Carya washingtonensis

Carya washingtonensis; Temporal range: Langhian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Juglandaceae
Genus:	Carya
Section:	Carya sect. Carya
Species:	C. washingtonensis
Binomial name
	Carya washingtonensis; Manchester, 1987

Last updated December 24, 2023

Carya washingtonensis is an extinct species of hickory nut in the walnut family Juglandaceae. The species is solely known from the Miocene sediments exposed in Kittitas County near Ellensburg, Washington.^[1]

Type locality

The species was described from the three nut specimens,^[1] all found at the no-longer-accessible Badger Pocket-Squaw Creek locality south of Ellensburg, which is now part of the Yakima Training Center. This locality is thought to be an extension of the Ginkgo Flow basalts, notable for the fossils found at Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. The Ginkgo Flow, part of the Wanapum basalts is the oldest segment of the Frenchman Springs Member, dating to around 15.6 million years old, or the Langhian stage of the Miocene.^[2]

The nuts were originally discovered as a single silicified,^[1] opalized ^[3] mass of well over fifty nuts found in a petrified Platanus stump.^[1] The mass was discovered in the 1940s by Carl Clinesmith but as of 1987 the mass was lost and Steven Manchester presumed it was disaggregated with the individual nuts disseminated to various collections.^[1] However it is reported in a 1995 Washington Geology article by Wesley Wehr the specimen was, at that time, on display at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, part of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. At least a portion of the mass is still preserved in the collections at the Burke Museum as specimen number "UWBM38700".^[2]

History and classification

Carya washingtonensis was described from three type specimens, the holotype, number "HU60073A", and two paratypes, numbers "HU60073B" and "IU5343". Both the holotype and one paratype are preserved in the paleobotanical collections housed at the Harvard University Biology Laboratories. The second paratype is deposited in the paleobotanical collections in the Indiana university, Department of Geology.^[1]

The specimens were studied by paleobotanist Steven R. Manchester, currently of the Florida State University Department of Geology as part of his PhD dissertation and was accepted for publication in 1984. Steven Manchester published his 1987 type description for C. washingtonensis in the journal Monographs in Systematic Botany .^[1] The chosen specific name washingtonensis, in reference to Washington state where only known specimens of the species have been recovered.

Description

The nuts of Carya washingtonensis are globose in shape, with a smooth to slightly wrinkled surface. They show four faintly developed angles at the apex. The nuts range in size but are all within 18–20 millimetres (0.71–0.79 in) in length and 14–19 millimetres (0.55–0.75 in) in width. While the preservation quality varies, the silicification in a number of the specimens was enough to allow examination of the internal anatomy. In general the nut wall and septa are approximately 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) thick without and do not have lacunae but do possess a secondary septum. The locule is divided into four compartments basally with inner ribs that are well developed and containing vascular bundles and the placentary bundles of primary septum arch out peripherally.^[1]

When described by Steven Manchester, the mass was interpreted to represent a Miocene rodent nut cache and was the oldest known at that time.^[1] Since then a slightly older cache was discovered in Germany. The German cache of Castanopsis fruits was found in a preserved sand dune dating to the Burdigalian stage of the Miocene, making it slightly older than the Carya washingtonensis cache.^[4]

Related Research Articles

Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus Carya, which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexico, and two to four are native to Canada. A number of hickory species are used for their edible nuts, lumber or other wood and woodcraft products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park</span> State park in Washington state, United States

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park/Wanapum Recreational Area is a geologic preserve and public recreation area covering 7,124-acre (2,883 ha) on the western shoreline of the Columbia River's Wanapum Reservoir at Vantage, Washington. Petrified wood was discovered in the region in the early 1930s, which led to creation of the state park as a national historic preserve. Over 50 species are found petrified at the site, including ginkgo, sweetgum, redwood, Douglas-fir, walnut, spruce, elm, maple, horse chestnut, cottonwood, magnolia, madrone, sassafras, yew, and witch hazel.

Ginkgo dissecta is an extinct ginkgo species in the family Ginkgoaceae described from a series of isolated fossil leaves. The species is known from Early Eocene sediments exposed in the province of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, US. It is one of two Ginkgo species found at the Washington and British Columbia sites.

Acer latahense is an extinct maple species in the family Sapindaceae described from series of isolated fossil leaves. The species is known from the latest early to middle Miocene sediments exposed in the states of Oregon and Washington, USA. It is one of several extinct species placed in the living section Macrantha.

Ginkgo cranei is an extinct Ginkgo species in the family Ginkgoaceae described from a series of isolated fossil ovulate organs and leaves. The species is known from upper Paleocene sediments exposed in the state of North Dakota, US. It is the first Ginkgo species to be described from Paleogene period with reproductive structures.

Cornus piggae is an extinct species of dogwood known from fossil fruits found in Late Paleocene sediments exposed in the US state of North Dakota. C. piggae is one of three extinct species placed in the Cornus subgenus Cornus based on fossil fruit morphology. The other two species, C. ettingshausenii and C. multilocularis are known from pyritized fruits found in sediments of the London Clay in England. C. piggae is the only North American fruit species yet described and is also the oldest described species in Cornus subgenus Cornus.

Taxus masonii is an extinct species of conifer in the yew family, Taxaceae, solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Torreya clarnensis is an extinct species of conifer in the yew family Taxaceae solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Diploporus is an extinct genus of conifers in the yew family Taxaceae, containing the single species Diploporus torreyoides known from the middle Eocene of north central Oregon and the Late Paleocene of south central North Dakota. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Actinidia oregonensis is an extinct species of flowering plants in the kiwifruit family, Actinidiaceae, solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north-central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Rhus malloryi is an extinct species of flowering plant in the sumac family Anacardiaceae. The species is known from fossil leaves found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state, United States. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil leaves in shale. R. malloryi is one of four sumac species to be described from the Klondike Mountain Formation, and forms a hybrid complex with the other three species.

Rhus rooseae is an extinct species of flowering plants in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae, solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Coryloides is an extinct genus of flowering plants in the hazelnut family, Betulaceae, containing the single species Coryloides hancockii. The species is solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon and was first described from a series of isolated fossil nuts in cherts.

Kardiasperma is an extinct genus of flowering plants in the hazelnut family, Betulaceae, containing the single species Kardiasperma parvum. The species is solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon and was first described from a series of isolated fossil nuts in cherts.

Cornus clarnensis is an extinct species of flowering plant in the dogwood family, Cornaceae, solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.

Liquidambar changii is an extinct species of sweetgum in the Altingiaceae genus Liquidambar. Liquidambar changii is known from Middle Miocene fossils found in Central Washington.

Quercus hiholensis is an extinct species of oak in the Fagaceae genus Quercus. The species is known from Middle Miocene fossils found in Central Washington.

Shirleya is an extinct genus in the crape myrtle family, Lythraceae, which contains a single species, Shirleya grahamae. The genus and species are known from Middle Miocene fossils found in Central Washington.

Acer beckianum is an extinct maple species in the family Sapindaceae described from a single fossil wood section. The species is solely known from the Middle Miocene sediments exposed in central Washington in the United States. It is one of three Washington state Acer species described in 1961 from petrified wood.

Pteronepelys, sometimes known as the winged stranger, is an extinct genus of flowering plant of uncertain affinities, which contains the one species, Pteronepelys wehrii. It is known from isolated fossil seeds found in middle Eocene sediments exposed in north central Oregon and Ypresian-age fossils found in Washington, US.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manchester, S.R. (1987). "The fossil history of the Juglandaceae". Monographs in Systematic Botany. 21: 1–137.
1 2 Miocene Woods Of Eastern Washington Archived 2015-12-22 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 May 2011
↑ Wehr, W.C. (1995). "Early Tertiary flowers, fruits, and seeds of Washington State and adjacent areas" (PDF). Washington Geology. 23 (3): 3–16.
↑ Gee, C.T.; Sander, P.M.; Petzelberger, P.E.M. (2003). "A Miocene rodent nut cache in coastal dunes of the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany". Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1133–1149. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46.1133G. doi: 10.1046/j.0031-0239.2003.00337.x .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Manchester1987-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manchester, S.R. (1987). "The fossil history of the Juglandaceae". Monographs in Systematic Botany. 21: 1–137.

[Dillhoff-2] 1 2 Miocene Woods Of Eastern Washington Archived 2015-12-22 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 May 2011

[Wehr1995-3] Wehr, W.C. (1995). "Early Tertiary flowers, fruits, and seeds of Washington State and adjacent areas" (PDF). Washington Geology. 23 (3): 3–16.

[Gee2003-4] Gee, C.T.; Sander, P.M.; Petzelberger, P.E.M. (2003). "A Miocene rodent nut cache in coastal dunes of the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany". Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1133–1149. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46.1133G. doi: 10.1046/j.0031-0239.2003.00337.x .

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]