Abstract Detail

Paleobotany

MICKLE, JAMES E [1].

A Ginkgophyte from the Late Triassic of North Carolina, USA.

The Triassic flora of North Carolina has been shown to contain abundant cycadophytes, conifers, equisetophytes and ferns, but ginkgophytes have rarely been previously reported. Recently discovered fossils consist of a leaf composed of dichotomously dissected filiform segments, and a seed, both attached to an axis. The specimens are from an abandoned clay mine (35° 34’ 02. 87” N 79° 78’ 42.77” W) near the village of Gulf, NC that was formerly known as the Boren Clay Products Mine. These strata lie within the Pekin Formation of the Newark Supergroup and is Middle to Late Carnian in age. The leaf dichotomizes up to five times, and overall is 35 mm long X 30 mm wide. Segments are 1.5 mm wide proximally to 0.5 mm distally. The seed is elliptic, 1.0 mm long X 5.0 mm wide and is attached anatropously to a slender stalk that is 11 mm long. Both the leaf and seed are attached to an axis 3.0 mm in diameter that is perpendicular to the bedding plane of the matrix. No cuticle was obtained. The dichotomous nature of the leaf and the stalked seed are similar to ginkgophytes that bear dichotomous, filiform leaves and stalked ovules such as Trichopitys and Baiera, but differs in the greater degree of dichotomizing of the leaf and position of the ovule. These similarities suggest interpretation of these fossils as ginkgophytes. As such, these fossils from the Gulf mine represent one of the few examples of ginkgophytes from the North Carolina Triassic flora and increases our knowledge of the biodiversity at the well-known Gulf Mine Triassic locality.

1 - North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Campus Box 7612, 2115 Gardner Hall, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA

Keywords:
Triassic
ginkgophyte
fossil.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Paleobotany posters
Location: Exhibit Hall/Omni Hotel
Date: Monday, June 26th, 2017
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PPB006
Abstract ID:428
Candidate for Awards:None