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Mesozoic Ginkgoalean Megafossils: A Systematic Review

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Ginkgo Biloba A Global Treasure

Abstract

Numerous megafossils of Ginkgo and its allies have been recorded in the Mesozoic since the last century [1–3]. Most of these fossils, however, are isolated leaves and other vegetative organs. Fossils of reproductive organs believed to belong to ginkgoaleans are scarce, and they are either fragmentary or were only doubtfully attributed to Ginkgoales. For a long time, our knowledge of the history of Ginkgo and Ginkgoales was based almost entirely on vegetative organs [4–6]. A number of genera and many species have been established on the basis of leaf gross morphology. Cuticular analysis was later introduced to the studies of ginkgoalean leaves [7–14] and was found to be of great value in specific determination. As pointed out by Harris [9], the cuticles, on the whole, are rather more characteristic than any macroscopic characters. For classification of higher taxonomic units, however, cuticles are less important because of the consistency in general structure. Up to the present, gross morphology is still the main criterion for classification of Mesozoic ginkgoaleans above the specific level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica, Chi-Ming-Ssu, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiyan Zhou

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tenno-dai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305, Japan

    Terumitsu Hori Dr. (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Division of Natural Sciences, International Christian University, 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181, Japan

    Robert W. Ridge Ph.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  3. Department of Science, Antioch College, 795 Livermore Street, 45387, Yellow Springs, OH, USA

    Walter Tulecke Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus) (Professor Emeritus)

  4. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 125 Arborway, 02130, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA

    Peter Del Tredici Ph.D. (Director) (Director)

  5. Laboratory of Cellular Biology and Plant Biochemistry Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Francois Rabelais University, 31 Avenue Monge, 37200, Tours, France

    Jocelyne Trémouillaux-Guiller Dr.

  6. Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-01, Japan

    Hiroshi Tobe Dr. (Professor) (Professor)

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Zhou, Z. (1997). Mesozoic Ginkgoalean Megafossils: A Systematic Review. In: Hori, T., Ridge, R.W., Tulecke, W., Del Tredici, P., Trémouillaux-Guiller, J., Tobe, H. (eds) Ginkgo Biloba A Global Treasure. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68416-9_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68416-9_15

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