''Hughmillerites'' is a fossil

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

, found in the Late Jurassic of Scotland and Early Cretaceous of Canada.

Etymology

The genus name ''Hughmillerites'' refers to the well-known Scottish geologist, writer and stonemason, Hugh Miller (1802-1856), who found the original specimen and many others at Eathie, on the Black Isle in Scotland. The genus was erected in 2014 for a specimen originally named ''Conites juddii'',Seward, A.C., Bancroft, N., 1913. Jurassic plants from Cromarty and Sutherland,Scotland. ''Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh'' 48: 876–888. and the species name ''juddii'' was retained. It honours

John Wesley Judd John Wesley Judd (18 February 1840 – 3 March 1916) was a British geologist. He was born in Portsmouth the son of George and Jannette Judd and educated at the Royal School of Mines, where he later became Professor of Geology. He was elected ...

(1879 – 1914). The second species, ''M. vancouverensis'' is named for Vancouver Island, where the fossils were collected.

Description

''Hughmillerites'' is known from fossil cones approximately 2–5 cm in length. They were preserved in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Upper Jurassic) in Scotland, and the Longarm Formation (Valanginian, Early Cretaceous) in Apple Bay on Vancouver Island,Canada.

Significance

Understanding the origin and evolution of conifers is important for palaeontologists, because they comprise an important part of ecosystems in the past and present. Fossils of ''Hughmillerites'' and the closely related '' Hubbardiastrobus'' are important for understanding the evolution of the structure of conifer cones. They have intermediate shape of cone scales between early forms and later ones, charting changes in the group through time. Most of the fossils from Eathie (where ''Hughmillerites'' was originally found) were collected by the famous Scottish geologist and writer, Hugh Miller. His collection is mainly held at the National Museum of Scotland, including the holotype of ''Hughmillerites''.

References

Cupressaceae Fossil record of plants Fossil taxa described in 2011 Fossils Kimmeridgian Upper Jurassic Series Jurassic plants Valanginian Black Isle Vancouver Island Conifers Early Cretaceous plants Prehistoric gymnosperm genera {{cretaceous-plant-stub