The paleobotanical record of the Triassic Cerro de Las Cabras Formation at its type locality, Potrerillos, Mendoza (Uspallata Group): An historical account and first record of fossil flora

CARIGLINO, B., A.M. ZAVATTIERI, P.R. GUTIÉRREZ AND M.L. BALARINO; CARIGLINO, B., A.M. ZAVATTIERI, P.R. GUTIÉRREZ AND M.L. BALARINO

AMEGHINIANA

ASOCIACION PALEONTOLOGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2016 vol. 53 p. 184 - 204

0002-7014

The first fossil macroflora assemblage from the Cerro de Las Cabras Formation at its type locality, in the Potrerillos area, is presented. The area is tectonically altered, which is why there have been several different interpretations about the real thickness and boundaries of the formation. A detailed analysis of the bibliography showed that previous fossil plant taxa referred to the Cerro de Las Cabras Formation belonged to the overlying Potrerillos Formation. However, the recent discovery of a plant-bearing level in stratigraphically constrained sediments of the Cerro de Las Cabras Formation allows the identification of a flora composed of Corystospermales (Dicroidium odontopteroides (Morris) Gothan; D. lancifolium (Morris) Gothan; D. crassum (Menéndez) Petriella; Zuberia zuberi (Szajnocha) Frengüelli; Z. sp. cf. Z. barrealensis Frengüelli), Peltaspermales (Scytophyllum sp. cf. S. neuburgianum Dobruskhina; Pachydermophyllum sp.; Peltaspermum sp.), putative Gnetales (Gontriglossa sp.), Osmundales (Cladophlebis mendozaensis (Geinitz) Frengüelli), Equisetales, and two taxa of uncertain affinities. Although low in diversity, this assemblage is comparable to coeval assemblages in other basins, particularly the floras from the Agua de los Pajaritos, Barreal and Ischichuca formations, reinforcing the Middle Triassic age assigned by the vertebrate, microfloristic and radiometric dating.