Faunipollenites Bharadwaj 1962, a junior synonym of Protohaploxypinus Samoilovich 1953 emend. Morbey 1975. Taxonomic confirmation based on Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy

PEDRO, E; DI PASQUO, M.M, ; RIBEIRO, W.S.A; SHIVANNA, M, ; BERNARDES-DE-OLIVEIRA M.E.C, ; KAVALI, P.S, ; DINO, R,

Paraná

Simposio; XVII Simposio Argentino de Paleobotánica y Palinología,; 2018

ALPP y UADER

The genus Faunipollenites Bharadwaj was treated as a junior synonym of ProtohaploxypinusSamoilovich emend. Morbey, because both include haploxylonoid pollen grains with more than fourtaenia. Controversies regarding the synonymizaVon sVll persist especially in India. A morphologicanalysis of specimens a)ributed to Faunipollenites from India was done to assess their taxonomicassignment. Specimens from two sets of residues, one subjected to HCl, HF, and Nitric acid for 2 h,and another with Nitric acid for 24-48 h and KOH, were evaluated to see the effects on mainmorphologic features, such as sacci construcVon, central body, folds, striaVons and size, under LM,CLSM and SEM. Our observaVons revealed that specimens from first set of samples displayed acentral body with a disVnct outline, whilst the other set yielded specimens of same species with anindisVnct central body outline. The CLSM and SEM analysis of specimens from both sets of residuesrevealed a disVnct central body outline, but certain forms displayed an indisVnct central body outlinewithout folds irrespecVve of the nature of treatment. Therefore, features such as haploxylonoidsaccus construcVon and taeniae/striaVons common to all the species analyzed are considered genericcharacters, whereas the other features such as the central body outline, presence/absence of foldsand size are for the specific level. Hence, we affirm the taxonomic status of Faunipollenites as juniorsynonym of Protohaploxypinus and negate the further usage of this genus. This taxonomicconfirmaVon enables to refine intraconVnental correlaVon and contribute to the understanding of itspalaeobiogeographic distribuVon.*Project supported by PIP 0812 2015.