First fossil evidence of Indian tulip tree

<i>Thespesia populnea</i> (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 <i>Thespesia</i> 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 <i>Thespesia neopopulnea</i> 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.