Platanus dissecta

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Platanus dissecta
Temporal range: Miocene
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Platanaceae
Genus: Platanus
Species:
†P. dissecta
Binomial name
†Platanus dissecta

Platanus dissecta is an extinct species of plane tree in the family Platanaceae. [1] It is known from fossil leaves dating to the Miocene of western North America. [1] The species was first described by Leo Lesquereux and was reexamined in 2019 to clarify its morphology and systematic affinities. [1]

Contents

Background

Platanus dissecta lived during the Miocene epoch, approximately 23 to 5 million years ago. [1] It belongs to the plane tree genus Platanus , which today includes the American sycamore and the Oriental plane. [1]

Morphology

The fossil leaves of P. dissecta are deeply dissected into lobes, with venation patterns that distinguish the species from other fossil and living Platanus taxa. [1] These features suggest adaptation to the temperate environments of the Miocene. [1]

Systematic affinities

Platanus dissecta is placed in the family Platanaceae and shows close affinities with North American species of Platanus. [1] The 2019 reanalysis suggested that it may share ancestry with the lineage leading to modern Platanus occidentalis . [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manchester, Steven R.; Dilcher, David L. (2019). "Morphology and Systematic Affinities of Platanus dissecta Lesquereux (Platanaceae) from the Miocene of Western North America". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 180 (9): 901–914. doi:10.1086/706453.
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