Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar
Filmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) are the most diverse lineage of the early-diverging leptosporangiate ferns with ca. 430 species widely distributed around the world but with the highest diversity in the humid tropics. However, their fossil record is scarce because of the low preservation potential of...
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2022-11-01
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| author | Ya Li Yong-Dong Wang Natalya Nosova Ning Lu Yuan-Yuan Xu |
| author_facet | Ya Li Yong-Dong Wang Natalya Nosova Ning Lu Yuan-Yuan Xu |
| author_sort | Ya Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Filmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) are the most diverse lineage of the early-diverging leptosporangiate ferns with ca. 430 species widely distributed around the world but with the highest diversity in the humid tropics. However, their fossil record is scarce because of the low preservation potential of the delicate, membranous laminae. So far, no Hymenophyllaceae fossils have been reported from tropical Asia. Here, we describe some fern remains and their syninclusions (spike-mosses) in four pieces of Kachin amber from the mid-Cretaceous of Hukawng Valley, Northern Myanmar, as <i>Hymenophyllites angustus</i> sp. nov., <i>H</i>. <i>kachinensis</i> sp. nov., <i>H</i>. <i>setosus</i> sp. nov. (Hymenophyllaceae) and <i>Selaginella alata</i> sp. nov. (Selaginellaceae), respectively. These fern remains are assigned to Hymenophyllaceae based on the filmy, one-cell thick, decompound pinnatifid laminae and dichotomous venation. They represent the first fossil record of Hymenophyllaceae in tropical Asia. The growth habits of these ferns and associated spike-mosses and their implication for paleoenvironment are discussed. Our study expands the diversity of the cryptogams in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Together with other contemporaneous findings, the present fossils indicate that Hymenophyllaceae have already accumulated some notable diversity in the Cretaceous. |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:15:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-979b552649174ea4a56b5285a775275c2023-11-24T03:48:33ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-11-011111162910.3390/biology11111629Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, MyanmarYa Li0Yong-Dong Wang1Natalya Nosova2Ning Lu3Yuan-Yuan Xu4State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, ChinaKomarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popova Str. 2, 197376 Saint Petersburg, RussiaState Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, ChinaFilmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) are the most diverse lineage of the early-diverging leptosporangiate ferns with ca. 430 species widely distributed around the world but with the highest diversity in the humid tropics. However, their fossil record is scarce because of the low preservation potential of the delicate, membranous laminae. So far, no Hymenophyllaceae fossils have been reported from tropical Asia. Here, we describe some fern remains and their syninclusions (spike-mosses) in four pieces of Kachin amber from the mid-Cretaceous of Hukawng Valley, Northern Myanmar, as <i>Hymenophyllites angustus</i> sp. nov., <i>H</i>. <i>kachinensis</i> sp. nov., <i>H</i>. <i>setosus</i> sp. nov. (Hymenophyllaceae) and <i>Selaginella alata</i> sp. nov. (Selaginellaceae), respectively. These fern remains are assigned to Hymenophyllaceae based on the filmy, one-cell thick, decompound pinnatifid laminae and dichotomous venation. They represent the first fossil record of Hymenophyllaceae in tropical Asia. The growth habits of these ferns and associated spike-mosses and their implication for paleoenvironment are discussed. Our study expands the diversity of the cryptogams in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Together with other contemporaneous findings, the present fossils indicate that Hymenophyllaceae have already accumulated some notable diversity in the Cretaceous.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1629fernsfossils<i>Hymenophyllites</i><i>Selaginella</i> |
| spellingShingle | Ya Li Yong-Dong Wang Natalya Nosova Ning Lu Yuan-Yuan Xu Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar Biology ferns fossils <i>Hymenophyllites</i> <i>Selaginella</i> |
| title | Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar |
| title_full | Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar |
| title_fullStr | Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar |
| title_short | Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar |
| title_sort | filmy ferns hymenophyllaceae and associated spike mosses selaginellaceae from the mid cretaceous kachin amber myanmar |
| topic | ferns fossils <i>Hymenophyllites</i> <i>Selaginella</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1629 |
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