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Evidence of the oldest extant vascular plant (horsetails) from the Indian Cenozoic.
Kundu, Sampa; Hazra, Taposhi; Chakraborty, Tapan; Bera, Subir; Khan, Mahasin Ali.
Afiliación
  • Kundu S; Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India.
  • Hazra T; Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India.
  • Chakraborty T; Geological Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata 700108, West Bengal, India.
  • Bera S; Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata 700019, India.
  • Khan MA; Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India.
Plant Divers ; 45(5): 569-589, 2023 Sep.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37936814
Equisetum (Equisetaceae) has long been a focus of attention for botanists and palaeontologists because, given its extensive and well-documented fossil record, it is considered the oldest extant vascular plant and a key element in understanding vascular plant evolution. However, to date, no authentic fossil evidence of Equisetum has been found from the Indian Cenozoic. Here, we describe a new fossil species, namely, E. siwalikum sp. nov., recovered from the middle Siwalik (Late Miocene) sediments of Himachal Pradesh, western Himalaya. We identified fossil specimens based on morphological and epidermal characters. In addition, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to determine the mineral composition of compressed stems of Equisetum. The close affinity of our recovered Siwalik fossils to Equisetum is supported by the presence of both macromorphological and epidermal characters. Because Equisetum generally grows in wet conditions around water reservoirs, our findings indicate that the fossil locality was humid and surrounded by swamp and lowland regions during deposition. Ample fossil evidence indicates that this sphenopsid once existed in the western Himalaya during the Siwalik period. However, at present Equisetum is confined to a particular area of our fossil locality, probably a consequence of severe environmental changes coupled with competition from opportunistic angiosperms. Our discovery of Equisetum fossils in appreciable numbers from the Siwalik sediments of the Himachal Himalayas is unique and constitutes the first reliable recognition of Equisetum from the Indian Cenozoic.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: Plant Divers Año: 2023 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: India Pais de publicación: China

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: Plant Divers Año: 2023 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: India Pais de publicación: China