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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2009; v. 315; p. 85-96;
DOI: 10.1144/SP315.7
© 2009 Geological Society of London

Articles

Silhouette and palaeoecology of Mesozoic trees in Thailand

Marc Philippe1, Véronique Daviero-Gomez1 & Varavudh Suteethorn2

1 UMR5125 (PEPS) of the CNRS, Université Lyon 1 (Campus de la Doua, Darwin A), F69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France
2 Fossil Research and Museums Bureau, Department of Mineral Resources, Rama VI Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

*Corresponding author (e-mail: philippe{at}univ-lyon1.fr)

Trees are an obvious component of most landscapes. Artists' views of Mesozoic landscapes regularly feature modern trees such as firs (Abies and Picea) and monkey-puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana). However, these reconstructions are highly hypothetical and, in reality, very little is known about the silhouettes of Mesozoic trees. In Mesozoic (Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous) strata of Thailand, large conifer logs with different types of architecture are evident, a rare opportunity for architectural studies. Various methods to estimate the original diameter and height of the trees are assessed. Among our material some trees have the classical Christmas-tree shape, whereas others are more oak-like in silhouette. All these trees lived in forest environments. Tree shape is strongly related to environment, and is still under-used as a palaeoecological tool. Reconstructing trees and vegetation has wide implications, from evaluating dinosaur herbivory to calculating elements of the carbon cycle.