10.5061/DRYAD.528TD
Peppe, Daniel J.
Baylor University
Lemons, Casee R.
Baylor University
Royer, Dana L.
Wesleyan University
Wing, Scott L.
Smithsonian Institution
Wright, Ian J.
Macquarie University
Lusk, Christopher H.
University of Waikato
Rhoden, Chazelle H.
Wesleyan University
Data from: Biomechanical and leaf-climate relationships: a comparison of
ferns and seed plants
Dryad
dataset
2015
Paleobotany
leaf physiognomy
leaf mass per area
Ferns
seed plants
Tracheophyta
2015-01-22T00:00:00Z
2015-01-22T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1300220
3398219196 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Premise of the study: Relationships of leaf size and shape (physiognomy)
with climate have been well characterized for woody non-monocotyledonous
angiosperms (dicots), allowing the development of models for estimating
paleoclimate from fossil leaves. More recently, petiole width of seed
plants has been shown to scale closely with leaf mass. By measuring
petiole width and leaf area in fossils, leaf mass per area (MA) can be
estimated and an approximate leaf life span inferred. However, little is
known about these relationships in ferns, a clade with a deep fossil
record and with the potential to greatly expand the applicability of these
proxies. Methods: We measured the petiole width, MA, and leaf physiognomic
characters of 179 fern species from 188 locations across six continents.
We applied biomechanical models and assessed the relationship between leaf
physiognomy and climate using correlational approaches. Key results: The
scaling relationship between area-normalized petiole width and MA differs
between fern fronds and pinnae. The scaling relationship is best modeled
as an end-loaded cantilevered beam, which is different from the best-fit
biomechanical model for seed plants. Fern leaf physiognomy is not
influenced by climatic conditions. Conclusions: The cantilever beam model
can be applied to fossil ferns. The lack of sensitivity of leaf
physiognomy to climate in ferns argues against their use to reconstruct
paleoclimate. Differences in climate sensitivity and biomechanical
relationships between ferns and seed plants may be driven by differences
in their hydraulic conductivity and/or their differing evolutionary
histories of vein architecture and leaf morphology.
Leaf mass, leaf area, petiole width, and leaf physiognomic measurements of
globally distributed ferns (Appendices S1a, S1b)Peppe et
al_Appendices.xlsxFern images from Baylor University HerbariumZipped
folder with images of ferns from Baylor Herbarium. Folder also includes
ReadMe file and image key.Baylor ferns.zipFern images from Queensland
HerbariumZipped folder with images of ferns from Queensland Herbarium.
Folder also includes ReadMe file and image key.Queensland ferns.zipFern
images from Te Papa HerbariumZipped folder with images of ferns from Te
Papa Herbarium at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Folder also
includes ReadMe file and image key.Te Papa ferns (2).zipFern images from
US National Herbarium (part 1)Zipped folder with images of ferns from
USNH. Folder also includes ReadMe file and image key.USNH ferns_1.zipFern
images from US National Herbarium (part 2)Zipped folder with images of
ferns from USNH. Folder also includes ReadMe file and image key.USNH
ferns_2.zipFern images from Waikato HerbariumZipped folder with images of
ferns from Waikato Herbarium. Folder also includes ReadMe file and image
key.Waikato ferns.zip