Parataxodium

Parataxodium Temporal range: Late Jurassic –Paleogene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Subfamily:	Taxodioideae
Genus:	† Parataxodium Arnold and Lowther

Parataxodium is an extinct genus of conifer that belonged to the subfamily Taxodioideae, ^[1] a group included within cypress family. ^[1] It is known primarily from fossilized remains dated to the Late Cretaceous period and is considered morphologically intermediate between modern genera such as Taxodium (bald cypress) and Metasequoia (dawn redwood). ^[1] One species is known, Parataxodium wigginsii. ^{[1] [2]} Although it belongs to the swamp cypress family, it inhabited a much wider range of environments, including the cooler regions of Alaska. ^[2] Although most fossils come from the Cretaceous, specimens are also known from both the Jurassic and the Paleogene. ^[3]

Distribution

Fossils are known from China, Canada and the United States (such as in Alaska, North Dakota and Montana).

References

1. Arnold, Chester A.; Lowther, J. Stewart (June 1955). "A NEW CRETACEOUS CONIFER FROM NORTHERN ALASKA". American Journal of Botany. 42 (6): 522–528. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1955.tb11156.x. ISSN   0002-9122.
2. Rothwell, Gar W.; Stockey, Ruth A.; Smith, Selena Y. (2020-12-01). "Revisiting the Late Cretaceous Parataxodium wigginsii flora from the North Slope of Alaska, a high-latitude temperate forest". Cretaceous Research. 116: 104592. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104592. ISSN   0195-6671.
3. "†Parataxodium Arnold and Lowther 1955 (conifer)". PBDB.org.