Leaves of salicaceae (Salix and Populus) from Oligocene sediments near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

Eleven new salicaceous taxa based on fossil leaves, seven Salix and four Populus species, are described from the Oligocene Los Ahuehuetes locality Pie de Vaca Formation, near Tepexi de Rodríguez in Puebla, Mexico. They are characterized by the presence of typical salicoid teeth, camptodromous secondary venation, and elliptic or lanceolate shape. Morphological differences between these new fossil plants and those reported previously from the United States and elsewhere indicate that diversification among these taxa occurred early during their differentiation. Furthermore, the limited morphological similarities of the fossil and extant plants growing naturally in Mexico also indicate a high rate of evolution. Documenting the expansion of high-latitude North American taxa into lower latitudes at the time of deposition of the Pie de Vaca Formation confirms that at least some of the typical boreal taxa were part of dry tropical communities in low-latitude North America and underscores the need to reevaluate the origin of this southern vegetation.