| Abstract Detail
Paleobotanical Section Dunn, Michael T [1]. A New Fossil Flora from the Mississippian (Visean) Pride Mountain Formation of northern Alabama. A new fossil flora from the Pride Mountain Formation (Mississippian/Visean) has recently been rescued from the Tuscumbia Limestone Quarry in northern Alabama. The Pride Mountain Formation caps the economically valuable limestone and specimens were grab sampled from spoils piles before reclamation operations suspended opportunities for analysis. The flora consists of at least two compression lycopsid axes. One axis is clearly forked with rare Lepidodendron shaped leaf scars. In the second axis, forking is not observed, and poorly preserved leaf scars are wider than tall. No leaves have been observed that match the first axis but abundant dispersed leaves that possess a Lepidophloios shaped base, possibly corresponding to the second axis have been recovered, along with rare specimens attached to stems. In addition, forked, permineralized cormose lycopsids are also present, but leaf scars are not well preserved and correlation of compression and permineralized specimens is not yet possible. All recovered rootlets are forked with a single main-vein. All recovered megasporophylls have narrow elongate lamina, and abruptly wide bases. Megaspores are relatively abundant, and assignable to Triletes with tapering, bifurcated, or hooked spines. This present paper describes the general assemblage and environmental evidence. Subsequent papers will describe the permineralized axes and miospores.
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1 - Cameron University, Department of Biological Sciences, Science Complex, Lawton, Oklahoma, 73505, USA
Keywords:
lycopsid
Pride Mountain Formation
Mississippian
Visean.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 25
Location: Superior A/Cliff Lodge - Level C
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 2:15 PM
Number: 25004
Abstract ID:59 |
