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Fossil fruits of Salsola L. s.l. and Halanthium K.Koch (Chenopodiaceae) from Lower Pleistocene lacustrine sediments in Armenia
Author(s) -
Akopian Janna,
Gabrielyan Ivan,
Freitag Helmut
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
feddes repertorium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1522-239X
pISSN - 0014-8962
DOI - 10.1002/fedr.200811164
Subject(s) - pleistocene , arid , genus , vegetation (pathology) , macrofossil , early pleistocene , paleobotany , geology , extant taxon , chenopodiaceae , paleontology , holocene , context (archaeology) , ecology , geography , botany , biology , medicine , biochemistry , plant development , pathology , evolutionary biology , gene
For the first time imprints of fossil fruits of Salsola L. s.l. and Halanthium K.Koch (Chenopodiaceae, Salsoloideae,) are reported from the territory of Armenia, the latter being the first fossil record of the Southwest Asian genus worldwide. They were collected from fluvio‐lacustrine diatomite layers of the Lower Pleistocene (Sisian series) in the upper‐middle Vorotan river valley recently dated at 1.4–0.935 my (Early Pleistocene). The fossils are described, figured and compared with recent relatives. Due to poor preservation, the identity of the Salsola fruit cannot be specified but the similar genus Kochia can be excluded. The Halanthium fruit seems to differ from those of extant species. Both are also discussed in the context of the very poor fossil Salsoloideae record and of the actual and lower Pleistocene vegetation and environment. The findings of truly semidesert species underline the presence of open landscapes and extremely semiarid to arid conditions. However, stratigraphically more refined analyses are needed to draw conclusions about the former vegetation and the duration of arid periods because most macrofossils reported from the same strata indicate semiarid and even humid environments. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)