Journal Article

A Commented Synopsis of the Pre-Pleistocene Fossil Record of Carex (Cyperaceae)

Roalson, E. H., Martinetto, E., Momohara, A., Smith, S. Y., Jiménez-Mejías, P., Popova, S.

2016

Overview

Despite the existence of a rich record, fossils of Carex have been largely neglected by neobotanists. Here we present an exhaustive critically commented checklist of the so-far published pre-Pleistocene records ascribed to Carex. We have made every attempt to include all pertinent paleobotanical literature. The extensive collection of the Museum fur Naturkunde (Berlin, Germany) has also been studied. We found that up to 83 names belonging to different Carex groups may be applied to reliable remains, plus another 23 names of doubtful remains. These fossils come from more than 550 sites, mainly from C and E Europe and the Russian Federations. The age of the reliable fossil record ranges from the Eocene to recent times. Problems detected on the taxonomy, age and naming of these fossils are discussed. We hope that this work will stimulate neobotanical and paleobotanical communities to work together on broad-scope systematic projects as this one.

• Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media,Springer Science and Business Media LLC,Springer US,New York Botanical Garden,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Achenes; Carpology; Nutlets; Paleotaxonomy; Systematics / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Carex / Company distribution practices / Cyperaceae / Distribution / Eocene / Flowers & plants / Fossil plants / Fossils / Germany / Identification and classification / Life Sciences / Morphology / Names / Paleobotany / Phylogenetics / Physiological aspects / Plant Anatomy/Development / Plant Ecology / Plant Physiology / Plant Sciences / Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography / Plants, Fossil / Pleistocene / Russia / Taxonomy