Proximate Constituents, Biomass, and Energy in Posidonia oceanica (Potamogetonaceae)

Abstract. The proximate composition of the various components of Posidonia oceanica is given in terms of gravimetric and energetic level and amount of plants from 2 depths at Port-Cros (Var. France). The level of proximate constituents differed little between the leaves (regardless of age) and the roots, but the rhizome contained much more soluble carbohydrate and less structural carbohydrate and ash. Because of this, the energy level in the leaves was more in terms of organic material and less in terms of total material than the energy level in the rhizome. The leaves of a P. oceanica shoot at 2 m depth in July contained 1.6 g organic material. 29.0 kJ. The weight and energy of the soluble carbohydrate in the rhizome from the base of the leaves to the 18th sheath scale decreased by ca. 40% from October to March and increased by ca. 100% from March to July.     

Cenomanian florule of Nammoura, Lebanon

The mid-Cenomanian fish beds of Nammoura, Mont-Liban district, Lebanon contain a diverse fauna of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, a few crustaceans and moderately well-preserved plant remains of which a single species,Sapindopsis anhouryi , was previously described by Dilcher & Basson (1990). We add 11 species of ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms of which Nammouria cretacea gen. et sp. nov, Nupharanthus cretacea gen. et sp. nov., Sapindopsis libanensis sp. nov. and Nammourophyllum altingioides gen. et sp. nov. are new taxa. The florule differs markedly from both Early Cretaceous and Turonian plant assemblages of the Middle East, thereby representing a distinct stage of the regional floristic evolution. Its phytogeographic affinities are with contemporaneous floras of North America, Central Europe and the Crimea. A combination of such features as xeromorphism, the prevalence of compound leaves, and the presence of deciduous angiosperm components and gymnosperms may indicate climatic conditions similar to those of the present day Mediterranean.     

New Albian macro- and palynoflora from the Negev (Israel) with description of a new gymnosperm morphotaxon

New plant macrofossil localities are found in the middle-upper part of the Albian Upper Hatira Formation of Makhtesh Qatan, an erosion crater in the northern Negev. These are so far the only outcrop localities in the Negev containing plant compressions and well-preserved sporomorphs. Their age assignments are controlled by the ammonite Knemiceras records below and above the plant-bearing sequence in the adjacent Makhtesh Hatira. The macrofossil assemblages are strikingly different in the sandy fluvial and shaly lacustrine facies, the former being dominated by Araucaria, Athrotaxopsis, Brachyphyllum and pinnatifid Sapindopsis, comparable at the plant assemblage and leaf morphological levels to the early to early late Albian assemblage of the North American Potomac flora. The lacustrine shale macrofossil assemblages appear archaic on account of their diverse pteridophyte component and sparse angiosperm remains. A new supposedly gnetophytic genus and species Qataniaria noae Krassilov, gen. et sp. nov. is dominant in the shale horizon. The sporomorph assemblages are strongly dominated by psilate trilete spores (87-93%). In the absence of elaterate forms, the angiosperm pollen Afropollis jardinus, Pennipollis, Tricolpites spp. and Walkeripollis sp. is consistent with the early Albian age. The abundance and diversity of conifers and the prominence of the fern bog assemblage suggest a relatively humid phase of the regional Albian climates.     

追溯最古老的琥珀——树脂植物的起源与演化

琥珀是一类有机宝石,其经济价值和科学意义日益受到重视.琥珀是植物树脂的化石形式.本文综述了现代的和已绝灭的产树脂植物的种类与地史分布.现代的产树脂植物包括松柏类和诸多被子植物科,现代松柏类如南洋杉科的琥珀最早可追溯至晚三叠世—早侏罗世,但在白垩纪中期至中新世的地层中更为丰富.始新世以来,热带和亚热带被子植物来源的琥珀开始占优势地位.绝灭的产树脂植物包括繁盛于石炭—二叠纪的科达类和髓木类种子蕨以及石炭纪以来出现并已绝灭的一些松柏类裸子植物.目前已知最早的琥珀产自晚石炭世地层(距今约3.2亿年).琥珀中含丰富的动植物化石,为研究地球生命的演化历史提供了重要材料.     

Sporopollen Assemblages from the Cretaceous Yimin Formation of the Hailar Basin, Inner Mongolia, China

Three sporopollen assemblages are recognized for the first time from the Cretaceous Yimin Formation in the Hailar Basin of eastern Inner Mongolia. They are （in ascending order）： the lmpardecispora-Aequitriradites- Clawttipollenites assemblage; the Triporoletes-Pilosisporites-Asteropollis assemblage; and the Appendicisporites- Asteropollis-Tricolpites assemblage, distributed in Members 1, 2 and 3 of the Yimin Formation respectively. Recognition of this biostratigraphic sequence is very important for the division and correlation of the Yimin Formation in the basin. Meanwhile, the age of the Yimin Formation is considered to be Barremian to Early Albian based on the palynological data.     

An Undercover Angiosperm from the Jurassic of China

<正>Searching for early angiosperms is a riveting activity in botany because it helps to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among seed plants and among angiosperms themselves.One of the challenges for this job is what the target fossils look like.Most possibly early angiosperms may elude our scrutiny with gymnospermous appearances.This possibility becomes a reality in a Jurassic plant,Solaranthus gen.nov,which bears a peltaspermalean appearance and enclosed ovules.According to knowledge available hitherto,the latter feature makes it an angiosperm.However,such a feature is more likely to be eclipsed by its gymnospermous appearance.The early age and unexpected character assemblage of Solaranthus urge for a fresh look on the assumed-simple relationship between angiosperms and gymnosperms.Its resemblance to the order Peltaspermales favors the Mostly Male Theory.     

Diversity of palmately lobed leaves in the early–middle Albian of eastern Russia

Diversity of palmately lobed leaves of angiosperms of the early–middle Albian floras of the Kolyma River Basin, the Omsukchan Coal Basin, Khabarovsk and Primorye Regions was studied. Leaf fossils, previously compared with those of genera Aralia, Sassafras and Lindera, now reassigned to the fossil genus Araliaephyllum. Four new combinations and one new species are published: A. kolymense (Kryshtofovich) Golovneva, comb. nov., A. luciferum (Kryshtofovich) Golovneva, comb. nov., A. ussuriense (Krassilov) Golovneva, comb. nov., A. ievlevii (Samylina) Golovneva, comb. nov., and A. popovii Golovneva, sp. nov. The type material has been restudied in detail, and lectotypes have been selected to all newly typified species. These species share many lauralean morphological and venation features. They represent the most likely early members of this group. This relationship is based on detailed study of the leaf architecture and comparison with other fossils with studied epidermal features. This study expands our knowledge of radiation and biogeography patterns of early angiosperms in northeastern Asia.     

黑龙江嘉荫晚白垩世永安村组水生被子植物——卡班叶(Cobbania)的新发现

首次在嘉荫晚白垩世永安村组发现水生被子植物卡班叶—Cobbania(Lesq.)Stockey et al.化石,刷新了对桑顿期(Santonian)永安村组植物群组成及对卡班叶地质历程的认识。对卡班叶的植物结构和生长环境的分析为研究黑龙江嘉荫地区晚白垩世中期的古地理与古环境提供了新的化石证据。     

Organic geochemistry and petrography of Tertiary coals and carbonaceous shales from Argentina

A series of eight Tertiary coal and carbonaceous shale samples with vitrinite reflectance values between 0.50 and 0.58% were extracted, fractionated and the saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons analysed for characteristic components by GC and GC-MS. Additionally, a microscopical study was undertaken in order to obtain a more precise picture of the samples under investigation.The saturated hydrocarbon fractions displayed the typical n-alkane distribution for coals of this rank, with CPI values between 2.0 and 3.1. Among the branched/cyclic compounds, pristane and α, β-homohopane were recognised as relevant components pointing to an oxic depositional environment. Detection of benzohopanes (C₃₂–C₃₅) in the aromatic hydrocarbon fractions suggests that bacteriohopanetetrol was a significant constituent of the coal biomass. Taking into consideration the Pr/Ph ratios, ash contents and microscopical characteristics of the samples, aspects of the possible degradation of hopanetetrol to homohopane are discussed. Resin-derived diterpenoids with the phyllocladane and kaurane skeleton were tentatively identified and, although minor compounds, they are interpreted to be a sign of the contribution of Podocarpaceae and Araucareaceae to the coal swamp.Aromatic compounds were dominated by alkylnaphthalene derivatives, presumably formed by C-ring cleavage and aromatisation of higher plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenois, which were main components in the high-boiling range of the fractions investigated. Angiosperms (especially Fagaceae) are postulated as source for these polycyclic compounds and, hence, for some of the polyalkylated aromatic bicyclics detected.