Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105476
Osvaldo A. Conde , Roberto R. Pujana , Gustavo A. Correa , M. Lucía Balarino
This contribution describes a new gymnospermous fossil stem from western Gondwana. Barrealoxylon nelsonii nov. gen. et sp. was recovered from the Pituil Formation (Early Pennsylvanian), Calingasta-Uspallata Basin in San Juan Province, Argentina. The new species is characterized by a septate pith and mesarch primary xylem. The secondary xylem shows distinct growth ring boundaries, tracheids with uniseriate to triseriate araucarian pits in radial walls, pits in tangential walls, and cross-fields with 1–2, rarely 3, “window-like” (= fenestriform) pits. The combination of a septate pith and the primary and secondary xylem characteristics supports its assignment to the Cordaitales, providing further evidence for the presence of this group in southwestern Gondwana. The secondary xylem of the new stem has D-type growth rings, indicative of uniform growth conditions followed by a final stage of reduced vascular cambium activity. This type of growth ring is consistent with the high-humidity climatic conditions that prevailed during the Terminal Glacial Stage in western Gondwana.
{"title":"Barrealoxylon nelsonii gen. et sp. nov., a new Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) fossil stem from Gondwana: Botanical affinity and paleoclimatic implications","authors":"Osvaldo A. Conde , Roberto R. Pujana , Gustavo A. Correa , M. Lucía Balarino","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105476","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105476","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This contribution describes a new gymnospermous fossil stem from western Gondwana. <em>Barrealoxylon nelsonii</em> nov. gen. et sp. was recovered from the Pituil Formation (Early Pennsylvanian), Calingasta-Uspallata Basin in San Juan Province, Argentina. The new species is characterized by a septate pith and mesarch primary xylem. The secondary xylem shows distinct growth ring boundaries, tracheids with uniseriate to triseriate araucarian pits in radial walls, pits in tangential walls, and cross-fields with 1–2, rarely 3, “window-like” (=<!--> <!-->fenestriform) pits. The combination of a septate pith and the primary and secondary xylem characteristics supports its assignment to the Cordaitales, providing further evidence for the presence of this group in southwestern Gondwana. The secondary xylem of the new stem has D-type growth rings, indicative of uniform growth conditions followed by a final stage of reduced vascular cambium activity. This type of growth ring is consistent with the high-humidity climatic conditions that prevailed during the Terminal Glacial Stage in western Gondwana.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 105476"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145571944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-23DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105475
P.E. Santamarina , V.D. Barreda , M.S. González Estebenet , V. Guler , E.S. Bellosi , F. Novas
We present the palynological assemblages recovered from the upper part of the La Anita and Cerro Fortaleza formations (Campanian) from SW Patagonia, Argentina. A total of 73 continental species and 11 dinoflagellate cysts species were identified in this study. Continental species comprise 17 bryophytes and lycophytes, 20 ferns, 14 gymnosperms, 21 angiosperms, and 1 of uncertain affinity. The palynofloras are strongly dominated by gymnosperms, with angiosperms and ferns as secondary components. Cluster analysis employed to explore floristic similarities with Campanian–Maastrichtian palynofloras reveals two main groups: one grouping the palynofloras presented here and another grouping Campanian–Maastrichtian palynofloras from southern South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. The occurrence of spores attributable to Salviniales and Anemiaceae, along with pollen grains referable to Symplocaceae, Aquifoliaceae, and Arecaceae suggests a humid and temperate climate. The presence of Odontochitina porifera and Nelsoniella aceras suggests a late Santonian–early Maastrichtian age of deposition. In addition, continental palynological assemblages are consistent with the Campanian age established by radiometric dating. A comparative assessment of angiosperm diversity and abundance within these assemblages and published records indicates that angiosperms had not yet become the dominant floral component in southern Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous, in contrast to coeval floras at similar paleolatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. However, further high-resolution palynological analyses are needed to refine our understanding of floristic composition, biogeographic patterns, and the time and mode of angiosperm diversification in southern Patagonia during the late Cretaceous.
{"title":"Palynological analysis of the La Anita and Cerro Fortaleza formations (Campanian), southern margin of the Viedma Lake, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina","authors":"P.E. Santamarina , V.D. Barreda , M.S. González Estebenet , V. Guler , E.S. Bellosi , F. Novas","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present the palynological assemblages recovered from the upper part of the La Anita and Cerro Fortaleza formations (Campanian) from SW Patagonia, Argentina. A total of 73 continental species and 11 dinoflagellate cysts species were identified in this study. Continental species comprise 17 bryophytes and lycophytes, 20 ferns, 14 gymnosperms, 21 angiosperms, and 1 of uncertain affinity. The palynofloras are strongly dominated by gymnosperms, with angiosperms and ferns as secondary components. Cluster analysis employed to explore floristic similarities with Campanian–Maastrichtian palynofloras reveals two main groups: one grouping the palynofloras presented here and another grouping Campanian–Maastrichtian palynofloras from southern South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. The occurrence of spores attributable to Salviniales and Anemiaceae, along with pollen grains referable to Symplocaceae, Aquifoliaceae, and Arecaceae suggests a humid and temperate climate. The presence of <em>Odontochitina porifera</em> and <em>Nelsoniella aceras</em> suggests a late Santonian–early Maastrichtian age of deposition. In addition, continental palynological assemblages are consistent with the Campanian age established by radiometric dating. A comparative assessment of angiosperm diversity and abundance within these assemblages and published records indicates that angiosperms had not yet become the dominant floral component in southern Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous, in contrast to coeval floras at similar paleolatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. However, further high-resolution palynological analyses are needed to refine our understanding of floristic composition, biogeographic patterns, and the time and mode of angiosperm diversification in southern Patagonia during the late Cretaceous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 105475"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105483
Marine Rousseau , Philippe Sorrel , Benjamin Diètre , Morana Čaušević-Bully , Hervé Richard
We present the first high-resolution palynological and multiproxy reconstruction from a coastal doline in the Kvarner Archipelago (northeastern Adriatic). A continuous sediment core from Osor Lake documents more than three millennia of vegetation change, human impact, and hydrological shifts since the Bronze Age. The record reveals three major phases of landscape transformation: (i) dense deciduous forests (3400–2550 cal BP) with initial signs of clearance; (ii) a progressive landscape opening from 2550 cal BP, marked by expanding grasslands and cultivated fields; and (iii) intensified deforestation and arboriculture after ∼ 800 cal BP. The introduction of Juglans and Castanea sativa between 2200 and 1200 cal BP, together with increasing Olea europaea, reflects evolving Mediterranean agricultural strategies. Charcoal peaks coincide with forest decline, indicating recurrent fire use for land management. This study establishes Osor Lake as a benchmark record for late Holocene land-use history in the northeastern Adriatic and demonstrates how human activities progressively reshaped Mediterranean karst landscapes.
我们提出了第一个高分辨率的孢粉和多代理重建，从Kvarner群岛（亚得里亚海东北部）的海岸线。奥索尔湖的连续沉积物岩心记录了自青铜时代以来3000多年的植被变化、人类影响和水文变化。该记录揭示了景观转变的三个主要阶段：(i)茂密的落叶林（3400-2550 cal BP）有最初的砍伐迹象；（ii）从2550 cal BP开始，以扩大草地和耕地为标志的递进景观；（iii）约800 cal BP之后森林砍伐和树木栽培加剧。在2200至1200 cal BP之间，核桃和番栗的引入，以及欧洲油橄榄的增加，反映了地中海农业战略的演变。木炭峰值与森林衰退相吻合，表明土地管理经常使用火。本研究确立了Osor湖作为亚得里亚海东北部晚全新世土地利用历史的基准记录，并展示了人类活动如何逐步重塑地中海喀斯特景观。
{"title":"Vegetation changes and human activities since the Bronze Age (late Holocene) in a coastal doline of the Kvarner archipelago (Croatia)","authors":"Marine Rousseau , Philippe Sorrel , Benjamin Diètre , Morana Čaušević-Bully , Hervé Richard","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105483","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present the first high-resolution palynological and multiproxy reconstruction from a coastal doline in the Kvarner Archipelago (northeastern Adriatic). A continuous sediment core from Osor Lake documents more than three millennia of vegetation change, human impact, and hydrological shifts since the Bronze Age. The record reveals three major phases of landscape transformation: (i) dense deciduous forests (3400–2550 cal BP) with initial signs of clearance; (ii) a progressive landscape opening from 2550 cal BP, marked by expanding grasslands and cultivated fields; and (iii) intensified deforestation and arboriculture after ∼<!--> <!-->800 cal BP. The introduction of <em>Juglans</em> and <em>Castanea sativa</em> between 2200 and 1200 cal BP, together with increasing <em>Olea europaea</em>, reflects evolving Mediterranean agricultural strategies. Charcoal peaks coincide with forest decline, indicating recurrent fire use for land management. This study establishes Osor Lake as a benchmark record for late Holocene land-use history in the northeastern Adriatic and demonstrates how human activities progressively reshaped Mediterranean karst landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"345 ","pages":"Article 105483"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105463
Elia Ramírez-Arriaga , Aarón Rodríguez-Reyes , Mercedes B. Prámparo , Azucena Canto , Laura Elena Gómez-Lizárraga , G. Iriliana López-Caballero , Alfonso Valiente-Banuet
Cacti constitute one of the most iconic and highly diversified groups of plants in the Americas, as Mexico, the Andean region, and eastern Brazil are the main centers of diversity. For many years, its divergence time has been the central question and an enigmatic topic since research has always been hindered by the scarcity of fossil records. The present study documents the palynological diversity of tricolpate and pantocolpate pollen grains with Cactaceae affinity during the Middle Miocene in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, an important center of cactus diversity in south-central Mexico. Aridity during this period coincides with the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum and is supported by evaporitic rocks from the upper part of the Tehuacán Formation (TF). Tricolpate pollen grains similar to Cephalocereus-Mammillaria cactus genus, were less abundant in the TF, and cluster analysis distinguished three groups. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the polar area index, the distance between the apices of the colpi, and the equatorial diameter were the characteristics that explained the maximum variance among the tricolpate specimens. In addition, three groups were identified among the pantocolpate specimens with affinities to the genus Pereskia-Opuntia. PCA of the pantocolpate pollen grains revealed that pollen diameter, columella diameter and density, columella length, exine thickness, and spinule density explained the maximum variance among these grains. Miocene pollen grains from Cactaceae were shorter than those of modern species, suggesting that adaptations to the arid climate may have triggered polyploidy and an increase in pollen grain size.
{"title":"Cactaceae fossil pollen grains recovered from 15.6-Ma evaporites in south-central Mexico","authors":"Elia Ramírez-Arriaga , Aarón Rodríguez-Reyes , Mercedes B. Prámparo , Azucena Canto , Laura Elena Gómez-Lizárraga , G. Iriliana López-Caballero , Alfonso Valiente-Banuet","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cacti constitute one of the most iconic and highly diversified groups of plants in the Americas, as Mexico, the Andean region, and eastern Brazil are the main centers of diversity. For many years, its divergence time has been the central question and an enigmatic topic since research has always been hindered by the scarcity of fossil records. The present study documents the palynological diversity of tricolpate and pantocolpate pollen grains with Cactaceae affinity during the Middle Miocene in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, an important center of cactus diversity in south-central Mexico. Aridity during this period coincides with the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum and is supported by evaporitic rocks from the upper part of the Tehuacán Formation (TF). Tricolpate pollen grains similar to <em>Cephalocereus-Mammillaria</em> cactus genus<em>,</em> were less abundant in the TF, and cluster analysis distinguished three groups. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the polar area index, the distance between the apices of the colpi, and the equatorial diameter were the characteristics that explained the maximum variance among the tricolpate specimens. In addition, three groups were identified among the pantocolpate specimens with affinities to the genus <em>Pereskia-Opuntia</em>. PCA of the pantocolpate pollen grains revealed that pollen diameter, columella diameter and density, columella length, exine thickness, and spinule density explained the maximum variance among these grains. Miocene pollen grains from Cactaceae were shorter than those of modern species, suggesting that adaptations to the arid climate may have triggered polyploidy and an increase in pollen grain size.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105463"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-19DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105461
Ting Wang , Chong Dong , Jianguo Hui , Xueqiong Wei , Gongle Shi
Taxaceae (the yew family) are a relict family of conifers, with most species having a highly restricted or fragmentary distribution in the northern hemisphere and New Caledonia. Fossil data indicate that the family had diverged by the earliest Jurassic in southern Sweden, and extant taxaceous genera might had appeared since the Jurassic. In this article, we describe a new genus and species of extinct Taxaceae, Palaeotorreya shenghuii gen. et sp. nov., based on lignified leaves from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation in West Ujimqin Banner, eastern Inner Mongolia, Northeast China. The leaves of Palaeotorreya shenghuii are linear to linear-lanceolate and hypostomatic. Epidermal cells of adaxial epidermis and non-stomatal zones of abaxial epidermis are strongly elongated. Two lateral stomatal bands on the abaxial leaf surface are narrow and sunken, each is flanked and concealed by two folding edges bearing dense and prominent papillae. Stomata are longitudinally oriented and arranged in short longitudinal files. Stomata are haplocheilic, stomatal complexes are monocyclic, with a complete and solid stomatal ring surrounding the stomatal pit on the outer cuticle surface. Palaeotorreya shenghuii is most comparable with Torreya within extant conifers, but also bears resemblance in stomatal structure to other genera of extant Taxaceae. The new fossils add to our knowledge of the diversity of the yew family during the Early Cretaceous.
红豆杉科（红豆杉科）是针叶树的一个遗存科，大多数物种在北半球和新喀里多尼亚的分布非常有限或零碎。化石资料表明，该科在瑞典南部最早的侏罗纪时期就已经分化，而现存的红杉属可能在侏罗纪以后就出现了。本文以内蒙古东部乌金沁旗西部下白垩统霍林河组木质素化叶片为研究对象，描述了已灭绝的红豆杉科植物Palaeotorreya shenghuii gen. et sp. nov.一个新属和新种。生辉古香榧叶线状至线状披针形，叶片低气孔。正面表皮的表皮细胞和背面表皮的非气孔区明显伸长。叶背面的两条侧生气孔带狭窄而凹陷，每条气孔带被两条折叠的边缘所包围，边缘上有密集而突出的乳突。气孔纵向定向，排列成短的纵锉状。气孔为单倍体，气孔复合体为单环，在外角质层表面的气孔坑周围有一个完整而坚固的气孔环。生辉古香榧与现存针叶树中香榧最具可比性，但其气孔结构也与现存红豆杉科其他属的香榧相似。这些新化石增加了我们对早白垩纪紫杉科多样性的认识。
{"title":"Palaeotorreya, a new genus of extinct Taxaceae from the Early Cretaceous of Northeast China","authors":"Ting Wang , Chong Dong , Jianguo Hui , Xueqiong Wei , Gongle Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taxaceae (the yew family) are a relict family of conifers, with most species having a highly restricted or fragmentary distribution in the northern hemisphere and New Caledonia. Fossil data indicate that the family had diverged by the earliest Jurassic in southern Sweden, and extant taxaceous genera might had appeared since the Jurassic. In this article, we describe a new genus and species of extinct Taxaceae, <em>Palaeotorreya shenghuii</em> gen. et sp. nov., based on lignified leaves from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation in West Ujimqin Banner, eastern Inner Mongolia, Northeast China. The leaves of <em>Palaeotorreya shenghuii</em> are linear to linear-lanceolate and hypostomatic. Epidermal cells of adaxial epidermis and non-stomatal zones of abaxial epidermis are strongly elongated. Two lateral stomatal bands on the abaxial leaf surface are narrow and sunken, each is flanked and concealed by two folding edges bearing dense and prominent papillae. Stomata are longitudinally oriented and arranged in short longitudinal files. Stomata are haplocheilic, stomatal complexes are monocyclic, with a complete and solid stomatal ring surrounding the stomatal pit on the outer cuticle surface. <em>Palaeotorreya shenghuii</em> is most comparable with <em>Torreya</em> within extant conifers, but also bears resemblance in stomatal structure to other genera of extant Taxaceae. The new fossils add to our knowledge of the diversity of the yew family during the Early Cretaceous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105461"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145362235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105439
Morten Smelror
Carbon cenospheres comparable to those derived from incomplete combustion of coal or fuel-oil droplets appear to be present in Neoproterozoic post-impact sediments in the Gardnos meteorite crater in central Norway and in possible time-equivalent strata in East Finnmark, northern Norway. The Neoproterozoic cenospheres resemble carbon cenospheres found in K-Pg boundary sediments around the world linked to the Chicxulub meteorite impact on Yucatan and in sediments from the Early Cretaceous Mjølnir impact in the Barents Sea. A likely source of the Late Neoproterozoic carbonized cenospheres is hydrocarbons combusted from organic-rich sediments when the bolide hit the shallow marine impact site of the Gardnos meteorite crater.
{"title":"Searching for Neoproterozoic meteorite impact combusted carbon cenospheres in palynological records","authors":"Morten Smelror","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon cenospheres comparable to those derived from incomplete combustion of coal or fuel-oil droplets appear to be present in Neoproterozoic post-impact sediments in the Gardnos meteorite crater in central Norway and in possible time-equivalent strata in East Finnmark, northern Norway. The Neoproterozoic cenospheres resemble carbon cenospheres found in K-Pg boundary sediments around the world linked to the Chicxulub meteorite impact on Yucatan and in sediments from the Early Cretaceous Mjølnir impact in the Barents Sea. A likely source of the Late Neoproterozoic carbonized cenospheres is hydrocarbons combusted from organic-rich sediments when the bolide hit the shallow marine impact site of the Gardnos meteorite crater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105439"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105450
Zbyněk Šimůnek , Christopher J. Cleal
The stomatal structure of the medullosalean frond species Odontopteris schlotheimii is documented for the first time. This supports the view that it is taxonomically distinct from the morphologically similar but rather older frond-species Odontopteris cantabrica. Evidence is also presented that supports the view that the types of Neuropteris pseudoblissii are conspecific with O. schlotheimii.
{"title":"New data on medullosalean foliage Odontopteris schlotheimii from the uppermost Carboniferous–lowermost Permian of central and eastern Europe","authors":"Zbyněk Šimůnek , Christopher J. Cleal","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105450","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105450","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The stomatal structure of the medullosalean frond species <em>Odontopteris schlotheimii</em> is documented for the first time. This supports the view that it is taxonomically distinct from the morphologically similar but rather older frond-species <em>Odontopteris cantabrica.</em> Evidence is also presented that supports the view that the types of <em>Neuropteris pseudoblissii</em> are conspecific with <em>O. schlotheimii</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105450"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-21DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105458
Teng Zhang , Limi Mao
Pollen identification is of great importance in the fields of palynology, palaeoecology, botany, medicine and forensic science, but traditional microscopic morphological analysis methods are inefficient and subjective. In this study, we propose an innovative approach based on deep learning to improve the accuracy and efficiency of pollen identification. We constructed a high-quality pollen dataset containing 5521 images of 141 species and a structured attribute table containing 20 standardized morphological features. With an improved ResNet50 architecture, the model utilizes a masking mechanism to combine image features with morphological data, significantly improving classification performance. In addition, we propose a joint training strategy that utilizes both weakly labeled data (unlabeled images + some morphological features) and fully labeled data to alleviate the data scarcity problem. The experimental results show that with the introduction of morphological features, the accuracy of the model significantly improves from 83.00% to at least 89.49% and exhibits stronger generalization ability, effectively reducing overfitting. This study provides a scalable solution for automated pollen identification, addressing key challenges in data utilization and classification accuracy.
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Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105466
Mohammad Firoze Quamar , Nagendra Prasad , Biswajeet Thakur , Maneesha Muraleedharan ET
Herbivory plays a crucial role as a long-term driver of ecosystem changes. Understanding the interactions between herbivores and ecosystems is particularly important for shaping conservation policies, especially those focused on re-wilding. Additionally, understanding changes in the abundance of large herbivores over time and assessing the role of key animal species in disturbance regimes, biodiversity dynamics, and ecosystem resilience remains a significant challenge in long-term ecological studies. Spores specific to herbivore dung offer a valuable source of information on past herbivore populations. Sporormiella, a coprophilous fungal spore that grows on herbivore dung, serves as an important proxy for reconstructing the presence and/or abundance of megaherbivores, livestock density, grazing activity (pastoralism), human impact, extinction events, and the effects of husbandry practices on the natural environment over time and across regions. In India, the application of Sporormiella as a proxy for herbivore presence and abundance remains at an early stage and requires further systematic testing. This review article aims to evaluate the potential of Sporormiella in reconstructing herbivore presence and abundance across different temporal and spatial scales in India. The synthesis of Sporormiella records from both modern and the Holocene sediment samples provides insights into past herbivore densities. Additionally, this study discusses various factors influencing the composition of the spores of coprophilous fungi, and the abundance of Sporormiella, potential constraints on their preservation in certain settings, and the limitations of current research. This research review article also outlines broader implications and directions for the future research.
{"title":"Assessment of herbivore densities using Sporormiella as a palynological proxy: Indian context and the way forward","authors":"Mohammad Firoze Quamar , Nagendra Prasad , Biswajeet Thakur , Maneesha Muraleedharan ET","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herbivory plays a crucial role as a long-term driver of ecosystem changes. Understanding the interactions between herbivores and ecosystems is particularly important for shaping conservation policies, especially those focused on re-wilding. Additionally, understanding changes in the abundance of large herbivores over time and assessing the role of key animal species in disturbance regimes, biodiversity dynamics, and ecosystem resilience remains a significant challenge in long-term ecological studies. Spores specific to herbivore dung offer a valuable source of information on past herbivore populations. <em>Sporormiella</em>, a coprophilous fungal spore that grows on herbivore dung, serves as an important proxy for reconstructing the presence and/or abundance of megaherbivores, livestock density, grazing activity (pastoralism), human impact, extinction events, and the effects of husbandry practices on the natural environment over time and across regions. In India, the application of <em>Sporormiella</em> as a proxy for herbivore presence and abundance remains at an early stage and requires further systematic testing. This review article aims to evaluate the potential of <em>Sporormiella</em> in reconstructing herbivore presence and abundance across different temporal and spatial scales in India. The synthesis of <em>Sporormiella</em> records from both modern and the Holocene sediment samples provides insights into past herbivore densities. Additionally, this study discusses various factors influencing the composition of the spores of coprophilous fungi, and the abundance of <em>Sporormiella</em>, potential constraints on their preservation in certain settings, and the limitations of current research. This research review article also outlines broader implications and directions for the future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The evolution of broadleaved forests and their responses to climate changes in subtropical Southeast China remain largely unclear, partly because of the controversies regarding the history of climate (i.e., temperature and monsoonal precipitation) changes during the Holocene. In this study, we integrated pollen and other proxies (including loss on ignition, humification degree, and stable carbon isotope) from a subalpine peatland in the Luoxiao Mountains, to reveal the predominant patterns of vegetation and climate dynamics in mountainous Southeast China. Vegetation at the study site was dominated by Quercus-evergreen and Fagus with relatively flourishing herbs during the early Holocene. A transformation from mixed evergreen–deciduous broadleaved forests to evergreen broadleaved forests occurred between 8200 and 1850 cal. yr BP. The lag of the transformation in response to monsoonal rainfall changes in mountainous regions during the early Holocene can be attributed to thermal limitation. Since 1850 cal. yr BP, broadleaved pollen substantially declined with the expansion of Poaceae and pines, likely reflecting the impact of intensive anthropogenic activities. The expansion of evergreen broadleaved forests from different sites revealed a gradual warming in Southeast China during the Holocene. Additionally, monsoon precipitation in the study area underwent substantial changes, showing a pattern of wetting, sustained humid conditions, subsequent drying, and wetting. Overall, temperature and precipitation during the Holocene were decoupled at the study site, as supported by widely distributed records in mountainous subtropical Southeast China. This may be attributed to the influence of different driving factors on temperature and precipitation.
中国亚热带东南部阔叶林的演变及其对气候变化的响应在很大程度上是不清楚的，部分原因是对全新世气候（即温度和季风降水）变化的历史存在争议。通过对罗霄山亚高山泥炭地的花粉和其他指标（包括着火损失、腐殖化程度和稳定碳同位素）的综合分析，揭示了东南山区植被和气候动态的主要模式。全新世早期植被以常绿栎树和蕨类植物为主，草本植物相对丰富。8200 ~ 1850 cal. yr BP之间发生了常绿落叶混交林向常绿阔叶林的转变。全新世早期山区对季风降水变化响应的滞后可归因于热限制。自1850 cal. yr BP以来，阔叶花粉随着禾科和松科的扩张而大幅下降，可能反映了强烈的人类活动的影响。不同地点常绿阔叶林的扩张揭示了全新世以来中国东南部气候逐渐变暖的趋势。此外，研究区的季风降水经历了实质性的变化，呈现出湿润、持续湿润、随后干燥和湿润的模式。总体而言，全新世温度与降水在研究点呈解耦关系，华南副热带山区分布广泛。这可能与不同驱动因素对温度和降水的影响有关。
{"title":"An 11,000-year vegetation and climate record from a subalpine peatland in the Luoxiao Mountains, subtropical Southeast China","authors":"Xin Zhong , Caifeng Cen , Cong Chen , Aiyan Han , Yongjie Tang , Kangyou Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.revpalbo.2025.105442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The evolution of broadleaved forests and their responses to climate changes in subtropical Southeast China remain largely unclear, partly because of the controversies regarding the history of climate (i.e., temperature and monsoonal precipitation) changes during the Holocene. In this study, we integrated pollen and other proxies (including loss on ignition, humification degree, and stable carbon isotope) from a subalpine peatland in the Luoxiao Mountains, to reveal the predominant patterns of vegetation and climate dynamics in mountainous Southeast China. Vegetation at the study site was dominated by <em>Quercus</em>-evergreen and <em>Fagus</em> with relatively flourishing herbs during the early Holocene. A transformation from mixed evergreen–deciduous broadleaved forests to evergreen broadleaved forests occurred between 8200 and 1850 cal. yr BP. The lag of the transformation in response to monsoonal rainfall changes in mountainous regions during the early Holocene can be attributed to thermal limitation. Since 1850 cal. yr BP, broadleaved pollen substantially declined with the expansion of Poaceae and pines, likely reflecting the impact of intensive anthropogenic activities. The expansion of evergreen broadleaved forests from different sites revealed a gradual warming in Southeast China during the Holocene. Additionally, monsoon precipitation in the study area underwent substantial changes, showing a pattern of wetting, sustained humid conditions, subsequent drying, and wetting. Overall, temperature and precipitation during the Holocene were decoupled at the study site, as supported by widely distributed records in mountainous subtropical Southeast China. This may be attributed to the influence of different driving factors on temperature and precipitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54488,"journal":{"name":"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 105442"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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