Metapodocarpoxylon

Metapodocarpoxylon Temporal range: Jurassic–Cretaceous PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Araucariales
Family:	Podocarpaceae
Genus:	†Metapodocarpoxylon Dupéron-Laudoueneix & Pons, 1985

Metapodocarpoxylon is an extinct genus of conifer from the Mesozoic era, suggested to be related with the family Podocarpaceae. The ecological closest living equivalent is the genus Dacrydium, yet this fossil wood probably represented a more basal taxon, maybe akin to Saxegothaea.[1][2][3] Alternatively it can represent convergently evolved Palissyales or Voltziales.[4] Multiple species of this genus are know from units that represented vast alluvial plains that were prevalent across regions such as Mali, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Cameroon and Egypt, as well in N South America (Colombia), with a possible record on Italy, asocciated usually with the genus Agathoxylon, likely building large scale evergreen tropophilous forests.[5] Some species were previously referred to the genus Protophyllocladoxylon.[6] Recent data has revelated the 1st specimens of the genus from the Laurasia region (Huoshaoshan Formation at Qinghai) and the oldest, of Early Jurassic age, suggesting the genus appeared first in the northern hemisphere and then moved to the south.[7] It was after then mostly associated with the Equatorial Mesozoic regions.[7]

Species

• M. libanoticum type Dupéron-Laudoueneix et Pons, 1985 (Edwards,1929, as Mesembrioxylon libanoticum) Lower Cretaceous, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia
• M. brasiliense Maria da Conceição et al., 2025 Jurassic-Cretaceous bondary, Brazil

• M. chudeaui Batton, 1965 Lower Cretaceous, Niger

• M. curitiense Pons, 1978 Lower Cretaceous, Colombia
• M. diphtericum Batton and Boureau, 1965 Lower Cretaceous, Cameroon
• M. leuchsii Kräusel, 1939 Lower Cretaceous, Egypt
• M. madamaense Boureau, 1948 Lower Cretaceous, Algeria, Tunisia
• M. maurianum Gazeau, 1969 Lower-Middle Jurassic, Morocco
• M. rosablancaense Pons, 1971 Lower Cretaceous, Colombia
• M. subdiphtericum Dupéron-Laudoueneix, 1976 Lower Cretaceous, Cameroon, Italy?
• There are also possible occurrences of the genus from Jurassic deposits of Colombia, Morocco and Tunisia, what would indicate that this endemic vegetation persisted in North Gondwana for a long time.[3]

References

1. Gazeau, F. (1969). "Sur quelques structures de bois Mésozoïques du Maroc". Notes, Mém. Serv. Géol. Maroc. 210 (3): 93–120.
2. Philippe, M.; Bamford, M.; McLoughlin, S.; Alves, L. S. R.; Falcon-Lang, H. J.; Gnaedinger, S.; Zamuner, A. (2004). "Biogeographic analysis of Jurassic–Early Cretaceous wood assemblages from Gondwana". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 129 (3): 141–173. Bibcode:2004RPaPa.129..141P. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2004.01.005.
3. El-Noamani, Zainab M.; El-Saadawi, Wagieh E.; Philippe, Marc (2021-10-01). "The woods Protophyllocladoxylon and Metapodocarpoxylon within the Cretaceous terrestrial biota of northern Africa". Cretaceous Research. 126: 104901. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12604901E. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104901. ISSN 0195-6671.
4. Andruchow-Colombo, Ana; Escapa, Ignacio H; Aagesen, Lone; Matsunaga, Kelly K S (2023-08-04). "In search of lost time: tracing the fossil diversity of Podocarpaceae through the ages". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 203 (4): 315–336. doi:10.1093/botlinnean/boad027. hdl:11336/227952. ISSN 0024-4074.
5. Philippe, M.; Cuny, G.; Bamford, M.; Jaillard, E.; Barale, G.; Gomez, B.; Ouaja, M.; Thévenard, F.; Thiébaut, M.; Von Sengbusch, P. (2003). "The palaeoxylological record of Metapodocarpoxylon libanoticum (Edwards) Dupéron-Laudoueneix et Pons and the Gondwana Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous continental biogeography". Journal of Biogeography. 30 (3): 389–400. Bibcode:2003JBiog..30..389P. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00835.x. ISSN 0305-0270.
6. Zijlstra, Gea; Philippe, Marc (2020). "(2741) Proposal to conserve the name Protophyllocladoxylon (fossil Coniferophyta: Coniferales) with a conserved type". Taxon. 69 (2): 412–413. doi:10.1002/tax.12227. ISSN 0040-0262.
7. Maria da Conceição, Domingas; Esperança Júnior, Mário G. F.; Gobo, William V.; Iannuzzi, Roberto; Batista, Maria E. P.; Rodrigues do Nascimento, Daniel; Ferreira da Silva Filho, Wellington; Horodysk, Rodrigo Scalise; Bamford, Marion K.; Kunzmann, Lutz (2025-02-04). "Unique conifer assemblage from Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous deposits (NE Brazil) unveils the paleoclimate and paleobiogeography in the interior of equatorial Gondwana". Cretaceous Research: 106099. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106099. ISSN 0195-6671.