Images - Arranged by Taxonomic Groups

Conifers

Arctic Fossil Conifer Images

During the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene conifers were the dominant component of mature forests across the Arctic. Many were deciduous (e.g. Cephalotaxopsis sp. and Parataxodium) but a few, with small or specialised leaves, (e.g. Araucarites sp. and Mesocyparis sp. appear to have been evergreen.

Modern conifers display a range of different growth forms from trees tens of meters high through to small bushes and all have pycnoxylic wood lacking vessels. None are herbaceous.

Seeds are usually dispersed from cones. Cones may be shed intact or as individual cones scales. In some instances the cone scales can be highly modified and fleshy and unlikely to be fossilized.