Equisetaleans from the Bajo de Veliz Formation (Gzhelian-Asselian): a new key in the evolution of Gondwanan reproductive structures

Equisetaleans are a frequent floral element in the upper Palaeozoic of Gondwana and traditionally have been assigned to a few species of Phyllotheca based mainly on vegetative features. However, studies have suggested that the reproductive organs of Gondwanan equisetaleans may be more complex than p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inHistorical biology Vol. 36; no. 9; pp. 1712 - 1726
Main Authors Fernández, Johana A., Césari, Silvia N.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.09.2024
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Equisetales
Evolution
Flora
Gondwana
latest Pennsylvanian
New records
New species
Organs
Paleozoic
Plants (botany)
Reproductive organs
Sporangia
sporangiophore
Sporangiophores
strobilus
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Equisetaleans are a frequent floral element in the upper Palaeozoic of Gondwana and traditionally have been assigned to a few species of Phyllotheca based mainly on vegetative features. However, studies have suggested that the reproductive organs of Gondwanan equisetaleans may be more complex than previously thought, and new Gondwanan taxa have been reported during recent decades. The evolution of these plants is believed to have been driven by changes in their reproductive organs, including the emergence of simple sporangia or cruciate sporangiophores at the internodes as well as the development of strobilar structures. Here, we describe new records of Cruciatheca Cúneo et Escapa and Conustheca gen. nov. from Gzhelian-earliest Cisuralian deposits in the southeastern boundary of the Paganzo Basin, Argentina. The new species with whorls of strobilus-like structures provides further evidence of a diverse equisetalean flora across the southern continents. These records also suggest that the evolution of these equisetaleans was complex, with multiple lineages and distinct morphologies.
ISSN:0891-2963
1029-2381
DOI:10.1080/08912963.2023.2228331