Fossil sedges, macroplants, and roots from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.
J Hum Evol
; 63(2): 351-63, 2012 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21930291
ABSTRACT
A variety of macroplants has been recorded and collected from the eastern paleolake margin of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, from Upper Bed I and Lower Bed II, dated at ~1.7-1.85 Ma. The plant groups represented are sedges, grasses, and woody and herbaceous dicotyledons. Most of these plants are fragmented, but the roots are in situ. The modes and quality of preservation, however, are very variable. Silicification is the dominant type of preservation; it ranges from high quality faithful replacement of cells resulting in silicified wood and sedge culms that are identifiable on the basis of their internal anatomy, to poor quality biotubes lacking internal anatomy or external features that prevent assignment to a specific plant or invertebrate origin. In between this range are silicified roots and grass culms identified by their external anatomy, and leaf and stem impressions. Interpretation of the paleoecology is limited by the quality of preservation. The in situ root horizons are useful for recognizing paleo-surfaces. The best quality preservation where internal anatomy is preserved occurs at HWK E and MCK, localities that are in the middle of the fault compartments so the vegetation can be reconstructed for these sites. Some sedge culms are described, illustrated, and identified as possible species of Cyperus, Fuirena, and Schoenoplectus.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Paleontology
/
Plants
/
Fossils
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
J Hum Evol
Year:
2012
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
South Africa
Publication country:
ENGLAND
/
ESCOCIA
/
GB
/
GREAT BRITAIN
/
INGLATERRA
/
REINO UNIDO
/
SCOTLAND
/
UK
/
UNITED KINGDOM