Abstract
Permineralized osmundaceous rhizome with anatomical and phylogenetic information plays a significant role in understanding the origin, evolution, and diversity variation of the fern family Osmundaceae in geological history. The northern Hebei and western Liaoning region is one of the most important fossil localities for the Jurassic osmundaceous rhizome fossils in the Northern Hemisphere; however, the diversity character of osmundaceous rhizome fossil remains poorly known. A new structurally preserved fern rhizome species, Ashicaulis wangii sp. nov., is described from the Middle Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, northeastern China. The rhizome is composed of heterogeneous pith, an ectophloic-dictyoxylic siphonostele, a two-layered cortex, and a mantle of adventitious roots and petiole bases. The xylem cylinder, with complete leaf gaps, consists of 15–17 xylem strands. The petiole base is characterized by a heterogeneous sclerotic ring and numerous sclerenchyma masses in the petiolar cortex. Among five known Ashicaulis species with heterogeneous sclerotic ring, four of them are documented from China. Therefore, osmundaceous rhizome fossils from China show endemic anatomical characteristics and significances for palaeobiogeography. Comparisons of anatomical features suggest that A. wangii sp. nov. bears close similarities to Osmunda pluma Miller from the Paleocene of Dakota, USA. Fossil species of A. wangii provides new evidence for further understanding the species diversity of osmundaceous rhizome fossil in China and in the Northern Hemisphere, and contributes to exploring the macroevolution process of the Mesozoic osmundaceous plants.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boucot A J, Chen X, Scotese C R, et al. 2009. Phanerozoic Global Climatic Reconstruction (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 173
Chang S C, Zhang H C, Renne P R, et al. 2009. High-precision 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on the basal Lanqi Formation and its implications for the origin of angiosperm plants. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 279: 212–221
Cheng Y M, Li C S. 2007. A new species of Millerocaulis (Osmundaceae, Filicales) from the Middle Jurassic of China. Rev Palaeobot Palynol, 144: 249–259
Cheng Y M, Wang Y F, Li C S. 2007. A new species of Millerocaulis (Osmundaceae) from the Middle Jurassic of China and its implication for evolution of Osmunda. Int J Plant Sci, 168: 1351–1358
Cheng Y M. 2011. A new species of Ashicaulis (Osmundaceae) from the Mesozoic of China: A close relative of living Osmunda claytoniana L. Rev Palaeobot Palynol, 165: 96–102
Gould R E. 1970. Palaeosmunda, a new genus of siphonostelic osmundaceous trunks from the Upper Permian of Queensland. Palaeontology, 13: 10–28
Herbst R. 2001. A revision of the anatomy of Millerocaulis patagonica (Achangelsky and de la Sota) Tidwell (Filicales, Osmundaceae), from the Middle Jurassic of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Publicación Especial 8 XI Simposio Argentino de Paleobotánica Palinología. Ameghiniana, 8: 39–48
Herbst R. 2006. Millerocaulis (Erasmus) ex Tidwell (Osmundaceae, Filicales) de la Formacion Carrizal (Triasico Superior) de Marayes, Provincia de San Juan, Argentina. Rev Mus Argent Cienc Nut, 8: 185–193
Hewitson W. 1962. Comparative morphology of the Osmundaceae. Ann Missouri Bot Gard, 49: 57–93
Hu D Y, Hou L H, Zhang L J, et al. 2009. A pre-Archaeopteryx troodontid theropod from China with long feathers on the metatarsus. Nature, 461: 640–643
Jiang B Y, Yao X G, Niu Y Z, et al. 2010. Outline of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Systems in Western Liaoning. Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China Press. 84
Jiang X J, Liu Y Q, Peng N, et al. 2010. Middle Jurassic pterosaur and feathered dinosaur bearing-strata at Linglongta, Jianchang County, Western Liaoning. Acta Geosci Sin, 31(Suppl 1): 33–35
Kidston R, Gwynne-Vaughan D T. 1907. On the fossil Osmundaceae, Part I. Trans Roy Soc Edinburgh, 45: 759–780
Li Z M. 1983. Palaeosmunda emended and two new species (in Chinese with English abstract). Acta Phytotaxon Sin, 21: 153–160
Li Z M. 1993. The genus Shuichengella gen. nov. and systematic classification of the order osmundales. Rev Palaeobot Palynol, 77: 51–63
Luo Z X, Yuan C X, Meng Q J, et al. 2011. A Jurassic eutherian mammal and divergence of marsupials and placentals. Nature, 476: 442–445
Matsumoto M, Saiki K, Zhang W, et al. 2006. A new species of osmundaceous fern rhizome, Ashicaulis macromedullosus sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic, northern China. Palaeont Res, 10: 195–205
Miller C N. 1971. Evolution of fern family Osmundaceae based on anatomical studies. Contrib Mus Palaeontol Univ Mich, 23: 105–169
Miller C N. 1967. Evolution of the fern genus Osmunda. Contrib Mus Palaeontol Univ Mich, 21: 139–203
Serbet R, Rothwell G W. 1999. Osmunda cinnamomea (Osmundaceae) in the Upper Cretaceous of western North America: Additional evidence for exceptional species longevity among filicalean ferns. Int J Plant Sci, 160: 425–433
Seward A C. 1910. Fossil Plants: A Text-book for Students of Botany and Geology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 624
Stopes M C. 1921. The missing link in Osmundites. Ann Bot, 35: 55–61
Tian N, Wang Y D, Jiang Z K. 2008. Permineralized rhizomes of the Osmundaceae (Filicales): Diversity and tempo-spatial distribution pattern. Palaeoworld, 17: 183–200
Tian N, Wang Y D, Jiang Z K. 2009. Diversity, systematic and evolution of fossil osmundaceous ferns in China. Earth Sci Front, S1: 256–257
Tian N, Wang Y D, Zhang W, et al. 2013. Ashicaulis beipiaoensis sp. nov., a new osmundaceous fern species from the Middle Jurassic of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Int J Plant Sci, 174: 328–339
Tian N. 2011. Investigations on the petrified osmundaceous rhizomes from the Middle Jurassic of western Liaoning: Anatomy, diversity and phylogeny (in Chinese with English summary). Doctoral Dissertation. Beijing: Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1–274
Tidwell W D, Ash S R. 1994. A review of selected Triassic to Early Cretaceous ferns. J Plant Res, 107: 417–442
Tidwell W D, Munzing G E, Banks M R. 1991. Millerocaulis species (Osmundaceae) from Tasmania, Australia. Palaeontographica, Abt B, 223: 91–105
Tidwell W D, Parker L R. 1987. Aurealcaulis crossii gen. et sp. nov., an arborescent, osmundaceous trunk from the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene), Wyoming. Am J Bot, 74: 803–812
Tidwell W D, Rushforth S R. 1970. Osmundacaulis wadei, a new osmundaceous species from the Morrison Formation (Jurassic) of Utah. Bull Torrey Bot Club, 97: 137–144
Tidwell W D, Skog J E. 2002. Three new species of Aurealcaulis (A. burgii sp. nov., A. dakotensis sp. nov., A. nebraskensis sp. nov.) from South Dakota and Nebraska, USA. Palaeontographica Abt B, 262: 25–37
Tidwell W D. 1994. Ashicaulis, a new genus for some species of Millerocaulis (Osmundaceae). Sida Contrib Bot, 16: 253–261
Vavrek M J, Stockey R A, Rothwell G W. 2006. Osmunda vancouverensis sp. nov. (Osmundaceae), permineralized fertile frond segments from the Lower Cretaceous of British Columbia. Can J Plant Sci, 167: 631–637
Vera E I. 2007. A new species of Ashicaulis Tidwell (Osmundaceae) from Aptian strata of Livingston Island, Antarctica. Cretaceous Res, 28: 500–508
Vera E I. 2008. Proposal to emend the genus Millerocaulis Erasmus ex Tidwell 1986 to recombine the genera Ashicaulis Tidwell 1994 and Millerocaulis Tidwell emend. Tidwell 1994. Ameghiniana, 45: 693–698
Vishnu-Mittre. 1955. Osmundites sahnii sp. nov., a new species of petrified osmundaceous rhizomes from India. Palaeobotanist, 4: 113–118
Wang W L, Zheng S L, Zhang L J, et al. 1989. Mesozoic Stratigraphy and Palaeontology of Western Liaoning (1) (in Chinese with English abstract). Beijing: Geological Publishing House. 168
Wang Z Q. 1983. Osmundacaulis hebeiensis, a new species of fossil rhizomes from the Middle Jurassic of China. Rev Palaeobot Palynol, 39: 87–107
Xu K, Yang J G, Tao M H, et al. 2003. Jurassic in Northern China VII. Northeast Stratigraphic Division. Beijing: Petroleum Industry Press. 261
Yang X J, Zhang W, Zheng S L. 2010. An osmundaceous rhizome with sterile and fertile fronds and in situ spores from the Jurassic of western Liaoning. Chin Sci Bull, 55: 3864–3867
Zhang H, Wang M X, Liu X M. 2008. Constraints on the upper boundary age of the Tiaojishan Formation volcanic rocks in West Liaoning-North Hebei by LA-ICP-MS dating. Chin Sci Bull, 53: 3574–3584
Zhang W, Zheng S L. 1987. Early Mesozoic fossil plants in western Liaoning, northeast China (in Chinese with English abstract). In Yu X H, Wang W L, Liu X T et al., eds. Mesozoic Stratigraphy and Palaeontology of Western Liaoning (3). Beijing: Geological Publishing House. 239–338
Zhang W, Zheng S L. 1991. A new species of osmundaceous rhizome from Middle Jurassic of Liaoning, China (in Chinese with English abstract). Acta Palaeontol Sin, 30: 714–727
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tian, N., Wang, Y., Zhang, W. et al. A new structurally preserved fern rhizome of Osmundaceae (Filicales) Ashicaulis wangii sp. nov. from the Jurassic of western Liaoning and its significances for palaeobiogeography and evolution. Sci. China Earth Sci. 57, 671–681 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-013-4767-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-013-4767-2