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Science 10 August 1984:
Vol. 225. no. 4662, pp. 621 - 623
DOI: 10.1126/science.225.4662.621
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Articles

The Fine Structure of Fossil Plant Cell Walls

EDITH L. SMOOT 1 and THOMAS N. TAYLOR 2

1 Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, Michigan 49423
2 Department of Botany, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210

The cell walls of sieve elements in the primary phloem of the Carboniferous fern Tubicaulis contain structural features that morphologically resemble cellulose microfibrils in extant plants. This may be the oldest example of distinct fibrillar structures in the fossil record. The possible identity and significance of these features are discussed and their structure is compared with that of cell walls in other fossil and extant plants.

Submitted on March 12, 1984
Accepted on May 31, 1984

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)