Palaeobotanical investigations of plant megafossils, including fossil woods and leaf impressions, from the Middle Siwalik sediments of the Sarkaghat area in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh, India, have revealed the presence of fossil wood and leaves belonging to the Southeast Asian genus Dipterocarpus C. F. Gaertn. (family Dipterocarpaceae). The fossil wood has been identified as Dipterocarpoxylon siwalicus Prakash, while the leaf impressions are assigned to Dipterocarpus miocenicus Prasad & Gautam. A comparison with the present-day distribution of closely related extant species of Dipterocarpus shows that these taxa no longer occur in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh. Instead, they are currently confined to the evergreen forests of Southeast Asia. This distribution pattern suggests that increasing arid conditions after the Miocene likely led to the local extinction of these taxa in the region. Based on fossil evidence and the biogeographical distribution of comparable living species, the phytogeographical implications of this finding are discussed. It is further inferred that Dipterocarpus migrated into the area from Southeast Asia during the early Miocene and subsequently disappeared due to the development of unfavourable climatic conditions.

The medullosans are ancient spermatophytes (order Medullosales) with an unusual stem anatomy and have been studied extensively from the late Palaeozoic of North America and Europe. Among the extensive fossil material of Medullosa, a single apex has been discovered from the early Permian Chemnitz Fossil Forest. By setting it in an updated functional and developmental context, we aim to provide new knowledge and understanding on the evolution of the vascular development in ancient seed plants. We re-examine historical sections of a stem apex of Medullosa stellataCotta, 1832 emend.Luthardt et al., 2021 with state-of-the-art stereomicroscopic analysis techniques and digital drawings. The apex exhibits the following unusual combination of features in comparison to modern spermatophytes: (1) an uncommon type of shoot apical meristem with a zone of multiple cell initials only; (2) various coiled leaf primordia completely covering the apex; (3) a flat morphology of the apex indicating considerable primary stem thickening; (4) a primary vascular system of mainly tangentially and horizontally oriented vascular strands; (5) secondary tissues developing centripetally and centrifugally around the primary vascular tissues; and (6) numerous spherical mucilage cavities distributed throughout the sections. Medullosans exhibited a peculiar stem development not comparable to that of most extant seed plants. Only extant cycads show several specific functional analogies (e.g. a 'stem-girdling' vasculature) that might refer to arborescent growth by a pachycaulous stem. This configuration requires sophisticated hydraulic support at an early developmental stage, including vertical and horizontal transportation of water. Our study demonstrates that the stelar evolutionary path of the medullosans was complex and characterized by various adaptive modifications and transitional stages.

The Fossil Forests STEM kit offers a hands-on experience with petrified wood research. The kit is tailored to 6–12th-grade students but has also been appreciated by adult and college-educated audiences. The collaboration between scientists and educators in the development of the kit has produced activities that feel authentic and relevant, facilitating a situated learning experience. The kit teaches students how fossil wood is formed, how to identify the types of trees fossil wood represents, and how fossil wood can be used to infer past climate conditions. Originally designed for a U.S. audience, the kit has been translated into an Indonesian version. After using the kit, both U.S. and Indonesian students had an improvement in understanding, as measured by a word cloud, and realized that plants—not just animals—can become fossils. The Fossil Forests STEM kit helps teach Next Generation Science Standards while helping students form a stronger science identity and gain greater familiarity with plants and plant fossils. These efforts are important since familiarity is the first step to cultivating plant awareness and inspiring a lifelong connection with geoheritage.

The subfamily Larreoideae is the main representative of Zygophyllaceae in South America, although its fossil record remains extremely scarce. This study presents the first unequivocal fossil woods assigned to this family and subfamily from the early Miocene Mariño Formation in Mendoza Province, Argentina. The specimens are described as a new fossil genus and species: Larreoxylon cuyensis gen. et sp. nov. and Larreoxylon sp. Wood anatomical features were examined through thin sectioning and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, and their phylogenetic affinities were evaluated using a matrix of 12 characters across 21 taxa. The fossil woods exhibit xeromorphic traits, including exclusively solitary vessels, vestured pits, and vasicentric tracheids, features associated with drought-adapted taxa in arid environments. These traits closely match those of extant members of the Larrea clade, suggesting a shared ecological strategy and providing robust evidence of early adaptation to aridity in the Miocene of southern South America. A cladistic analysis, based exclusively on secondary xylem characters, yielded a single most-parsimonious tree congruent with previous molecular phylogenies. Larreoxylon gen. nov. is placed within the Bulnesia-Larrea clade, defined by the presence of vestured pits, and specifically within a Larrea and Larreoxylon gen. nov. subclade characterized by exclusively solitary vessels. Both recognized fossil taxa occupy basal positions within this group, indicating an early stage in the anatomical diversification of the clade, preceding derived features such as crystals in axial parenchyma. The results show that the wood anatomy of Larreoideae retains informative traits for phylogenetic inference. Moreover, the fossils offer critical calibration points for understanding the evolutionary, ecological and biogeographical history of Larreoideae in the context of Andean uplift and Neogene aridification. https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8D9E1F6A-7EBD-4B93-8338-FDBFECF53613

Seven fossil woods recovered from the fossiliferous localities of Concordia and Santa Ana (Entre Ros Province, Argentina), corresponding to the El Palmar Formation (Late Pleistocene), were analysed.This unit is an important source of information on the climatic and ecological events that occurred towards the end of the Quaternary (MIS5 and MIS7) in the middle basin of the Uruguay River, Southeastern South America.The features of the tracheids and their pits in the radial walls, the crossfields with cupressoid-type pits, and axial parenchyma allow their assignment to Podocarpoxylon Gothan 1905.However, detailed observations such as the amount of diffuse axial parenchyma with smooth transverse end walls, uniseriate contiguous and non-contiguous intertracheal pits in the radial walls, and cross-fields with one or two pits, allow it to be related to the modern species Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsh (ex Eichler).This species grows in the Atlantic forests of South America.Based on the preservation of fossil material and direct observations of modern specimens, we erected, Podocarpoxylon paralambertii sp.nov.Paleodendrochronological analysis shows that the fossils had an evergreen habit, with an estimated trunk diameter greater than 50 cm.The growth-ring type D (sensu Creber & Chaloner 1984) suggests that the specimens grew in a non-seasonal or weakly seasonal environment.The presence of the Podocarpaceae fossils in the El Palmar Formation indicates that the distribution of this family was more widespread in South America in the past.

ABSTRACT Ancient forests preserved in growth position by rapid sedimentological burial (T0 assemblages) constitute exceptionally valuable fossil repositories, especially those covered by fine-grained volcanic ash (tuff) that may preserve plant morphology and anatomy in high-fidelity. This study documents the frond morphology and anatomy of a new species, Polymorphopteris mei sp. nov. from the Wuda Tuff Flora, an in situ fossil forest Lagerstätte of early Permian age from Inner Mongolia, China preserved by volcanic ash. The frond of P. mei is tripinnate, composed of three types of penultimate pinnae and three types of ultimate pinnae. Anatomical features of the frond and penultimate rachises correspond to the stewartiopterid-type leaf trace configuration characteristic of the Marattiales fern evolutionary stem-group family Psaroniaceae. Pyrite-infilled pore-like structures within the rachises are identified as possible evidence of post-mortem fungal action. This study enhances our understanding of the morphology, anatomy, systematic affinity and taphonomy of P. mei and its ecological context in the early Permian peat-forming communities of Cathaysia.

BackgroundPermineralized fossil wood is frequently found in the Jurassic deposits of China. Many studies of fossil stems are based on anatomical descriptions, yet phylogenetic analyses could provide important insights for systematics studies of fossil wood.ResultsHere, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of four fossil stems from Yiwu Jurassic Forest to elucidate their systematic relationships with extant gymnosperms. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using data from two nucleotide regions (trnK-matK, rbcL) and xylological characters of six extant gymnosperms. Tree Analysis Using New Technology under maximum parsimony revealed that the four fossil stems were basal to the Araucariaceae in the dataset that combined genetic and xylological characters.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that phylogenetic analysis combined with characterizations of wood anatomical characters are effective for taxonomic investigations of fossil wood from Yiwu Jurassic Forest.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-025-02486-5.

Abstract Fossil logs from the Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation in the Long Logs area of Petrified Forest National Park are exposed in plan view and are likely derived from closely spaced horizons through most of the area. Data from several modern high-bedload, low-sinuosity rivers show that, among logs with rootballs preserved, 60% are oriented with the rootballs on the upstream ends and 12% are oriented with the rootballs on the downstream ends. Applied to the assemblage at Long Logs, flow in the river that deposited them was generally eastward. Spatial analysis shows the logs at Long Logs do not have a consistent pattern, supporting the hypothesis that they were likely deposited by sequential flood events. Previous workers have concluded that the growth rings in the logs from Petrified Forest National Park were determined by a combination of endogenous and environmental influences and did not represent growth rings in the conventional sense but, rather, growth interruptions. This paper supports that conclusion but further concludes that the environment was the dominant influence; growth rings most likely reflect fluctuations in the water table and variable proximity of the trees to the water table as they grew. Mean ring widths ranged from 0.35 cm to 2.41 cm in logs from the Sonsela Member, and 0.18 cm to 2.33 cm in logs from the Petrified Forest Member. However, statistics on all rings indicate that, overall, the growth rings are wider in woods from the Petrified Forest Member, and the difference is statistically significant. The data from both the growth rings and the log assemblage support the conclusion that the Chinle Formation was deposited in a strongly seasonal climate with respect to rainfall, which caused fluctuations in the water table year to year, with variable effects on tree growth, and resulted in the formation of high-bedload rivers capable of undercutting, transporting, and orienting logs. The wider growth rings from younger Petrified Forest Member trees imply that the drying proposed for the later part of Chinle deposition may not have affected their growth; a drier climate could also result in trees growing closer to the streams, reducing their exposure to drought. This is supported by the lower mean sensitivities of the trees from the Petrified Forest Member.

In the first part, the article presents a new set of radiocarbon dates performed on samples of burnt wood from the tumulus necropolis at Ferigile, in continuation of the five dates published in the previous issue of the journal (SCIVA 75, 1–4, 2024, p. 7–35 = Măndescu 2024a). Of the eight samples submitted to the laboratory, six (from the barrows 82, 88, 105, 107, 120 and 142) correspond to the general period of the necropolis, one (from the barrow 29) proved to be “old wood” (probably fossil wood), and the last one (from the barrow 135) was unusable, probably contaminated. As a result of this approach, the number of valid radiocarbon dates for the most important Late Hallstatt archaeological monument south of the Carpathians increased to 11. These are not always in line with archaeological expectations, in addition, the calibrations being affected by the “Hallstatt plateau”. However, there is a perceptible tendency to order the conventional radiocarbon ages (BP) from the oldest, obtained from samples from the south of the necropolis (thus Ferigile‑Sud) to the most recent, provided by graves from the final horizon Ferigile III. The suggestions offered by the radiocarbon dating results are able to support, in general, the chronological scheme proposed by Alexandru Vulpe half a century ago (Dacia N.S. 21, 1977, p. 81–112 = Vulpe 1977). In the second part of the article, the radiocarbon dating of a sample of burnt wood from the “flat necropolis” at Ferigile is presented. The date obtained suggests a possible chronological synchronism with the final horizon of the tumulus necropolis. At the same time, the type of site here is also discussed, which is closer to the characteristics of the so‑called “fields of pits” rather than those of a necropolis in the proper sense of the term.

The aim of this study focuses on the development and implementation of an integrated methodology for mapping the geosites that constitute the Lesvos island UNESCO Global Geopark, aiming to support its comprehensive management.Geosites, as fundamental components of a Geopark, pose significant challenges due to their diversity in geographic scale, topography, and geomorphology.This complexity necessitates specialized approaches that combine modern technologies and innovative methods (Papadopoulou et al., 2022).The Lesvos UNESCO Global Geopark is a site of exceptional geological and natural heritage, internationally recognized for its uniqueness (Wang and Zouros, 2021).Located in the northern Aegean, Greece, it encompasses an area of 1.6Km2 with a rich geological history spanning over 20 million years.The Geopark features an impressive variety of geosites, including the Lesvos Petrified Forest, volcanic formations, tectonic structures, coastal landscapes, and distinctive geomorphological features shaped by geodynamic processes (Zouros et al., 2004).The Lesvos Geopark serves as a living laboratory for scientific research, education, and public awareness of geoheritage.Moreover, it strengthens the local economy through geotourism, offering a unique experience for visitors interested in geology, nature, and culture.However, the effective management and promotion of such a geopark require the development of specialized mapping methodologies and tools that consider the unique geographic and geomorphological parameters of each geosite (Kubalkov and Kirchner, 2016;Zafeiropoulos et al., 2021).This necessity renders the mapping of geosites an exceptionally demanding process, requiring advanced technological solutions and innovative methodologies (Cayla et al., 2014;Pl and Albert, 2019;Sang et al., 2022).The methodology followed in the present study is based on the use of advanced techniques for data acquisition and processing, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with various recording sensors (RGB cameras, LiDAR, thermal cameras, multispectral sensors, multi-cameras), web-mapping techniques, and state-of-the-art geovisualization methods.High-resolution data were collected using UAVs to capture the topographic -geomorphological characteristics of the geosites.The data collection was determined by: i. the specific characteristics of each geosite, taking into account their geomorphology, topography, and extent and ii. the appropriate cartographic scale of the results.The diverse nature of geosites, ranging from small-area features (e.g.petrified tree-trunks) to large-area geological structures (e.g.calderas, tectonic landforms etc.), introduced significant challenges.These challenges included the need to adapt data acquisition techniques, difficulties in accessing certain areas, and the diversity of topographies that impact both data analysis and geovisualization.Depending on the geographic scale of the geosites, the appropriate cartographic scale was determined.Small-area geosites required detailed mapping, whereas larger ones focused on a general representation of key features.Differentiating the cartographic scale was critical for accurate and efficient representation.Particularly for geosites characterized by complex geomorphology, advanced techniques were employed, combining multi angle (nadir and oblique) high-resolution UAV data.Advanced geovisualization techniques such as 3D models, 3D animations, 360 panoramas, virtual and augmented reality and interactive maps were developed to provide a multiscale and multidimensional approach to visualize the geosites.These geovisualization techniques were designed to meet the specific needs of each geosite, considering their stage of management (e.g.documentation, excavation, protection, promotion).Interactive online maps and cartographic web applications were developed to provide additional information concerning the geoheritage monuments of Lesvos Geopark.These maps and geovisualizations accessible through web-platforms (e.g.sketchfab for 3d models, youtube for animated maps, story-maps etc.), enhance user engagement and offer valuable tools for geopark management by enabling spatial -temporal monitoring and informed decision-making.Furthermore, a printed map was produced, consolidating all cartographic materials.This map incorporates modern symbols that activate augmented reality applications via mobile devices, allowing users to explore 3D models and other digital-content interactively.Emphasis was placed on the usability and visual appeal of the map, ensuring its effectiveness as a tool for promoting and managing the Lesvos geopark's geoheritage (map 1).

A new paleobotanical collection has been established at the Regional Museum of History in Kardzhali. Until recently, the museum maintained an extensive paleontological collection consisting primarily of zoofossils, accompanied by a limited number of petrified wood specimens. In the spring of 2025, fossil material comprising 22 leaf imprints was collected in the vicinity of the village of Ustren (Kardzhali District). These specimens constitute the foundation of the museum’s paleobotanical collection of leaf imprints. The fossils originate from volcanic tuffs dated to the Early Oligocene. A total of 14 taxa were identified, 10 of which are newly recorded for this locality. The majority of the nearest living relatives of these taxa are associated with humid subtropical climatic conditions, which provides grounds to infer that a climate of comparable characteristics prevailed in the region during the Early Oligocene.

Quantitative assessment of community structure of fossil forests from the Devonian to Jurassic periods

Summary We describe a new fossil species belonging to the Calophyllaceae, collected from southern Baja California Sur, Mexico. This new wood is characterized by the presence of distinct growth ring boundaries, mostly solitary vessels, alternate intervessel pitting, vessel-ray parenchyma pits with reduced borders, vasicentric tracheids; non septate and septate fibers combined; axial parenchyma diffuse, diffuse-in-aggregates, scanty paratracheal and vasicentric; heterocellular rays, and large radial canals, usually one per ray, located in the center of the rays. The characteristics present in the fossil wood, although diagnostic for the Calophyllaceae, do not resemble any fossil or extant species within the family; therefore, we assign it to a new fossil species named Mammea martinezii . This is the first formal record of a fossil wood of Calophyllaceae in Mexico. The occurrence of this family in the middle Eocene (Bartonian) of southern Baja California Sur contributes to the understanding of the historical distribution of the family and its geological history and importance in forests of northern Mexico.

Summary A new species of Magnoliaceoxylon is described based on a satisfactorily preserved fossil wood specimen from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Quseir Formation, Baris Oasis in the New Valley Province in Egypt. The features of the wood indicate a close affinity to the section Michelia (L.) Baill. of the subgenus Yulania (Spach) Rchb. belonging to the genus Magnolia L. sensu lato (Magnoliaceae). This is the first magnoliaceous fossil wood recorded from Africa. This new record sheds light on the origin and migration of magnoliids. The xylotomical characters of the discovered wood are indicative of a tropical montane habitat. As the family is one of the earliest extant lineages of flowering plants, its study plays a crucial role in understanding the origin of angiosperms.

A new early Miocene fossil forest of the Galatian Volcanic Province (Turkey) and its evaluation in respect of palaeoclimatology

Unguals ("claws") are important tools that allow terrestrial vertebrates to navigate their environments, from subduing prey to climbing, running, and digging, with the shape of the element being broadly correlated with their ecological niche. Middle Triassic-Late Triassic drepanosauromorphs (Sauropsida: Diapsida) have been hypothesized to occupy various niches and functional modes from arboreality to fossoriality based on a range of evidence including claw anatomy. Hypertrophied manual unguals are present in many members of Drepanosauromorpha and vary in shape from the strongly curved, mediolaterally compressed, and dorsoventrally tall Drepanosaurus-like forms to the shallowly curved and mediolaterally wide unguals of Skybalonyx. Here, we detail and compare the external and internal features of western North American drepanosauromorph unguals. Using osteohistology and micro-computed X-ray tomography, we find that drepanosauromorph manual unguals possess a combination of characteristics that differentiate drepanosauromorph taxa. Using external and internal characteristics, we identify a new taxon of drepanosauromorph, Fabanychus monos gen. et sp. nov., from the upper Sonsela Member of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation (~214 Ma) at Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona. More broadly, we find that drepanosauromorph manual unguals share a set of unique character states compared to other extant and extinct reptilian and mammalian unguals. Each drepanosauromorph ungual morphotype is diagnostic to a distinct taxon, revealing biostratigraphic patterns of the clade. The spatiotemporal and lithostratigraphic occurrence of drepanosauromorphs in equatorial Pangaea reveal a long record of the group, co-occurring taxa, and possible genus-level turnover in the middle Norian (~215 Ma).

Conifer Fossil Woods from the Upper Cretaceous of Bororó Hill Region (Chubut Province, Argentina)

Almost forgotten fossil wood points to the existence of an overlooked group of Mesozoic Gondwanan gymnosperms

Mineralogical characterization of fossil woods from the Las Cañas Formation (early Pliocene), Santiago del Estero, Argentina, mainly using SEM and EDX, XRD, FTIR and Confocal Raman spectroscopy

Angiosperm fossil woods, Cryptocaryeae (Lauraceae) and Cunoniaceae, with marine borers from Day Nunatak, Western Antarctica (Snow Hill Island Formation, Upper Cretaceous)