First record of Voltzialean male cone (Lutanthus) and podocarpacean female cone (Rissikistrobus) from the Late Triassic of Argentina, including new plant remains from the Paso Flores Formation

GNAEDINGER, S.C. & ZAVATTIERI, A.M.

AMEGHINIANA

ASOCIACION PALEONTOLOGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2017 vol. 54 p. 224 - 246

0002-7014

New plant remains from the upper section of the Paso Flores Formation, at the Cañadón de Pancho locality, western area of the Collón Curá River, Neuquén Province, Argentina, are herein described and illustrated. These are: Lutanthus ornatus, Rissikistrobus plenus, Rissikistrobus reductus, Rissikia media, Umkomasia sp., Sphenobaiera argentinae, Pseudoctenis spatulata, Taeniopteris crassinervis and Yabeiella brackebuschiana. Additionally, Baiera triassica, in replacement of the homonymous species previously identified in Argentina as Baiera taeniata, Ginkgo taeniata and Sphenobaiera taeniata, is herein described. Furthermore, species previously described for other localities in the Paso Flores Formation are recorded for the first time for the Quemquemtreu area of the Cañadón Pancho locality. These species are: Asterotheca rigbyana,Marattiopsis muensteri, Cladophlebis kurtzii, C. indica, Dictyophyllum (Dictyophyllum) tenuifolium, Goeppertella stipanicicii, Dicroidium incisum, D. odontopteroides, D. lancifolium, Pachydermophyllum praecordillerae, Heidiphyllum elongatum, Baiera furcata, Sphenobaiera robusta, Pseudoctenis carterianaand P. falconeriana. The Voltziales male cone Lutanthus herein described from the Paso Flores Formation represents its second record for the Gondwana realm while the Podocarpaceae female cone Rissikistrobus is hereby reported for the first time from Triassic strata of Argentina and constitutes its third record for Gondwana. Comparisons with the plant diversity recorded from other localities of the Paso Flores Formation throughout the Neuquén Province are analyzed. The Cañadón de Pancho microflora assemblages suggest a Late Triassic (Latest Norian= Rhaetian) age and therefore the fossil flora is the youngest recorded from Argentinian Triassic basins to date.