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Research Interests: Geology and Carboniferous
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New palaeontological material was collected during recent extensive fieldwork in the Early Permian Perdasdefogu and Escalaplano basins (SE Sardinia). For the first time, an accurate biostratigraphic position can be assumed for the... more
New palaeontological material was collected during recent extensive fieldwork in the Early Permian Perdasdefogu and Escalaplano basins (SE Sardinia). For the first time, an accurate biostratigraphic position can be assumed for the sediments of these two basins, on the basis of their fossiliferous content (floras; ostracods). Regional and inter-regional correlations are proposed and palaeogeographical implications are analysed.
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New palaeontological material was collected during recent extensive fieldwork in the Early Permian Perdasdefogu and Escalaplano basins (SE Sardinia). For the first time, an accurate biostratigraphic position can be assumed for the... more
New palaeontological material was collected during recent extensive fieldwork in the Early Permian Perdasdefogu and Escalaplano basins (SE Sardinia). For the first time, an accurate biostratigraphic position can be assumed for the sediments of these two basins, on the basis of their fossiliferous content (floras; ostracods). Regional and inter-regional correlations are proposed and palaeogeographical implications are analysed.De nouvelles collectes paléontologiques ont été réalisées dans les bassins Permien inférieur de Perdasdefogu et Escalaplano (Sud-Est de la Sardaigne), à l'occasion de récents travaux de terrain intensifs. Pour la première fois, une position biostratigraphique précise peut être proposée pour les formations de ces deux bassins, basée sur leur contenu paléontologique (flores, ostracodes). Des corrélations régionales et inter-régionales sont proposées, et les implications paléogéographiques de ces nouvelles données sont analysées.
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Page 1. Biomechanical analysis of a Palaeozoic gymnosperm stem NP ROWE1, T. SPECK2 AND J. GALTIER3 1Department of Geology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX, UK 2 Botanischer Garten ...
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Froma singleEarly Permian locality intheTaiyuanFormation of northern China, a newwhole-plant cordaitalean is reconstructed and named Cordaixylon tianii (B. Tian and S.-J. Wang) S.-J. Wang and J. Hilton sp. nov. The reconstruction is based... more
Froma singleEarly Permian locality intheTaiyuanFormation of northern China, a newwhole-plant cordaitalean is reconstructed and named Cordaixylon tianii (B. Tian and S.-J. Wang) S.-J. Wang and J. Hilton sp. nov. The reconstruction is based on pairs of plant organs found in organic attachment, supplementedwith cases where two or more co-occurring morphospecies share distinctive anatomical features. Stems have sympodial primary vascular architecture with endarch primary xylem maturation of the cauline bundles, which surround a septate pith. Leaf traces are endarch,most diverging fromthe pithmargin as double bundles (less frequently singly) and bearing leaves in 3/8 and 5/13 phyllotaxis. Leaves are long and straplike, resembling those of the previously reconstructed Cordaixylon dumusum Rothwell and S. Warner, but with a geniculate posture that justifies their segregation as Cordaites tianii S.-J.Wang and J. Hilton sp. nov. Both male and female cones are compound, borne irregularly as epicormic branches, and when isolated conform to the morphogenus Cordaitanthus. Pollen cones with numerous pollen organs borne on apically concentrated fertile scales are largely consistent with the morphospecies Cordaitanthus concinnus Delevoryas,but subtle distinctions permit their description as C. tianii S.-J.Wang and J.Hilton sp. nov. Ovulate cones are described as Cordaitanthus shanxiensis S.-J. Wang and J. Hilton sp. nov.; each cone contains several cardiocarpalean ovules that have a distinctive tuberculate integumentary structure and are assignable to the morphospecies Cardiocarpus tuberculatus S.-J.Wang, J. Hilton, and B. Tian. The reconstructed plant most closely resembles C. dumusum from the Late Pennsylvanian of North America, but (often subtle) diagnostic characters arewell distributed across the organs of the two conceptualwhole plants, permitting confident distinction at species level. The plant is reconstructed as a large, suberect or fully erect shrub.
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ABSTRACT
Research Interests: Geology and First record
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Fragments of anatomically preserved-silicified tree trunks are described from the Stephanian deposits of Graissessac. According to the characters of their wood and primary xylem, these plants are identified as cordaitaleans with the... more
Fragments of anatomically preserved-silicified tree trunks are described from the Stephanian deposits of Graissessac. According to the characters of their wood and primary xylem, these plants are identified as cordaitaleans with the exception of one specimen of Arthropitys ( ...
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A small permineralized fossil plant assemblage is described from volcaniclastic tuff collected in the Upper Permian (Wuchiapigian to Changhsingian) Xuanwei Formation at Shanjiaoshu mine, Guizhou Province, China. The assemblage is... more
A small permineralized fossil plant assemblage is described from volcaniclastic tuff collected in the Upper Permian (Wuchiapigian to Changhsingian) Xuanwei Formation at Shanjiaoshu mine, Guizhou Province, China. The assemblage is fragmentary but contains a small sphenopsid strobilus, a partial strobilus of a lepidodendralean lycopsid, pinnae of the filicalean fern Anachoropteris and a filicalean non-laminate fertile pinna rachis, the marattialean ferns Eoangiopteris, Scolecopteris and Psaronius, hooked stems of probable gigantopterid affinity, and two kinds of cardiocarpalean ovules. This represents the first indisputable evidence of Anachoropteris from the Permian of China, and contrasts previous evidence from Europe and North America that indicates this genus became extinct during the earliest Permian. The assemblage highlights the persistence of plants from wetland communities and swamp ecosystems into the Upper Permian of southern China, and further supports to the presence of the Ameriosinian phytogeographical realm. This is the first record of a plant assemblage preserved in tuffaceous sediments from the Upper Permian of southern China, and in combination with other recently discovered tuffs from this region indicates volcanism was an important factor in facilitating permineralized plant preservation in this realm.
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In this paper we report the first occurrence of permineralized plant fossils in volcaniclastic lithologies from China and in doing so describe a new species of cardiocarpalean ovule permineralized within tuffaceous sediments from a... more
In this paper we report the first occurrence of permineralized plant fossils in volcaniclastic lithologies from China and in doing so describe a new species of cardiocarpalean ovule permineralized within tuffaceous sediments from a recently discovered locality near Pingquan, Hebei Province, north China. The tuff is part of the Early Permian aged Taiyuan Formation which contains a plant fossil assemblage that includes cordaitean spermatophytes, lepidodendralean lycophytes, equisetophytes, and filicalean ferns, all of which typify Permian floras of northern China at this time. Specimens of Cardiocarpus dabizii sp. nov. show the characteristic platyspermic shape and vascularization of cardiocarpalean ovules, and display prominent protuberances on the exterior of the integument. The seed comprises an integument that is divided into 3 layers; a thick sarcotesta, a thin and comparatively dense sclerotesta, and a single layer of large endotesta cells. The pollen chamber produces a slender nucellar beak. In several specimens the megaspore membrane contains well developed tissue of the megagametophyte. The prominent external integumentary protuberances suggest that well developed systems of plant/animal interactions were operative in Early Permian wetland biotas of the Cathaysian realm.
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The plant fossil assemblage is dominated by fusainized pteridospermous remains which include stems, rachides, distal parts of fronds and pollen organs. Associated with these are numerous fragments of gymnospermous wood. Permineralized... more
The plant fossil assemblage is dominated by fusainized pteridospermous remains which include stems, rachides, distal parts of fronds and pollen organs. Associated with these are numerous fragments of gymnospermous wood. Permineralized axes of the lycopod Oxroadia are ...
Research Interests: Geology and Palaeobotany
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Permineralized plants have been collected from the basal part of the section of Lower Carboniferous rocks at Loch Humprey Burn. These rocks have also yielded a rich CM Biozone palynoflora indicating a late Tournaisian (Tn3 Courceyan)... more
Permineralized plants have been collected from the basal part of the section of Lower Carboniferous rocks at Loch Humprey Burn. These rocks have also yielded a rich CM Biozone palynoflora indicating a late Tournaisian (Tn3 Courceyan) age. The well-preserved vegetative and ...
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Research Interests: Geology and Palaeobotany
ABSTRACT Additional information is presented on the oldest known example of axillary branching seen in some Calamopitys from the lowermost Carboniferous of France; these putative pteridosperms are amongst the earliest plants to be... more
ABSTRACT Additional information is presented on the oldest known example of axillary branching seen in some Calamopitys from the lowermost Carboniferous of France; these putative pteridosperms are amongst the earliest plants to be attributed to the spermatophytes. Comparative ...
A review of coal-ball floras from Central and Western Europe is presented with special attention to recent studies of coal balls from England and Spain. Emphasis is placed on the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of taxa, and on a... more
A review of coal-ball floras from Central and Western Europe is presented with special attention to recent studies of coal balls from England and Spain. Emphasis is placed on the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of taxa, and on a comparison of twelve floras including those ...