IARA IGUASSU, A NEW TAXON OF AQUATIC ANGIOSPERM FROM THE CRATO PALAEOFLORA (LOWER CRETACEOUS, SANTANA FORMATION, ARARIPE BASIN, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL)

Autores

  • Jean Carlo Mari Fanton Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP).
  • Frésia Ricardi-Branco Departamento de Geologia e Recursos Naturais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
  • David Dilcher Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Cultural Plaza.
  • Mary Elizabeth Cerruti Bernardes de Oliveira Curso de Pós-Graduação em Análise Geoambiental (CEPPE), Universidade Guarulhos (UnG).

Palavras-chave:

Angiosperma aquática, Eocretáceo, Membro Crato, Bacia do Araripe.

Resumo

ABSTRACT – Iara iguassu gen. et sp. nov., a new taxon of aquatic angiosperm that occurs in the Crato Palaeoflora is described. The new species contributes to improve the knowledge of early angiosperms diversity and evolution, since the West Gondwana could be the spreading center of the first flowering plants in an older time. The Crato Member consists of laminated limestones of shallow lacustrine origin with marine influence and of Late Aptian/Early Albian age. Iara iguassu is an filamentous plant that consists of a cylindrical, articulate and furrowed stem that bear leaves elongated, tubular, flexible and inserted whorly. The fertile structures are represented by thin elongated flexible and striated peduncles that emerge near the stem nodal region. The peduncles distal portion consists of a spindle-shaped structure. The plant would live submersed in shallow lacustrine environments, probably with saline waters, depositional palaeoenvironments already suggested for the Crato Member. Iara iguassu features are partly found in extant and not related aquatic herbaceous families such as Potamogetonaceae, Cymodoceaceae and Ruppiaceae (Monocots) and also Podostemaceae (Dicot). Therefore, Iara iguassu may represent an extinct member of a putative lineage of aquatic flowering plants, not related to extant monocots or dicots (convergence habit).

Biografia do Autor

Jean Carlo Mari Fanton, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP).

Departamento de Geologia e Recursos Naturais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP).

Frésia Ricardi-Branco, Departamento de Geologia e Recursos Naturais, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

Curriculo Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/3124753907036602

David Dilcher, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Cultural Plaza.

Florida Museum of Natural History. Gainesville, FL 32611-7800 - Florida, - Estados Unidos Telefone: (352) 3921721 Ramal: 460 Fax: (352) 3922539 URL da Homepage: http://www.flmnh.edu/staff/dilchcv.htm Curriculo Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/8952291078303883

Mary Elizabeth Cerruti Bernardes de Oliveira, Curso de Pós-Graduação em Análise Geoambiental (CEPPE), Universidade Guarulhos (UnG).

Curriculun Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/4338294847576707

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Publicado

2007-01-29

Edição

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