Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2002, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (01): 78-86.

• 研究论文 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on the Fossil Woods Found in Xinchang, Zhejiang Province, China

DUAN Shu-YingDONG Chuan-WanPAN Jiang ZHU Guo-Qiang   

  1. 1(Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093)2(National Geological Museum of China, Beijing 100034)3(Department of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027)
  • Received:2001-08-21 Revised:2001-09-16 Online:2002-01-20 Published:2002-01-20
  • Contact: DUAN Shu-Ying

Abstract: A new species of fossil wood Araucarioxylon xinchangense Duan sp.nov, was found in Xinchang, Zhejiang province, SE China and described in this paper. This species is identified from nearly twenty specimens from Jingling, Jingping and Suqin, west part of Xinchang, (nearly 25km x 2km ). Xinchang County belongs to Shaoxing City. The strata of bearing fossil woods are Guantou Formation, which belongs to the Early Cretaceous in age. The authors described and discussed the characteristics of the new species. Interpret about the surroundings of the ancient forest at the Early Cretaceous in SE China, and how they could form the fossil woods in this area. We knew some fossil plant leaves from Suqin, identified some species of Pseudofrenelopsis and Pagiophyllum on the characteristics of the cuticular structure by Zhou and Cao. According to Seward (1904) Pagiophyllum may be related to Araucariaceae, therefore these fossil leaves may belong to the fossil woods. In the Early Cretaceous there were four plant floras: Siberia_Canadian Flora; European_Chinese Flora; Tropical and Australia Flora. In our country, NE China to Beijing area belong to the Siberia_Canadian Flora, From Shandong, SE China to Tibet area belong to the European_Chinese Flora. Many fossil plants were found in the same location with the fossil woods, therefore it could be made certain that Xinchang was in the European_Chinese Flora at that time. The climate was hot and somewhat dry, belonged to the subtropical to tropical zone.