Evolution of Nothofagus cunninghamii and its relationship to N. moorei as inferred from Tasmanian macrofossils

Abstract

Leaf fossils from five Tertiary and Quaternary deposits in Tasmania indicate that Nothofagus cunninghamii and N. moorei probably shared a common early Tertiary ancestor. Late Tertiary cooling in Tasmania and/or the onset of glaciations probably led to a reduction in leaf size resulting in the small leaves found in extant N. cunninghamii. Two phylogenies are suggested for N. cunninghamii and N. moorei evolution but there is not enough evidence at present to determine which is the most likely.