TABLE 5 in Plio-Pleistocene wood from the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia: paleoenvironnemental implications for paleoanthropological and paleontological sites

TABLE 5. — Comparisons of anatomical characters of Pleistocene Ficus sp. 1 and Ficus sp. 2 fossil wood from the Shungura Formation and Pliocene Ficus sp. (*) (from Jolly-Saad & Bonnefille 2012: pl. 5) and Ficoxylon (**) (from Jolly-Saad et al. 2010) from Middle Awash. Fossil samplesTwf 17725, 1.92 Ma, Fig. 46Twf 17928, 2.01 Ma, Fig. 35MA94-89b, 4.3 MaMA W15 ARA VP 6, 4.4 MaIdentificationFicus sp. 2Ficus sp. 1Ficus sp. *Ficoxylon sp. **PreservationPoorPoorGoodPoorFungiAbsentAbsentAbsentAbsentWood porosityDiffuse-porousDiffuse-porousDiffuse-porousDiffuse-porousGrowth ringAbsentIndistinctIndistinctIndistinctVessels diameter mean (range) (µm)230 (92-400)145 (67-160)133 (90-175.5)220 (138-299)Vessels density/Nb per sq.mm4-62-114-7IndistinctVessels groupingMostly solitary and in radial multiples of 1 to 4Solitary and in radial multiples of 1 (56%), 2 (31%), 3 (7%), 4 (4%), 5 (2%)Solitary and in radial multiples of 1 (76%), 2 (19%), 3 (4%), more 1%Mostly solitaryVessel element length (µm)100-360NA148-360NAIntervascular pit size (µm), type9-10 wide, alternate, not vesturedNA7-9 wide, alternate, not vesturedNATyloses/GumsPresentAbundantDistinctAbundantPerforation platesSimpleSimpleSimpleSimpleAxial parenchymaVasicentric around vessels, axial large bands of 3 to 7 cells highBanded or forming tangential row marginal bands 5-6 cellsAbundant, banded 2-9 cellsVasicentric around vessels, banded of 3 to 7 cells highParenchyma strands5-85-82-9IndistinctRays1-8 seriate1-8 seriate (10)1-5 (6) seriate1-6 seriateRay width mean (range) (µm)45 (34-52)107-670NA70 (27-115)Ray height mean (range) (µm)800 (400-1000)60 (23-79)247-724800 (425-1127)Rays/mm212-166-1011-15NARays cellsProcumbent-square and upright cells (1-2 rows)Procumbent-1-3 square and upright cellsProcumbent-2 to 4 rows square and upright cellsProcumbent-1 to 2 rows square and upright cellsSheath cellsNot mentionnedNoneNot mentionnedNoneLactifer canalDistinctIndistinctDistinctIndistinctFibresNon-septateNon-septate, thick wallSeptate, thick wallNon-septate, thick wallCrystals in rays cellsPrismatic crystals in upright cellsRhomboidalPrismatic crystal in upright cellsPrismatic crystal in upright cellsCrystal in parenchymaDistinctDistinctDistinctDistinct