A new angiosperm from the Crato Formation (Araripe Basin, Brazil) and comments on the Early Cretaceous monocotyledons.

Flaviana J De Lima,Juliana M Sayão,Antônio A.F Saraiva,Maria A.P Da Silva,Renan A.M Bantim

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201420140339

Flaviana J De Lima, Juliana M Sayão + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201420140339

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Abstract

The Crato Formation paleoflora is one of the few equatorial floras of the Early Cretaceous. It is diverse, with many angiosperms, especially representatives of the clades magnoliids, monocotyledons and eudicots, which confirms the assumption that angiosperm diversity during the last part of the Early Cretaceous was reasonably high. The morphology of a new fossil monocot is studied and compared to all other Smilacaceae genus, especially in the venation. Cratosmilax jacksoni gen. et sp. nov. can be related to the Smilacaceae family, becoming the oldest record of the family so far. Cratosmilax jacksoni is a single mesophilic leaf with entire margins, ovate shape, with acute apex and base, four venation orders and main acrodromous veins. It is the first terrestrial monocot described for the Crato Formation, monocots were previously described for the same formation, and are considered aquatics. Cratosmilax jacksoni is the first fossil record of Smilacaceae in Brazil, and the oldest record of this family.

Highlights

Leaves are the most visible organs of the plants, composing the majority of the fossil plants records (Wilf 1997, Mohr and Friis 2000, Friis et al 2011)
This paper describes a new genus and specie of the angiosperms, a monocotyledon from the Crato Formation (Araripe Basin)
In the Upper Cretaceous it was expected that the monocot were both widespread and diverse (Herendeen and Crane 1995), the fossil record has shown this group with mostly Laurasian distribution with the exception of a record in Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Leaves are the most visible organs of the plants, composing the majority of the fossil plants records (Wilf 1997, Mohr and Friis 2000, Friis et al 2011). Fossil leaves, especially angiosperms, are notoriously difficult to identify and are frequently found isolated as impressions or compressions (Crane et al 1990, Wilf 2008). Several studies of Cretaceous fossil leaves, including analysies of vein patterns and histology, have brought useful information regarding the. The size, form and venation pattern of fossil leaves are commonly preserved. Additional organic materials, such as cuticular remains, are less frequent and occasionally are present (Upchurch and Dilcher 1990, Wilf 2008). Several authors used foliar venation for taxonomic purposes and/or species characterization in the description of angiosperms (Melville 1969, Rieger and Fournier 1982, Gerber and Les 1994, Carpenter et al 2005, Nagalingum 2007)

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