Coconut, Fossil
Description
Piece of a Cocos zeylandica (fossil coconut) - only half. Small, dark brown, flattened, walnut-sized fossil coconut which has been filled with sediment. The section including the eyes is missing. Large crack at top end. Came from Coopers Beach. Dated Early Miocene (24-16 million years)
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Object detail
Classification
Credit line
One
of
the
best
indicators
of
how
warm
climate
conditions
became
in
the
early
Miocene
can
be
seen
in
the
presence
of
coconut
palms
in
the
New
Zealand
fossil
record.
A
coconut
palm
(Cocos
zeylandica),
a
small
extinct
species
found
only
in
New
Zealand,
is
known
from
its
fruits
(or
coconuts)
and
represents
a
unique
miniature
variety.
The
coconuts
measure
no
more
than
4cm
in
longest
dimension
and
are
about
the
size
of
a
walnut.
Although
all
specimens
originally
would
have
been
ovoid
in
shape,
they
have
become
squashed
to
varying
degrees
through
the
pressures
of
the
surrounding
sediment.
However,
they
are
easily
identifiable
as
coconuts
in
spite
of
their
small
and
flattened
shape,
as
they
retain
3
round
depressions
at
one
end
that
correspond
to
the
3
'eyes'
present
in
all
modern
coconuts.
Specimens of C. zeylandica are found on Cooper's Beach, Mangonui (Doubtless Bay), Northland, where they have been washed out of carbonaceous sandstone.
Specimens of C. zeylandica are found on Cooper's Beach, Mangonui (Doubtless Bay), Northland, where they have been washed out of carbonaceous sandstone.
Accession number
A96.382
Collection type
Material
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