Taxodioxylon Gypsaceum Research Articles

First evidence of Pinaceae and Fagaceae in the fossil wood record of the České středohoří Mts. (Czech Republic): A comprehensive study of fossiliferous sites in pyroclastic rocks surrounding the late Oligocene Milá stratovolcano

A comprehensive anatomical and mineralogical study of fossil wood fragments from fields in the vicinity of Bečov and Břvany villages (NW Bohemia, Czech Republic) indicates that Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Cupressaceae s.l.) predominates, but also identifies another coniferous wood: Pinuxylon parryoides (Pinaceae) and three angiosperms Quercoxylon böckhianum, Castanoxylon bavaricum and Lithocarpoxylon sp. (all Fagaceae). This paper therefore presents the first occurrence of Pinaceae and Fagaceae fossil wood in the volcanic rocks of the České Středohoří Mts. as well as its youngest palaeobotanical record in general, late Oligocene in age (26.56 ± 0.38 Ma). The samples were buried by alkaline pyroclastic deposits and were mineralized by carbonates. Two distinct depositional processes burying the fossil woods were identified. Closer to the vent, the woods occur in a near-vent pyroclastic fall deposits of the former pyroclastic cone, whereas more distant sites consist of pyroclastic flow deposits. Carbonate mineralization mostly consists of dolomite, but subordinate amounts of magnesite (likely the first time this is documented in fossil wood) as well as calcite and siderite are present. Only one sample collected in the same area, bearing clear signs of riverbed transport (Lithocarpoxylon sp.), was perfectly silicified, but its origin remains unclear.

Further contribution to the early Miocene woody flora of Galatian Volcanic Provincefrom Doğanyurt Village, Ankara (Turkey)

The Galatian Volcanic Province (GVP) located in central-north Anatolia had a rich woody flora. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the early Miocene woody flora of the GVP from two fossil sites from Doğanyurt Village of the city of Beypazarı in the Province of Ankara. The fossil sites, which are near to each other, have small pieces of fossil woods. Total 16 fossil woods were collected from two neighbour sites. Three thin sections as transversal, tangential and radial sections from each sample were taken, and they were identified microscopically. As a result, ten fossil species were identified, three of which are new (Cercioxylon mediterraneum Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik, sp. nov., Cryptocaryoxylon irregularis Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik, sp. nov., and Myricoxylon doganyurtensis Akkemik, Iamandei & Çelik sp. nov.) and the rest fossil species (Glyptostroboxylon rudolphii Dolezych & van der Burgh, Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Göppert) Kräusel, Pinuxylon Gothan, Aceroxylon aceroides Akkemik, Pistacioxylon ufukii Akkemik, Salicoxylon galatianum Akkemik, and Ulmoxylon cf. carpinifolia Greguss) are found also in these two fossil sites. The fossil Myrica, identified for the first time in Turkey as a wood, has many leaf fossils from the early Miocene sites. The most common fossil trees in the Miocene time of GVP, which are G. rudolphii and T. gypsaceum, were also identified in these new sites. The fossil wood assemblage may indicate that the area had a subtropical climate in lowland, with riparian and swamp growth conditions.

PALAEOXYLOTOMICAL STUDIES IN THE CENOZOIC PETRIFIED FORESTS OF GREECE. PART TWO – CONIFERS

This paper reports the palaeoxylotomical study of petrified conifer remains from Velitzelos collection, orig-inating from some fossiliferous sites of Greece, especially from the Aegean area (Evros, Limnos, Lesbos), aged of late Oligocene to early Miocene. Ten species were identified: Cupressinoxylon akdikii, Juniperoxylon acarcae, Tetraclinoxylon velitzelosii, Taxodioxylon gypsaceum, Taxodioxylon taxodii, Glyptostroboxylon rudolphii, Glyptostroboxylon tenerum, Pinuxylon pineoides, Pinuxylon halepensoides and Pinuxylon sp. aff. Pinus canariensis. These new identifications add new elements to the forest assemblages of the Oligocene - Miocene Greek flora, useful for understanding the evolution of the Cenozoic palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate in the Aegean area.

Some fossil conifer species descriptions from the Paleogene to Pliocene of Turkey and their evaluations

Until now, a considerable number of Miocene conifer trees has been determined using fossil wood identification. Some studies on fossil wood identifications have revealed the need to reconsider certain fossil wood species definitions. The present study aimed to re-analysis the conifer wood identifications (Cupressaceae), which were described as genus, and performed necessary revisions in the descriptions. All studies were conducted on thin sections used in former studies, and detailed investigations were performed. As result, Cupressoxylon pliocenica Akkemik, 2019, Glyptostroboxylon rudolphii Dolezych & van der Burgh, 2004, and Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Göppert) Kräusel, 1949, were described in Turkey. This study showed that these three fossil species had wider distribution areas and lived in a very wide time interval from mainly early Miocene to Pliocene in Turkey.

Chemotaxonomy of fossil woods from the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany

In the Lower Rhine Embayment (western Germany), the Neogene lignite bearing sequence is rich in large fossil wood trunks. Woods collected from sand-filled channels of a meandering river system (Pliocene: Reuver series) and from coal seams (Miocene: seams Garzweiler, Frimmersdorf and Morken) were investigated by Curie-point pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in order to determine their palaeobotanical classification. In comparison with reference data of individual pyrograms of modern woods, it became possible to classify 15 fossil wood trunks chemotaxonomically as follows: eleven samples were identified as Taxodioxylon sp. by reference Sequoia sempervirens, three samples were identified as Populoxylon sp. by reference Populus nigra and one sample was identified as Sciadopityoxylon sp. by two references of Sciadopitys verticillata. Microanatomical crosschecks describe the equivalent samples taxonomically as Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (GÖPPERT) KRÄUSEL, Taxodioxylon germanicum (GREGUSS) VAN DER BURGH, Populus nigra L. and Sciadopityoxylon wettsteinii JURASKY, and confirm the chemical classifications. For both fossil and reference woods, our relative quantifications of guaicyl and syringyl moieties are in precise accordance with discriminations of gymnosperms versus angiosperms. This means that not only unknown recent woods can chemotaxonomically accurately be determined by Curie-point pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and their equivalent modern wood reference from our data base, but also the taxonomy of botanically related wood types reaching back to the geological past up to a Miocene age at least.

The in situ Glyptostroboxylon forest of Hoegaarden (Belgium) at the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum (55 Ma)

Hundreds of silicified standing stumps have been discovered within a lignitic horizon in the middle of the Tienen Formation near Hoegaarden in northeast Belgium. The anatomical features of the fossil stumps, as those of the numerous silicified secondary xylem remains collected since the last century from this area, demonstrate that they all belong to a single taxodiaceous taxon. The stumps bear characteristics shared by Taxodioxylon gypsaceum and Glyptostroboxylon tenerum, but affinities with the latter appear closer. They are attributed to Glyptostroboxylon sp. Calibration of the sedimentological, stratigraphical and organic carbon isotope data reveals that these taxodiaceous fossil trees developed in a swampy lowland environment most probably during the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum at ca. 55 Ma.

Fossil woods from the Late Cretaceous Aachen Formation

Silicified fossil woods from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Aachen Formation of northeast Belgium, southernmost Netherlands and adjacent Germany were investigated. Gymnosperms dominate this assemblage: Taxodioxylon gypsaceum, T. cf. gypsaceum, T. cf. albertense (all Taxodiaceae), Dammaroxylon aachenense sp. nov. (Araucariaceae), Pinuxylon sp. (Pinaceae), and Scalaroxylon sp. (Cycad or Cycadeoid). Angiosperms are minor constituents: Nyssoxylon sp. (Nyssaceae?, Cornaceae?), Mastixioxylon symplocoides sp. nov. (Mastixiaceae?, Symplocaceae?), Plataninium decipiens (Platanaceae) and Paraphyllanthoxylon cf. marylandense (Anacardiaceae?, Burseraceae?, Lauraceae?). The composition of this assemblage and the anatomy of the woods indicate a seasonal and humid warm-temperate to subtropical climate.

The Lipophilic Extractives of an Interglacial Fossil Picea abies from Zeifen (Germany)

Summary A fossil Picea abies from Zeifen (Germany), 100,000 years old and still presenting good physical and anatomical properties, is analysed with respect to its lipophilic content. Comparisons are made with a recent Picea abies, with a subfossil larch and with Taxodioxylon gypsaceum fossils ranging from 1.7 to 20 million years ago. Due to the relatively small age and the low degree of degradation, terpenes having structures intermediate between the original compounds and the final terpanes are looked for. Lipophilic components obtained from the fossil Picea abies by extraction with dichloromethane include linear alkanes, fatty acids, high MWs alcohols and terpenoids such as sesquiterpanes, diterpanes and diterpenoids. Some of extractive components result unchanged after the process of ageing while others correspond to substances derived by a process of hydrolysis of original extractives occurring in recent Picea abies. Diterpanes (norabietatriene, norpimarane, retene and α-phyllocladane) correspond to those present in most fossils of conifers, even if a trend to the formation of demethylated compounds is observed. Diterpenoids, on the contrary, are present exclusively as the dehydroabietic acid structure, the form preceding or responsible of those of most diterpanes, while different structures are not found. Since intermediate compounds with structures different from the abietic one are absent they might be looked for in younger fossils. The presence of a large amount of terpanes places this fossil rather closer to Taxodioxylon gypsaceum samples than to the subfossil larch.

97/01594 Taxodioxylon gypsaceum as parent botanical species of two lignites of central Italy

The air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH), known as a new type of efficient flotation apparatus, was used in grinding-classification circuit to control the overgrinding of hydrophobic materials after some modifications by the authors. The overgrinding of hydrophobic materials, resulted from the fact that the hydrophobic materials have higher density than the hydrophilic materials, has been known as a knotty problem. The modified ASH is designed with a relatively small length/diameter ratio, and a thick vortex finder wall is introduced, and the annular underflow opening between a pedestal and the cylindrical wall is replaced by a wide angle cone apex opening and a horizontal baffle that is positioned above the apex opening. Concentration and classification exist simultaneously in the modified ASH. Sample ore from Hongtoushan Copper Mine was used to investigate the concentration and classification characteristics in the modified ASH. In particular, the effects of design and operation parameters on the copper recovery and enrichment ratio and the classification efficiency in different particle size fractions were considered for a ⊘75 mm modified ASH. From a variety of runs, it can be concluded as follows: (1) the copper enrichment ratio of the finest particle size fraction (−400 mesh) in overflow of the ASH is always larger than 1.0, while those of the other coarser particle size fractions are not all the same; (2) not only is the copper in overflow is enriched by the flotation in the ASH, but also the classification efficiency is improved to some extent by the flotation; and (3) to consider both the concentration and classification in the ASH, the optimum design and operation parameters are different from that in the case of an ASH being just used for flotation, e.g., the ratio of the overflow opening area to the underflow opening area of this modified ASH should be larger than that of the flotation ASH.

GC/MS Investigation on the Dichloromethane Extract from a Subfossil Larch

A subfossil larch (Larix decidua), 14500 years old, collected in a clay quarry of Revine (Venetian Prealps, Italy), was examined with respect to its dichloromethane extractives which were compared with those of a living larch. Results have shown that most of terpenes were markedly changed and similarities with several samples of 1-3 million years Taxodioxylon gypsaceum were evident. The particularly moist environment has modified most of original wood extractives: monoterpene and sesquiterpenes were nearly all lost, diterpenes were transformed into stable diterpene-related hydrocarbons such as sandaracopimarane, abietane, alpha-phyllocladane and simonellite, whilst waxes were subjected to hydrolysis. Results seem to demonstrate that degradation of extractives during aging of wood takes place in the early stages of this process.

Taxodioxylon gypsaceum as parent botanical species of two lignites of central Italy

Studies were carried out on samples of lignite from two quarries at Pietrafitta and Bastardo. They are located in Central Italy not far from the fossil forest of Dunarobba, which was made up of the species Taxodioxylon gypsaceum. Chemotaxonomy on the samples provided the opportunity to decide whether the constituting material of their amorphous bulk is the same as that of the fossil forest or whether they derived from the hardwood species randomly found within the quarries. The identification was carried out by means of residual terpenes recovered by steam distillation and analyzed using the GC-MS technique. The terpenes of Pietrafitta were closely related to those supplied by trunks of Dunarobba, while terpenes from Bastardo showed the same enrichment exhibited by Taxodioxylon gypsaceum findings at Wackerdorf (Germany). The bulk material of both lignites results, therefore, as having been made up of Taxodioxylon gypsaceum and hardwood trunks merely represent intrusions. The identification allows to outline the importance and distribution of this species during the Pliocene period in Central Italy and Central Europe. The use of chemotaxonomy for more degraded samples, however, becomes more difficult and further information is needed.

Long Term Degradation of Terpenes. From a 20 Million Years Old Taxodioxylon gypsaceum

The comparison of the steam distillate from a 20 million years old Taxodioxylon gypsaceum with that of a corresponding 1.5 million years old sample has permitted the description of the last steps of terpene degradation of this species. The main feature is the reduced number of components in the older sample which contains over 97% of α-phyllocladane and traces of other components present, by contrast, in the younger one. The lack of new compounds, related to the lost components, suggests leaching to be the cause of the losses. This seems to be confirmed by the analysis of the inner part of a trunk of one of the younger samples presently subjected to a sort of natural leaching. Analyses indicate an increase in α-phyllocladane and a severe reduction in simonellite as well as other terpenes, together with the formation of two new compounds of 164 and 222MWs. The occurrence of α-phyllocladane in other European lignites suggests the choice of this compound as a biomarker of the species Taxodioxylon gypsaceum.

Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Göppert) Kräusel, legno fossile rinvenuto nel miocene dell'Italia centrale

Abstract Taxodioxylon gypsaceum (Goppert) Krausel, wood fossil discovered in the central italian miocene.—A sample of silicified wood fossil has been discovered in the miocenic formations of the Castellaro mountain in the neighbourhood of Pesaro a city in Central Italy. An anatomical study has made it possible to accept that the species is Taxodioxylon gypsaceum, which resembles the actual Sequoia sempervirens for its woody structure, conservative endemism of a coastal region in California. The fossil species that is known for its numerous tertiary deposits in the Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, is now indicated for the first time in Italy; the mount Castellaro station results to be the more south among those in Europe. Various paleobotanical data concerning traces of leaves, fruits and seeds gathered in localities near to the deposit and in the region complies with the discovery of Taxodioxylon gypsaceum because of the presence of varions species of Sequoia and Taxodium and in particular of the Seq...

Fossil woods of Taxodiaceae from the Edmonton Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Alberta

The paper deals with four species of taxodiaceous woods collected from the Edmonton Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Maestrichtian) of the Drumheller area in Alberta. Two of them are Taxodioxylon gypsaceum and Taxodioxylon taxodii, the former showing remarkable resemblances with the wood of modern Sequoia and the latter with Taxodium. Both species are being reported for the first time from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta, Western Canada. The other two species are new and are named Taxodioxylon drumhellerense and Taxodioxylon antiquum. T. drumhellerense agrees particularly with the wood structure of Glyptostrobus. The xylem ray tissue of T. antiquum is characteristic in that the rays here are often extremely high (up to 90 cells) and locally as broad as three to four cells. Such high multiseriate rays are seldom encountered among the coniferous woods.

Taxodiaceous Bark from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta

The structure of a piece of silicified bark of Taxodioxylon gypsaceum from near Medicine Hat in Southern Alberta is described. The fossil specimen probably came from Upper Cretaceous beds. The fossil shows affinities with the bark of modern Sequoia. Vectia luccombensis Stopes (1915) from the Lower Greensand (Aptian) of England probably constitutes an isolated piece of taxodiaceous bark, similar to the inner bark of the Alberta specimen.

TAXODIACEOUS BARK FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF ALBERTA

The structure of a piece of silicified bark of Taxodioxylon gypsaceum from near Medicine Hat in Southern Alberta is described. The fossil specimen probably came from Upper Cretaceous beds. The fossil shows affinities with the bark of modern Sequoia. Vectia luccombensis Stopes (1915) from the Lower Greensand (Aptian) of England probably constitutes an isolated piece of taxodiaceous bark, similar to the inner bark of the Alberta specimen.