A new palm trunk from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina
Abstract
Abstract. A new morphospecies of palm trunk, Palmoxylonpichaihuensis sp. nov., is proposed on the basis of several specimens recovered from a succession of tuffs and breccias at Pichaihue, Neuquén Province, Argentina. The specimens comprise atactosteles that display densely crowded fibrovascular bundles in the peripheral zone, and less congested fibrovascular bundles, randomly scattered or arranged in irregular circles in the central zone; sclerenchyma reniform; xylem with 1-4 large metaxylem vessels and 6-12 smaller protoxylem elements in the central zone, and an f/v ratio of 1.3-2:1. The Pichaihue fossil assemblage is similar to, and probably coeval with the flora of Bajo de Santa Rosa, Río Negro Province, reflecting a warm and relatively humid climate, at ca. 40- 45º S, in southern South America during the Late Cretaceous. Resumen. UN NUEVO ESTÍPITE DE PALMERA DEL CRETÁCICO SUPERIOR DE ARGENTINA.Se propone una nueva morfoespecie de estípite de palmera, Palmoxylonpichaihuensis sp. nov., en base a varios especímenes recuperados del Cretácico Superior de Pichaihue, provincia del Neuquén, Argentina. Los especímenes incluyen atactostelas que muestran abundantes haces fibrovasculares en la zona perisférica, en tanto que en la zona central los mismos se encuentran en menor densidad y están dispuestos al azar o constituyendo círculos irregulares; esclerénquima reniforme; xilema de 1-4 vasos grandes y 6-12 elementos protoxilemáticos en la zona central, y una relación f/v de 1.3-2:1. La tafoflora de Pichaihue es similar, y probablemente coetánea, con la flora fósil del Bajo de Santa Rosa, provincia de Río Negro, reflejando un clima cálido y relativamente húmedo durante el Cretácico Tardío en América del Sur meridional a los 40-45º lat. S.Downloads
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