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Enigmatic occurrence of P ermian plant roots in Lower S ilurian rocks, G uizhou P rovince, C hina
Author(s) -
Wang Yi,
Edwards Dianne,
Bassett Michael,
Xu HongHe,
Xiao Jiafei,
Jiang Qing,
Zhang Xiaole
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
palaeontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1475-4983
pISSN - 0031-0239
DOI - 10.1111/pala.12019
Subject(s) - permian , geology , paleontology , china , tracheid , botany , biology , geography , archaeology , xylem , structural basin
P innatiramosus qianensis G eng, 1986, is a plant with a complex, extensive pinnate branching system and pitted tracheids, collected from marine L ower S ilurian ( L landovery; c . 430 Ma) rocks in G uizhou P rovince, C hina. It challenges long‐held theories on the origin and early evolution of vascular plants in the S ilurian and D evonian. However, there is a hypothesis that the fossils were not syngenetic with the entombing rock, but were the rooting systems of much younger plants, probably of P ermian age. New sections and collections of P . qianensis have been subjected to detailed analyses, which indicate that P . qianensis belongs to an early P ermian ( c . 285 Ma) rooting system growing down into lower S ilurian rocks.