Song Xiangbo, Ye Wen, Wang Zixi
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Aug 14;15(8):e72007. doi: 10.1002/ece3.72007. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The liverwort genus , one of the largest genera within the order Porellales, is phylogenetically isolated and widely distributed, with many species thriving as epiphytes in diverse ecosystems. Fossil records of are scarce, particularly those with sufficient morphological details for precise taxonomic assignment. In this study, we describe and illustrate a new species, sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber in Myanmar. The fossil exhibits a unique combination of diagnostic features, including broad lobules, short keels, and amentulose axes, with amentulose shoots producing 1-2 additional amentulose shoots. The new discovery sheds light on species diversity during the Cretaceous and offers deeper insights into the morphological traits of this liverwort genus.
叶苔属是光萼苔目最大的属之一，在系统发育上孤立且分布广泛，许多物种作为附生植物在不同生态系统中繁茂生长。叶苔属的化石记录稀少，尤其是那些具有足够形态细节以便进行精确分类的记录。在本研究中，我们描述并展示了一种来自缅甸白垩纪中期克钦琥珀的新物种，即 新种。该化石展现出一系列独特的诊断特征组合，包括宽阔的小叶、短龙骨以及具小柔荑花序的轴，具小柔荑花序的枝条还会产生1 - 2个额外的具小柔荑花序的枝条。这一新发现揭示了白垩纪时期的物种多样性，并为该叶苔属的形态特征提供了更深入见解。
