Fig 1.
Cambay amber specimen AMNH-Tad-441-A.
(A) Overview showing liverwort and moss inclusions as well as two dipterans. The arrowhead points to the holotype of Microlejeunea nyiahae. (B) Pleurocarpous moss. (C) Close-up showing upper portions of leaves of the moss inclusion. The prosenchymatous cells are well visible. Scale bars 1 mm (A) and 100 μm (B,C).
Fig 2.
Microlejeunea nyiahae sp. nov. (AMNH-Tad-441-A) from Eocene Cambay amber.
(A-F) Gametophytes; (G) Portion of the shoot depicted in (B); the arrowhead points to the underleaf that is enlarged in (H). (H, I) Deeply bifid underleaves (encircled). The gametophyte fragment shown in B and G represents the holotype. Scale bars 50 μm (A-G) and 10 μm (H,I).
Fig 3.
Reconstruction of Microlejeunea nyiahae based on the holotype and accompanying gametophytes.
(A-F) Portions of sterile shoots in ventral view. (G-H) Portion of stem with a leaf in ventral view showing the large leaf lobule (dotted cells) and the lobe. (I) Median leaf lobe cells in top view. (J, L) Portion of shoot in ventral view with deeply bifid underleaf. (K) Free margin of leaf lobule showing hyaline papilla cell (gray) next to apical lobule tooth.
Fig 4.
Phylogenetic chronogram for Lejeuneaceae subtribe Lejeuneinae considering the fossil as a stem lineage element of Microlejeunea.
Time scale shown in million years to present (Pl to Ho = Pliocene to Holocene). Confidence age estimates shown as horizontal bars. Vertical bar indicates time interval for Cambay amber. Amber from the Tadkeshwar Lignite Mine has an age of 52 Ma.
Table 1.
Results from the different divergence time estimates of Lejeuneinae.
Age estimates are given as mean plus 95% confidence interval.