Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A brief review of the fossil history of the family Rosaceae with a focus on the Eocene Okanogan Highlands of eastern Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada

  • Published:
Plant Systematics and Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many of the oldest definitive members of the Rosaceae are present in the Eocene upland floras of the Okanogan Highlands of northeastern Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. Over a dozen rosaceous taxa representing extant and extinct genera of all four traditionally recognized subfamilies are known from flowers, fruits, wood, pollen, and especially leaves. The complexity seen in Eocene Rosaceae suggests that hybridization and polyploidy may have played a pivotal role in the early evolution of the family. Increased species diversity and the first appearance of additional modern taxa occur during the Late Paleogene in North America and Europe. The Rosaceae become increasingly important components of fossil floras during the Neogene, with taxa adapted to many habitats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Archibald S. B., Pigg K. B., Greenwood D. R., Manchester S. R., Barkesdale L., Johnson K. R., Sternberg M., Stockey R. A., DeVore M. L. and Rothwell G. W. (2005). Wes Wehr dedication. Canad. J. Earth Sci. 42: 115–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Axelrod D. I. (1987). The Late Oligocene Creede Flora, Colorado. Univ. Calif. Publ. Geol. Sci. 130: 1–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Basinger J. F. (1976). Paleorosa similkameenensis gen. et sp. nov., permineralized flowers (Rosaceae) from the Eocene of British Columbia. Canad. J. Bot. 54: 2293–2305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker H. F. (1963). The fossil record of the genus Rosa. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 90: 99–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown R. W. (1962). Paleocene flora of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. US Geological Survey Prof. Paper 375: 1–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Cevallos-Ferriz S. R. S., Erwin D. M. and Stockey R. A. (1993). Further observations on Paleorosa similkameenensis (Rosaceae) from the Middle Eocene Princeton chert of British Columbia. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 78: 277–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cevallos-Ferris S. R. S. and Stockey R. A. (1990). Vegetative remains of the Rosaceae from the Princeton chert (Middle Eocene) of British Columbia. IAWA (International Association of Wood Anatomists) Bull. New Series 11: 261–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Cevallos-Ferriz S. R. S. and Stockey R. A. (1991). Fruits and seeds from the Princeton chert (Middle Eocene) of British Columbia: Rosaceae (Prunoideae). Bot. Gaz. 152: 369–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cevallos-Ferriz S. R. S., Stockey R. A. and Pigg K. B. (1991). The Princeton chert: Evidence for in situ aquatic plants. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 70: 173–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler M. E. J. (1962). The Lower Tertiary floras of southern England 2. Flora of the Pipe-Clay Series of Dorset (Lower Bagshot). British Museum Natural History, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler M. E. J. (1963). The Lower Tertiary floras of southern England. 3. Flora of the Bournemouth Beds; the Bouscombe and the Highcliff Sands. British Museum Natural History, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane P. R. and Stockey R. A. (1987). Betula leaves and reproductive structures from the Middle Eocene of British Columbia, Canada. Canad. J. Bot. 65: 2490–2500

    Google Scholar 

  • DeVore M. L., Moore S. M., Pigg K. B. and Wehr W. C. (2004). Fossil Neviusia leaves (Rosaceae: Kerriae) from the lower-middle Eocene of southern British Columbia. Rhodora 106: 197–209

    Google Scholar 

  • DeVore M. L, Pigg K. B. (2005) Rosaceous evolution in the Okanogan Highlands, Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada. XVII International Botanical Congress, Vienna, Austria, July 18–23, 2005 (poster).

  • DeVore M. L., Pigg K. B. and Wehr W. C. (2005). Systematics and phytogeography of selected Eocene Okanagan Highlands plants. Canad. J. Earth Sci. 42: 205–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dilcher D. L. (1973). A paleoclimatic interpretation of the Eocene floras of southeastern North America. In: Graham, A. (eds) Vegetation and vegetational history of northern Latin America, pp 39–59. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillhoff R. M., Leopold E. B. and Manchester S. R. (2005). The McAbee flora of British Columbia and its relation to the early-Middle Eocene Okanagan Highlands flora of the Pacific Northwest. Canad. J. Earth Sci. 42: 151–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorofeev P. I. (1963). Tertiary floras of western Siberia. Komorov Botanical Institute Academy Nauk SSSR, Leningrad, USSR

    Google Scholar 

  • Ertter B. (1993). What is snow-wreath doing in California. Fremontia 22: 4–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Erwin D. M. and Schorn H. E. (2000). Revision of Lyonothamnus A. Gray (Rosaceae) from the Neogene of western North America. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 161: 197–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans R. C. and Campbell C. S. (2002). The origin of the apple subfamily (Maloideae; Rosaceae) is clarified by DNA sequence data from duplicated GBSSI genes. Amer. J. Bot. 89: 1478–1484

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geissert F., Gregor H. J., Mai D. H., Boenigk W. and Guenther T. (1990). Die 'Saugbaggerflora', eine Frucht- und Samenflora aus dem Grenzbereich Miozän-Pliozän von Sessenheim im Elsaß (Frankreich). Documenta Naturae 57: 1–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham A. (1999). Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of North American vegetation. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood D. R., Archibald S. B., Mathewes R. W. and Moss P. T. (2005). Fossil biotas from the Okanagan Highlands, southern British Columbia and northeastern Washington State: climates and ecosystems across an Eocene landscape. Canad. J. Earth Sci. 42: 167–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hably L., Kvaček Z. and Manchester S. R. (2000). Shared taxa of land plants in the Oligocene of Europe and North America in Context of Holarctic phytogeography. Acta Universitatis Carolinae Geologica 33: 59–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Heywood V. H. (1993). Flowering plants of the world. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Heusser L. E. (1978). Pollen in Santa Barbara Basin, California: a 12,000-yr record. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 89: 673–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson K. R. (1996). The role of the Republic flora in documenting the floristic evolution of the Northern Hemisphere. Washington Geol. 24: 41–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchheimer F. (1973) Rosaceae. Fossilium Catalogus II. Plantae. In: Jongmans W. (ed.) Pars. 25, (reprinted from 1939 original), W. Junk B. V., Den Haag, The Netherlands.

  • Kvaček Z., Dvořák Z., Mach K. and Sakala J. (2004). Třetihorní rostliny severočeské hnědouhelné pánve.. Severočeské doly a. s., Chomutov, Granit, s. r. o., Praha

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvaček Z. and Walther H. (1998). The Oligocene volcanic flora of Kundratice near Litomeřice, Ĉeské Středohoři volcanic complex (Czech Republic) – a review. Acta Mus. Nat. Prague, Ser. B, Hist. Nat. 54: 1–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvaček Z. and Walther H. (2001). The Oligocene flora of central Europa and the development of forest vegetation in space and time based on megafossils. Palaeontographica Abt. B 259: 125–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvaček Z. and Walther H. (2004). Oligocene flora of Bechlejovice at Dečín from the neovolcanic area of the Ĉeské Středohoři Mountains. Acta Mus. Nat. Pragae, Ser. B. Hist. Nat. 60: 9–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Leopold E. B., Clay-Poole S. T. (2001) Florissant leaf and pollen floras of Colorado compared: climatic implications. In: Evanoff E., Gregory- Wodzicki K. M., Johnson K. R. (eds.) Fossil flora and stratigraphy of the Florissant Formation, Colorado. Proceedings of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Series 3, Denver, pp. 17–69.

  • MacGinitie H. D. (1953) Fossil plants of the Florissant Beds, Colorado. Publications of the Carnegie Institute, Washington, D. C. 599: 1–197.

  • McIver E. and Basinger J. F. (1993). Flora of the Ravenscrag Formation (Paleocene), southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana 10: 1–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Mai D. H. (1984). Karpologische Untersuchungen der Steinkerne fossiler und recenter Amygdalaceae (Rosales). Feddes Repert. 95: 299–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mai D. H. (1995). Tertiäre Vegetationsgeschichte Europas, Methoden und Ergebnisse. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Mai D. H. and Walther H. (1978). Die Flora der Haselbacher Serie um Weißelster-Becken (Bezirk Leipzig, DDR). Abh. Staatl. Mus. Mineral. Geol. Dresden 28: 1–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Manchester S. R. (1994). Fruits and seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds flora, Clarno Formation, North Central Oregon. Palaeontographica Americana 58: 1–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Manchester S. R. (2001) Update on the megafossil flora of Florissant, Colorado. In: Evanoff E., Gregory-Wodzicki K. M., Johnson K. R. (eds.) Fossil flora and stratigraphy of the Florissant Formation, Colorado. Proceedings of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Series 3, Denver, pp. 137–162.

  • Manchester S. R. and Hermsen E. J. (2000). Flowers, fruits, seeds and pollen of Landeenia gen. nov., an extinct sapindalean genus from the Eocene of Wyoming. Amer. J. Bot. 87: 1909–1914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinetto E. (2001). Studies on some exotic elements of the Pliocene floras of Italy. Palaeontographica 259B: 149–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthewes J. V. and Ovendon L. E. (1990). Late Tertiary plant macrofossils from localities in Arctic/Subarctic North America: A review of the data. Arctic 43: 364–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer H. W. (2003). The fossils of Florissant. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer H. W. and Manchester S. R. (1997). The Oligocene Bridge Creek flora of the John Day Formation, Oregon. Univ. Calif. Publ. Geol. Sci. 141: 1–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Miki S and Kokowa S. (1962). Late Ceonozoic floras of Kyushy, Japan. J. Biol. Osaka City Univ. 13: 65–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller J. (1981). Fossil pollen records of extant angiosperms. Bot. Rev. 47: 1–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pigg K. B., Manchester S. R. and Wehr W. C. (2003). Corylus, Carpinus and Palaeocarpinus (Betulaceae) from the middle Eocene Klondike Mountain and Allenby Formations of northwestern North America: Int. J. Pl. Sci. 164: 807–822

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pigg K. B., Stockey R. A. (1996) The significance of the Princeton chert permineralized flora to the Middle Eocene upland biota of the Okanogan Highlands: Washington Geol. 24: 32–36.

  • Pigg K. B. and Wehr W. C. (2002). Tertiary flowers, fruits and seeds of Washington State and adjacent areas–Part III. Washington Geol. 30: 3–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid C., Reid E. M. (1915) The Pliocene floras of the Dutch-Prussian border. Mededeelingen van de Rijksopsporing van Delfstoffen no. 6, The Hague.

  • Schorn H. E. (1998). Holodiscus lisii (Rosaceae): a new species of ocean spray from the late Eocene Florissant Formation, Colorado, USA. PaleoBios 18: 21–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Schorn H. E. and Gooch N. L. (1994). Amelanchier hawkinsae sp. nov. (Rosaceae, Maloideae) from the middle Miocene of Stewart Valley, Nevada and a review of the genus in the Nevada Neogene. PaleoBios 16: 1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Schorn H. E., Wehr W. C. (1986) Abies milleri, sp. nov., from the middle Eocene Klondike Mountain Formation, Republic, Ferry County, Washington. Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum Contributions in Anthropology and Natural History 1: p. 7.

  • Shevock J. R., Ertter B. and Taylor D. W. (1992). Neviusia cliftonii (Rosaceae: Kerrieae), an intriguing new relict species from California. Novon 2: 285–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins G. L. (1950). Variation and evolution in plants. Columbia Biological Series XVI. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins G. L. (1993). Another step forward in understanding plant evolution. Fremontia 22: 11–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Stock C. (revised by J. M. Harris), (1992) Rancho La Brea, a record of Pleistocene life in California. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles. 7th edition Science Ser. 37.

  • Tanai T., Onoe T. (1961) A Mio-Pliocene flora from the Ningyo-toge area on the border between Tottori and Okayama Perfectures, Japan. Geol. Surv. Japan Rept. 187.

  • Tanai T., Suzuki N. (1963) Tertiary floras of Japan-Miocene floras of southwest Hokkaido, Japan. Tert. Flora Japan. 9–96.

  • Tiffney B. H and Manchester S. R. (2001). The use of geological and paleontological evidence in evaluating plant phylogeographic hypotheses in the Northern Hemisphere Tertiary. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 162: S3–S17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wehr W. C. and Hopkins D. Q. (1994). The Eocene orchards and gardens of Republic, Washington. Washington Geol. 22: 27–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehr W. C. and Manchester S. R. (1996). Paleobotanical significance of Eocene flowers, fruits and seeds from Republic, Washington. Washington Geol. 24: 25–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler E. A., Manchester S. R. (2002) Woods of the Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon, USA. IAWA Journal Supplement 3. International Association of Wood Anatomists, Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, The Netherlands.

  • Wheeler E., Scott R. A. and Barghoorn E. S. (1978). Fossil dicotyledonous woods from Yellowstone National Park, part II. J. Arnold Arbor. 58: 280–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams H. F. L. and Hebda R. J. (1991). Palynology of Holocene top-set aggradational sediments of the Fraser River delta, British Columbia. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 86: 297–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe J. A. (1987). An overview of the origins of the modern vegetation and flora of the northern Rocky Mountains. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 74: 785–803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe J. A. and Schorn H. E. (1989). Paleoecologic, paleoclimatic and evolutionary significance of the Oligocene Creede flora, Colorado. Paleobiology 15: 180–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe J. A. and Schorn H. E. (1990). Taxonomic revision of the Spermatopsida of the Oligocene Creede flora, southern Colorado. US Geol. Survey Bull. 1923: 1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe J. A., Tanai T. (1987) Systematics, phylogeny, and distribution of Acer (maples) in the Cenozoic of western North America: Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Series IV 22: 1–246.

  • Wolfe J. A. and Wehr W. (1987). Middle Eocene dicotyledonous plants from Republic, northeastern Washington. US Geol. Survey Bull. 1597: 1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe J. A. and Wehr W. (1988). Rosaceous Chamaebatiaria-like foliage from the Paleogene of western North America. Aliso 12: 177–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Zetter R., Hofmann C.-C., Draxler I., Ferguson D. K., Durango de Cabrera J., Del Vergel M. (1999) Innovations in Eocene vegetation of southern Argentina. XVI International Botanic Congress, St. Louis. Abstract Number: 2556; Poster No. = 952.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA, 31061, USA

    M. L. DeVore

  2. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA

    K. B. Pigg

Authors
  1. M. L. DeVore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. B. Pigg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. L. DeVore.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

DeVore, M., Pigg, K. A brief review of the fossil history of the family Rosaceae with a focus on the Eocene Okanogan Highlands of eastern Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada. Plant Syst. Evol. 266, 45–57 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-007-0540-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-007-0540-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation