Three new Miocene fungal palynomorphs from the Brassington Formation, Derbyshire, UK

MATTHEW J. POUND; JENNIFER M.K. OKEEFE; NOELIA NUÑEZ OTAÑO; JAMES B. RIDING

PALYNOLOGY

AMER ASSOC STRATIGRAPHIC PALYNOLOGISTS FOUNDATION

Año: 2019 vol. 43 p. 596 - 607

0191-6122

The Middle to Late Miocene Brassington Formation from the Peak District in Derbyshire, central UK, has yielded a diverse vegetation assemblage, but until now there have been no reports of fungal remains. Here we describe one new genus and three new species of fossil fungal palynomorphs from the Kenslow Member of the Brassington Formation. The taxa have been assigned to the Pyrenulales and Chaetosphaeriaceae, respectively, and were most likely saprophytic members of the community. The extant living relatives of the new fossil fungi are commonly found on decaying wood, often submerged in freshwater. A saprobic ecology on submerged decaying wood is consistent with sedimentological evidence that shows the Kenslow Member was deposited in a lacustrine or wetland environment. This is the first reported occurrence of the genera Rhexoampullifera in the fossil record.