Titel
Cretaceous gnetalean yields first preserved plant gum
Autor*in
Robert F. Loveridge
School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth
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Abstract
Some liquid plant exudates (e.g. resin) can be found preserved in the fossil record. However, due to their high solubility, gums have been assumed to dissolve before fossilisation. The visual appearance of gums (water-soluble polysaccharides) is so similar to other plant exudates, particularly resin, that chemical testing is essential to differentiate them. Remarkably, Welwitschiophyllum leaves from Early Cretaceous, Brazil provide the first chemical confirmation of a preserved gum. This is despite the leaves being exposed to water twice during formation and subsequent weathering of the Crato Formation. The Welwitschiophyllum plant shares the presence of gum ducts inside leaves with its presumed extant relative the gnetalean Welwitschia. This fossil gum presents a chemical signature remarkably similar to the gum in extant Welwitschia and is distinct from those of fossil resins. We show for the first time that a water-soluble plant exudate has been preserved in the fossil record, potentially allowing us to recognise further biomolecules thought to be lost during the fossilisation process.
Stichwort
BiogeochemistryEcology
Objekt-Typ
Sprache
Englisch [eng]
Persistent identifier
phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:1227610
Erschienen in
Titel
Scientific Reports
Band
10
ISSN
2045-2322
Erscheinungsdatum
2020
Publication
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Erscheinungsdatum
2020
Zugänglichkeit
Rechte
Rechteangabe
© The Author(s) 2020
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