| Abstract Detail
Paleobotanical Section Bomfleur, Benjamin [1], Kerp, Hans [2]. Cuticular analysis of a very diverse Late Triassic Dicroidium assemblage from Antarctica. The morphogenus Dicroidium, comprising a wide variety of small to medium-sized bifurcated pteridosperm fronds, is a common and often dominant element in Middle and Late Triassic plant assemblages of Gondwana. Despite its frequent occurrences, the delimitation of the genus and its individual species are problematic. They are largely defined on the basis of their gross morphology but fronds may show considerable variation. Although cuticles have been described for several species, detailed comparative studies based on cuticular analyses have not yet been published. A single, 15 cm thick bed in the Upper Triassic Beacon Supergroup exposed at Timber Peak, North Victoria Land, Transantarctic Mountains, yielded seven species of Dicroidium with excellently preserved cuticles, being one of the most diverse Dicroidium assemblages known to date. The Timber Peak flora is dominated by D. elongatum. Other common species in this assemblage are D. odontopteroides, D. crassinervis, and a new species provisionally named D. sp. A, whereas D. dubium, D. cf. superbum and D. coriaceum occur sporadically. These species are clearly distinguishable on the basis of the combination of their gross-morphological characters and cuticular features.
Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Institut fuer Geologie und Palaeontologie, Forschungsstelle fuer Palaeobotanik, Hindenburgplatz 57, Muenster, D-48143, Germany
2 - Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Hindenburgplatz 57, D-48143, Münster, Germany
Keywords:
Dicroidium
cuticular analysis
Triassic
Transantarctic Mountains
systematic palaeobotany
epidermal anatomy.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 61
Location: Superior A/Cliff Lodge - Level C
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: 61003
Abstract ID:188 |
