Inner structure of primitive fossil flowers of early Angiosperms from Upper Cretaceous by the synchrotron radiation facility (Spring-8)

2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21570092
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Masamichi 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (00154865)
• Project Period (FY): 2009 – 2011
• Keywords: Spring-8 / APS / マイクロCT / 白亜紀 / 被子植物 / 初期進化 / 小型炭化化石 / 3次元構造

Research Abstract

Flowering plants (angiosperms) consisting of more than 350,000 living species dominate the vegetation of most terrestrial ecosystems. The origin and early evolution of angiosperms had remained as an abominable mystery in evolutionary biology in the last twenty-five years.
The mesofossils that are usually preserved as charcoal from ancient forest fires provide unrivalled insights into the structure, biology and evolutionary relationships of ancient angiosperms. There are usually one or a few specimens available for the paleobotanical studies of mesofossils in Cretaceous, and synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography (SRXTM) is a useful new tool for obtaining details of the internal structure without the need for destructive analysis. The SRXTM at SPring-8 is apowerful tool for obtaining a new level of detail from fossil angiosperm flowers from Cretaceous.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Glandulocalyx upatoiensis, a fossil flower of Ericales (Actinidiaceae/Clethraceae) from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) of Georgia, USA (2012)
  • Author(s): Schonenberger, J., von Balthazar, M., Takahashi, M.、Xiao, X., Crane, P.R. and Herendeen P
  • Journal Title: Annals of Botany Volume: 109巻 Pages: 921-936
  • URL: http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/109/5/921.full?sid=5d1e4df5-9099-469d-a328-f964e0e8ead7
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Inner structure of Cretaceous fossil flower revealed by X-Ray Microtomography (XRMT) (2010)
  • Author(s): Takahashi, M
  • Journal Title: SPring-8 Research Frontiers Volume: 2009号 Pages: 38-39
  • URL: http://www.spring8.or.jp/pdf/en/res_fro/09/040-041.pdf
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Aliphatic and aromatic terpenoid biomarkers in Cretaceous and Paleogene angiosperm fossils in Japan (2010)
  • Author(s): Nakamura, H., K. Sawada, and M. Takahashi
  • Journal Title: Organic Geochemistry Volume: 41巻 Pages: 975-980
  • URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0146638010000756
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Spring-8が白亜紀の被子植物の初期進化を解明する (2009)
  • Author(s): 高橋正道
  • Journal Title: Spring-8 information Volume: 14巻 Pages: 223-227
  • DOI: http://user.spring8.or.jp/sp8info/?p=3081
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 花粉と植物の話-被子植物の初期進化は、どこまで解明されたか? (2009)
  • Author(s): 高橋正道
  • Journal Title: 分類 Volume: 9巻 Pages: 91-103
  • URL: http://ci.nii.ac.jp/els/110007339723.pdf?id=ART0009199021&type=pdf&lang=jp&host=cinii&order_no=&ppv_type=0&lang_sw=&no=1367469476&cp=
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Leslie, Andrew; Glasspool, Ian; Ichinnorov, Niiden; Gombosuren, Tsolmon; Nyamsambuu, Odgerel (2012)
  • Author(s): Herendeen, P. R., Crane, Peter; Takahashi, Masamichi
  • Organizer: Exceptionally well-preserved Early Cretaceous seed plants from Mongolia and their evolutionary significanc
  • Place of Presentation: Botanical Society of America, Ohio
  • Year and Date: 2012-07-10
• [Presentation] Herendeen P. S.Herendeen, Xiao, C., Crane,白亜紀の福島県広野町に、マダガスカルの固有科であるDidymelaceaeが、、!? (2012)
  • Author(s): 高橋正道
  • Organizer: 日本植物分類学会
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪学院大学
  • Year and Date: 2012-03-23
• [Presentation] P. S. Herendeen, Xiao, C., Crane, P. R.大型シンクロトロン(APS)による福島県広野町の白亜紀後期から発見されたクスノキ科の花 構造の解明 (2011)
  • Author(s): 高橋正道
  • Organizer: 日本植物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京大学
  • Year and Date: 2011-09-18
• [Presentation] Microtomography analyses of fossil flowers from the Late Cretaceous of Georgia (2010)
  • Author(s): Herendeen, P. S. Takahashi, M., Crane, P
  • Organizer: Botanical Society of America
  • Place of Presentation: St. Louis
  • Year and Date: 2010-08-03
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://env.sc.niigata-u.ac.jp/~masa/