Nelumbo aureavallis
Encyclopedia
Nelumbo aureavallis is an extinct
species
of flowering plant
in the lotus family known from Ypresian
age Eocene
fossil
s found in western North Dakota
, USA.
The species was described from two leaf specimens with reference to four others. The leaves were found at the AMNH
fossil localities 14088, 14089, 14091a, and 14099 all of which are in the Camels Butte member of the Golden Valley Formation. The Camels Butte member outcrops at a number of sites in western North Dakota
, and is designated the type locality
.
The holotype
specimen, number USNM 43231, and paratype, number "USNM 43229, are both preserved in the National Museum of Natural History
collections of the Smithsonian Institution
. The pair of specimens were studied by paleobotanist Leo J. Hickey of the Yale University Geology Department
. Dr Hickey published the 1977 type description for N. aureavallis in the Geological Society of America
memoir 150, Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Golden Valley Formation (Early Tertiary) of Western North Dakota. In the type description the etymology
for the specific name
aureavallis, "of Golden Valley" was not explicitly specified. Dr Hickey noted the extreme similarity between modern Nelumbo
species leaves and those of N. aureavallis.
The leaves of Nelumbo aureavallis are up to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) in diameter with a smooth, slightly wavy margin. The leaf stalk attached to the leaf in the center, from which between thirty-five and forty thick primary veins extend towards the margin. Each of the primary veins branches from one to three times. The secondary veins form a transverse pattern and this combined with the large number of primaries distinguish N. aureavallis from extinct Nymphaeaceae
genera and warrant its inclusion into Nelumbo. Preserved along with, but not attached to, the holoype leaf is a flower bud
which is very similar to modern lotus flowers. While not attached the close proximity to the leaf and similarity allowed for the tentative inclusion of the 2.2 by bud in N.aureavallis.
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the lotus family known from Ypresian
Ypresian
In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between and , is preceded by the Thanetian age and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian age....
age Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s found in western North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, USA.
The species was described from two leaf specimens with reference to four others. The leaves were found at the AMNH
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
fossil localities 14088, 14089, 14091a, and 14099 all of which are in the Camels Butte member of the Golden Valley Formation. The Camels Butte member outcrops at a number of sites in western North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and is designated the type locality
Type locality (geology)
Type locality , also called type area or type locale, is the where a particular rock type, stratigraphic unit, fossil or mineral species is first identified....
.
The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
specimen, number USNM 43231, and paratype, number "USNM 43229, are both preserved in the National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
collections of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. The pair of specimens were studied by paleobotanist Leo J. Hickey of the Yale University Geology Department
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Dr Hickey published the 1977 type description for N. aureavallis in the Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
memoir 150, Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Golden Valley Formation (Early Tertiary) of Western North Dakota. In the type description the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
for the specific name
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
aureavallis, "of Golden Valley" was not explicitly specified. Dr Hickey noted the extreme similarity between modern Nelumbo
Nelumbo
Nelumbo is a genus of aquatic plants with large, showy flowers resembling water lilies, commonly known as lotus. The generic name is derived from the Sinhalese word Nelum. There are only two known living species in the genus. The sacred lotus is native to Asia, and is the better known of the two...
species leaves and those of N. aureavallis.
The leaves of Nelumbo aureavallis are up to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) in diameter with a smooth, slightly wavy margin. The leaf stalk attached to the leaf in the center, from which between thirty-five and forty thick primary veins extend towards the margin. Each of the primary veins branches from one to three times. The secondary veins form a transverse pattern and this combined with the large number of primaries distinguish N. aureavallis from extinct Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
genera and warrant its inclusion into Nelumbo. Preserved along with, but not attached to, the holoype leaf is a flower bud
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
which is very similar to modern lotus flowers. While not attached the close proximity to the leaf and similarity allowed for the tentative inclusion of the 2.2 by bud in N.aureavallis.