A Fossil Wood of Dipterocarpaceae from Pliocene Deposit in the West Region of Java Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Fossil woods in Java Island have been excavated and sold for outdoor ornaments or indoor decoration purposes since 30
years ago. These fossils are in danger of being drained out without known identities, composition and history. This study
was aimed to find out the botanical identity and geographical aspect of a newly recovered silicified fossil wood from Banten
area in the west region of Java Island. The fossil trunk 28 m in length and 105 cm in diameter was buried in a tuffaceous
sandstone layer. The age of the stratum was thought to be Lower Pliocene. A small sample was cut from the outer part of
the log and then ground to obtain thin section for anatomical observation. The main anatomical features of the fossil wood
are as follows: wood diffuse porous; vessel almost exclusively solitary, vascicentric tracheid present; axial intercellular canal
present, distributed in long tangential rows; fibers with distinctly bordered pit. These features show affinities of the fossil
wood to the extant wood Dryobalanops of the family Dipterocarpaceae, regardless of the fact that this genus is no longer exists living in the natural forest of the present day Java Island.
 2004 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS Surakarta

Keywords: fossil wood, Dipterocarpaceae, Dryobalanoxylon, Pliocene, Java Island