Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany von Margaret E. Collinson, Steven R. Manchester, Volker Wilde 1. Auflage Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany – Collinson / Manchester / Wilde schnell und portofrei erhältlich bei beck-shop.de DIE FACHBUCHHANDLUNG Thematische Gliederung: Paläontologie, Taphonomie Schweizerbart, E. 2012 Verlag C.H. Beck im Internet: www.beck.de ISBN 978 3 510 61400 4 570 Abhandlungen der Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung Margaret E. Collinson, Steven R. Manchester & Volker Wilde Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nägele u. Obermiller) Stuttgart Abh. Senckenberg Ges. Naturforsch., 570; 2012 Content Introduction......................................................................................................................... 2 Geologic setting and age..................................................................................................... 2 Modes of preservation......................................................................................................... 3 Material and methods.......................................................................................................... 4 Floristic composition .......................................................................................................... 6 Comparison with diversity known from leaves and pollen ................................................ 7 Fruit and seed biology, dispersal and animal diets ............................................................. 7 Soft to leathery fleshy fruit tissues .......................................................................................................7 Vertebrate gut contents containing fruits and seeds..............................................................................8 Insect dispersal and feeding..................................................................................................................9 Dry fruits and seeds: dehiscence mechanisms and vertebrate diet.......................................................9 Dry fruits and seeds as a vertebrate food resource: fibrous, tough, woody and resinous tissues .........9 Endosperm food reserves......................................................................................................................10 Epizoochorous dispersal.......................................................................................................................10 Wind dispersal ......................................................................................................................................10 Other dispersal mechanisms .................................................................................................................11 Dormancy and germination ..................................................................................................................11 Taphonomic considerations ................................................................................................ 11 Growth habits and vegetation reconstruction ..................................................................... 12 Climatic interpretations....................................................................................................... 13 Biogeographic considerations............................................................................................. 13 Comparison with other fossil floras......................................................................................................13 Comparison with modern day floras.....................................................................................................16 Future directions for Messel palaeobotanical research....................................................... 16 Systematics ......................................................................................................................... 17 Family Doliostrobaceae KVAČEK...........................................................................................................17 Family Alangiaceae DC. ......................................................................................................................17 Family Altingiaceae LINDL. ..................................................................................................................17 Family Anacardiaceae R. BR. ...............................................................................................................18 Family Apocynaceae JUSS. ...................................................................................................................20 Family Arecaceae BERCHT. & J. PRESL..................................................................................................20 Family Bignoniaceae JUSS. ...................................................................................................................21 Family Burseraceae KUNTH 1824..........................................................................................................21 Family Cannabaceae MARTINOV............................................................................................................22 Family Cyclanthaceae POIT.exA.RICH. ..............................................................................................22 Family Cyperaceae JUSS. ......................................................................................................................23 Family Elaeocarpaceae JUSS. ...............................................................................................................23 Family Euphorbiaceae JUSS. ................................................................................................................24 Family Hamamelidaceae R. BR. ..........................................................................................................25 COLLINSON, M., MANCHESTER, S. & WILDE, V.: Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Messel biota, Germany Family Icacinaceae MIERS.....................................................................................................................27 Family Juglandaceae DC......................................................................................................................32 Family Lauraceae JUSS. ........................................................................................................................33 Family Leguminosae JUSS. ...................................................................................................................34 Family Lythraceae J. ST.-HIL. ..............................................................................................................35 Family Magnoliaceae JUSS. ..................................................................................................................36 Family Mastixiaceae CALEST. ..............................................................................................................36 Family Menispermaceae JUSS. .............................................................................................................38 Family Myristicaceae R. BR. ...............................................................................................................46 Order ?Nymphaeales ............................................................................................................................46 Family Nyssaceae JUSS.exDUMORT. ....................................................................................................47 Family Pentaphylacaceae ENGL. ..........................................................................................................47 Family Rhamnaceae JUSS. ....................................................................................................................47 Family Rutaceae JUSS. ..........................................................................................................................48 Family Sabiaceae BLUME ......................................................................................................................49 Family Sapotaceae JUSS. ......................................................................................................................49 Family Simaroubaceae DC...................................................................................................................50 Family Tapisciaceae TAKHT. ................................................................................................................50 Family Theaceae MIRB. ........................................................................................................................50 Family Toricelliaceae HU......................................................................................................................51 Family Ulmaceae MIRB. .......................................................................................................................52 Family Vitaceae JUSS. ..........................................................................................................................52 Incertae Sedis...................................................................................................................... 56 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................. 76 References..........................................................................................................................