Acta Palaeobotanica 38(2): 227-299, 1998

Die paläogenen Fagaceae in Europa: Artenvielfalt und Leitlinien ihrer Entwicklungsgeschichte.

Summary: The work attempts an overview of the composition and evolution of the family Fagaceae in Europe during the Palaeogene. Some 100 local macrofloras from different geographic regions have been analysed belonging to various stratigraphic levels ranging from the Lower Palaeocene to the Upper Oligocene. After a critical analysis, 73 species from 4 subfamilies were included in the composition of the family, namely: Fagoideae (9 species), Trigonobalanoideae (5), Castaneoideae (30) and Quercoideae (29). Two new species of Trigonobalanopsis (T. europaea n. sp.) and Lithocarpus (L. palaeorhodopensis n.sp.) are described too. Seven new taxonomic combination were made within the genera Ushia, Dryophyllum, Eotrigonobalanus and Pasaniopsis. The main trends in the evolution of this family were traced from the anatomic and morphological, ecological, phytogeographical and stratigraphical viewpoints. The importance of 4 speciation centres was emphasised: Gelindenian-Provencalian, Central Paratethian, Palaeoillyrian, Southuralian and Euroarktian.

Keywords: Fagaceae, fossil biodiversity, Palaeogene, evolution, Europe