Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1963, Síða 83

Fossil Metasequoia From Mikines, Faroe Islands
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dating of the intrabasaltic sediment of Fjørudalsnev,
Mikines.
Metasequoia was originally described and named by
means of fossil material (Miki, 1941). But, a few years
later, is was found as a living tree in the mountains of
Central China. After this find Chaney (1951) proved that
it is common in the continental facies from Cretaceous
and Tertiary. From these systems the remains of Metasequoia
had already been described by early investigators and placed
within the genera of Sequoia and Taxodium. Chaney’s
work is until now the most comprehensive study of the
fossil occurrences of Metasequoia (Chaney, 1951).
Within the Northatlantic region Metasequoia occidentalis
(Newb.) Chaney, has been described from Svalbard (A.
SchloemeríJáger, 1958) and from Greenland [B. Eske
Koch, 1963 (and 1959)]. Already in O. Heer’s publications
(Heer, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1874, 1883) we find pictures of
fossil plants which can be recognized as belonging to this
species. Tertiary pollen from Scotland has been described
and it may derive from Metasequoia (Simpson, 1949).
REFERENCES
1. Chaney, R. W. (1951): A Revision of Fossil Sequoia and Taxodium
in Western North America based upon recent discoveries. Trans.
Amer. Phil. Soc. New Ser. 40, pp. 171—263.
2. Hartz, N. (1903): Planteforsteninger fra Færøerne. Medd. Dansk
Geol. Foren. No. 9, pp. 61—66.
3. Heer, O. (1868): Die fossile Flora der Polarlánder. Flora Fossilis
Arctica 1.
4. Heer, O. (1869): Contributions to the Fossil Flora of North Green*
land, being a description of the plants collected by Mr. Edward
Whymper during the summer of 1867. Flora Fossilis Arctica 2. 4.
Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Vol. 159, pp. 445—488.
5. Heer, O. (1870): Die Miocene Flora und Fauna Spitzbergens. Flora
Fossilis Arctica 2. 3.
Kgl. Svenska Vetensk. Akad. Handl., Vol. 8, No. 7.
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