Primer registro de leños fósiles de Moraceae y Rutaceae de la Formación Ituzaingó (Plioceno-Pleistoceno), Toma Vieja, Paraná, Argentina.

FRANCO M. J.; BREA M.

La Plata

Congreso; IV Congreso Argentino de Cuaternario y Geomorfología. XII Congresso da Associação Brasileira de Estudos do Quaternário. II Reunión sobre el Cuaternario de América del Sur.; 2009

Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

FIRST RECORD OF MORACEAE AND RUTACEAE FOSSIL WOODS FROM ITUZAINGÓ FORMATION (PLIOCENE-PLEISTOCENE), TOMA VIEJA, PARANÁ, ARGENTINA. Petrified woods of Pliocene-Pleistocene from fluvial sands of Ituzaingó Formation are described and assigned to Moraceae and Rutaceae families. The specimens were found in Toma Vieja fossiliferous locality, Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina. The fossil descriptions are based on four anatomically preserved stems. The presence of a combination of characters in each one allowed to distinguish these families of other dicotyledonous. The most related extant genera are Sorocea A. St. Hil. and Balfourodendron Corr. Méllo ex Oliv. The relationship and comparison with the nearest living relatives are discussed to determine their paleoecological and paleogeagraphical characteristics. The presence of these fossil woods suggests the existence of paleocommunity linked Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF), which at present are relict in isolated locality of South America, but in the past were more widespread to the East and South in American continent.