Voltziales is an extinct
order of
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
s. The group contains the ancestral lineages from which all modern conifer groups emerged. The earliest Voltzialean conifers appear in the Late
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...
(
Pennsylvanian). Modern conifer lineages emerged from voltzialean ancestors from the Late
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...
to
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...
.
Voltzialean conifers outside modern groups, such as ''
Krassilovia'', known from the leaf taxon ''
Podozamites
''Podozamites'' is an extinct genus of fossil conifer leaves. In its broader sense, it has been used as a morphogenus ( form taxon) to refer to any broad leaved multi-veined conifer leaves. Modern broad-leaved conifers with a similar form include ...
'', that survived into the late Cretaceous. One of the earliest and most primitive genera is ''
Walchia
''Walchia'' is a fossil conifer, Cupressaceae, cypress-like genus found in upper Pennsylvanian (geology), Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) and lower Permian (about 310-290 Mya (unit), Mya) rocks of Europe and North America. A forest of In situ, in-s ...
'', known originally for its leaf
form genus, and primitive members of the order are commonly called "Walchian conifers".
The order consists of these families:
*
Utrechtiaceae
Utrechtiaceae is an extinct family of trees related to modern conifers. This family dates back to the late Carboniferous and Cisuralian, Early Permian.
Description
They were forest trees with almost horizontal standing leafy lateral shoots and ...
*
Thucydiaceae
*
Voltziaceae
*
Emporiaceae
*
Majonicaceae
*
Ullmanniaceae
*
Bartheliaceae
*
Ferugliocladaceae
*
Buriadiaceae
Buriadiaceae is a family of conifers that existed in the Carboniferous to Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period mil ...
*
Krassiloviaceae
''Podozamites'' is an extinct genus of fossil conifer leaves. In its broader sense, it has been used as a morphogenus (form taxon) to refer to any broad leaved multi-veined conifer leaves. Modern broad-leaved conifers with a similar form include ...
The genus ''Voltzia'' was named in honour of the French geologist
Philippe Louis Voltz Philippe-Louis Voltz (15 August 1785 – 6 February 1840) was a French mining engineer, metallurgist, and geologist. He examined fossils in relation to stratigraphy and, with his knowledge of languages, took part in the interchange of ideas between ...
.
References
External links
Voltziales (palaeos.org)
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1136812
Prehistoric plant orders