MACNBR   00242
MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES "BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Earliest evidence of temperate forests in the Atlantic coasts of continental Patagonia
Autor/es:
ROMERO, E.J.; HERBST, R.; PALACIOS, M.E.
Lugar:
Bonn, Alemani
Reunión:
Conferencia; 8th International Organization of Paleobotany Conference; 2008
Institución organizadora:
mmmm
Resumen:
Earliest evidence of temperate forests in the Atlantic coasts of continental Patagonia Edgardo J. ROMERO (1), Rafael HERBST (2) y Maria E. PALACIOS (3) Museo Argentino de Cs. Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Buenos Aires INSUGEO-CONICET, S.M. de Tucumán Museo "Padre Molina", Río Gallegos (Santa Cruz) Temperate forests were widespread in Antarctica and southern South America since the Cretaceous, retreating by early Neogene times, when open savannah and steppes developed. We report the youngest evidence of the presence of these forests in eastern Patagonia. The fossil leaf remains are found in reddish clays deposited discordantly over Jurassic tuffs, at the base of the Early Miocene marine San Julian Formation. The clays were deposited in a coastal marine environment, interbeded with greenish fine sands, and represent the paleocoasts of the Deseado craton. The fossils are well preserved, and belong to leaves of Nothofagus serrulata, N. variabilis, Podocarpus sp., Myrcia deltoides, M. reticulato-venosa, Annona sp., Hydrangea sp., abundant monocotyledon leaf imprints and fern pinnules. Several of the species were already mentioned in Eocene and Oligocene floras of Western Patagonia, and Miocene floras of Tierra del Fuego.