Taeniopteris

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Taeniopteris
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Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Genus: Taeniopteris
Brongniart, 1828
Species

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Taeniopteris is an extinct form genus of Mesozoic vascular plant leaves, perhaps representing those of cycads, bennettitaleans, or marattialean ferns. The form genus is almost certainly a polyphyletic category for unfertile leaves of a certain shape ("taeniopterids") which cannot be assigned to specific groups due to a lack of information on cuticle or spore structures. The leaves are simple, with a strong central vein (rhachis) and an unbroken margin. The central vein leads to nearly perpendicular lateral veins, which may be slightly divided or undivided. The shape of the leaf is variable, but often elongated and smooth-edged. "Taeniopterid" leaves with bennettitalean-type cuticle are placed in the form genus Nilssoniopteris , while those with cycad-type cuticle are placed within Nilssonia and related genera. Some fertile "taeniopterids" preserve spore packages, and can be assigned to marattialean ferns. [1]

Taeniopteris was named by Brongniart (1828) from an illustration of a Middle Jurassic leaf from Oxfordshire, as published by Sternberg (1823). This Oxfordshire specimen defined the type species, Taeniopteris vittata. [2] [3] [4] The largest and broadest "taeniopterid" leaves are named as the form genus Macrotaeniopteris, which also represents cycad or bennettitalean leaves without preserved cuticle. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleobotany</span> Study of organic evolution of plants based on fossils

Paleobotany, also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeography), and the evolutionary history of plants, with a bearing upon the evolution of life in general. A synonym is paleophytology. It is a component of paleontology and paleobiology. The prefix palaeo- or paleo- means "ancient, old", and is derived from the Greek adjective παλαιός, palaios. Paleobotany includes the study of terrestrial plant fossils, as well as the study of prehistoric marine photoautotrophs, such as photosynthetic algae, seaweeds or kelp. A closely related field is palynology, which is the study of fossilized and extant spores and pollen.

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Bennettitales is an extinct order of seed plants that first appeared in the Permian period and became extinct in most areas toward the end of the Cretaceous. Bennettitales were amongst the most common seed plants of the Mesozoic, and had morphologies including shrub and cycad-like forms. The foliage of bennettitaleans is superficially nearly indistinguishable from that of cycads, but they are distinguished from cycads by their more complex flower-like reproductive organs, at least some of which were likely pollinated by insects.

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Palissya is an extinct form genus of female (ovule-bearing) conifer cones, known from the Late Triassic (Rhaetian) to the Early Cretaceous (Aptian). The cone of Palissya is noted for its unusual catkin-like construction: Slender bracts are rigidly attached in a helical pattern around a tall woody core. The adaxial (upper) surface of each bract bears two parallel rows of ovules which are encased in cup-like structures formed by scales. The seeds are thin-walled and were likely only viable for a short period of time, meaning that they were probably adapted to wind dispersal.

<i>Williamsonia</i> (plant) Extinct genus of plant

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Pleuromeia is an extinct genus of lycophytes related to modern quillworts (Isoetes). Pleuromeia dominated vegetation during the Early Triassic all over Eurasia and elsewhere, in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction event. During this period it often occurred in monospecific assemblages. Its sedimentary context in monospecific assemblages on immature paleosols, is evidence that it was an opportunistic pioneer plant that grew on mineral soils with little competition. It spread to high latitudes with greenhouse climatic conditions.

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<i>Nilssonia</i> (plant) Fossil plant of gondwana supergroup of India

Nilssonia is a genus of fossil foliage traditionally assigned to the Cycadophyta either in Cycadales or their own order Nilssoniales, though the relationships of this genus with the Cycadales have been put into question on chemical grounds.

<i>Zamites</i> Extinct genus of bennettitalean foliage

Zamites is a genus of sterile foliage known from the Mesozoic of North America, Europe, India and Antarctica through the Eocene of North America. It was erected as a form taxon for leaves that superficially resembled the extant cycad Zamia, however it is now believed to belong to a similar but phylogenetically different group, the cyacadeoids (Bennettitales). The fronds are linear or lanceolate in shape, and pinnately compound, with pinnae with parallel veins and smooth margins, and symmetrical and constricted at the base where they are attached obliquely to the upper surface of the rachis. It has been interpreted as a Bennettitalean plant in the family Williamsoniaceae. It is associated with the ovulate cone Williamsonia and male cone Weltrichia.

<i>Lepidopteris</i> Extinct genus of seed ferns

Lepidopteris is a form genus for leaves of Peltaspermaceae, an extinct family of seed plants, which lived from around 260 to 190 million years ago, from the Late Permian to Early Jurassic. Fossils of the genus have been found across both hemispheres. Nine species are currently recognized.Lepidopteris was a common and widespread seed fern, which survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event but was largely wiped out by the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. Lepidopteris callipteroides is especially common between the first two episodes of Permian-Triassic extinction event, and L. ottonis forms a comparable acme zone immediate before the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event. Lepidopteris would persist into the Early Jurassic in Patagonia, represented by the species Lepidopteris scassoi.

<i>Baiera</i> Extinct genus of seed plants in the family Ginkgoaceae

Baiera is a genus of prehistoric gymnosperms in the order Ginkgoales. It is one of the oldest fossil foliage types of Ginkgoales, 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.

<i>Ctenis</i> Extinct genus of cycads

Ctenis is a genus of fossil foliage attributable to the Cycadales, being one of the most common genera of cycad fossil leaves in the Mesozoic.

<i>Pterophyllum</i> (plant) Extinct genus of seed plants

Pterophyllum is an extinct form genus of leaves known from the Carnian to the Maastrichtian, belonging to the Bennettitales. It contains more than 50 species, and is mainly found in Eurasia and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czekanowskiales</span> Extinct order of plants

Czekanowskiales, also known as Leptostrobales, are an extinct group of seed plants. Members of the family are distinguished by persistent leaves borne on deciduous short shoots, subtended by scale-like leaves. The leaves are highly dissected. They likely grew as trees and shrubs. The main ovulate structure of Czekanowskiales, Leptostrobus, consists of bivalved seed-bearing round capsule-like structures arranged along a long axis. The fossil record of Czekanowskiales is largely confined to the Northern Hemisphere, and they inhabited warm-temperate and temperate climates under humid conditions. The oldest possible records of the group are ovulate cones from the Late Permian of Italy, but the group is primarily known from the Late Triassic onwards, and were abundant during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Only a handful of species are known from the Late Cretaceous, confined to the northern Russian Far East, corresponding to the decline of other seed plant groups during the explosive radiation of flowering plants. The affinites of Czekanowskiales to other seed plants are obscure. A close relationship to the Ginkgoales has been proposed, based on similar preserved molecular signatures of fossil cuticles, with some authors placing Ginkgoales and Czekanowskiales into the broader grouping Ginkgophyta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palissyales</span> Extinct order of conifers

Palissyales are an extinct order of conifers, known from the Mesozoic. They are best known from the genus Palissya, which is found in Laurasia and Eastern Gondwana dating from the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous. The only other confirmed genus of the family, Stachyotaxus known from the Late Triassic of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus Knezourocarpon from the Jurassic of Australia has also been tentatively considered a member of the order. The cone of the best known genus Palissya is noted for its unusual construction, which is borne on a large bract, and consists of two parallel rows of ovules that run along the midline of the adaxial surface of the bract which are encased in cup-like structures formed by scales. The bracts are helically arranged around an axis, forming a compound catkin-like structure. The seeds are thin-walled were likely only viable for a short period of time, and were likely adapted to wind dispersal. Palissya has been considered in some aspects to be similar to some Paleozoic Voltziales, as well as Taxaceae and Podocarpaceae.

Araucarites is an extinct genus of conifer, used to refer to female conifer cones that resemble those of the family Araucariaceae. Species assigned to the genus lived in the Permian to Eocene and have been found worldwide.

Nilssoniopteris is an extinct form genus of leaves belonging to the Bennettitales. Leaves are slender and often entire-margined (smooth-edged), though some species have dissected leaves with numerous small segments extending down to the rachis of the leaf. Nilssoniopteris-like leaves are distinguished by their syndetocheilic stomata, indicating bennettitalean affinities. Similar "taeniopterid" leaves are placed in the genus Nilssonia if their stomata are instead haplocheilic, or Taeniopteris if the cuticle is not preserved. Leaves of Nilssoniopteris vittata from the Middle Jurassic of England are associated with bisexual Williamsoniella reproductive structures.

<i>Komlopteris</i> Extinct genus of seed fern

Komlopteris is an extinct genus of "seed fern" with possible corystosperm affinities. Fossils have been found across both hemispheres, dating from the latest Triassic to the early Eocene (Ypresian), making it the youngest "seed fern" in the fossil record.

References

  1. 1 2 van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Johanna H.A.; Pott, Christian; Cleal, Christopher J.; Zijlstra, Gea (2017). "Differentiation of the fossil leaves assigned to Taeniopteris, Nilssoniopteris and Nilssonia with a comparison to similar genera". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 237: 100–106. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.11.009.
  2. Pott, Christian; Launis, Ahti (2015-01-01). "Taeniopteris novomundensis sp. nov. – "cycadophyte" foliage from the Carnian of Switzerland and Svalbard reconsidered: How to use Taeniopteris ?". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 275 (1): 19–31. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2015/0446. ISSN   0077-7749. S2CID   128980384.
  3. Zijlstra, Gea; van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Johanna H.A; Cleal, Christopher J. (2016). "(2438–2439) Proposal to conserve the names Taeniopteris and T. vittata with a conserved type (fossil Tracheophyta : ' Taeniopterides ')". Taxon. 65 (2): 399–400. doi: 10.12705/652.30 . ISSN   0040-0262.
  4. Cleal, C. J.; Rees, P. M. (2003). "The Middle Jurassic flora from Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, UK". Palaeontology. 46 (4): 739–801. doi: 10.1111/1475-4983.00319 . ISSN   0031-0239. S2CID   129569932.