Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Lycopsids from the Upper Devonian of northern Chile with remarks on the geographical distribution of the morphogenus Haplostigma Seward

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Paläontologische Zeitschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We here present the first systematic description of Devonian plant fossils from Chile. The material was collected from the Upper Devonian El Toco Formation in the Coastal Cordillera of northern Chile. Plant fossils occur as impressions of lycopsid axes in marine turbiditic greywacke beds and comprise Haplostigma furquei (Frenguelli) Gutiérrez, Malanzania cf. nana Archangelsky, Azcuy and Wagner, and further unidentifiable remains. The biostratigraphic ranges of these taxa agree well with previous age assessments for this sequence, based on conodonts and radiometric data. Haplostigma was widely distributed in the middle-to-high latitude, cool-temperate biome of southern Gondwana, providing further evidence that Middle to Late Devonian extra-tropical floras of Gondwana were dominated by low-diversity associations of herbaceous lycopsids.

Kurzfassung

Erstmals werden hier Pflanzenfossilien aus dem Paläozoikum Chiles beschrieben. Es handelt sich um Abdruckreste verschiedenartiger krautförmiger Lycopsiden, die in den marinen Turbiditablagerungen der oberdevonischen El Toco Formation in der nordchilenischen Küstenkordillere gesammelt wurden. Die Lycopsidenachsen werden zu Haplostigma furquei (Frenguelli) Gutiérrez und Malanzania cf. nana Archangelsky, Azcuy and Wagner gestellt. Es treten allerdings noch weitere, bisher unbestimmte Lycopsidenreste auf. Die Funde bestätigen bisherige Altersannahmen für die El Toco Formation, die sich auf Conodontenproben aus überlagernden Schichten sowie auf radiometrische Datierungen granitischer Intrusiva stützen. Ein Vergleich mit gleichaltrigen Pflanzenvergesellschaftungen aus Gondwana verdeutlicht, dass die Vegetation in höheren Breitengraden der Südhemisphere während des Devons vorwiegend von gering-diversen Assoziationen krautförmiger Lycopsiden dominiert war.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahlfeld, F., and L. Branisa. 1960. Geología de Bolivia. La Paz: Instituto Boliviano de Petróleo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.M., and H.M. Anderson. 1985. Palaeoflora of Southern Africa. Prodomus of South Africa megafloras, Devonian to Lower Carboniferous. Rotterdam: A. A. Balkema.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archangelsky, S. 1983. Una nueva licofita herbácea del Devónico de las Islas Malvinas, Argentina. Revista Técnica de Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos 9: 129–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archangelsky, S., C.L. Azcuy, and R.H. Wagner. 1981. Three dwarf lycophytes from the Carboniferous of Argentina. Scripta Geologica 64: 1–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahlburg, H. 1987. Sedimentology, petrology and geotectonic significance of the Palaeozoic flysch in the Coastal Cordillera of Northern Chile. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1987: 527–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahlburg, H., and C. Breitkreuz. 1991. Paleozoic evolution of active margin basin in the southern Central Andes (northwestern Argentina and northern Chile). Journal of South American Earth Sciences 4: 171–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahlburg, H., and C. Breitkreuz. 1993. Differential response of a Devonian-Carboniferous platform-deeper basin system to sea level change and tectonics, N. Chilean Andes. Basin Research 5: 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahlburg, H., C. Breitkreuz, and W. Zeil. 1987. Paleozoic basin development in northern Chile (21°–27°S). Geologische Rundschau 76: 633–646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernardes de Oliveira, M.E., and O. Rösler. 1980. Licõfitas Paleozõicas do Chile. Boletim Instituto Geociencias 11: 43–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, C.M., E. Morel, J. Mojica, and C. Villarroel. 2000. Devonian plants from Colombia, with discussion of their geological and palaeogeographical context. Geological Magazine 137: 257–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boric, R. 1981. Cuadrángulos Estación Colupito y Toco, Región de Antofagasta. Escala 1:50.000. Carta Geológica de Chile, Boletin no. 49–50, 52.

  • Branisa, L. 1965. Los fósiles guías de Bolivia. Boletin del Servicio Geológico de Bolivia 1: 1–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breitkreuz, C., and H. Bahlburg. 1985. Palaeozoic Flysch series in the Coastal Cordillera of northern Chile. Geologische Rundschau 74: 565–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cecioni, G. 1962. La Formación Arrayán, Devónica, en la provincia de Coquimbo. Boletin Universidad de Chile 34: 2–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cecioni, G. 1979. Grupo El Toco, Desierto de Atacama, Chile. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 34: 211–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cesari, S.N., E. Brussa, and J.L. Benedetto. 1989. Malanzania nana Archangelsky, Azcuy y Wagner (Lycophyta), en la Formación Guandacol, al oeste del Cerro del Fuerte, Provincia de San Juan. Ameghiniana 26: 225–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cingolani, C.A., C.M. Berry, E. Morel, and R. Tomezzoli. 2002. Middle Devonian lycopsids from high southern palaeolatitudes of Gondwana (Argentina). Geological Magazine 139: 641–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Pasquo, M., C.R. Amenábar, and S. Noetinger. 2009. Middle Devonian microfloras and megafloras from western Argentina and southern Bolivia: their importance in the palaeobiogeographical and palaeoclimatic evolution of western Gondwana. In Devonian change: Case studies in palaeogeography and palaeoecology, ed. P. Königshof, vol. 314, 193–213. London: The Geological Society.

  • Doweld, A.B. 2001. Jurinodendron—a new replacement name for Cyclostigma S. Haughton ex O. Heer, 1871 (Lycopodiophyta). Paleontological Journal 35: 218–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D. 1990. Silurian–Devonian paleobotany: Problems, progress, and potential. In Antarctic paleobiology. Its role in the reconstruction of Gondwana, eds. T.N. Taylor and E.L. Taylor, 89–101. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D., and J.L. Benedetto. 1985. Two new species of herbaceous lycopods from the Devonian of Venezuela with comments on their taphonomy. Palaeontology 28: 599–618.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D., E. Morel, F. Paredes, D.G. Ganuza, and A. Zúñiga. 2001a. Plant assemblages from the Silurian of southern Bolivia and their palaeogeographic significance. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 135: 229–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D., E. Morel, D.G. Poiré, and C.A. Cingolani. 2001b. Land plants in the Devonian Villavicencio Formation, Mendoza Province, Argentina. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 116: 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frenguelli, J. 1952. “Haplostigma furquei” n. sp. del Devónico de la Precordillera de San Juan. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 7: 298–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • García, A.F. 1967. Geología del Norte Grande de Chile. Santiago: Sociedad Geológica de Chile.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerrienne, P., S. Bergamaschi, E. Pereira, M. Rodrigues, and P. Steemans. 2001. An Early Devonian flora, including Cooksonia, from the Paraná Basin (Brazil). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 116: 19–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grindley, G.W., D.C. Mildenhall, and J.M. Schopf. 1980. A Mid-Late Devonian flora from the Ruppert Coast, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 10: 271–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez, P.R. 1996. Revisión de las licópsidas de la Argentina. 2. Malanzania Archangelsky, Azcuy et Wagner y Haplostigma Seward; con notas sobre Cyclostigma Haughton. Ameghiniana 33: 127–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez, P.R., and S. Archangelsky. 1997. Haplostigma baldisii sp. nov. (Lycophyta) del Devónico de la Precordillera de San Juan, Argentina. Ameghiniana 34: 275–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington, H.J. 1961. Geology of parts of Antofagasta and Atacama provinces, northern Chile. American Association of Petroleum Geologists 45: 169–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haughton, S. 1859. On Cyclostigma, a new genus of fossil plants from the old red Sandstone of Kiltorcan Co. Kilkenny. Journal of the Royal Dublin Society 2: 407–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kidston, R. 1901. Carboniferous lycopods and sphenophylls. Transactions of the Natural Society Glasgow 6: 25–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kräusel, R. 1960. Spongiophyton nov. gen. (Thallophyta) e Haplostigma Seward (Pteridophyta) no Devoniano Inferior do Paraná. Monografia Divisão de Geologia e Mineralogia, Monografia 15: 1–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kräusel, R., and E. Dolianiti. 1957. Restos vegetais das camadas Picos, Devoniano Inferior do Piauí. Boletim Divisão de Geologia e Mineralogia 173: 3–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacey, W.S. 1962. Welsh lower Carboniferous plants. I. The flora of the lower Brown Limestone in the Vale of Clwyd, North Wales. Palaeontographica 111B: 126–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maksaev, V., and N. Marinovic. 1980. Cuadrángulos Cerro de la Mica, Quillagua, Cerro Posada y Oficina Prosperidad, Región de Antofagasta. Escala 1:50.000. Carta Geológica de Chile, Boletin no 45–48, 63.

  • McLoughlin, S., and J.A. Long. 1994. New records of Devonian plants from southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Geological Magazine 131: 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menéndez, C.A. 1967. Guía Paleontológica Argentina. Parte I. Paleozoico, sección 7: Floras Devónicas. Buenos Aires: Publicación del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Técnicas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morel, E., and P.R. Gutiérrez. 2000. Malanzania nana Archangelsky, Azcuy y Wagner (Lycophyta) en el Carbonífero Superior de Buenos Aires, Cuenca Claromecó, Argentina. Ameghiniana 37: 247–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morel, E., C. Cingolani, R. Varela, and A. Zuñiga. 1993. Devonian and Lower Carboniferous plant remains from the northern Precordillera, La Rioja Province, Argentina. XII International Congress on Geology on Carboniferous and Permian Comptes Rendus 2: 127–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plumstead, E.P. 1962. Fossil floras from Antarctica. Trans-Antarctic expedition 1955–1958. Scientific Reports 9: 24–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plumstead, E.P. 1967. A general review of the Devonian fossil plants found in the Cape System of South Africa. Palaeontologia Africana 10: 1–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schopf, J.M. 1975. Modes of fossil preservation. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 20: 27–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, E.H.L. 1906. South African Palaeozoic fossils. Records of the Albany Museum 1: 347–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scotese, C.R., R. Van der Voo, and S.F. Barrett. 1985. Silurian and Devonian base maps. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 309: 57–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seward, A.C. 1932. Fossil plants from the Bokkeveld and Witteberg Beds of South Africa. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 88: 358–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, B.A., and S.V. Meyen. 1984. A system of form-genera for the Upper Palaeozoic lepidophyte stems represented by compression-impression material. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 41: 273–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walkom, A.B. 1928. Lepidodendroid remains from Yalwal N.S.W. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 53: 310–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel, W. 1927. Beiträge zur Erdgeschichte der mittleren Atacama. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, Abteilung B 58: 505–578.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the Dirección de Investigación y Postgrado of the Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile) who supported the fieldwork. We thank Cristián Vergara (Antofagasta, Chile) for his assistance during fieldwork. The first author acknowledges the help of Sergio Archangelsky, Heinrich Bahlburg (Münster, Germany), Pedro Gutiérrez (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Stephen McLoughlin (Stockholm, Sweden) and Eduardo Morel (La Plata, Argentina), who kindly provided literature and valuable information. Benjamin Bomfleur (Münster, Germany) and Christian Pott (Stockholm, Sweden) are thanked for their constructive comments on an early draft of this manuscript. Thanks are extended to Leonel Jofré (Antofagasta, Chile) for drawing an early version of Fig. 1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik am Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hindenburgplatz 57, 48143, Münster, Germany

    Philippe Moisan & Hans Kerp

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 0610, Antofagasta, Chile

    Hans Niemeyer

Authors
  1. Philippe Moisan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hans Niemeyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hans Kerp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philippe Moisan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moisan, P., Niemeyer, H. & Kerp, H. Lycopsids from the Upper Devonian of northern Chile with remarks on the geographical distribution of the morphogenus Haplostigma Seward. Paläontol Z 85, 231–240 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-010-0093-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-010-0093-6

Keywords

Schlüsselwörter

Search

Navigation