On a new specimen of Pseudoaraucaria major Fliche (Pinaceae) from the Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight

The well-preserved permineralized cone is identified chiefly on the basis of its large size and large seeds with a relatively thin sclerotesta. The detailed anatomy conforms to that characteristic of this highly distinctive and probably natural genus of early Pinaceae. The structure of the scale lends support to the theory that the partially embedded seeds escaped from the ripe cone by the bending back of the upper part of the scale. The specimen confirms that the seed testa typically possessed resin cavities as it does in certain living genera. The relationship of Pseudoaraucaria with other Pinaceae is discussed in the light of the results of a numerical analysis of 22 cone characters, lending support to the recent suggestion that Pseudoaraucaria may have occupied a central position in the early evolution of the family.