LA PALEOFLORA DE LA FORMACIÓN ITUZAINGÓ, ARGENTINA

FRANCO, M.J.,; BREA M.; ORFEO O.; ZUCOL A.F.

PUBLICACION ESPECIAL - ASOCIACION PALEONTOLOGICA ARGENTINA

ASOCIACIÓN PALEONTOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2012 p. 1 - 40

0328-347X

The paleobotanical records of the Ituzaingó Formation (Pliocene–Pleistocene) are based on studies of sporomorph, fossil leaves, cuticles, fossil wood, palm trunks and culms, found in various fossiliferous localities in the provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes, Argentina. Previous palaeobotanical data revealed a rich and diverse paleoflora, characterized by the presence of the Kingdom Fungi and the families Cyatheaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Polypodiaceae, Azollaceae, Pteridaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Podocarpaceae, Winteraceae, Lauraceae, Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Polygoneaceae, Ulmaceae, Moraceae, Sapotaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Proteaceae, Celastraceae, Aquifoliaceae, Anacardiaceae, Meliaceae, Rutaceae, Malphigiaceae, Compositae, Poaceae (Bambusoideae), Cyperaceae and Arecaceae. The paleobotanical data suggest that the Ituzaingó Formation paleoflora has elements linked to humid forests, savannas, lacunar conditions and xeric forests. New fossil evidences suggest that the Ituzaingó paleoflora is further characterized by the presence of a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) component and responds to a tropical-subtropical climate. In order to establish similarities and differences, the flora from the Ituzaingó Formation was compared with the floras from the Andalhuala and El Palmar formations, and also with the Cenozoic floras from Brazil. The elements present in the Ituzaingó Formation are related with other Plio-Pleistocene floras of South America and the Fabaceae and Anacardiaceae families constituted an important part of South American floras during the Plio-Pleistocene.