Morphology and Nomenclature of Barsassia (Lycopsida) from the Middle Devonian of West Junggar, Xinjiang, China

Morphology and nomenclature are essential issues of botany, in which both extant and fossil plant taxa follow the same nomenclature code. Devonian (419.2–358.9 Ma) herbaceous lycopsid Barsassia, one of the earliest coal-forming plants in geological history, possesses a characteristic, easily recognized, step-like stem and has been thought to be an index fossil for dating and correlating the Middle Devonian strata, especially those in the paleoblocks of Siberia, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, and North China. Here, we systematically study the Devonian lycopsid Barsassia in terms of its morphology and nomenclature, based on the new materials from the Middle Devonian Hujiersite Formation of West Junggar, Xinjiang, China, and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code). Barsassia ornata is determined as the type species of the genus, and a neotype is designated for that name. Barsassia ornata consists of fan- or rectangular-shaped leaves with awl-shaped or finger-like distal tips. Its leaves are pseudo-whorls and imbricately arranged on the stem surface forming distinct step-like structure.

Paleontological inventory of Paleozoic, Late Mesozoic, and Cenozoic plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate fossil species from Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA - over a century of paleontological discovery

The extraordinary paleontological record from Big Bend National Park (BIBE), Texas chronicles nearly 120 million years of largely uninterrupted deposition through Late Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene time. Therefore, the park records one of the most complete and continuous fossil records of its kind in North America, if not the world. Paleontologists have collected and studied fossils from BIBE for over a century and nearly 1400 fossil species have been reported thus far. The BIBE paleontological record includes type specimens representing 44 scientifically valid species (five plants, nine invertebrates, and 30 vertebrates). Numerous other reported specimens are very likely new to science but have yet to be formally named. The present catalog presents the currently known assemblage of fossil plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate species from BIBE within a single, comprehensive record with significant references for each. This work is designed and written to be a research and resource management tool for scientists and non-scientists alike.

A fossil record of land plant origins from charophyte algae

Molecular time trees indicating that embryophytes originated around 500 million years ago (Ma) during the Cambrian are at odds with the record of fossil plants, which first appear in the mid-Silurian almost 80 million years later. This time gap has been attributed to a missing fossil plant record, but that attribution belies the case for fossil spores. Here, we describe a Tremadocian (Early Ordovician, about 480 Ma) assemblage with elements of both Cambrian and younger embryophyte spores that provides a new level of evolutionary continuity between embryophytes and their algal ancestors. This finding suggests that the molecular phylogenetic signal retains a latent evolutionary history of the acquisition of the embryophytic developmental genome, a history that perhaps began during Ediacaran-Cambrian time but was not completed until the mid-Silurian (about 430 Ma).

New names in living Ocotea Aubl. (Lauraceae) and a remark on Litsea cuneata

In the present communication, after checking fossil plant names in the International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI 2014–onwards), the homonymy of two fossil and extant species names of Ocotea Aublet (1775: 780) has been detected and resolved. Ocotea alata van der Werff (1991: 416) (extant) is replaced by a new name O. loretensis nom. nov., because of the earlier homonym O. alata Givulescu (1975: 173) (fossil leaves), according to Article 53.1 of the ICN (Turland et al. 2018). Similarly, O. morona-santiagoensis nom. nov. is proposed to replace the later illegitimate homonym O. pilosa van der Werff (2020: 220) (extant) non O. pilosa Givulescu (1975: 172) (fossil leaves). An additional homonym was found in extant Litsea Lamarck (1792: 574) that is preoccupied by a fossil. However, since it is currently recognized as a taxonomic synonym of Litsea tomentosa Blume (1826: 566), there is no need to create a nomen novum for it.

Palaeontology Collection Policy

The Paleontological Collection (PalCo) is one of partial collections of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus. General principles and guidelines for the collections are defined in the General Collection Policy of Luomus. The PalCo Policy is subordinate to the General Collection Policy of Luomus, clarifying its content with reference to the special characteristics of the paleontological collections. The PalCo includes fossil plant, invertebrate and vertebrate specimens worldwide in scope and from all geologic ages to support Finnish research and educational projects. The coverage emphasizes Paleozoic and Quaternary specimens from Finland, the Baltic countries and Scandinavia. The PalCo Policy defines the purpose of the collections, the objectives, the distribution of responsibilities for collection management and maintenance in the organisation, and the principles of collection accumulation, preservation, accessibility and use.