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Virola dominicana sp. nov., (Myristicaceae) from Dominican amber Public Deposited

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/c247dt31x

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  • The Myristicaceae is a member of the early diverging angiosperm order Magnoliales, however the family is poorly represented by fossil collections. We describe Virola dominicana sp. nov. (Myristicaceae), the first record of fossilized Myristicaceae flowers, from mid-Tertiary (45-15 mya) Dominican amber. The description is based on 24 male flowers in 17 pieces of amber, thus providing some indication of intra-specific variation, including a 2-tepaled flower. Diagnostic characters of the new species are the long simple or few-branched trichomes on the perianth margins, the small pollen grains and a short staminal column. There are no endemic members of the Myristicaceae in Hispaniola today and it is speculated that V. dominicana disappeared from the region during the Pliocene-Pleistocene cooling events. These fossils provide observations of possible pollinators of Virola and establishes the presence of Myristicaceae in the Western Hemisphere during the mid-Tertiary.
  • This is an author's manuscript version. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research Press and can be found at: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjb-2013-0019.
  • Keywords: Paleobotany, Myristicaceae, Virola dominicana, Dominican fossil Amber
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  • Poinar, G., & Steeves, R. (2013). Virola dominicana sp nov (Myristicaceae) from Dominican amber. Botany-Botanique, 91(8), 530-534. doi:10.1139/cjb-2013-0019
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  • 91
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  • 8
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