MEDLYN, DAVID A.*, WILLIAM D. TIDWELL, AND SUE A. BILBEY. Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan, Ut. 84332; Department of Botany and Range Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, Ut. 84602; and Field House of Natural History State Park, Vernal, Ut. 84078. - Fossil Ginkgo-like wood from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Utah.
Two permineralized logs containing an association of characters that has been observed among the ginkgophytes were collected from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation near Jensen, Utah. They were collected from fluvial sediments near a partially preserved Stegosaurus skeleton. The logs have broad, indistinct to discontinuous growth rings, two distinct sizes of tracheids, scattered, mostly uniseriate, occasionally opposite to alternate radial pitting. Rays are 1-29 cells high, usually uniseriate, sometimes partially biseriate with 4-7 araucarioid type pits per crossfield. Traces of resin also appear in the ray cells Axial parenchyma is not common. Where present it is elongate, sometimes expanded, and occasionally connected to the rays. No tangential pitting was observed. With the exception of Ginkgo have more axial parenchyma, these features are commonly encountered in the wood Ginkgo. The broad, indistinct growth rings of the logs suggest they had lived in a rather equable, warm, humid environment. They are unique in being collected in association with a Stegosaurus and being the first Jurassic Ginkgo-like wood reported from North America.
Key words: Fossil Ginkgo-like wood Upper Jurassic Morrison