Palmoxylon

Palmoxylon; Temporal range:Late Cretaceous-Early Miocene; ~84.9–11.6Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Palmoxylonsp. wood round
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	†Palmoxylon; Schenk,1882
Species
	See text

Palmoxylon(petrified palmwood) is an extinct genus ofpalmnamed frompetrified woodfound around the world.

Fossil record

This genus is known in the fossil record from theLate Cretaceousto theMiocene(from about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago). Fossils of species within this genus have been found in Germany, Italy (Sardinia), United States, Egypt, Libya and Argentina (BororóandSalamanca Formations).^[1]Many species were described from theDeccan TrapsinIndia.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution

A number of species from theCretaceousandCenozoichave been described from thePatagoniaregion ofSouth America.^[2]There have been a number of species reported fromEgyptwhich are dated to theLate EoceneandEarly Miocene.^[3]

Specimens from theOligoceneepoch (34 - 23mya) can be collected from many scattered sites in eastTexasand westernLouisiana.Fossilsfound near fossil palmwood includecorals,sponges,andmollusks,indicating that the palms grew along prehistoricbeaches.For millions of years, theGulf Coastshoreline has been moving farther south.

In Texas and Louisiana, petrified palmwood is most common in theToledo Bendarea, which is shared by both states. It was left by trees that grew when theGulf of Mexico's shoreline was much farther north from its present-day position. In Louisiana, petrified palmwood is found in the parishes of Rapides, Natchitoches, Grant, and Sabine.

Description

Fossil specimen ofPalmoxylon

Petrified palmwood includes a group of fossil woods that contain prominent rod-like structures within the regular grain of the silicified wood. Depending upon the angle at which they are cut by fracture, these rod-like structures show up as spots, tapering rods, or continuous lines. The rod-like structures aresclerenchymabundles that comprise part of the woody tissues that gave the wood its vertical strength.

Petrified palmwood is a favorite ofrock collectorsbecause it is replaced bysilicaand exhibits well-defined rod-like structures and variety of colors. As a result, it exhibits a wide range of colors and designs when cut that can be incorporated intojewelryand other ornamental items. Because it is composed of silica, it is hard enough to polish and withstand the wear and tear of normal use.

Archaeology

In Grant Parish, Louisiana (and probably in other areas also), Native Americans used petrified palmwood to make projectile points and other tools such as knives, awls, and scrapers. Projectile points and other tools crafted from petrified palmwood have been discovered in central Grant Parish by H.R. Hicks and other Native American artifact collectors.^{[citation needed]}It is the state stone of Texas and the officialstate fossilof Louisiana.^[4]

Species

Fossil trunks ofPalmoxylonfrom Quaternary of Libyan Sahara

There are more than 200 species assigned to the genusPalmoxylonat this time.^[5]^[6]

Palmoxylon araneusNour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018(Paleogene;Jebel Qatrani Formation,Egypt)
Palmoxylon arcotense
Palmoxylon bhisiensisDutta et al., 2007(Cretaceous;Deccan Traps,India)
Palmoxylon blandfordiSchenk, 1882(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon bororense
Palmoxylon chhindwarensePrakash, 1960(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon colei(Eocene;Green River Formation,Eden Valley, Wyoming)
Palmoxylon compactum
Palmoxylon concordiense
Palmoxylon contortum(Eocene;Green River Formation,Eden Valley, Wyoming)
Palmoxylon dakshinensePrakash, 1960(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon deccanensisSahni, 1964(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon dilacunosumAmbwani, 1984
Palmoxylon edenense(Eocene;Green River Formation,Eden Valley, Wyoming)
Palmoxylon elsaadawiiNour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018(Paleogene; Jebel Qatrani Formation, Egypt)
Palmoxylon eocenumPrakash, 1962(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon geometricum
Palmoxylon hislopiRode, 1933(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon indicum
Palmoxylon kamalamRode, 1933(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon lametaei(Maastrichtian;Lameta Formation,Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon livistoniforme
Palmoxylon livistonoidesPrakash & Ambwani, 1980(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon macginitiei(Eocene;Green River Formation,Eden Valley, Wyoming)
Palmoxylon mathuriSahni, 1931(Cretaceous, Gujarat, India)
Palmoxylon parapaniensisLakhanpal et al., 1979(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon parthasarathyiRao & Menon, 1964(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon patagonicumRomero 1968(Paleocene, Patagonia, Argentina)
Palmoxylon pichaihuensisOttone, 2007(Danian, Pichaihue Limestones, Neuquén Province; Argentina)
Palmoxylon pondicherriense
Palmoxylon pyriforme
Palmoxylon qatranienseNour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018(Paleogene; Jebel Qatrani Formation, Egypt)
Palmoxylon queenslandicum
Palmoxylon rewahense
Palmoxylon riograndense
Palmoxylon rionegrenseAncibor, 1995(Late Cretaceous, Allen Formation, Río Negro Province; Argentina)
Palmoxylon sagari
Palmoxylon santarosenseAncibor, 1995(Late Cretaceous, Allen Formation, Río Negro Province; Argentina)
Palmoxylon superbumTrivedi & Verma, 1971(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)
Palmoxylon valchetenseAncibor, 1995(Late Cretaceous, Allen Formation, Río Negro Province; Argentina)
Palmoxylon vaterum
Palmoxylon wadaiSahni, 1931(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)
Palmoxylon yuqueriense

References

^PalmoxylonatFossilworks.org
^Ottone E. G. 2007 "A new palm trunk from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina"Ameghinianav.44 n.4
^EL-Saadawi, W., Youssef, S. G. & Kamal-EL-Din, M. M. 2004 "Fossil palm woods of Egypt: II. Seven Tertiary Palmoxylon species new to the country"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology129(4):199-211
^State Fossils
^Raizada, P.; Sharma, G.P.; Raghubanshi, A.S. (2008)."A dichotomously branched fossil palm stem from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of India"(PDF).Current Science.94(2): 182–183.
^Dutta, D.; Ambwani, K.; Estrada-Ruiz, E. (2011)."Late Cretaceous palm stemPalmoxylon lametaeisp. nov. from Bhisi Village, Maharashtra, India "(PDF).Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas.28(1): 1–9.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

External links

Petrified Palm Wood (State Fossil) (Tertiary)

[FWPalmoxylon-1] PalmoxylonatFossilworks.org

[Ottone-2] Ottone E. G. 2007 "A new palm trunk from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina"Ameghinianav.44 n.4

[Egypt-3] EL-Saadawi, W., Youssef, S. G. & Kamal-EL-Din, M. M. 2004 "Fossil palm woods of Egypt: II. Seven Tertiary Palmoxylon species new to the country"Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology129(4):199-211

[Louisiana-4] State Fossils

[Raizada2008-5] Raizada, P.; Sharma, G.P.; Raghubanshi, A.S. (2008)."A dichotomously branched fossil palm stem from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of India"(PDF).Current Science.94(2): 182–183.

[Dutta2011-6] Dutta, D.; Ambwani, K.; Estrada-Ruiz, E. (2011)."Late Cretaceous palm stemPalmoxylon lametaeisp. nov. from Bhisi Village, Maharashtra, India "(PDF).Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas.28(1): 1–9.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

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