Introduction Stories Behind Metasequoia Exhibition Plan

Home , Living fossil

Living fossils, as an icon for understanding the past and current climate changes Atsushi Yabe (National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan) https://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/

Introduction Stories behind Metasequoia Why it was extinct from Japan? The climate has not been stable throughout the Earth’s histo- Metasequoia is a special plant for us Japanese. Because the genus was originally named by a Japanese bot- ry. In discussing anthropogenic problems, it is important to anist and paleobotanist, Dr. Shigeru Miki in 1941, based on fossil materials collected in Japan. show how current climate changes differ from historical Miki was the first who recognized the differences changes. Living fossils have the potential to make people un- 1941 ・Establishment of new genus among some fossil plants named as Taxodium or 1945 ・Discovery of natural trees derstand how environmental issues change over time. Here I Sequoia, both are extant genera belonging to the 1946 ・Official report of modern new introduce our new temporary exhibition in the National species family Cupressaceae. They have been recorded Museum of Nature and Science, Japan, focusing on a living 1947 ・Conservation project started from many fossil localities in northern hemisphere. 1950 ・100 seedlings arrived in Japan However, Miki recognized that some of them are fossil, Metasequoia. Distribution changes of Metasequoia over the Cenozoic. ・Metasequoia conservation ass. distinct from Taxodium and/or Sequoia in phyllo- began to distribute seedlings to (from Tsuka- taxis and other morphological details. Then he es- Global climate pattern and geo- Dr. S. Miki schools in Japan Selecting icons is important goshi, 2011, J. Histor. Bot. tablished a new genus Metasequoia as an extinct graphic changes are considered as 19 (1-2)) genus that is known only in fossil records. After two main causes of distribution Icons of NMNS that, Dr Hu, Hsen Hsu, a Chinese botanist, newly changes and local extinction of Metasequoia. It was extinct from found extant population of the genus in Central Japan before the middle Pleistocene China and named as Metasequoia glyptostroboi- (ca. 500ky). des in 1946. Then, Metasequoia was finally regard- Metasequoia stamp in Tokyo

ed as a living fossil. Because of the importance of 16362 5454 2575 6060 9966 6060 6060 6969 6969 4427 0066 6060 6060 6060 2575 5454

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階平面図 Time

7878 3636 606 606 3636 this discovery by Miki and Hu, the natural popula-

Hachiko FutabasaurusMyriad-Year-Clock Blue whale Quaternary period Neogene

ELV

DN tion was started to be protected and some young Momotarou2012 Kabacchi DN CC BY-SA 3.0 CC BY 2.0 shoots 2727 were4242 cultivated to distribute them to bo-

Original specimens studied by DN

Which icons should be selected to let people understand the tanicalDN gardens in all over the world. Miki (1942) (from Tsukagoshi, Morphological comparison between Meta- Metasequoia Interglacial

theme of the exhibition? This is one of the most important 2011, J. Histor. Bot. 19 (1-2)) sequoia and Sequoia.

DN 7272 issues in our work. When we focus on anthropogenic prob- DN lems, we tend to show something endangered. The story ・Glacial

(3) Metasequoia forest in deep time

サンクンガーデンサンクンガーデン

機械室

DN 空調・Interglacial among those species often ring a bell of public. However,DN Exhibition plan

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FL±0

ルホー正面玄関

LV people may feel that the story is a bit far from their life, be- E Mano&Nakai (1987) cause those species are not common for them. If we can 1818 Glacial (1) What is Metasequoia? select something common to the public, that may have 4242 4242 4242 Fossil occurrence of selected plants (right) and vegetation changes (left) higher potential for our purpose. (4) Why did Metasequoia extinct from Japan? during the Quaternary in Japan.

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ルホー中央南翼展示室南翼階段室 Metasequoia is close to us 空調機械室 (2) Discovery of Metasequoia theater Protecting natural populations

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Metasequoia is cupressaceous co- X18X17X16X15X14X13X12X11X10X9X8X7X6X5X4X3X2X1Y4Y3Y2Y1Y5Y6Y7Y8Y9Y10Y11B1B2B3B4B5B6A12A11A10A9A8A7A6A5 —thinking modern problems beside UP UP (5) Current activities concerning Metasequoia

nifer genus represented by a 6363 中央階段室 DN

single species, Metasequoia glyp- DN Currently, Metasequoia is PS

3636 地球の部屋

tostroboides Hu et Cheng. ELV endangered again due to This species is very common in 3636

PotentialELV activities: Feel ancient Metasequoia the pressures of rapid popu-

Japan because they are often culti- DS lation growth and climate 3636 vated in school grounds and pave- DS Metasequoia is common not only as cul- changes, both are problems

ments, although we cannot see EPS 上野連絡室

tivated trees but also as fossil remains5908 in

給湯 eﬀecting other endangered

中会議室、連携協力課ス課サービ報・広科学博物館後援会

リエゾン

them in natural forest in Japan. PS

コピーブース DS ELV

PS Japan. We can even ﬁnd fossil remains in species. We will consider

14543 2727

廊下廊下

Tokyo and other風除室 places throughout the and show current activities

受付 DN country. We can thus feel/recheck sto-

風除室 ongoing in China.

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打合せ室調整課画・学習企メモリアルルーム救護室守衛室事務階段室 ries behind it through our own experi-

ences by digging fossils. LePage et al. (2005)The Geobiology and

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▽ イエリア

ドラ Quaternary distribution of Metasequoia in Ecology of Metasequoia. Springer Verlag

6633 6633 3636 3636 3636 3636 3636 6633 6633 663636 3636 3636 3636 3636 3636 Cultiated Metasequoia trees in botanical garden 39996 Japan. https://www.kahaku.go.jp/research/activities/project/hotspot_japan/Q-pmf/