± 1.88%), preserving the wood tissue structures. Additionally, the wood fossil-rich strata contains fossilized palynomorphs, including pollen fossils from Dipterocarpaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Florschuetzia, and spore fossils from Stenochlaenidites, Verrucatosporites, and Lygodium, indicating the presence of a more diverse paleovegetation. These results support the existence of paleotropical rainforests. Our study suggests that paleoclimatic and paleovolcanic settings have significantly shaped the paleotropical rainforest ecosystems in the southern part of Sundaland during the Early Pliocene.

@article{doi1058837tnh241258579,
    author = "Harbowo, Danni Gathot and Aswan, Aswan and Chaerun, Siti Khodijah and Astuti, Widi and Zaim, Yahdi",
    title = "Exploring Pliocene Vegetation Variability through Wood Fossil Analysis from Jasinga, Indonesia",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Tropical Natural History",
    abstract = "Residents of Jasinga, West Java, consistently reported the presence of an abundance of wood fossils. We examined geological settings and wood fossils to investigate the paleovegetation types in the region. This research aims to map the distribution of wood fossils and interpret the paleoenvironment based on paleontological evidence. Lithostratigraphic measurements were performed, followed by a description of wood fossil anatomy in micro-thin section observations, isolation of palynological fossils from the host rock through chemical preparation techniques, and geochemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Our findings indicate that the area comprises Pliocene fluvial-volcanoclastic deposits containing several dipterocarp wood fossils, including Parashoreoxylon, Dryobalaonoxylon, Shoreoxylon, Anisopteroxylon, and Dipterocarpoxylon. There were also non-dipterocarp wood fossils from Apocynaceae, Combretaceae, Fabaceae, and Olacaceae. Most wood fossils in these deposits were silicified (SiO2: 92.7 ± 1.88\%), preserving the wood tissue structures. Additionally, the wood fossil-rich strata contains fossilized palynomorphs, including pollen fossils from Dipterocarpaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Florschuetzia, and spore fossils from Stenochlaenidites, Verrucatosporites, and Lygodium, indicating the presence of a more diverse paleovegetation. These results support the existence of paleotropical rainforests. Our study suggests that paleoclimatic and paleovolcanic settings have significantly shaped the paleotropical rainforest ecosystems in the southern part of Sundaland during the Early Pliocene.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.58837/tnh.24.1.258579",
    doi = "10.58837/tnh.24.1.258579",
    openalex = "W4405851124",
    references = "doi107717peerj12949"
}

PREMISE: Asia's wet tropical forests face a severe biodiversity crisis, but few fossils record their evolutionary history. We recently discovered in situ cuticles on fossil leaves, attributed to the giant rainforest tree Dryobalanops of the iconic Dipterocarpaceae family, from the Plio-Pleistocene of Brunei Darussalam (northern Borneo). Studying these specimens allowed us to validate the generic identification and delineate affinities to living dipterocarp species. METHODS: We compared the leaf cuticles and architecture of these fossil leaves with the seven living Dryobalanops species. RESULTS: The cuticular features shared between the fossils and extant Dryobalanops, including the presence of giant stomata on veins, confirm their generic placement. The leaf characters are identical to those of D. rappa, an IUCN red-listed Endangered, northern Borneo endemic. The D. rappa monodominance at the fossil site, along with Dipterocarpus spp. leaf fossils, indicates a dipterocarp-dominated forest near the mangrove-swamp depocenter, most likely in an adjacent peatland. CONCLUSIONS: The Dryobalanops rappa fossils are the first fossil evidence of a living endangered tropical tree species and show how analysis of in situ cuticles can help illuminate the poorly known floristic history of the Asian tropics. This discovery highlights new potential for fossils to inform heritage values and paleoconservation in Southeast Asia.

@article{doi101002ajb270036,
    author = "Wang, Teng‐Xiang and Wilf, Peter and Briguglio, Antonino and Kocsis, László and Donovan, Michael P. and Zou, Xiaoyu and Slik, Ferry",
    title = "Fossils of an endangered, endemic, giant dipterocarp species open a historical portal into Borneo's vanishing rainforests",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE: Asia's wet tropical forests face a severe biodiversity crisis, but few fossils record their evolutionary history. We recently discovered in situ cuticles on fossil leaves, attributed to the giant rainforest tree Dryobalanops of the iconic Dipterocarpaceae family, from the Plio-Pleistocene of Brunei Darussalam (northern Borneo). Studying these specimens allowed us to validate the generic identification and delineate affinities to living dipterocarp species. METHODS: We compared the leaf cuticles and architecture of these fossil leaves with the seven living Dryobalanops species. RESULTS: The cuticular features shared between the fossils and extant Dryobalanops, including the presence of giant stomata on veins, confirm their generic placement. The leaf characters are identical to those of D. rappa, an IUCN red-listed Endangered, northern Borneo endemic. The D. rappa monodominance at the fossil site, along with Dipterocarpus spp. leaf fossils, indicates a dipterocarp-dominated forest near the mangrove-swamp depocenter, most likely in an adjacent peatland. CONCLUSIONS: The Dryobalanops rappa fossils are the first fossil evidence of a living endangered tropical tree species and show how analysis of in situ cuticles can help illuminate the poorly known floristic history of the Asian tropics. This discovery highlights new potential for fossils to inform heritage values and paleoconservation in Southeast Asia.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70036",
    doi = "10.1002/ajb2.70036",
    openalex = "W4410215196",
    references = "doi107717peerj12949"
}

PREMISE: Araliaceae comprise a moderately diverse, predominantly tropical angiosperm family with a limited fossil record. Gondwanan history of Araliaceae is hypothesized in the literature, but no fossils have previously been reported from the former supercontinent. METHODS: I describe large (to macrophyll size), palmately compound-lobed leaf fossils and an isolated umbellate infructescence from the early Eocene (52 Ma), late-Gondwanan paleorainforest flora at Laguna del Hunco in Argentine Patagonia. RESULTS: The leaf fossils are assigned to Caffapanax canessae gen. et sp. nov. (Araliaceae). Comparable living species belong to five genera that are primarily distributed from Malesia to South China. The most similar genus is Osmoxylon, which is centered in east Malesia and includes numerous threatened species. The infructescence is assigned to Davidsaralia christophae gen. et sp. nov. (Araliaceae) and is also comparable to Osmoxylon. CONCLUSIONS: The Caffapanax leaves and Davidsaralia infructescence, potentially representing the same source taxon, are the oldest araliaceous macrofossils and provide direct evidence of Gondwanan history in the family. The new fossils and their large leaves enrich the well-established biogeographic and climatic affinities of the fossil assemblage with imperiled Indo-Pacific, everwet tropical rainforests. The fossils most likely represent shrubs or small trees, adding to the rich record of understory vegetation recovered from Laguna del Hunco.

@article{doi101002ajb270045,
    author = "Wilf, Peter",
    title = "Osmoxylon ‐like fossils from early Eocene South America: West Gondwana–Malesia connections in Araliaceae",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "American Journal of Botany",
    abstract = "PREMISE: Araliaceae comprise a moderately diverse, predominantly tropical angiosperm family with a limited fossil record. Gondwanan history of Araliaceae is hypothesized in the literature, but no fossils have previously been reported from the former supercontinent. METHODS: I describe large (to macrophyll size), palmately compound-lobed leaf fossils and an isolated umbellate infructescence from the early Eocene (52 Ma), late-Gondwanan paleorainforest flora at Laguna del Hunco in Argentine Patagonia. RESULTS: The leaf fossils are assigned to Caffapanax canessae gen. et sp. nov. (Araliaceae). Comparable living species belong to five genera that are primarily distributed from Malesia to South China. The most similar genus is Osmoxylon, which is centered in east Malesia and includes numerous threatened species. The infructescence is assigned to Davidsaralia christophae gen. et sp. nov. (Araliaceae) and is also comparable to Osmoxylon. CONCLUSIONS: The Caffapanax leaves and Davidsaralia infructescence, potentially representing the same source taxon, are the oldest araliaceous macrofossils and provide direct evidence of Gondwanan history in the family. The new fossils and their large leaves enrich the well-established biogeographic and climatic affinities of the fossil assemblage with imperiled Indo-Pacific, everwet tropical rainforests. The fossils most likely represent shrubs or small trees, adding to the rich record of understory vegetation recovered from Laguna del Hunco.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70045",
    doi = "10.1002/ajb2.70045",
    openalex = "W4410499042",
    references = "doi101002ajb216169"
}

The Siwalik plant fossils are key for understanding the Himalayan uplift and its impact on climate change. The plant fossil assemblage from the Siwalik succession of eastern and central Himalaya has offered valuable insights into past vegetation transitions and their paleoecological and paleoclimatic significance. However, fossil records from the Siwalik regions of western Nepal are relatively scarce. In this study, we report seven new fossil leaf impressions from the Arung Khola and Binai Khola formations (Middle‒Late Miocene) of the Binai Khola section, western Nepal, namely Clinogyne ovatus Awasthi and Prasad of the Marantaceae family, Calophyllum suraikholaensis Awasthi and Prasad of the Calophyllaceae family, cf. Dipterocarpus Gaertn. and Shorea siwalika Antal and Awasthi of the Dipterocarpaceae family, cf. Bauhinia L. of the Fabaceae family, Daphnogene makumensis Mehrotra, Dilcher et Lott of the Lauraceae family, cf. Syzygium of the Myrtaceae family. These fossils along with previous fossil assemblages indicate the presence of a tropical to subtropical seasonal forest during the deposition of the Siwalik sediments.

@article{doi101007s44288025003107,
    author = "Paudel, Roshan and Adhikari, Purushottam and Poudel, S. S. and Sadanand and Bhatia, Harshita and Srivastava, Gaurav and Paudayal, Khum N.",
    title = "Plant fossils from the Siwalik sediments of western Nepal and their climatic significance",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Discover Geoscience",
    abstract = "The Siwalik plant fossils are key for understanding the Himalayan uplift and its impact on climate change. The plant fossil assemblage from the Siwalik succession of eastern and central Himalaya has offered valuable insights into past vegetation transitions and their paleoecological and paleoclimatic significance. However, fossil records from the Siwalik regions of western Nepal are relatively scarce. In this study, we report seven new fossil leaf impressions from the Arung Khola and Binai Khola formations (Middle‒Late Miocene) of the Binai Khola section, western Nepal, namely Clinogyne ovatus Awasthi and Prasad of the Marantaceae family, Calophyllum suraikholaensis Awasthi and Prasad of the Calophyllaceae family, cf. Dipterocarpus Gaertn. and Shorea siwalika Antal and Awasthi of the Dipterocarpaceae family, cf. Bauhinia L. of the Fabaceae family, Daphnogene makumensis Mehrotra, Dilcher et Lott of the Lauraceae family, cf. Syzygium of the Myrtaceae family. These fossils along with previous fossil assemblages indicate the presence of a tropical to subtropical seasonal forest during the deposition of the Siwalik sediments.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s44288-025-00310-7",
    doi = "10.1007/s44288-025-00310-7",
    openalex = "W4415650048",
    references = "doi107717peerj12949"
}

The Eocene Epoch represented a pinnacle in Indian paleobiodiversity, explained by the ESAT (energy-stability-area-time) theory, which links climatic stability and geological time in fostering immense biodiversity. We provide a reconstruction of a middle Eocene tropical ecosystem from an amber biota recovered from the Harudi Formation (∼41.6 ± 0.5 to ∼40.8 ± 0.5 Ma), Umarsar Lignite Mine (ULM), western India. It reveals a highly diverse ecosystem (>800 arthropods of various taxonomic ranks along with 78 genera and 118 species of palynomorphs) thriving in warm and humid conditions (mean temperature ∼25°C; rainfall ∼2,450 mm/year), analogous to modern tropical climates. The findings show that favorable climate, ecological complexity, and India's northward drift facilitated tropical lineage diversification, reinforcing ESAT as a robust explanatory model for deep-time biodiversity patterns. These findings also offer valuable analogs for predicting how biodiversity and functional networks in current tropical forests might respond to ongoing climate change, emphasizing the need to conserve both species and their ecological interactions.

@article{doi101016jisci2025113430,
    author = "Agnihotri, Priya and Singh, Vikram Partap and Singh, Hukam and Grimaldi, David A. and Thakkar, M. G. and Priya, Tanu and Subramanian, K. A. and Dutta, Suryendu and Mishra, Shreya",
    title = "Eocene amber fossils reveal how complex trophic interactions shaped tropical rainforest biodiversity",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "iScience",
    abstract = "The Eocene Epoch represented a pinnacle in Indian paleobiodiversity, explained by the ESAT (energy-stability-area-time) theory, which links climatic stability and geological time in fostering immense biodiversity. We provide a reconstruction of a middle Eocene tropical ecosystem from an amber biota recovered from the Harudi Formation (∼41.6 ± 0.5 to ∼40.8 ± 0.5 Ma), Umarsar Lignite Mine (ULM), western India. It reveals a highly diverse ecosystem (>800 arthropods of various taxonomic ranks along with 78 genera and 118 species of palynomorphs) thriving in warm and humid conditions (mean temperature ∼25°C; rainfall ∼2,450 mm/year), analogous to modern tropical climates. The findings show that favorable climate, ecological complexity, and India's northward drift facilitated tropical lineage diversification, reinforcing ESAT as a robust explanatory model for deep-time biodiversity patterns. These findings also offer valuable analogs for predicting how biodiversity and functional networks in current tropical forests might respond to ongoing climate change, emphasizing the need to conserve both species and their ecological interactions.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113430",
    doi = "10.1016/j.isci.2025.113430",
    openalex = "W4413580751",
    references = "doi101002ajb216169"
}