Plant taxonomy, Palaeobotany

Neyveli lignite formation is one of the largest tertiary brown coal filed lignite formation found in the Neyveli, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. So far many mega fossils and micro fossils reported from this formation. The present study is about a charcoalified wood found in this formation. The fossil wood is identified as Dryobalanoxylon as a new species D. neyveliensis sp.nov. This is a first report of Dryobalanoxylon from the Neyveli formation.

Course name: Introduction to the Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain

Saint Louis University, Madrid Campus, Faculty: Science and Engineering
Semester:  Spring 2005.

Course description: This course gives an introduction into the Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Spain. Basic principles and methods of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology will be outlined. Especially presented will be the origins of life and human beings, evolution, and extinctions. The paleontological part will concentrate on some interesting Spanish case studies (reefs of the Devonian period, swamp forests of the Carboniferous period, shallow sea of the Jurassic period, dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, and mammals and insects of the Tertiary period). In the center of the paleoanthropological part will be the famous findings of Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis in the caves of Atapuerca and their importance for our knowledge about Human evolution.

Course Calendar:
Monday, Jan. 17: 1. Introduction – What are Fossils?
Wednesday, Jan. 19: 2. The Geologic Time Scale
Monday, Jan. 24, & Wednesday, Jan. 26: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (I)
Thursday, Jan. 27: End of DROP/ADD period
Monday, Jan. 31, & Wednesday, Feb. 2: 3. Evolution and Taxonomy – Biology and Paleontology in Dialogue (II) & 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (I)
Monday, Feb. 7: 4. Biogeography and Mass Extinctions (II)
Wednesday, Feb. 9: 5. From the Origins of Life to the Silurian
Monday, Feb. 14: Review & Preparation of first mid-term exam
Monday, Feb. 14: Deadline for the submission of the title of the paper
Wednesday, Feb. 16: First mid-term exam.
Monday, Feb. 21: 6. Reefs of the Devonian Period
Wednesday, Feb. 23: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (I)
Monday, Feb. 28: 7. Swamp Forests of the Carboniferous Period (II) & 8. Reptiles of the Triassic Period
Wednesday, Mar. 2: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (I)
Saturday, Mar. 5, to Sunday, Mar. 13: SPRING BREAK
Monday, Mar. 14: 9. Life of the Shallow Sea of the Jurassic Period (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 16: 10. Dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous (I)
Monday, Mar. 21: 10. Dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous (II)
Wednesday, Mar. 23: 11. Fossils of the Tertiary Period
Thursday, Mar. 24, to Sunday, Mar. 27: Easter
Monday, Mar. 28: Review & Preparation of second mid-term exam
Wednesday, Mar. 30: Second mid-term exam
Monday, Apr. 4: Deadline for the submission of papers and PowerPoint presentations
Monday, Apr. 4, & Wednesday, Apr. 6: 12. Outline of Human evolution.
Friday, Apr. 8: Last day to drop a class and receive a grade of "W"
Monday, Apr. 11, & Wednesday, Apr. 13: 13. The Earliest Man in Spain – the Homo from Orce. & 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (I)
Saturday, Apr. 16: Field trip to Guadalajara
Monday, Apr. 18: 14. Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis from the Caves of Atapuerca (Prov. Burgos) (II)
Wednesday, Apr. 20: 15. The Humans after Homo heidelbergensis in Spain.
Monday, Apr. 25, & Wednesday, Apr. 27: Presentation of papers

The INTERNATIONAL FOSSIL PLANT
NAMES INDEX (IFPNI) was first launched
in May, 2014 as a data base of fossil names
of plants, algae, fungi, allied prokaryotic
forms (formerly treated as algae and
Ñyanophyceae in particular), algae-related
protists and fossil microproblematica
(so-called ambiregnal organisms) published
in using binary nomenclature. The goal of
the IFPNI was also to compile and maintain
a comprehensive literature based record of these fossil scientific names and bank of
author names in palaeobotany. In modern
plant science there was no previously
comprehensive united index of recorded
fossil forms of algae, cyanobacteria and
related prokaryotic microorganisms
(interpreted in the past as algae), fungi and
plants, which were all described since early
XIX century up to our days.

proposed three similarly constructed fossil generic spore names with the first word base, Laevigat-, attached to the uniform ending-sporites giving the three generic names: Laevigata-sporites, Laevigati-sporites and Laevigato-sporites. The names were proposed as part of Ibrahim's original morphographic classification of fossil spores, in which the stem base (first element) of the generic name with different and varying endings (e.g.,-a- ,-es- ,-i-, or-o-) is attached to the uniform ending-sporites; the particular ending of the stem base, coming in the middle of the name, being an important key to the taxonomic position of the spore genus in his suprageneric artificial, morphographical groupings (Aletes [-a-], Monoletes [-o-] and Triletes [-i-and-es-], vide Ibrahim, l.c.: 15–16). As a result, several sets of nearly similar generic names were produced (The International Fossil Plant Names Index, 2014–onwards [http:// fossilplants.info/about]):

Paleocene leaf floras are rare in high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, where studies have shown higher taxonomic diversity compared to Northern Hemisphere equivalents. The floras provide valuable insights into biodiversity and forest communities during the Paleocene. The Antarctic Peninsula hosts a wealth of Paleocene-Eocene floras which have been used to interpret climates before, during and after one of the most abrupt and transient warming events known from the geological record. The best-preserved and most diverse Paleocene macrofossils from this region come from the Cross Valley Formation, Seymour Island Group, which have previously provided evidence for warm temperate climates prior to the PETM. Here we present the taxonomy of leaf impressions from the Paleocene Cross Valley Flora for one species and ten new leaf morphotypes of entire-margined angiosperms. The new morphotypes provide evidence of an increased angiosperm diversity within cool-temperate Gondwanan forest inhabiting the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula, which contrasts with a lower floral diversity on the west side of the Peninsula during the late Paleocene.

Paleocene leaf floras are rare in high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, where studies have shown higher taxonomic
diversity compared to Northern Hemisphere equivalents. The floras provide valuable insights into biodiversity
and forest communities during the Paleocene. The Antarctic Peninsula hosts a wealth of Paleocene–Eocene
floras which have been used to interpret climates before, during and after one of the most abrupt and transient
warming events known from the geological record. The best-preserved and most diverse Paleocene macrofossils
from this region come from the Cross Valley Formation, Seymour Island Group, which have previously provided
evidence for warm temperate climates prior to the PETM. Here we present the taxonomy of leaf impressions from
the Paleocene Cross Valley Flora for one species and ten new leaf morphotypes of entire-margined angiosperms.
The new morphotypes provide evidence of an increased angiosperm diversity within cool-temperate Gondwanan
forest inhabiting the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula, which contrasts with a lower floral diversity on the west
side of the Peninsula during the late Paleocene.

The new names Mciveriella and Rhamnica are proposed to replace later homonyms, Harmsia McIver & Basinger and Rhamnites Forbes ex McIver & Basinger respectively. Rhamnites Newberry is restored as a valid genus, being synonymized with Amelanchites McIver & Basinger. Rhamnites Forbes ex Berry is re-classified as Berchemiopsis McGinitie. The new combinations Archeampelos lobatocrenata, Archeampelos nebrascensis, Berchemiopsis berchemiiformis, Mciveriella hydrocotyloidea, Rhamnica cleburnii, Rhamnica goldiana, Rhamnites asperus are proposed. Furthermore the illegitimate name Populus cordata Newberry (non Hort. ex Poiret) is lectotypified and transferred into Archeampelos with the new name A. yellowstonica.

Junior homonyms of fossil species,
Abies protofirma Tanai 1961 (non Zaklinskaja
1957) and Abies minor Ananova 1974 (non
Velenovský 1885), are replaced with new
names respectively, A. praefirma Doweld and
Abiespollenites ananovae Doweld. The validity
of the fossil species A. minor Velenovský 1885
is no more affected by the devalidated species
name A. minor Gilibert 1792, which is in the
works now suppressed by The International Code
of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants
(Opera utique oppressa).

The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI) is a new global on–line data base [http://fossilplants.info/about] of fossil names of plants, algae, fungi, allied prokaryotic forms (formerly treated as algae and Сyanophyceae), algae–related protists and fossil microproblematica (so–called ‘ambiregnal’ organisms). IFPNI as a new platform provides an online, open–access, and community–generated registry of fossil plant nomenclature as a service to the global scientific community. One of the goals of the IFPNI was also to compile and maintain a comprehensive literature based record of these fossil scientific names and bank of author names in palaeobotany. IFPNI fulfils existed gap in modern systematic botany lacking comprehensive indices of fossil plant names.

Junior homonyms of extant species, fossil Styrax laevigatus Miki 1941 (Styracaceae; non Aiton 1789) and fossil Styrax rugosus Miki 1941 (non Kurz 1871), are replaced with new names respectively, S. mikii Doweld and S. plionipponicus Doweld. Lectotype specimens (based on fruits) for S. mikii Doweld and neotype (based on seeds) for S. plionipponicus Doweld are designated for the first time for fossil species.