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A remarkable mass-assemblage of lycopsid remains from the Rio Bonito Formation, lower Permian of the Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

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Abstract

Arborescent and sub-arborescent lycopsids are important floristic elements of the Brazilian early Permian post-glacial environments. However, the taxonomy and systematic position as well as the biology and ecology of these plants are poorly understood. The present study describes a remarkable assemblage of Brasilodendron cf. pedroanum axes preserved in the plant bearing sub-level N8b of the Morro do Papaléo outcrop, Rio Bonito Formation, early Permian of the Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. These axes are massively concentrated, without any preferential depositional orientation, forming a monotypical assemblage. They are unbranched and preserved as impressions. Three morphological patterns, occurring on distinct axes, were described for leaf cushions. This mass-assemblage is probably a result of allochthonous deposition and hydraulic size-sorting. The massive concentration of B. cf. pedroanum suggests that this fossil taxon was an important floristic element somewhere in the upstream area of the braided river system studied here.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Christopher J. Cleal and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments, which helped to improve the manuscript considerably. The authors also thank G. F. Lorenzon for the support during field work and CAPES (A072/2013) and CNPq (444330/2014-3) for the financial support. R. Spiekermann acknowledges CNPq (166622/2014-1) for a Scientific Initiation Scholarship. J. W. Benício acknowledges PROSUC/CAPES for a Doctoral Scholarship. A. Jasper acknowledges CAPES (Brazil – 8107-14-9), CNPq (305436/2015-5), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany BRA 1137359 STPCAPES) and FAPERGS.

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  1. Universidade do Vale do Taquari – Univates, Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Rafael Spiekermann, Dieter Uhl, José Rafael Wanderley Benício & André Jasper

  2. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Dieter Uhl & André Jasper

  3. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Margot Guerra-Sommer

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  1. Rafael Spiekermann
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Spiekermann, R., Uhl, D., Benício, J.R.W. et al. A remarkable mass-assemblage of lycopsid remains from the Rio Bonito Formation, lower Permian of the Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 98, 369–384 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-018-0318-3

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