Mummified fruits of Canarium from the upper Pleistocene of South China

Canarium L. contains approximately 78 species distributed in low to middle altitudes of the Paleotropics and northern Australia. Canarium fruit fossils are known mainly from Paleogene to Neogene of North America, Africa, and Eurasia. Here, we described a new species Canarium maomingense sp. nov. from the upper Pleistocene of the Maoming Basin, Guangdong, South China. Similarly to extant Canarium species, each of three locules of C. maomingense possesses two ovules, but only one or two of six ovules develop into a seed, indicating that the ovules undeveloped into seeds in Canarium species have existed at least since the late Pleistocene. The natural habitats of extant relatives and associated fossil plants suggest subtropical evergreen broad-leaved and mixed forests in the late Pleistocene of this region. Some special damage traces are observed on pyrene surfaces, indicating possible plant interactions with animals and fungi. [Display omitted] •Canarium maomingense sp. nov. described from the upper Pleistocene of South China•Micro-CT shows ovule abortion in Canarium existed at least since the late Pleistocene•Fossil assemblage suggests subtropical evergreen broad-leaved and mixed forests•Damage traces indicate possible interaction among plants, animals, and fungi Biological sciences; Plant Biology; Paleobiology