Format: ORAL

Nicolas Gentis1, Alycia RibouletPosset1, Alexis Licht2, Anas Boura3

1 UMR 7207 CR2P, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France 2 CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France 3 UMR 7207 CR2P, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

The Dipterocarpaceae family, iconic in Southeast Asian forests, encompasses over 500 tree species. It plays a key role in regional ecosystems and holds substantial economic importance due to timber exploitation. Despite this, the evolutionary history of Dipterocarpaceae remains incompletely understood. While recent refinements have enhanced our understanding of phylogenetic relationships and family nomenclature, uncertainties persist, particularly regarding the placement of certain taxa, such as the largest genera Shorea or Dipterocarpus. Simultaneously, emerging data supports the hypothesis of an African origin for the family, underscoring the need for insights from the fossil record to address persistent questions. In the case of Dipterocarpaceae, wood constitutes the predominant fossil remains. A question consequently raises: how accurate recognition and identification of Dipterocarpaceae taxa can be? The question is especially relevant as a certain degree of link between wood anatomy and phylogeny was previously acknowledged. However, comprehensive studies about the wood anatomy of Dipterocarpaceae have been scarce, if not absent since the 1960s, posing limitations on contemporary interpretations. We will explore the potentials and limitations of the integrated study of wood through examples from both extant and fossil specimens. Emphasizing the necessity of accounting for inter- and intrataxa variability, strengthening the correlation between wood anatomy, phylogeny, and biogeographical history, and reevaluating the fossil record in light of current, more nuanced knowledge, are pivotal considerations.