Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4747304 | Cretaceous Research | 2013 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
The extant fern genus Asplenium Linnaeus, 1753 is widely distributed in tropical-temperate regions and shows a high diversity. The oldest fossils assigned to it comprise fronds and spores preserved in situ from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast Asia. However, molecular dating suggests that Asplenium diverged during the Paleocene (∼57.7 Ma). Here we present some explanations for the disparity in fossil and molecular age estimates, and new insights into the origin and evolution of the genus. We suggest that Cretaceous Asplenium most likely represents a stem-group member, and that lineage extinction during the early evolutionary stages of the genus resulted in missing nodes.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Palaeontology
Authors
Chunxiang Li, Qun Yang,