Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The first fossil of Ancistrocladus Wall. (Ancistrocladaceae) found from India

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Brittonia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ancistrocladaceae, a family of shrubs or woody lianas, are widely distributed in tropical West and Central Africa and Southeast Asia. However, no fossil from this family has been reported to date. Here, we report winged fruits of Ancistrocladaceae consisting of five wings and a globose nut from the early Eocene (Palana Formation) sediments of Gurha lignite mine, Rajasthan, in western India. We determine their taxonomic position based on detailed macromorphological features and compare them thoroughly with both modern and fossil species of angiosperms having five-winged fruits. All of the major morphological characters (size, shape, and venation pattern) of the early Eocene winged-fruit fossil are comparable with winged fruits of extant Ancistrocladus Wall. (Ancistrocladaceae), and therefore we assign them to a new fossil species, Ancistrocladus eocenicus Ali, Manchester & Khan. The fossil evidence indicates that Ancistrocladus once existed in western India during the early Eocene period. However, at present Ancistrocladus is absent from the local present-day desert vegetation and is endemic to the evergreen tropical forests of the western ghats of India, probably a consequence of environmental changes. Our discovery constitutes the first reliable fossil recognition of Ancistrocladaceae.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Barnes, R.W & R.S. Hill. 1999. Ceratopetalum fruits from Australian Cainozoic sediments and their significance for petal evolution in the genus. Australian Systematic Botany 12: 635–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bringmann, G. & F. Pokorny. 1995. The naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids. Pp. 127–271 in: G. Cordell (ed.), The Alkaloids, vol. 46, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christenhusz, M.J., M.F. Fay & M.W. Chase. 2017. Plants of the World, an Illustrated Encyclopedia of Vascular Plants. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, H.T. & M.E. Dettmann. 2002. A winged fruit from the Tertiary of Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 48(1): 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Das, S. 1993. Ancistrocladaceae. Flora of India, vol. 3, Portulacaceae–Ixonanthaceae. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

  • eFlora (2008). eFloras. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, and Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. http://www.efloras.org(Accessed 20 October 2023).

  • Feng, X. & J. Jin. 2012. First record of extinct fruit genus Chaneya in low-latitude tropic of South China. Science China Earth Sciences 55: 728–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gandolfo, M.A. & E.J. Hermsen. 2017. Ceratopetalum (Cunoniaceae) fruits of Australasian affinity from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora, Patagonia, Argentina. Annals of Botany 119(4): 507–516.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gartlan, J.S., D.M. Newbery, D.W. Thomas & P.G. Waterman. 1986. The influence of topography and soil phosphorous on the vegetation of Korup Forest Reserve, Cameroon. Vegetation 65: 131–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GBIF. 2023. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility. https://www.gbif.org/what-is-gbif (Accessed: 22 October 2023).

  • Holmes, W.B.K. & F.M. Holmes. 1992. Fossils flowers of Ceratopetalum Sm. (Family Cunoniaceae) from the Tertiary of Eastern Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 113: 265–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanjilal, U.N., P.C. Kanjilal & A. Das. 1934. Flora of Assam, vol. 1. Government of Assam, Shillong.

  • Kew. 2023. The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.kew.org/herbcat (Accessed: 25 January 2023).

  • Kumar, M. 1996. Palynostratigraphy and palaeoecology of early Eocene palynoflora of Rajpardi lignite, Bharuch District, Gujarat. Palaeobotanist 43: 110–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, M., R.A. Spicer, T.E. Spicer, A. Shukla, R.C. Mehrotra & P. Monga. 2016. Palynostratigraphy and palynofacies of the early Eocene Gurha lignite mine, Rajasthan, India. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 461: 98–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liufu, Y., Y. Chen & H. Wang. 2017. A new species of Chaneya from the Oligocene Ningming Formation, Guangxi, South China. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 244: 148–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. 1991. Cruciptera, a new juglandaceous winged fruit from the Eocene and Oligocene of western North America. Systematic Botany 16: 715–725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. 1999. Biogeographical relationships of North American Tertiary floras. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 86: 472–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. 2000. Late Eocene fossil plants of the John Day Formation, Wheeler County, Oregon. Oregon Geology 62: 51–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. & P.R. Crane. 1987. A new genus of Betulaceae from the Oligocene of western North America. Botanical Gazette 148: 263–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. & K. Uemura. 2014. Ozakia, a new genus of winged fruit shared between the Miocene of Japan and western North America. Journal of Plant Research 127: 187–192.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manchester, S.R. & E. Zastawniak. 2007. Fruit with perianth remains of Chaneya Wang and Manchester (extinct Rutaceae) in the Upper Miocene of Sosnica, Poland. Acta Palaeobotanica Krakow 47(1): 253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehrotra, R.C. & A. Shukla. 2019. First record of Dioscorea from the early Eocene of north western India: Its evolutionary and palaeoecological importance. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 261: 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, H.W. & S.R. Manchester. 1997. The Oligocene Bridge Creek flora of the John Day Formation, Oregon. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 141: 1–195.

  • Patel, R., H. Singh, M. Prasad, P. Agnihotri, R.S. Rana & M. Waqas. 2019. Diversified Early Eocene floral and faunal assemblage from Gurha, western Rajasthan: Implications for palaeoecology and palaeoenvironment. Geophytology 49(1–2): 49–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patel, R., T. Hazra, R.S. Rana, M. Hazra, S.Bera & M.K. Khan. 2021. First fossil record of mulberry from Asia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 292: 104459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patel, R., R.S. Rana, T. Hazra & M.K. Khan. 2022. A new species of Indian kino tree from the early Eocene forests of north-western India. Current Science 123: 1264–1268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rischer, H., G. Heubl, H. Meimberg, M. Dreyer, H.A. Hadi & G. Bringmann. 2005. Ancistrocladus benomensis (Ancistrocladaceae): a new species from Peninsular Malaysia. Blumea 50(2): 357–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlauer, J., M. Rückert, B. Wiesen, M. Herderich, L.A. Assi, R.D. Haller, S. Bär, K.U. Fröhlich & G. Bringmann. 1998. “Characterization of enzymes from Ancistrocladus (Ancistrocladaceae) and Triphyophyllum (Dioncophyllaceae) catalyzing oxidative coupling of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids to michellamines”. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 350(1): 87–94.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shetty, B.V. & V. Singh. 1991. Flora of Rajasthan, vol 2. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A. & R.C. Mehrotra. 2014. Paleoequatorial rain forest of western India during the EECO: evidence from Uvaria L. fossil and its geological distribution pattern. Historical Biology 26(6) 693–698.

  • Shukla, A. & R.C. Mehrotra. 2016. Early Eocene (~50 my) legume fruits from Rajasthan. Current Science 111(3): 465–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra & J.S. Guleria. 2013. African elements (fossil woods) from the upper Cenozoic sediments of western India and their palaeoecological and phytogeographical significance. Alcheringa 37(1): 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra & J.S. Guleria. 2014a. A new fossil leaf of Kleinhovia L. from the early Eocene of India and its palaeoclimatic and phytogeographical significance. Journal of the Geological Society of India 84(2): 159–162.

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra & J.S. Guleria. 2014b. Palaeophytogeography of Eucalyptus L’Hér.: New fossil evidence. Journal of the Geological Society of India 84: 693–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra, R.A. Spicer, T.E. Spicer & M. Kumar. 2014c. Cool equatorial terrestrial temperatures and the South Asian monsoon in the Early Eocene: evidence from the Gurha Mine, Rajasthan, India. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 412: 187–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra, R.A. Spicer & T.E.V. Spicer. 2016. Aporosa Blume from the paleoequatorial rainforest of Bikaner, India: Its evolution and diversification in deep time. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 232: 14–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla, A., R.C. Mehrotra & A.S. Nawaz. 2018. Early Eocene leaves of north western India and their response to climate change. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 166: 152–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, H., M. Prasad, K. Kumar, R.S. Rana & S.K. Singh. 2010. Fossil fruits from Early Eocene Vastan Lignite, Gujarat, India: taphonomic and phytogeographic implications. Current Science 98(12): 1625–1632.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spicer, R., J. Yang, A. Herman, T. Kodrul, G. Aleksandrova, N. Maslova, T. Spicer, L. Ding, Q. Xu, A. Shukla & G. Srivastava. 2017. Paleogene monsoons across India and South China: drivers of biotic change. Gondwana Research 49: 350–363.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, C.M., R.E. Gereau & G.M. Walters. 2005. Revision of Ancistrocladus Wall. (Ancistrocladaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 92: 360–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teodoridis, V. & Z. Kvaček. 2005. The extinct genus Chaneya Wang et Manchester in the Tertiary of Europe—a revision of Porana-like fruit remains from Öhningen and Bohemia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 134(1–2): 85–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. & S.R. Manchester. 2000. Chaneya, a new genus of winged fruit from the Tertiary of North America and Eastern Asia. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161: 167–178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wehr, W.C. 1995. Early Tertiary flowers, fruits, and seeds of Washington State and adjacent areas. Washington Geology 23: 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

AA and MK gratefully acknowledge the Department of Botany, Sidho‐Kanho‐Birsha University, for providing infrastructural facilities to accomplish this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Palaeobotany, Palynology, and Plant Evolution Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia, 723104, India

    Ashif Ali & Mahasin Ali Khan

  2. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Steven R. Manchester

  3. Department of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar (Garhwal), 246174, Uttarakhand, India

    Raman Patel & Rajendra Singh Rana

Authors
  1. Ashif Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven R. Manchester
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Raman Patel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rajendra Singh Rana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mahasin Ali Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahasin Ali Khan.

Ethics declarations

Competing Interests

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Additional information

Associate Editor: Kenneth G. Karol

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ali, A., Manchester, S.R., Patel, R. et al. The first fossil of Ancistrocladus Wall. (Ancistrocladaceae) found from India. Brittonia (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-024-09776-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-024-09776-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation