Abstract Detail

100 years of Baileyan Trends – Wood Evolution, Function and Future

Wiemann, Michael [1], Kappelman, John [2], Jacobs, Bonnie F. [3], Pan, Aaron [4].

Fossil Woods of Chilga, Ethiopia.

Chilga, in the Gondar region of Ethiopia at 2,000 m elevation, is now dominated by pasture and sparse woodland but was covered with large forest trees during the late Oligocene (27 Ma). Remnants of these trees are found today as in situ silicified stumps and logs. Identification of 35 genera among the preserved wood reveals that their nearest living relatives are today found in woodlands or rain forests across Africa, with only six genera still found in the Gondar region. Here, we analyze the wood anatomy of these fossils, and hypothesize that to support the forest physiognomy represented, the climate of the northern Ethiopian Highlands during the late Oligocene had to have been wetter with a much shorter dry season than it experiences today. However, Baileyan trends could confound the ability of wood physiognomy to predict climate, because many anatomical features have varied over time.

1 - Forest Products Lab, 5710 Dorsett Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, United States
2 - University of Texas, Departments of Anthropology and Geological Sciences, Austin, TX, 78712
3 - Southern Methodist University, Roy M. Huffington Dept. Of Earth Sciences, 3225 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75275, United States
4 - Don Harrington Discovery Center, Amarillo , TX, 79106

Keywords:
fossil
silicified wood
Chilga, Ethiopia
Wood anatomy
nearest living relative.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: C06, 100 years of Baileyan Trends - Wood Evolution, Function and Future
Location: 106/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: C06004
Abstract ID:1003
Candidate for Awards:None