Revision of the Devonian acritarch genus Pyloferites Quadros 1999 based on palynomorph assemblages from Brazil

Abstract

A large population of the acritarch genus Pyloferites Quadros 1999, was recovered from Devonian sediments of the Paraná Basin, Alto Garças Sub-basin (Brazil), in the Jaciara section. Based on the literature review and the examination of new material, including morphometric analyses, Pyloferites shows wide morphological variability, and, therefore, is herein emended. Additionally, a new combination and a new species are instituted: Pyloferites escobaides (Cramer 1964) Daners, Le Hérissé and Breuer 2017 comb. nov., and Pyloferites paranaensis sp. nov. The stratigraphic distribution of P. escobaides comb. nov. is extended from the middle- late Pragian to the Famennian, while P. paranaeinsis would be restricted to the Pragian-early Emsian to possible middle Emsian of the Paraná Basin. The presence of Pyloferites in Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Spain, supports a Gondwanan and Perigondwanan palaeobiogeographical relationship.