Baiera

Not to be confused with two unaccepted genera with a similar name, Baeria.

Baiera Temporal range: 298.9–94.3  Ma [1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Permian–Cretaceous
Baiera gracilis fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Ginkgophyta
Class:	Ginkgoopsida
Order:	Ginkgoales
Family:	Ginkgoaceae
Genus:	† Baiera Braun  [ de ], 1843
Species
†Baiera africana †Baiera darleyensis †Baiera digitata †Baiera gracilis †Baiera mansfeldensis †Baiera muensteriana

Baiera is a genus of prehistoric gymnosperms in the order Ginkgoales. ^[2] It is one of the oldest fossil foliage types of Ginkgoales, ^[3] and is related to the genera Ginkgo and Ginkgoites . Fossils of Baiera are found worldwide, and have been known from the Permian to the Cretaceous.

Description

Artist's reconstruction of Baiera.

Baiera species are characterized by fan-shaped leaves, ^[4] are deeply lobed into four segments, ^[5] deeply incised into slender segments, ^[4] and are distinguished from Sphenobaiera by a petiole. ^[4]

B. africana is characterized by its symmetrical and triangular leaves. ^[6]

Classification

Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Braun first introduced the name Baiera in 1843 to refer to fossils in Germany that he interpreted as ginkgophytes. ^[7] In 1936, Carl Rudolf Florin used Baiera to refer to leaves with a distinct stalk or petiole and with a semicircular or triangular shape. ^[7]

Placement of Baiera

Gerd Dietl and Günter Schweigert (2011) place Baiera in the family Ginkgoaceae, ^[2] while a 2015 classification by Andriy Novikoff and Beata Barabasz-Krasny places it in the Karkeniaceae. ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. "Fossilworks: Baiera". fossilworks.org.
2. "Fossilworks: Baiera". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
3. Guignard, Gaëtan; Yang, Xiao-Ju; Wang, Yong-Dong (2019-09-01). "Cuticle ultrastructure of Baiera furcata from Northeast China and its implication in taxonomy and paleoenvironment" . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 268: 95–108. Bibcode:2019RPaPa.268...95G. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.05.006. ISSN   0034-6667. S2CID   199103806.
4. Pott, Christian & Burgh, J. & van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Johanna. (2016). New Ginkgophytes from the Upper Triassic–Lower Cretaceous of Spitsbergen and Edgeøya (Svalbard, Arctic Norway): The History of Ginkgoales on Svalbard. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 177. 175-197. 10.1086/684194.
5. "Ginkgophyte | plant division". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
6. Barboni, Ronaldo; Dutra, Tânia Lindner (November 2015). "First record of Ginkgo-related fertile organs (Hamshawvia, Stachyopitys) and leaves (Baiera, Sphenobaiera) in the Triassic of Brazil, Santa Maria formation". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 63: 417–435. Bibcode:2015JSAES..63..417B. doi: 10.1016/j.jsames.2015.08.001 .
7. Bauer, K.; Kustatscher, E.; Krings, M. (2013). "The ginkgophytes from the German Kupferschiefer (Permian), with considerations on the taxonomic history and use of Baiera and Sphenobaiera". Bulletin of Geosciences: 539–556. doi: 10.3140/bull.geosci.1394 – via Core.
8. "IRMNG - Baiera C.F.W. Braun, 1843 †". www.irmng.org. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
9. Novikoff, Andrew; Barabasz-Krasny, Beata (2015). Modern plant systematics. Liga-Pres. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.4745.6164.