Artículo
Fossil record of Ephedra in the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian), Argentina
Fecha de publicación:
11/2017
Editorial:
Springer Tokyo
Revista:
Journal of Plant Research
ISSN:
0918-9440
Idioma:
Inglés
Tipo de recurso:
Artículo publicado
Clasificación temática:
Resumen
Fossil plants from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Aptian) of the La Cantera Formation, Argentina, are described. The fossils studied represent a leafy shooting system with several orders of articulated and striated axes and attached leaves with unequivocal ephedroid affinity. We also found associated remains of ovulate cones with four whorls of sterile bracts, which contain two female reproductive units (FRU). Ovulate cone characters fit well within the genus Ephedra. Special characters in the ovulate cones including an outer seed envelope with two types of trichomes, allowed us to consider our remains as a new Ephedra species. Abundant dispersed ephedroid pollen obtained from the macrofossil-bearing strata also confirms the abundance of Ephedraceae in the basin. The co-occurrence of abundant fossil of Ephedra (adapted to dry habitats) associated with thermophilic cheirolepideacean conifer pollen (Classopollis) in the unit would suggest marked seasonality at the locality during the Early Cretaceous. Furthermore, the floristic association is linked to dry sensitive rocks in the entire section. The macro- and microflora from San Luis Basin are similar in composition to several Early Cretaceous floras from the Northern Gondwana floristic province, but it may represent one of the southernmost records of an arid biome in South America.
Palabras clave:
Central Western Argentina
,
Early Cretaceous
,
Ephedra
,
Gnetales
Archivos asociados
Licencia
Identificadores
Colecciones
Articulos(IANIGLA)
Articulos de INST. ARG. DE NIVOLOGIA, GLACIOLOGIA Y CS. AMBIENT
Articulos de INST. ARG. DE NIVOLOGIA, GLACIOLOGIA Y CS. AMBIENT
Citación
Puebla, Gabriela Griselda; Iglesias, Ari; Gomez, Maria Angelica; Pramparo, Mercedes Beatriz; Fossil record of Ephedra in the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian), Argentina; Springer Tokyo; Journal of Plant Research; 130; 6; 11-2017; 975-988
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