08.06.2013 Views

OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

has highlighted the roles played by animals in pollination and seed dispersal in the<br />

diversification of the angiosperms.<br />

6.3.3 Climatic indicator taxa<br />

Many Late Cretaceous genera can be assigned to extant families and, occasionally, extant<br />

genera or species in the case of monotypic genera (Dettmann 1994, Chambers et al. 1998, Hill<br />

and Brodribb 1999). Examples are (NLRs in parentheses): Phyllocladidites mawsonii<br />

(Lagarostrobos franklinii) which first appears in the Turonian, Lygistepollenites florinii<br />

(Dacrydium) which first appears in the Santonian, and Dacrycarpites australiensis<br />

(Dacrycarpus) and Nothofagidites (ancestral Nothofagus) which first appear in the<br />

Campanian.<br />

All retain a preference for cool-cold (microtherm range) and wet-very wet (perhumid)<br />

conditions (Table 6) but only in a few cases do the geological and palaeo-distribution data<br />

show that the ecology of the ancestral taxon was similar to their nearest living relatives<br />

(NLR). An example is the microfossil species Australopollis obscurus which almost certainly<br />

was a freshwater aquatic herb like its NLR Callitriche (Callitrichaceae). Ancestral<br />

Nothofagus spp., which almost certainly evolved under microtherm conditions, appear to have<br />

given rise to at least one subgenus (Brassospora) that was adapted to warmer (lower<br />

mesotherm) conditions during the Late Cretaceous or earliest Tertiary.<br />

Table 6: Inferred ecological preferences<br />

TAXON GEOGRAPHIC BIAS TOTAL INFERRED<br />

Palaeolatitude Coast RANGE CLIMATIC<br />

Fossil NLR N S - PREFERENCE<br />

Gymnosperms<br />

Araucariacites Araucaria • • • pancontinental warmer/drier<br />

Dacrycarpites Dacrycarpus • • ± southern cooler/wetter<br />

Dilwynites Agathis/Wollemia • • ± southern cooler/wetter<br />

Lygistepollenites Dacrydium • • ± southern cooler/wetter<br />

Podocarpidites Podocarpus • • pancontinental cooler/wetter<br />

Phyllocladidites Lagarostrobos • • ± southern cooler/wetter<br />

Angiosperms<br />

Australopollis obscurus Callitrichaceae • • pancontinental freshwater<br />

Forcipites extinct • • southern cooler/wetter<br />

Ilexpollenites Ilex • • pancontinental warmer<br />

Longapertites Palmae • • ±northern ±hot<br />

Nothofagidites Nothofagus • • ±southern cooler/wetter<br />

Proteacidites Proteaceae • • • pancontinental drier?<br />

Tricolpites lilliei complex Neoscortechinia? • • pancontinental warm/freshwater<br />

Ferns and fern allies<br />

Camarozonosporites Lycopodiales • • pancontinental drier?<br />

Cicatricosisporites Schizaeaceae • pancontinental warmer/wetter<br />

Cyatheacidites Lophosoria • pancontinental cooler/wetter<br />

Cyathidites Cyatheaceae • • • pancontinental cooler/wetter<br />

Gleicheniidites Gleicheniaceae • • • pancontinental riparian<br />

Retitriletes Lycopodiaceae • • pancontinental cooler/wetter<br />

Stereisporites Sphagnum • • pancontinental cooler/wetter<br />

71

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!