Suciacarpa facts for kids

Suciacarpa is an extinct type of flowering plant. This means it no longer exists today. We know about it from its fossils, specifically a species called Suciacarpa starrii. These fossils were found in Western North America.

Discovering an Ancient Plant

The fossils of Suciacarpa starrii are two well-preserved fruits. They were found in the northwestern part of Washington state in the United States. One fruit, called the holotype (the main fossil used to describe the species), was found on Sucia Island. The other fruit, called the paratype (another important fossil), was found on Little Sucia Island.

These fruits were preserved inside special rocky lumps called calcareous nodules. These nodules came from a rock layer known as the Cedar District Formation. This rock layer dates back to the Campanian age, which was about 72 to 83 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.

Scientists believe these nodules formed in a shallow ocean area. Other ancient sea creatures like ammonites (shellfish with coiled shells) and inoceramid bivalves (a type of clam) were also found there. Interestingly, fossils of land creatures were found too. These include a land snail called Condonella suciensis and even a leg bone from a theropod dinosaur! This was the first dinosaur fossil ever found in Washington State.

Naming and Studying Suciacarpa

The two fossil fruits are kept at the Florida Museum of Natural History. A scientist named Brian Atkinson from Oregon State University was the first to study them. He published his findings in 2016 in a science journal called Botany.

Atkinson gave the plant its name, Suciacarpa. The first part, "Sucia," comes from Sucia Island, where the main fossil was found. The second part, carpa, means "fruit." So, Suciacarpa means "Sucia fruit." The species name, starrii, was chosen to honor David W. Starr. He helped collect the fossils and wanted more people to know about the amazing fossils on Sucia Island.

When scientists look at the features of Suciacarpa fruits, they see a mix of traits. These traits are found in different groups within the plant order Cornales. Because it doesn't fit perfectly into just one family, scientists have placed it as incertae sedis within the order. This means they are not entirely sure of its exact family group yet.

Inside the fossilized seeds of Suciacarpa, scientists found traces of fungal hyphae (tiny threads from fungi) and pyrite crystals. This gives us clues about the conditions when the plant was fossilized.

What the Fruit Looked Like

The fruits of Suciacarpa starrii had a unique structure. They were about 8 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) wide and 16 millimeters (about 0.6 inches) long. Each fruit had four chambers inside. The outside of the fruit was smooth and woody.

Each of the four chambers was shaped like a crescent moon. They would open near the top of the fruit to release the seeds. Each chamber held a single seed, which was attached to the chamber wall near the top.

The cells of the seed's outer layer were small and rectangular. Like some modern plants in the Nyssaceae family, Suciacarpa starrii had short openings for the seeds to sprout. However, it also had special chambers that produced liquids, a feature seen in some modern cherry dogwood trees. The fruits also had two vascular bundles (like tiny tubes that carry water and nutrients) running through each dividing wall inside the fruit. These bundles joined near the top to enter the seed.