Enigmatic gymnosperms? Structurally preserved Permian and Triassic seed ferns from Antarctica

Abstract

Representative organs from the seed fern groups Glossopteridales and Corystospermales are commonly found in Gondwana during the Permian and Triassic, respectively. To date, both groups have been reconstructed predominantly on the basis of compression fossils and, in the case of the glossopterids, impressions. As a result, many details of their morphology remain unclear, and their taxonomic status and relationship to other groups are somewhat enigmatic. Collections of anatomically preserved fossils from permineralized peat in the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica include a number of organs assignable to these two orders. Anatomical characters provide an opportunity to correlate isolated plant organs and to develop new reconstructions of these plants. Combined with paleoecological data, these fossils are beginning to provide a more accurate picture of the habitat and life history of these unique seed plants.