Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China
A first occurrence of the genus Meliosma (Sabiaceae) is reported from the upper Eocene of the Maoming Basin of South China. This fossil is one of the oldest reliable records of the genus within its modern center of diversity. Fossil leaves are assigned to a new species, Meliosma eosinica sp. nov. ba...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
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| author | Maria G. Moiseeva Maria G. Moiseeva Tatiana M. Kodrul Maria V. Tekleva Natalia P. Maslova Xinkai Wu Jianhua Jin Jianhua Jin |
| author_facet | Maria G. Moiseeva Maria G. Moiseeva Tatiana M. Kodrul Maria V. Tekleva Natalia P. Maslova Xinkai Wu Jianhua Jin Jianhua Jin |
| author_sort | Maria G. Moiseeva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A first occurrence of the genus Meliosma (Sabiaceae) is reported from the upper Eocene of the Maoming Basin of South China. This fossil is one of the oldest reliable records of the genus within its modern center of diversity. Fossil leaves are assigned to a new species, Meliosma eosinica sp. nov. based on leaf morphology and epidermal characters. The leaf epidermal anatomy of fossil Meliosma is illustrated for the first time. We also provide the first SEM observation of pollen grains associated with Meliosma. This study also documents an occurrence of mites within the leaf domatia previously unknown from the fossil record. We presume that the studied mite belongs to the superfamily Eupodoidea (Arthropoda), and probably the family Eupodidae, which comprises very small soft-bodied cosmopolitan mites occupying a wide range of terrestrial habitats. Additionally, we analyze the damage types on the fossil leaves of Meliosma. They exhibit exclusively external foliage feeding damage caused by arthropods and traces of probable fungal infection. A review of currently known fossil occurrences of leaves, fruits, and wood of Meliosma provides evidence for the geological and geographical distribution of the genus. |
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| id | doaj.art-1dd2ab4b8c7547109a890e0c90ec7a17 |
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| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T20:09:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-1dd2ab4b8c7547109a890e0c90ec7a172022-12-21T18:14:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2022-01-01910.3389/fevo.2021.770687770687Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South ChinaMaria G. Moiseeva0Maria G. Moiseeva1Tatiana M. Kodrul2Maria V. Tekleva3Natalia P. Maslova4Xinkai Wu5Jianhua Jin6Jianhua Jin7State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaGeological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaGeological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaBorissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaBorissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaSchool of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, ChinaA first occurrence of the genus Meliosma (Sabiaceae) is reported from the upper Eocene of the Maoming Basin of South China. This fossil is one of the oldest reliable records of the genus within its modern center of diversity. Fossil leaves are assigned to a new species, Meliosma eosinica sp. nov. based on leaf morphology and epidermal characters. The leaf epidermal anatomy of fossil Meliosma is illustrated for the first time. We also provide the first SEM observation of pollen grains associated with Meliosma. This study also documents an occurrence of mites within the leaf domatia previously unknown from the fossil record. We presume that the studied mite belongs to the superfamily Eupodoidea (Arthropoda), and probably the family Eupodidae, which comprises very small soft-bodied cosmopolitan mites occupying a wide range of terrestrial habitats. Additionally, we analyze the damage types on the fossil leaves of Meliosma. They exhibit exclusively external foliage feeding damage caused by arthropods and traces of probable fungal infection. A review of currently known fossil occurrences of leaves, fruits, and wood of Meliosma provides evidence for the geological and geographical distribution of the genus.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.770687/fullplant fossilsMeliosmamitesEoceneChina |
| spellingShingle | Maria G. Moiseeva Maria G. Moiseeva Tatiana M. Kodrul Maria V. Tekleva Natalia P. Maslova Xinkai Wu Jianhua Jin Jianhua Jin Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution plant fossils Meliosma mites Eocene China |
| title | Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China |
| title_full | Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China |
| title_fullStr | Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China |
| title_short | Fossil Leaves of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) With Associated Pollen and a Eupodid Mite From the Eocene of Maoming Basin, South China |
| title_sort | fossil leaves of meliosma sabiaceae with associated pollen and a eupodid mite from the eocene of maoming basin south china |
| topic | plant fossils Meliosma mites Eocene China |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.770687/full |
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