Araucaria
Encyclopedia
Araucaria is a genus
of evergreen
coniferous
tree
s in the family Araucariaceae
. There are 19 extant
species
in the genus, with a highly disjunct distribution in New Caledonia
(where 13 species are endemic
), Norfolk Island
, eastern Australia
, New Guinea
, Argentina
, Chile
, and southern Brazil
.
Araucaria are mainly large trees with a massive erect stem, reaching a height of 30–80 m. The horizontal, spreading branches grow in whorls and are covered with leathery or needle-like leaves
. In some species, the leaves are narrow awl-shaped and lanceolate, barely overlapping each other, in others they are broad and flat, and overlap broadly.
The trees are mostly dioecious
, with male and female cones
found on separate trees, though occasional individuals are monoecious
or change sex with time. The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size between species from 7–25 cm diameter. They contain 80-200 large, edible seeds, similar to pine nut
s though larger. The male cones are smaller, 4–10 cm long, and narrow to broad cylindrical, 1.5–5 cm broad.
The genus is familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive Chilean pine or monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana
). The genus is named after the Spanish exonym Araucano ("from Arauco
") applied to the Mapuche
s of central Chile
and south-west Argentina
whose territory incorporates natural stands of this genus. The Mapuche people call it Pehuén, and consider it sacred. Some Mapuches living in the Andes name themselves Pehuenches ("people of the Pehuén") as they traditionally harvested the seeds extensively for food.
No distinct vernacular name exists for the genus; many are called 'pine', despite their being only very distantly related to pine
s (Pinus).
Members of Araucaria are found in Chile
, Argentina
, southern Brazil
, New Caledonia
, Norfolk Island
, Australia
, and New Guinea
. Many if not all current populations are relict
s, and of restricted distribution. They are found in forest
and maquis shrubland
, with an affinity for exposed sites. These columnar trees are living fossil
s, dating back to early in the Mesozoic
age. Fossil
records show that the genus also formerly occurred in the northern hemisphere until the end of the Cretaceous
period. By far the greatest diversity exists in New Caledonia
, due to the island's long isolation and stability.
It is believed that the long necks of sauropod dinosaur
s may have evolved specifically for browsing the foliage of the typically very tall Araucaria trees. The global distribution of vast forests of Araucaria during the Jurassic
makes it likely that they were the major high energy food source for adult sauropods.
There are four extant sections and two extinct sections in the genus, sometimes treated as separate genera. Genetic studies indicate that the extant members of the genus can be subdivided into two large clade
s - the first consisting of the section Araucaria, Bunya, and Intermedia; and the second of the strongly monophyletic section Eutacta. Sections Eutacta and Bunya are both the oldest taxa of the genus, with Eutacta possibly older.
}Araucaria nipponensis Japan.
}Araucaria vulgaris. Japan.Section Perpendicula. Extinct. Contains only one species.
}Araucaria desmondii
}Araucaria fibrosa
}Araucaria beipiaoensis
}Araucaria nihongii Japan.
}Araucaria taieriensis
Araucaria bindrabunensis (previously classified under section Bunya) has been transferred to the genus Araucarites.
production. The edible large seeds of A. bidwillii are also eaten as food (particularly among the Mapuche people and Native Australians).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
coniferous
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s in the family Araucariaceae
Araucariaceae
Araucariaceae, commonly referred to as araucarians, is a very ancient family of coniferous trees. It achieved its maximum diversity in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, when it was distributed almost worldwide...
. There are 19 extant
Extant
Extant is a term commonly used in biology to refer to taxa, such as species, genera and families, that are still in existence, meaning still alive.The term extant contrasts with extinct.-Example:...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the genus, with a highly disjunct distribution in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
(where 13 species are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
), Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Description
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
. In some species, the leaves are narrow awl-shaped and lanceolate, barely overlapping each other, in others they are broad and flat, and overlap broadly.
The trees are mostly dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, with male and female cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
found on separate trees, though occasional individuals are monoecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
or change sex with time. The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size between species from 7–25 cm diameter. They contain 80-200 large, edible seeds, similar to pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s though larger. The male cones are smaller, 4–10 cm long, and narrow to broad cylindrical, 1.5–5 cm broad.
The genus is familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive Chilean pine or monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
). The genus is named after the Spanish exonym Araucano ("from Arauco
Arauco
Arauco or Araucanía may refer to:* Arauco, Chile, a city and municipality in Arauco Province, Chile* Arauco Province, a province in the Biobío Region of Chile* Arauco, Argentina, a town in Arauco Department, Argentina...
") applied to the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
s of central Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and south-west Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
whose territory incorporates natural stands of this genus. The Mapuche people call it Pehuén, and consider it sacred. Some Mapuches living in the Andes name themselves Pehuenches ("people of the Pehuén") as they traditionally harvested the seeds extensively for food.
No distinct vernacular name exists for the genus; many are called 'pine', despite their being only very distantly related to pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s (Pinus).
Distribution and paleoecology
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Many if not all current populations are relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
s, and of restricted distribution. They are found in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and maquis shrubland
Maquis shrubland
thumb|220px|Low Maquis in Corsica.220px|thumb|High macchia in Sardinia.Maquis or macchia is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs such as holm oak, tree heath, strawberry tree, sage, juniper, buckthorn, spurge olive and myrtle...
, with an affinity for exposed sites. These columnar trees are living fossil
Living fossil
Living fossil is an informal term for any living species which appears similar to a species otherwise only known from fossils and which has no close living relatives, or a group of organisms which have long fossil records...
s, dating back to early in the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
age. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
records show that the genus also formerly occurred in the northern hemisphere until the end of the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period. By far the greatest diversity exists in New Caledonia
Geography of New Caledonia
The geography of New Caledonia , an overseas collectivity of France located in the subregion of Melanesia, makes the continental island group unique in the southwest Pacific. Among other things, the island chain has played a role in preserving unique biological lineages from the Mesozoic...
, due to the island's long isolation and stability.
It is believed that the long necks of sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s may have evolved specifically for browsing the foliage of the typically very tall Araucaria trees. The global distribution of vast forests of Araucaria during the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
makes it likely that they were the major high energy food source for adult sauropods.
Classification and species list
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s - the first consisting of the section Araucaria, Bunya, and Intermedia; and the second of the strongly monophyletic section Eutacta. Sections Eutacta and Bunya are both the oldest taxa of the genus, with Eutacta possibly older.
-
- Taxa marked with are extinct.
- Section Araucaria. Leaves broad; cones more than 12 cm diameter; seed germination hypogealHypogealHypogeal means "underground".* In botany, a seed is described as hypogeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain non-photosynthetic, inside the seed shell, and below ground...
. Syn. sect. Columbea; sometimes includes Intermedia and Bunya- Araucaria angustifoliaAraucaria angustifoliaAraucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an original area of 233000 km², it is native to southern Brazil Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine or Brazilian pine , is a species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Covering an...
. Paraná Pine (obsolete: Brazilian Pine, Candelabra Tree). Southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina. - Araucaria araucanaAraucaria araucanaAraucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
. Monkey-puzzle or Pehuén (obsolete: Chile Pine). Central Chile & western Argentina.
- Araucaria angustifolia
- Section Araucaria. Leaves broad; cones more than 12 cm diameter; seed germination hypogeal
- Taxa marked with are extinct.
}Araucaria nipponensis Japan.
- Section Bunya. Contains only one living species. Produces recalcitrant seedRecalcitrant seedRecalcitrant seeds are seeds that do not survive drying and freezing during ex-situ conservation. Moreover, these seeds cannot resist the effects of drying or temperatures less than 10° C; thus, they cannot be stored for long periods like orthodox seeds because they can lose their viability...
s with hypogealHypogealHypogeal means "underground".* In botany, a seed is described as hypogeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain non-photosynthetic, inside the seed shell, and below ground...
(cryptocotylar) germination, though extinct species may have exhbited epigealEpigealEpigeal, epigean, epigeic and epigeous are biological terms describing an organism's activity above the soil surface.In botany, a seed is described as epigeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed expand, throw off the seed shell and become photosynthetic above the ground...
germination.- Araucaria bidwilliiAraucaria bidwilliiAraucaria bidwillii, the Bunya Pine, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the genus Araucaria, family Araucariaceae. It is native to south-east Queensland with two small disjunct populations in northern Queensland's World Heritage listed Wet Tropics, and many fine old specimens planted in New...
. Bunya-bunya. Eastern Australia. - Araucaria brownii
- Araucaria mirabilisAraucaria mirabilisAraucaria mirabilis is an extinct species of coniferous trees from Patagonia, Argentina. It belongs to the section Bunya of the genus Araucaria; the only living species of which is Araucaria bidwillii from Australia.A...
. Patagonia. - Araucaria sphaerocarpa
- Araucaria bidwillii
- Section Intermedia. Contains only one living species. Produces recalcitrant seedRecalcitrant seedRecalcitrant seeds are seeds that do not survive drying and freezing during ex-situ conservation. Moreover, these seeds cannot resist the effects of drying or temperatures less than 10° C; thus, they cannot be stored for long periods like orthodox seeds because they can lose their viability...
s- Araucaria hunsteiniiAraucaria hunsteiniiAraucaria hunsteinii is a species of Araucaria native to the mountains of Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss....
. Klinki. New Guinea - Araucaria haastii
- Araucaria hunsteinii
- Section Eutacta. Leaves narrow, awl-like; cones less than 12 cm diameter; seed germination epigealEpigealEpigeal, epigean, epigeic and epigeous are biological terms describing an organism's activity above the soil surface.In botany, a seed is described as epigeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed expand, throw off the seed shell and become photosynthetic above the ground...
.- Araucaria bernieriAraucaria bernieriAraucaria bernieri is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria biramulataAraucaria biramulataAraucaria biramulata is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria columnarisAraucaria columnarisAraucaria columnaris, the Coral reef araucaria, is a unique species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia in the southwestern Pacific....
. Cook Pine. New Caledonia. - Araucaria cunninghamiiAraucaria cunninghamiiAraucaria cunninghamii is a species of Araucaria known as Moreton Bay Pine, or Hoop Pine. Other less commonly used names include Colonial Pine, Richmond River Pine, Queensland Pine, Alloa, Ningwik, or Pien, the wood is sometimes called Arakaria)...
. Moreton Bay Pine, Hoop Pine. Eastern Australia, New Guinea. - Araucaria heterophyllaAraucaria heterophyllaAraucaria heterophylla is a distinctive conifer, a member of the ancient and now disjointly distributed family Araucariaceae. As its vernacular name Norfolk Island Pine implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean between Australia, New Zealand and New...
. Norfolk Island Pine. Norfolk Island. - Araucaria humboldtensisAraucaria humboldtensisAraucaria humboldtensis is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria laubenfelsiiAraucaria laubenfelsiiAraucaria laubenfelsii is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria luxuriansAraucaria luxuriansAraucaria luxurians is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria montanaAraucaria montanaAraucaria montana is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria muelleriAraucaria muelleriAraucaria muelleri is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria nemorosaAraucaria nemorosaAraucaria nemorosa is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria ruleiAraucaria ruleiAraucaria rulei is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria schmidiiAraucaria schmidiiAraucaria schmidii is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria scopulorumAraucaria scopulorumAraucaria scopulorum is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia. - Araucaria subulataAraucaria subulataAraucaria subulata is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family.It is found only in New Caledonia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
. New Caledonia.Section Yezonia. Extinct. Contains only one species
- Araucaria bernieri
}Araucaria vulgaris. Japan.Section Perpendicula. Extinct. Contains only one species.
}Araucaria desmondii
- incertae sedisIncertae sedis, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
}Araucaria fibrosa
}Araucaria beipiaoensis
}Araucaria nihongii Japan.
}Araucaria taieriensis
Araucaria bindrabunensis (previously classified under section Bunya) has been transferred to the genus Araucarites.
Uses
Some of the species are relatively common in cultivation because of their distinctive, formal symmetrical growth habit. Several species are economically important for timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
production. The edible large seeds of A. bidwillii are also eaten as food (particularly among the Mapuche people and Native Australians).
In popular culture
- An Araucaria is featured prominently in Herman Hesse's novel SteppenwolfSteppenwolf (novel)Steppenwolf is the tenth novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. Originally published in Germany in 1927, it was first translated into English in 1929. Combining autobiographical and psychoanalytic elements, the novel was named after the lonesome wolf of the steppes...
. - The Araucaria forests of New Caledonia and Chile are used as Triassic forested plains of ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Jurassic open woodlands of ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and forested islands of OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and especially Cretaceous forests, and open plains of MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in Walking with DinosaursWalking with DinosaursWalking with Dinosaurs is a six-part documentary television miniseries that was produced by BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the United Kingdom, in 1999. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Branagh's voice replaced with that...
and the same environments are used again in the first episode of Prehistoric ParkPrehistoric ParkPrehistoric Park is a six-episode mockumentary television mini-series that premiered on ITV on 22 July 2006 and on Animal Planet on 29 October 2006. The program was produced by Impossible Pictures, who also created Walking with Dinosaurs. In 2007, ITV cancelled Prehistoric Park, but introduced the...
. - An Araucaria forest of PatagoniaPatagoniaPatagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
is also used as "prehistoric background" in Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's When Dinosaurs Roamed AmericaWhen Dinosaurs Roamed AmericaWhen Dinosaurs Roamed America is a two-hour American television program that first aired on Discovery Channel in 2001. It was directed by Pierre de Lespinois and narrated by actor John Goodman...
, National Geographic's Dino Death Trap, and especially the 2007 film Dinosaurs: Giants of PatagoniaDinosaurs: Giants of PatagoniaDinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia is a 2007 film about life in the Early Cretaceous, Patagonia. It features paleontologist Rodolfo Coria and his work, with Donald Sutherland acting as main narrator.-Story:...
.