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| The first fossil flower of Malpighiaceae from India sheds light on the historical biogeography of a mostly Neotropical family |
| Ashif Alia, Rafael Felipe de Almeidab,**, Mahasin Ali Khana,*, Raman Patelc, Rajendra Singh Ranac |
aPalaeobotany, Palynology, and Plant Evolution Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho—Kanho—Birsha University, Purulia—723104, India;
bLife Sciences Museum, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050 Gauteng, South Africa;
cDepartment of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar (Garhwal)—246174, Uttarakhand, India |
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Abstract A fossil flower affinity to an extinct Malpighiaceae taxon, recovered from the early Eocene (~55—52 Ma) of Gurha Opencast Lignite Mine, Rajasthan, western India, helps to underscore the evolutionary significance of this angiosperm lineage in the Indian Cenozoic history. Based on several macromorphological traits, a new fossil genus and species of Malpighiaceae, named Eomalpighia indica Ali, R.F. de Almeida, and Khan sp. nov., is proposed. Additionally, a continental ancestral range reconstruction was performed using the generic molecular phylogeny of Malpighiaceae and the BioGeoBEARS package for historical biogeography to discuss the phylogenetic placement of this new fossil and its significance for Malpighiaceae biogeography. The fossil specimen is characterized by one anterior petal and four lateral petals, eglandular; one posterior sepal and four lateral sepals, clawed at the base, eglandular, elliptic; four stamens, free, anthers with two thecae; presence of gynoecium in the center with a trilobed apex. The newly described fossil flower is best placed as an ancestor of the tribe Acridocarpeae due to its unique morphology and fossil distribution. The ancestral range reconstruction evidenced that Malpighiaceae likely had two different dispersal waves from the Neotropics to the Paleotropics taking place at the beginning (55.0—45.0 Ma) and the end (52—50 Ma) of the Eocene Climate Optimum Maximum. The first wave dispersed through Antarctica, and the second wave through the Boreotropics. This study provided insights into the taxonomy, evolutionary history, morphological evolution, and paleoecological implications of Malpighiaceae lineages in India.
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Received: 19 September 2024
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Corresponding Authors:
*E—mail addresses: khan.mahasinali@gmail.com (M.A. Khan). *E—mail addresses: r.felipe_de_almeida@kew.org (R.F. de Almeida), khan.mahasinali@gmail.com (M.A. Khan).
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2026, Vol. 15 
