Pinus yorkshirensis
Pinus yorkshirensis is an extinct species of pine tree. The fossil pine cone came from Hauterivian and Barremian-aged sedimentary rocks located in the Speeton Clay in Yorkshire (hence the species epithet).
| Pinus yorkshirensis Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnosperms |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Subgenus: | P. subg. Pinus |
| Species: | †P. yorkshirensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Pinus yorkshirensis Mapes, 2012 | |
Discovery and naming
The type specimen of Pinus yorkshirensis was discovered during a field trip at the University of Birmingham. It is one of four known fossil pine cones from Europe. It was 5 million years older than the previous record holder, Pinus belgica.[1]
The fossil was destroyed for science so scientists could study the fossil in more detail. All that remains are a few microscope slides and a single image. They are currently housed at Lapworth Museum of Geology.
References
- Patricia E. Ryberg; Gar W. Rothwell; Ruth A. Stockey; Jason Hilton; Gene Mapes; James B. Riding (2012). "Reconsidering Relationships among Stem and Crown Group Pinaceae: Oldest Record of the Genus Pinus from the Early Cretaceous of Yorkshire, United Kingdom". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 173 (8): 917–932. doi:10.1086/667228. S2CID 85402168.
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