Pollen morphology of extant Winteraceae: a study allowing SEM-based affiliation of its fossil representatives
- Author(s)
- Fridgeir Grimsson, Alexandros Xafis, Frank H. Neumann, Reinhard Zetter
- Abstract
When applying high-resolution microscopy, the pollen morphology of extant taxa can be used to classify fossil pollen, that is, to address the latter in the established systematic-phylogenetic framework. Here we investigate tetrads and pollen features of 20 different Winteraceae species, most of them belonging to the early-diverging generic lineages Tasmannia, Drimys and Pseudowintera. The tetrads and pollen are grouped into eleven pollen types based on diagnostic features observed by both light and scanning electron microscopy. The high-resolution scanning electron micrographs of recent material allow detailed comparison with fossil material, resulting in a more accurate affiliation of fossil tetrads/pollen to extant lineages. As a case study, early Miocene Winteraceae tetrads from South Africa are re-examined and formally described. The systematic placement of the African fossils is discussed in light of the pollen types presented here.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of the Free State
- Journal
- Acta Palaeobotanica
- Volume
- 57
- Pages
- 339-396
- No. of pages
- 58
- ISSN
- 0001-6594
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1515/acpa-2017-0015
- Publication date
- 12-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105117 Palaeobotany
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/9ac42483-a118-40fe-9cc9-d5a71db680c5