Alseodaphne changchangensis sp. nov. (Lauraceae), with a perfectly preserved fossil leaf, was found in the Eocene Changchang Formation from the Changchang Basin of Hainan Island, China. This represents the earliest occurrence at the lowest latitude for the genus Alseodaphne, and offers important fossil evidence for further investigation of the origin and evolution of this genus and the paleoclimate of Hainan Island in the Eocene. Based on leaf morphology and cuticle characteristics, our fossil specimen is closest to the living species A. hainanensis Merrill, which is distributed mainly in tropical lowland rain forests, tropical montane rain forests, and subtropical montane evergreen broad-leafed forests on Hainan Island, and also found on the Wanshan Islands of Zhuhai of Guangdong Province and in northern parts of Vietnam. In the above areas, the climate factors are similar, i.e., the mean annual temperature is 20-22.6℃, the mean annual range of temperature 12-12.6℃ and the mean annual precipitation 1784-2500 mm. Based on the nearest living species analysis, we conclude that the climate of the Changchang Basin on Hainan Island during the Eocene was close to that of the distribution areas of the living A. hainanensis.
Podocarpium A. Braun ex Stizenberger is one of the most common legumes in the Neogene of Eurasia, including fossil fruits, seeds, leaves, and possible flower and pollen grains. This genus is not completely consistent with any extant genera according to gross morphological characters and poorly preserved cuticular structures reported in previous studies. The fossil pods collected from the coal-bearing series of the Changchang Basin of Hainan Island and Maoming Basin of Guangdong, South China, are examined by morphologically comparative work, with special reference to venation patterns and placental position. These distinctive features, as well as the ovule development of pods from different developmental stages and the epidermal structure of the pods, as distinguished from previous records lead to the conclusion that these fossils can be recognized as a new species of Podocarpium, P. eocenicum sp. nov. This new discovery indicates that Podocarpium had arrived in South China by the Eocene. Investigation on the fossil records of this extinct genus shows that P. eocenicum is the earliest and lowest latitude fossil data. The possible occurrence pattern of this genus is revealed as follows: Podocarpium had distributed in the South China at least in the middle Eocene, and then migrated to Europe during the Oligocene; in the Miocene this genus reached its peak in Eurasia, spreading extensively across subtropical areas to warm temperate areas; finally, Podocarpium shrank rapidly and became extinct in Eurasia during the Pliocene.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.