الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Eleven fossil dicot woods belonging to three families are described from the Oligocene of the Cairo Petrified Forest protected area. Andiroxylon aegyptiacum sp. nov. is described as a new species. Copaiferoxylon matanzensis, Dichrostachyoxylon palaeonyassanum, D. royaderum and D. zirkelii are reported for the first time from Egypt. Afzelioxylon welkitii, Mimosoxylon tenax and Terminalioxylon edwardsii are described for the first time from the Cairo Petrified Forest. The three remaining species; Bombacoxylon owenii, Cynometroxylon tunesense and Detarioxylon aegyptiacum had already been described previously from several sites in Egypt including the study area. Affinities of the reported species are given based on comparisons with related fossil woods described earlier from Egypt and from other countries. Climatic interpretations are then obtained from the anatomical features of all the fossil taxa. Moreover, the relationships and comparisons with the nearest living relatives are discussed. Finally, evidence for the origin of legumes from Africa is provided with some inferences on the palaeophytogeography. |