Systematic - Paleontology

Reign: Plantae
Phylum / Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Arecales
Family: Palmae
Scientific name: Latanites maximiliani De Visiani, 1867

Type status: type

Geological age

Geochronology (Chronostratigraphy)

Eon (Eontema): Phanerozoic
Era (Eratema): Cenozoic
Period (System): Paleogene
Epoca (Serie): Oligocene
Other chronological subdivisions: Lower Oligocene

Description

The impressive specimen of Latanites maximiliani De Visiani (1867) is the "star" of the Palm Hall of the Museum. This beautiful fossil was discovered in 1863, 11 years later the first report of fossil palms at Chiavon by Abramo Massalongo (1852). It is the first almost complete palm discovered in Italy. The species was dedicated by De Visiani to Maximilian I (1832-1867), monarch of the Second Mexican Empire and passionate botanist. Maximilian, younger brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, died executed by a firing squad some months before the publication of the De Visiani's paper. The counterpart of Latanites maximiliani is presently housed in the Museo dei Fossili of Villa Godi Malinverni (Lugo, Vicenza), together with a remarkably complete 9 meters-long specimen of Latanites elegans Fiore (1932).

Location

Continent / Subcontinent: Europe
State: Italy
Region: Veneto
Province: Vicenza
Municipality: Salcedo
Place: Sostizzo

Università degli Studi di Padova, Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia

Item code: 1016V

Bibliography

• De Visiani, R., 1867. Sopra una nuova specie di palma fossile. Estratto dagli Atti della Reale Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche 3, 1–7.
• Giusberti L., Roghi G, Fornasiero M., Simonetto L., 2014 - Le flore del Paleogene dell'Italia Settentrionale, in Palaeobotany in Italy - La Paleobotanica in Italia. pp. 206-231.