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Angiosperms: Characters and Criteria

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The Dawn Angiosperms

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 121))

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Abstract

A number of characters have been used to identify angiosperms in the fossil record. Comparison between their distributions in seed plants and the scope of angiosperms indicate that none of them match that of angiosperms exactly. Based on analysis of the temporal distribution of these characters in the geological history, the author proposes that ovule enclosed at the time of pollination should be adopted as an operational index character for fossil angiosperms. The positive and negative sides of this criterion are discussed, and a potential way to treat possible angiospermous fossils is laid out.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 Beijing Dong Road, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Dr. Xin Wang

  2. Fairylake Botanical Garden, 160 Xianhu Road, Shenzhen, 518004, People’s Republic of China

    Dr. Xin Wang

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Wang, X. (2010). Angiosperms: Characters and Criteria. In: The Dawn Angiosperms. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 121. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01161-0_3

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