The discovery of fossilised roots of a lindsaeoid fern within the trunk of the extinct tree fern Tempskya provides new fossil evidence for Lindsaeaceae in the Mesozic, as well as the first direct evidence of an ecological association between Tempskya and root-climbing epiphytes. Data were collected from permineralised Tempskya trunks from the Aspen Shale (Early Cretaceous, Albian), Wyoming (USA). The roots of the lindsaeoid fossil are clearly distinguishable from those of Tempskya and other living ferns based on a suite of distinctive anatomical features, which are described in detail. The foliage is unknown. The new fossil is interpreted as a root climber, and comparisons are made with similar living species in Lindsaea subgenus Odontoloma (Lindsaeaceae). The documentation of Lindsaeaceae in the Early Cretaceous adds to a small but growing body of data on the diversification of polypodiaceous ferns during this important period. These recent discoveries point to a much earlier (Early Cretaceous) crown group radiation of polypodiaceous ferns than previously suspected.

中文翻译：

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一种早白垩世爬根附生植物（林科）及其对校准多足蕨类植物多样性的意义

在已灭绝的树蕨 Tempskya 的树干内发现了一种 lindsaeoid 蕨类植物的化石根，为中生代的 Lindsaeaceae 提供了新的化石证据，也是 Tempskya 与根攀附附生植物之间生态关联的第一个直接证据。从来自怀俄明州（美国）的阿斯彭页岩（白垩纪早期，阿尔比安）的透矿化 Tempskya 树干收集数据。lindsaeoid 化石的根部与 Tempskya 和其他活蕨类植物的根部有明显区别，这是基于一系列独特的解剖学特征，详细描述了这些特征。叶子不详。新化石被解释为一种根攀爬者，并与 Lindsaea 亚属 Odontoloma（Lindsaeaceae）中的类似生物进行了比较。白垩纪早期林科的文献增加了这一重要时期多脚类蕨类植物多样化的少量但不断增长的数据。这些最近的发现表明，比以前怀疑的要早得多（早白垩世）多足蕨类植物的冠群辐射。