Affiliation:
1. Unidad de Paleontología and CIPb‐UAM Departamento de Biología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco Madrid Spain
2. Centro para la Integración en Paleobiología (CIPb‐UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 28049 Cantoblanco Madrid Spain
3. Biological Sciences Department California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, Arcata California 95521 U.S.A.
Abstract
AbstractThe species Coniopteris laciniata and Sphenopteris wonnacottii are heterophyllous ferns recovered from two Spanish Barremian localities, Las Hoyas and El Montsec respectively. The similarities between these species, observed in a study of a total of 66 hand specimens from both localities, indicate that they are conspecific. Following the rule of priority in botanical nomenclature, and because there are doubts about the assignment of this species to a higher taxonomic rank, the name Coniopteris is maintained. Characters of this fern and additional characters of other species of Coniopteris would support a diversification of polypod ferns during the Early Cretaceous. Metric architecture analyses suggest that the heterophylly of the plant was probably caused by the submersion of the apical part of fronds in water during their development, which would be consistent with the taphonomy of the remains in both localities.
Subject
Plant Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics