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First fossil evidence of Indian tulip tree

ABSTRACT Thespesia populnea (L) Sol. ex Corrêa (Malvaceae), known as the Indian tulip tree, is a well-known fast-growing, economically and ecologically important evergreen species in the tropical forests of India. However, no reliable fossil evidence of Thespesia has been reported from the Cenozoic sediments of India so far. Here, we document for the first time a well-preserved leaf impression similar to extant leaves of Indian tulip tree from the latest Neogene (Pliocene: Rajdanda Formation) sediments of Chotanagpur Plateau, eastern India. The leaf specimen has a broadly ovate mesophyllous blade, with a conspicuous acuminate apex (drip-tip), a cordate base, a stout petiole, actinodromous primary veins and brochiododromous secondary veins. We recognise the new fossil species Thespesia neopopulnea Hazra, Mahato and Khan sp. nov. The recovery of this species and other earlier-described evergreen taxa from the same formation, suggests the existence of tropical, warm and humid climatic conditions during the depositional period.