inyo
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2014
Posts: 85
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Post by inyo on May 18, 2022 8:09:05 GMT -5
Not too long ago, I uploaded a new page called Plant Fossils In The Neighborhood Of Reno, Nevada ( inyo6.coffeecup.com/reno/renofossils.html ). It's all about visits to two paleobotanically fascinating places in Nevada, in the vicinity of The Biggest Little City In The World, western edge of the Great Basin Desert. The sites yield middle Miocene leaves, seeds, needles, foliage and cones from many species of ancient plants some 15.6 to 13.3 million years old, including giant sequoia, fir, spruce, maple, and birch. Includes a detailed text with photos of fossils and on-site images.
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Post by vegasjames on May 18, 2022 8:11:26 GMT -5
Not too long ago, I uploaded a new page called Plant Fossils In The Neighborhood Of Reno, Nevada ( inyo6.coffeecup.com/reno/renofossils.html ). It's all about visits to two paleobotanically fascinating places in Nevada, in the vicinity of The Biggest Little City In The World, western edge of the Great Basin Desert. The sites yield middle Miocene leaves, seeds, needles, foliage and cones from many species of ancient plants some 15.6 to 13.3 million years old, including giant sequoia, fir, spruce, maple, and birch. Includes a detailed text with photos of fossils and on-site images. I know there are supposed to be a lot up by Virginia City, not far from Reno.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on May 19, 2022 6:32:42 GMT -5
The leaf fossils are impressive in the article inyo. They closely resemble the leaves on the hardwood forest floor of Georgia today. 450 oak species across the world - "There are about 450 species of oaks, 58 of which are native to North America. Most species of oak are deciduous trees—meaning that they lose their leaves in the fall. However, among the hundreds of oak species, you’ll also find a few evergreen varieties." leafyplace.com/oak-tree-types-bark-leaves/58 species in N America, over 30 in Georgia - "Over thirty unique oak species (Quercus spp.) are found in Georgia. It can be challenging to distinguish between so many kinds of oak trees." - www.warnell.uga.edu/sites/default/files/publications/WSFNR-20-93B_Campbell%26Gordon.pdf#:~:text=Oaks%20are%20part%20of%20the%20family%20Fagaceae%2C%20which,guish%20betw There is debate concerning the number of oak species in Georgia because of natural hybridization due to cross pollinations resulting in difficulty of accurate taxonomy decisions. Not to mention they vary in appearance depending on habitat variations. A similar natural hybridization issue arose with the water loving Louisiana Iris native to the SE US - "Louisiana iris is a taxonomic group (Iris ser. Hexagonae) of five iris species native to Louisiana and surrounding regions of the southeastern United States: Iris fulva, Iris hexagona, Iris brevicaulis, Iris giganticaerulea, and Iris nelsonii.[1]" Well the Louisiana Iris was the focus of the upper echelon in the roaring twenties when plant lovers raided the wetlands of south Louisiana to collect the large variety of naturally hybridized bloom colors. The upper class meets the swamp driven by desire to capture many varieties of beautiful flowering plants lol. Granted there are about 2000 varieties intentionally hybridized by man at this time after the roaring twenties attack, the Louisiana Iris still holds the record for more naturally occurring bloom colors that any other flowering plant in the world. The search involved tracing native hybrids up complex stream and river drainages where the 5 pure species growing singularly or in sub-groups in certain drainages converged close enough to cross pollinate. If such natural hybrizing is of interest many wetland plants like rushes(like Juncus Effusus), emergents(like Pickeral), water lilies and others naturally hybridize due to their shared water habitats. These plants are fairly common in the fossil state.
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