Occurrence of Early Cretaceous Shimakuroxylon wood in southeastern China, and its palaeobiogeographic significance

• DOI: 10.11646/mesozoic.1.2.10
• Publication Date: 2024-06-27T07:28:28Z
• Authors: MENG-YU CHEN; AO-WEI XIE; MIN XU; HAO WU; NING TIAN

The Mesozoic gymnosperm genus Shimakuroxylon Philippe, Boura, Oh et Pons is a peculiar petrified wood taxon which was exclusively recorded from the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous interval in eastern Asia. To date, ten occurrences of this were documented Japan, Indochina and Tibet (southwestern China). However, little known about record China. Here, we describe new fossil specimen Lower Laocun Formation Longyou County Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, southeastern This exhibits typical anatomy with japonicum-type (shimakurean) radial tracheid pitting araucarioid cross-field pitting, representing finding contributes to our understanding diversity Early xyloflora southern China, provides additional data that furthers knowledge palaeobiogeographical distribution Shimakuroxylon. commonly suggested as an indicator warm wet climates based on its pattern. evidence plant megafossils sporopollen suggests local climate study area arid semiarid during Cretaceous. It tentatively might have lived humid basin margin relatively sufficient water supply, though general environmental background been semiarid.