A New Extinct Genus of Zingiberales From the Early Paleogene of India and Insights Into the Parallel Dynamics of Extinction and Diversification of the Monocot Order

ABSTRACT

The fossil record serves as the primary source of information for understanding how biodiversity has changed over deep time, offering unique insights into the dynamics of diversification and extinction and their underlying drivers. Much of the focus has been on global diversity trends, often overlooking the complex interplay between origination and extinction events that have shaped life through geological time. In this study, we present taxonomically described fossil leaves from the early Paleogene horizon of Rajasthan (India), that exhibit morphological affinities with the extant genera of Zingiberales. Based on their unique combination of morphological characters, the fossils are assigned to a new genus and species, that is, Paleozingiberum gurhanensis gen. nov. et sp. nov., and identified as an extinct genus within the Zingiberales enriches our knowledge of the evolutionary history of the group, providing critical insights into its early diversification, paleobiogeography, and ecological adaptations during the early Paleogene. Our findings expands the known diversity of extinct Zingiberales and suggest that the initial radiation of the order included a now‐extinct clade that survived the end‐Cretaceous mass extinction but disappeared during the Cenozoic. This systematic analysis not only strengthens the fossil record of the order but also contributes to a broader understanding of macroevolutionary trends, including patterns of diversification and extinction across deep time. These fossils, along with earlier finds, highlights the key role of the Indian subcontinent in early evolution and diversification of this tropical monocot lineage.