Mummified fossils are extraordinarily important for understanding both biotic evolution and ecology in the geological time,by uniquely providing a far more detailed source of information in comparison to impression materials.However,mummified fossils are extremely rare because of the inevitable requirement of unusual preservation conditions during fossilization,including the lithological features and deposition rate of surrounding rocks,and moisture and temperature conditions（Taylor et al.,2009）.To date,only a few Cenozoic sites have been reported to yield mummified plant fossils around the world,
QUAN ChengFU Qiong YaoSHI Gong LeLIU Yu ShengLI LongLIU Xiao YanJIN Jian Hua
Modern palms are diverse and widespread in the tropics and subtropics,especially the tropical rainforests.However,most fossil palm records have been reported from regions of relatively higher latitude.In this paper seven species of coryphoid palm from the Eocene Changchang Basin of Hainan Island of South China are reported.These are Sabalites asymmetricus sp.nov.,S.robustus sp.nov.,S.tenufolius sp.nov.,S.szei Guo,S.changchagnensis Guo,Livistona sp.,and Amesoneuron sp.According to leaf morphological characteristics,they can be classified as members of the subfamily Coryphoideae.In extant flora of Hainan Island,only three species of Livistona have costapalmate leaves.These palm fossils indicate that,during the Eocene,flora in Hainan Island included a diversity of coryphoid palms,which have some bearings on the reconstruction of the palaeoclimate of South China.
