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24-613: Fitzroya is a monotypic genus in the cypress family . The single living species , Fitzroya cupressoides , is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains and coastal regions of southern Chile , and only to the Argentine Andes, where it is an important member of the Valdivian temperate forests . Common names include alerce (" larch " in Spanish ), lahuén (Spanish, from

48-583: A Fitzroya species on the Lea River of northwest Tasmania . The 35-million-year-old (Oligocene) fossil was named F. tasmanensis . The finding demonstrates the ancient floristic affinities between Australasia and southern South America, which botanists identify as the Antarctic flora . About 40 to 50 thousand years ago, during the interstadials of the Llanquihue glaciation , Fitzroya and other conifers had

72-602: A common ancestor ) or paraphyletic (excluding some descendants), these concepts do not apply to monotypic taxa because they contain only a single member. Monotypic taxa are part of a broader challenge in biological classification known as aphyly – situations where evolutionary relationships are poorly supported by evidence. This includes both monotypic groups and cases where traditional groupings are found to be artificial. Understanding how monotypic taxa fit into this bigger picture helps identify areas needing further research. The German lichenologist Robert Lücking suggests that

96-722: A local currency , the real de alerce , in Chiloé Archipelago. It has been argued that the Spanish exclave of Chiloé prevailed over other Spanish settlements in Southern Chile due to the importance of alerce trade. From about 1750 to 1943, when the land between Maullín River and Valdivia was colonized by Spain and then Chile, numerous fires of Fitzroya woods occurred in Cordillera Pelada . These fires were initiated by Spaniards, Chileans and Europeans. Earlier, from 1397 to 1750

120-515: A family. Some examples of monotypic groups are: Valdivia Province Valdivia Province ( Spanish : Provincia de Valdivia ; pronounced [balˈdiβja] ) is one of two provinces of the southern Chilean region of Los Ríos (XIV). The provincial capital is Valdivia . Located in the province are two important rivers, the Calle-Calle / Valdivia River and the Cruces River . It

144-481: A much larger and continuous geographical extent than at present including the eastern lowlands of Chiloé Island and the area west of Llanquihue Lake . At present Fitzroya grow mainly at some altitude above sea level. Fitzroya stands near sea level are most likely relicts . Fitzroya cupressoides wood has been found in the site of Monte Verde , implying that it has been used since at least 13,000 years before present . The Huilliche people are known to have used

168-462: A specimen from Chile, "Gran Abuelo" or "Alerce Milenario", was found to be 3622 years old, making it the second oldest fully verified (by counting growth rings ) age for any living tree species, after the bristlecone pine . More recent research proposed that this individual corresponds to the oldest tree in the world. A team of researchers from the University of Tasmania found fossilized foliage of

192-568: Is Alerce Milenario in Alerce Costero National Park , Chile. It is more than 60 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 4.26 m. Much larger specimens existed before the species was heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries; Charles Darwin reported finding a specimen of 12.6m circumference (some 4.01m in diameter). The leaves are in decussate whorls of three, 3–6 mm long (to 8 mm long on seedlings ) and 2 mm broad, marked with two white stomatal lines. This

216-532: Is a dioecious species, with male and female cones on separate trees. The cones are globose, 6–8 mm in diameter, opening flat to 12 mm across, with nine scales in three whorls of three. Only the central whorl of scales is fertile, bearing 2–3 seeds on each scale; the lower and upper whorls are small and sterile. The seeds are 2–3 mm long and flat, with a wing along each side. The seeds mature 6–8 months after pollination . The thick bark of F. cupressoides may be an adaptation to wildfire . In 1993

240-465: Is evident in many cases across different species. For instance, the diatom Licmophora juergensii is placed in a monotypic genus because scientists have not yet found clear evidence of its relationships to other species. Some taxonomists argue against monotypic taxa because they reduce the information content of biological classifications. As taxonomists Backlund and Bremer explain in their critique, "'Monotypic' taxa do not provide any information about

264-622: Is part of Northern Patagonia and its wild virgin forest embrace the Patagonian Cordillera following the river Calle Calle down to the Pacific Ocean. It is known in Patagonia by the term "Bosque Valdiviano", referring to the primitive forest of Valdivia with its native trees. These forests are present in some parts of Northern Patagonia, both in Chile and Argentina. According to the 2002 census by

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288-407: Is particularly associated with island species. Among 25 documented extinct monotypic genera studied, 22 occurred on islands, with flightless animals being particularly vulnerable to human impacts. Just as the term monotypic is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within

312-747: Is the most important film event in Chile, one of the most important worldwide and in Latin America. It has been held since 1994, generally during the month of October. The Valdivia Book Fair is organized annually by the city's Municipal Cultural Corporation, with the support of the Los Ríos Governor's Office, in the Saval Park. In this context, several authors born in the Los Ríos Region stand out, such as Maha Vial , Iván Espinoza Riesco, José Baroja , Aldo Astete Cuadra, Efraín Miranda Cárdenas, by name

336-525: The Fitzroya woods of Cordillera Pelada also suffered from fires that originated from lightning strikes and indigenous inhabitants. In the 1850s and 1860s Vicente Pérez Rosales burned down huge tracts of forested lands to provide cleared lands for German settlers in Southern Chile . The area affected by the fires of Pérez Rosales spanned a strip in the Andean foothills from Bueno River to Reloncaví Sound . One of

360-518: The Mapuche name lahuén), and Patagonian cypress . The genus was named in honour of Robert FitzRoy . Fitzroya cupressoides is the largest tree species in South America, normally growing to 40–60 m, but occasionally more than 70 m, and up to 5 m in trunk diameter. Its rough pyramidal canopy provides cover for the southern beech , laurel and myrtle . The largest known living specimen

384-541: The National Statistics Institute ( INE ), the province spans an area of 10,197.2 km (3,937 sq mi) and had a population of 259,243 inhabitants (128,972 men and 130,271 women), giving it a population density of 25.4/km (66/sq mi). Of these, 192,066 (74.1%) lived in urban areas and 67,177 (25.9%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 10.9% (25,547 persons). The Valdivia International Film Festival (FICV)

408-745: The common application of the term monotypic is frequently misleading, "since each taxon by definition contains exactly one type and is hence "monotypic", regardless of the total number of units", and suggests using "monospecific" for a genus with a single species, and "monotaxonomic" for a taxon containing only one unit. Species in monotypic genera tend to be more threatened with extinction than average species. Studies have found this pattern particularly pronounced in amphibians , where about 6.56% of monotypic genera are critically endangered , compared to birds and mammals where around 4.54% and 4.02% of monotypic genera face critical endangerment respectively. Studies have found that extinction of monotypic genera

432-433: The exception of already dead trees and with the authorization of CONAF, a National Corporation) although illegal logging still occasionally occurs. New World Species : Monotypic taxon Monotypic taxa present several important theoretical challenges in biological classification . One key issue is known as "Gregg's Paradox": if a single species is the only member of multiple hierarchical levels (for example, being

456-406: The most famous intentional fires was the one of the Fitzroya forests between Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt in 1863. This burning was done taking advantage of a drought in 1863 . Burnings of forest were in many cases necessary for the survival of the settlers who had no means of subsistence other than agriculture. Logging of Fitzroya continued until 1976 when it became forbidden by law, (with

480-469: The only species in its genus, which is the only genus in its family), then each level needs a distinct definition to maintain logical structure. Otherwise, the different taxonomic ranks become effectively identical, which creates problems for organizing biological diversity in a hierarchical system. When taxonomists identify a monotypic taxon, this often reflects uncertainty about its relationships rather than true evolutionary isolation . This uncertainty

504-405: The relationships of the immediately subordinate taxon". When monotypic taxa are sister to a single larger group, they might be merged into that group; however, when they are sister to multiple other groups, they may need to remain separate to maintain a natural classification. From a cladistic perspective, which focuses on shared derived characteristics to determine evolutionary relationships,

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528-403: The theoretical status of monotypic taxa is complex. Some argue they can only be justified when relationships cannot be resolved through synapomorphies (shared derived characteristics); otherwise, they would necessarily exclude related species and thus be paraphyletic. However, others contend that while most taxonomic groups can be classified as either monophyletic (containing all descendants of

552-401: The wood for making tools and weapons. By the time of the Spanish conquest of Chiloé Archipelago in 1567 most of the islands were covered by dense forest where F. cupressoides grew. The wood was economically important in colonial Chiloé and Valdivia , which exported planks to Peru . A single tree could yield 600 planks with a width of at least 0.5 m and a length of 5 m. The wood

576-466: Was highly valued in Chile and Peru for its elasticity and lightness. With the destruction of Valdivia in 1599 Chiloé gained increased importance as the only locale that could supply the Viceroyalty of Peru with F. cupressoides wood, the first large shipment of which left Chiloé in 1641. Fitzroya cupressoides wood was the principal means of exchange in the trade with Peru, and even came to be used as

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