Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 77. (Budapest 1985)
Kordos-Szakály, M. ; Kordos, L.: Morphotypes of Hungarian fossil Celtis (Urticales) stones
beginning of the Upper Pleistocene, in the Eem (Riss/Würm) interglacial. This is very significant because the recent C. australis and C. tournefortii species fall into this same dimensional category suggesting that their dimensional development can be traced back to the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene. On the basis of dimensional variations —omitting now other, though more basic characteristics —the continuity and taxonomical independence of species being at present native in Europe have a past of 100-200 000 years. The surface patterns of the morphotypes Taxonomical investigations made on the stony endocarp of recent Celtis species have so far been based first of all on surface pattern. Though it is widely variatiable among both different populations and the individual development stages of the same species, we can determine the kinds of patterns which are dominant (BOROS 1933). During the evaluation of fossil stone finds it became clear that the roughness of the surface can be attributed to some basic pattern types. The frequency of each basic pattern type depends on the geological age of the specimen. In certain localities basic pattern types can be demonstrated for every morphotype. In other words, the surface pattern by itself could be suitable for taxonomical identification only at a given evolutionary level and in the case of identified morphotypes. The basic patterns of the surface of fossil and recent species are the following: 1. Basic pattern without meridional main crest (Plate I: 1-2): There are no crests beside the slight curve of the main separation crest. The roughness of the surface is represented by grooves, a mosaic-like character, or a fine irregular pattern. It frequently occurs in chronologically older samples of every morphotype. 2. Basic pattern with a simple meridional main crest (Plate II: 2): A single crest bent usually in the shape of a reversed "S", running without ramification from basis to apex. There are no secondary crests on the other parts of the surface, only a roughness of various degrees can be observed. It is a frequent basic pattern which can be found among the morphotypes without a complicated system of crests (pill, sphere, torpedo), while in the samples investigated it never appeared among the pillow and oval types. 3. Basic pattern with a simple meridional main crest with ramification (Plate I: 3 and II: 4): This is a rare variant of the pattern types. Here the reverse "S" shaped meridional main crest has one or two fork-like ramifications toward the basis. There is no complicated system of secondary crests. It appears only among the older samples of the oval morphotype and in very few specimens of the pillow type. 4. Basic pattern of leaf-like ramifications (Plate 1 : 6 and II : 4) : This is similar to the most frequent nervure type of dicotyledonous plants where secondary crests start from the meridional main crest at varions intervals. These secondary crests enclose an angle with the main crest. They run towards the basis though only rarely reach it. It is fairly frequent in the pillow morphotype, although except the pill type it can be found in the other types too. 5. Basic pattern with a net-like system of crests (Plate 1:4-5) : It is characterized by lesser developed secondary crests, running parallel with the main crest as well as by ridges perpendicular to them. The result is a complicated net-like system. It is characteristic definitely only for the oval morphotype (of its Pleistocene finds), though it occurs among the sphere, pillow and macro types as well. The frequency of different basic surface patterns among the morphotypes of the fossil finds and some recent stones is shown in the following list : morphotype taxa basic patterns morphotype taxa 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. pill sphere pillow torpedo oval macro C. australis C. tournefortii C. africana 42% 58% 7 81 — 11 1 11 5 56 18 25 6 — 69 — 20 — 13 2 64 16 34 50 64 36 — —
