Abstract Detail

Mesozoic and Cenozoic plant evolution and biotic change: A symposium in honor of Ruth Stockey

Pigg, Kathleen B. [1], Devore, Melanie L. [2].

Permineralized plants of the Princeton chert (middle Eocene BC, Canada) and their relationship to the compression/impression floras of the Okanogan (Okanagan) Highland(s) floras of British Columbia and Republic, Washington.

We focus our presentation on Ruth Stockey's work, along with students, postdocs and colleagues, from the 1980s on, on the middle Eocene Princeton Chert from British Columbia, Canada. This flora was studied by Miller who described several pines, Basinger who named Paleorosa and collaborated with Rothwell on Metasequoia milleri and an overview of the flora and Robison and Person who described the semi-aquatic plant Eorhiza. Ruth began her work on the Princeton chert shortly after her arrival in Edmonton, describing leaves and cones of several pines. PhD students Sergio Cevallos-Ferriz and Diane Erwin studied Princeton chert plants for their dissertation work. Sergio described wood of Rosaceae and Magoliaceae and fruits and seeds of Prunus, Decodon, Keratosperma, Allenbya and Vitis and Diane described several intriguing monocots. The two collaborated with Ruth on a study of Paleorosa and Diane and Ruth described the sapindaceous flower they christened Wehrwolfea in honor of Jack Wolfe and Wes Wehr. Ruth's solo effort on a flower she named Princetonia was confounded when in collaboration with one of us it turned out to be the flower and fruit she thought belonged to Eorhiza. Should the elusive organic connection ever be made between Eorhiza and Princetonia, this flagship name would lose out to Eorhiza's priority as the older taxon. The connection has yet to be found. As post docs Kathleen Pigg and Benoit LePage contributed to the description of Paleomyrtinaea and Eorhiza (Pigg), fossil fungi (LePage) and both to Diplopanax (Cornaceae). Jeff Osborn and Carlie Phipps described a conifer pollen cone, and Grace Hill-Rackette and Randy Currah studied the fossil fungi. Comprising the next wave of students, Stefan Little studied vegetative anatomy of Lythraceae and fruits of Lauraceae while Selena Smith made contributions to conifers, Araceae, and Saururaceae. Both participated in a volume on filicalean ferns from the Princeton chert and other sites, as did Harufumi Nishida and Rothwell. Most recently, Ashley Klymiuk completed a whole plant reconstruction of Pinus arnoldii. A comparison of the plants of the Princeton chert provides a high resolution focus of plants in a predominately wetland environment, in contrast to the broader overview provided by compression/impression floras. Genera known from both are Osmunda, Pinus, Metasequoia, Prunus, and Vitis. Families shared include Dennsteadtiaceae, Araceae, Cornaceae, Lauraceae, Lythraceae, Magnoliaceae, Myrtaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Rosaceae, Sapindaceae. Unique to the compressions are Azolla, Ginkgo, Betulaceae, Bignoniaceae, Eucommiaceae, Fagaceae, Tiliaceae, Ulmaceae and other presumed "upland" taxa.

Related Links:
Pigg Lab Paleobotany & Vascular Plant Morphology

1 - Arizona State University, School Of Life Sciences Faculty & Admin, Box 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA
2 - Dept Of Biology & Env. Science, GC & SU Campus Box 81, Milledgeville, GA, 31061-0001, USA

Keywords:
anatomical preservation
Tertiary floras
Aquatic plants
Fossil flora.

Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SY14
Location: Salon 5/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 8:45 AM
Number: SY14003
Abstract ID:1297
Candidate for Awards:None