Revision of the Devonian acritarch genus Pyloferites Quadros 1999 based on palynomorph assemblages from Brazil

Abstract

A large population of the acritarch genus Pyloferites Quadros 1999 was recovered from the Devonian strata of the Paraná Basin, Alto Garças Sub-basin (Brazil), at the Jaciara section. Based on a literature review and the examination of new material, including morphometric analyses, Pyloferites shows wide morphological variability, and, therefore, is herein emended. Additionally, a species emendation and a new species are instituted: Pyloferites escobaides (Cramer 1964) Daners et al. 2017 emend. nov., and Pyloferites paranaensis sp. nov. The stratigraphical distribution of P. escobaides is extended from the middle–late Pragian to the Famennian, while P. paranaeinsis is restricted to the Pragian to early Emsian, or possibly middle Emsian, of the Paraná Basin. The presence of Pyloferites in Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Spain supports a Gondwanan and Perigondwanan palaeobiogeographical distribution.