TITLE:
Late Eocene Legume Pod Fossils from Western North America and Their Paleoclimate Analysis
AUTHORS:
Shanshan Chen, Jingwen Zhu, Wuernisahan Maimaitimin, Jing Li
KEYWORDS:
Legume Pods Fossil, John Day formation, Paleoclimate, Late Eocene, Western North America
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: In this paper, we analyzed the characteristics of fossil legume pods from the “Committee Creek” formation of the Teater Road, John Day Formation in Crook County, Oregon, in western North America. 23 fossil specimens were collected and compared with the existing genera of the family through detailed observation of the legume pods. A total of three genera and four species of nearest relatives were identified as extant, and four undetermined species were studied. These include the similar species of Acacia vine and Acacia (undetermined species) of the genus Acacia; the species of Caesalpinia of the genus Caesalpinia; and the species of Bauhinia of the genus Bauhinia. Combining the distribution range of this genus and its fossil record in the Late Eocene, we inferred a mild and humid climate in the Late Eocene of western North America by comparing the distribution range with that of the fossil extant genus and making a distribution map.