Three-dimensional visualization of fossil flowers, fruits, seeds, and other plant remains using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM): new insights into Cretaceous plant diversity
The application of synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) to the study of mesofossils of Cretaceous age has created new possibilities for the three-dimensional visualization and analysis of the external and internal structure of critical plant fossil material as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract:
The application of synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) to the study of mesofossils of Cretaceous age has created new possibilities for the three-dimensional visualization and analysis of the external and internal structure of critical plant fossil material. SRXTM provides cellular and subcellular resolution of comparable or higher quality to that obtained from permineralized material using thin sections or the peel technique. SRXTM also has the advantage of being non-destructive and results in the rapid acquisition of large quantities of data in digital form. SRXTM thus refocuses the effort of the investigator from physical preparation to the digital post-processing of X-ray tomographic data, which allows great flexibility in the reconstruction, visualization, and analysis of the internal and external structure of fossil material in multiple planes and in two or three dimensions. A review of recent applications in paleobotany demonstrates that SRXTM will dramatically expand the level of information available for diverse fossil plants. Future refinement of SRXTM approaches that further increases resolution and eases digital post-processing, will transform the study of mesofossils and create new possibilities for advancing paleobotanical knowledge. We illustrate these points using a variety of Cretaceous mesofossils, highlighting in particular those cases where SRXTM has been essential for resolving critical structural details that have enhanced systematic understanding and improved phylogenetic interpretations.
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TL;DR: The discovery of embryos and their associated nutrient storage tissues in exceptionally well-preserved angiosperm seeds from the Early Cretaceous support hypotheses based on extant plants that tiny embryos and seed dormancy are basic for angiosperms as a whole.
TL;DR: Low vacuum scanning electron microscopy on uncoated specimens with backscatter detector and synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy utilizing the Materials Science and TOMCAT beamlines at the Swiss Light Source of the Paul Scherrer Institut improve upon traditional cellulose acetate peel sectioning and contribute to understanding of the former diversity and evolution of ovules, seeds, and pollen organs in the seed ferns.
TL;DR: Flowers of extant Quintinia are described in detail on the basis of field observations and serial microtome sections and compared with flowers of the Late Cretaceous Silvianthemum suecicum and Bertilanthus scanicus as mentioned in this paper.
TL;DR: Two early fossils of the second kind from the Early Cretaceous show features indicating that they fall outside the circumscription of extant families in the order Laurales, suggesting that they represent extinct lineages on internal branches of the angiosperm phylogenetic tree.
TL;DR: Critical features shared between Bertilanthus and Silvianthemum, including minute, tectate-punctate pollen, papillate-spiny extension of the palisade cells, free and stout styles, unilocular ovary, parietal placentation with placentae extending almost to the center of the ovary and numerous anatropous ovules with reticulate surface, indicate that the two genera are closely related.
Q1. What have the authors contributed in "Three-dimensional visualization of fossil flowers, fruits, seeds, and other plant remains using synchrotron radiation x-ray tomographic microscopy (srxtm): new insights into cretaceous plant diversity" ?
The application of synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy ( SRXTM ) to the study of mesofossils of Cretaceous age has created new possibilities for the three-dimensional visualization and analysis of the external and internal structure of critical plant fossil material. Future refinement of SRXTM approaches that further increases resolution and eases digital post-processing, will transform the study of mesofossils and create new possibilities for advancing paleobotanical knowledge. The authors illustrate these points using a variety of Cretaceous mesofossils, highlighting in particular those cases where SRXTM has been essential for resolving critical structural details that have enhanced systematic understanding and improved phylogenetic interpretations.
Q2. What future works have the authors mentioned in the paper "Three-dimensional visualization of fossil flowers, fruits, seeds, and other plant remains using synchrotron radiation x-ray tomographic microscopy (srxtm): new insights into cretaceous plant diversity" ?
SRXTM has already been informative where it has been deployed in paleobotany, but the full possibilities of these techniques are still relatively underexplored. The combination of SRXTM with the availability of a large numbers of diverse and well-preserved specimens offers the possibility of a new phase of rapid progress in their understanding of Cretaceous and other fossil plants. In many cases, the critical details revealed by the application of SRXTM have created opportunities to compare the fine structure of fossils with those of extant taxa, raising the possibility of also using SRXTM to study complex 3-D structures in living plants. This kind of material requires higher energies, and particularly for larger specimens where lateral merging and vertical stacking is required the acquisition time may be extensive.