The macrofossil record of Proteaceae in Tasmania: a review with new species

Abstract

About 10 taxa of Proteaceae are known from the Early Eocene in Tasmania, onefrom a Late Eocene site, 22 from four Early Oligocene sites, one from a LateOligocene–Early Miocene site, 12 or 13 from two Early Pleistocene sites,and five or six from the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Most of the Tertiaryfossils are of extinct species, but the extant speciesLomatia fraxinifolia andTelopea truncata as well as apparent close relatives ofthe subalpine rainforest species Orites milliganii, andthe subtropical rainforest species O. excelsa have beenrecorded from the Early Oligocene. None of the Early Oligocene species areknown from more than one site, implying very high regional diversity, andfloristic differentiation among the sites. High diversity of Proteaceae atsome sites may be associated with oligotrophic soils. There is no evidence ofany of the modern species-rich scleromorphic groups of Proteaceae exceptBanksiinae. Scleromorphy was well established in Oriteae, Embothrieae andBanksiinae by the Early Oligocene. The Early Eocene fossils have very smallstomata, sparsely distributed on the leaf, which may have been due to elevatedatmospheric CO₂. All extant Tasmanian genera and manyextant species as well as some extinct species were present by the EarlyPleistocene. The specific diversity within the region was probably higher thanit is now. In order to resolve a nomenclatural problem within the genusProteaciphyllum, EuproteaciphyllumG.J.Jord., R.J.Carp & R.S.Hill, gen. nov. is proposed and this name isapplied to 10 previously described species. The Tasmanian fossil taxa includethree new records, and nine new species:Euproteaciphyllum brookerensis G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp.& R.S.Hill, sp. nov., and E. tasmanicum G.J.Jord.,R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp. nov. from Early Eocene sediments; andOrites milliganoides G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp. nov., O. scleromorpha G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp.& R.S.Hill, sp. nov., E. papillosumG.J.Jord.,R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp. nov., E. polymorphumG.J.Jord., R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp. nov.,E. microlobium G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp.nov., E. falcatum G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill,sp. nov., and E. serratum G.J.Jord., R.J.Carp. & R.S.Hill, sp. nov. from Early Oligocene sediments.