Distribution, Evolution and Extinction of Global Early Carboniferous Flora
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Distribution, evolution and extinction of global Early Carboniferous flora Shaila Chandra & Sun Keqin Chandra S & Sun Keqin 1996. Distribution, evolution and extinction of global Early Carboniferous nora. Paiaeoboianisl 43(2) : 88-97 The uniform Lepidodendropsis nora ofthe Early Carboniferous is uniformly and widely distributed in the Cathaysia, Laurasia, Kazakhstania and Gondwana continents. This is characterized by Lepidodendropsis, Sublepidodendron, Archaeosigtllaria, Archaeoc;alamiles, Sphenopleridium, Cardiopleridlum, Rhodeoplendium, Rhac:opleris, Trlphyllopteris and Adlanlites, etc. The global climatic differentiation was not very obvious during the Early Carboniferous, therefore, all Early Carboniferous plant assemblages belonged (0 the same phytogeographic province. II is known Ihal some Iypical genera of the Lepidodendropsis nora of the Early Carboniferous, such as Lepidodendropsis, Lepidosigillaria and Archaeoslgillaria are recorded from the Lower Devonian in Libya, Africa (Lejal-Nicol, 1975) and some elements of this nora are also recorded from the Late Devonian in China and other parts ofthe world. It is considered that this Lepidodendropsis nora gradually started appearing in the Early Devonian, began to diversify in the Late Devonian and reached its maximum development in the Early Carboniferous. The nora tended to decline in the late Early Carboniferous and resulted in its extinction in the end of the Early Carboniferous. Although some plant elements in Cathaysia, Euramerica, Angara and Gondwana had already appeared in the Early Carboniferous, especially in lhe late Early Carboniferous, the occurrence of the new taxa was regarded as a result of gmdually increasing climatic differentiation and plant evolution. During the tr,msition period from Ihe Early Carboniferous to the Late Carboniferous, lhe differenliations of climatic conditions, tectonic movements, continental posilions, oceanic currenlS and glaciation were quite obvious, resulting in the extinclion of numerous lypical elemenls of the Early Carboniferous nora and the appearance ofsome forerunners ofthe Lale Carboniferous nOrdS in the world. The Cathaysia, Euramerica, Angara and Gondwana noras derived from the identical Lepidodendropsis nora of the Early Carboniferous, bUI developed and nourished in different environmental conditions. Key-words--Lepidodendropsis nora, Distribution, Evolution, Extinction, Early Carboniferous Shaila Chandra, Birbal SahnllnsllfUie ofPalaeobolany. 53 Unlverslfy Road, Lucknow 226 007, India. Sun Keqin, China Universlfy ofGeosciences, Beijing 100 083, China. mmt ~ ~, ~ ~ (111"' .. _')" <flIJ.i)Q,Hl cHfqfoZillo CfiT C... ::JI.Jb '"' ~~lJ:Ci~~ ~ ~~, ~'Wll1, ~ ~ <?lrq-S"I~r~lfC~H1 CfiI4;flrnl.l it cHfqfd"110 "BliR lJ:Ci '«\C! it Cfi'J1I{§fctl'1 ~ ~ ~ lJ:Ci it fcrW1R ?l'!1 cHfQfd"1lii HNSMr::j,lfr-m/, 3I1M<iJJiH41$k!f{, A#Hm)Jr::j,I;'/ 3fIM<iJmtJtHRl/l, f'li7"lTcZ(}fJ:;l/4, ufg3{lcZ(}fJ:;l/4, lq;lcZRA, ~1$frh('+ITcZ(7fJ5l/4, r:!{53llr21$km, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~OSt1I11 ~ q,l m~ it ~PJfTJro ~ I Cfi14;flrnHl it it i:tm fcri'r:! ~ m~>rRfit ~ <?lrq-sl~r~lfCfH1 ?l'! I 3m~l:cn:Nt~CfiI4;flrnHl"CfR'1' ~lJ:Cfi iT I ~ Q'1fQm'J110~ q,l mqp:f H[i:{Sgr::j,I'JT:AA, HNS)mtJtHR?/7lJ:Ci 3I1M<iJmf&tHRl/l it fuglf'1 l H ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ it "W(I ~ (f?l'! ~ Q"1fQfd"1lii ~ ~ lJ:Ci fcrvcf 3R it "W(I I i:tm llRT rp:n fcf; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ cHfQfd"1lct fuglf..Jll"1 it mt-mt fcrcf;ftm §31T, 3ffifl1 fsclHt it o?l'! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "BClff~ Ch14;flrnHl it ~ fcrCfim §31T I Ch14"ilrnH1 3ffifl1 "Cf'i'f'0 it m WTT 31'k ~ "Cf'i'f'0 ~ 6Rf.(jCf; ~ mrp:n I CHANDRA & SUN-DISTRIBUTION, EVOLUTION AND EXTINCfION OF EARLY CARI30NIFEROUS FLORA H9 ~~~, 1{{IARCflI, WTm-q:ci~~~~~'CflTfcfCflm~ Cfll.,f;jlq,nl~itit ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~3TI ~ ~ ~ ~, ~ 'CflT fcfCflm -q:ci qtm it fcfCflm <ffiUT I CflI.,f11q,.nl it 31-ffim Cfll.,f;jlq,Hl ~ ~ ~ "Wm '*'1~lllcn crtffi:~, fqqdRCfl "l'lfufcn~, I4W;J4111 ~, ~~ ~it ~ ~ ~ q;H:qfd'iild~:i.rCfl~ ~~. -q:ci it V: lh<:ifq{<'q Cfll.,f;jlq,n"l ~~it~(f~~~~~;JFl1ft1<:n1 ~PT(1~f<f;~ Cfll.,f;jlq,nl <?lfqi)gr1:Tfl:flfl q'1fqfd'iild ~~, ~ ~3TI ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ it m 1{{IARCflI, WTm -q:ci q'1fqfd'iiIJi 'CflT fcfCflm QllTq{uRll it fcrcf;fuo SQ: ~ I THE term Lepidodendropsis flora was proposed by (. Rhodea)Tnphy/iopteris + + + Jongmans 0952, 1954), which dealt with a cos Rhacoptens + + + mopolitan flora of world-wide extent of the Early Card/optens + + Carboniferous. Lutz (933) established Lepidoden (- Fryopsis) dropsis as a new genus from the Lower Carboniferous Diplupleridium + of Geigen near Hof, Bavaria of Germany. P:.ygmophy/lum + lepidodendropsisis characterized by having long nar Archaeopterldium + row fusiform leaf cushions arranged in close spirals, Ad/anlites + + + + forming pseudowhorls bearing false leaf scars, lack Ane/m/les + + ing leaf abscission and a ligule pit (Lutz, 1933; Lacey, Angaropteridium + 1962; Mensah & Chaloner, 1971). Lepidodendropsisis known as the representative genus of lycopods and Cathaysia: Chang Shanchen (195(i), Deng Bao (1978), Zhang Shanzhen et al. (1980), WU Xiuyuan & Zhao Xiuhu is widely distributed in many parts ofthe world. Other (981), Feng Shaonan et al. (1982), Wu Xiuyuan important genera of the Early Carboniferous are Sub (992), Chen Fen et al. (1994), Chen Fen et al. (1995) lepidodendron, Archaeosigillaria, Archaeo Euramerica: Lutz (1933),Jongmans et al. (1937), Read & Mamay calamites, Sphenopteridium, Cardiopteridium, (19(i4), Lacey 09(i2), Cleal & Thomas (1991). Rhodeopteridium, Triphyllopteris, Rhacopteris, Angdra : Vakhrameev et al. (1970), Chaloner & Lacey (1973), Adiantitesand Aneimites, etc. and together constitute Chaloner & Meyen (973), Cleal & Thomas (1991) Lepidodendropsis flora (see Table 1). Gondwana: Jongmans (954), Hoeg et al. (1955), Pal & Chaloner (1979), Singh et al. (J982), Cleal & Thomas (1991), Table 1 -Distribution of some important genera of Early Car Pant & Srivastava (995). boniferous flora Genera Cathaysia Euramerica Angard Gondwana DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL EARLY (China) CARBONIFEROUS FLORA Sublepidodendron + + + + Eolepldodendron + + + + The Lepidodendropsis flora of Early Car Siberlodendron + boniferous is known from China, Malaysia, the Lophlodendron + United States of America (Arkansas, Utah, Illinois, Pseudobumbudendron + + Pennsylvania, Virginia), Nova Scotia of Canada, Spondylodendron + Bavaria of Germany, France, North Wales of Great Archaeoslgillarla + + Britain, Spain, Poland, Ireland, Greenland, Donetz, Lepidosigtllarla + Kazakhstan, Siberia, Mangolia, Syria, Brazil, Ghana, Lepidophloios + Morocco, Niger, Libya, Sahara, Egypt, Kashmir, Peru, Cyclostigma + Australia and Argentina, etc. (Text-figure 1). The ArchaeocalamItes + + + Early Carboniferous flora of the world can be recog Sphenopteridlum + + + nized as belonging to four broader areas namely the Cardloplerldlum + + + Cathaysia, Angara, Euramerica and Gondwana areas Rhudeoplerid/um + + + on the basis of floral similarity. 90 THE PALAEOBOTANIST .c ,.. G~u P~ /1~ O' ~~ , IP;.. ~<0>' '0. j" "i". '_' • • ". • • I q#, The Cathaysia area sp., etc. Lepidodendron, Lepidostrobophyllum and Lepidostrobusare also common genera of the Lower The Early Carboniferous flora has been recorded Carboniferous in the Euramerica area. Zhang from a number of localities in China and belong to Shanzhen et al. (980) considered that the flora the typical Lepidodendropsis flora. Chang Shanchen showed a close relationship with the Visean or Culm (956) described Tnphyllopteris collumbiana flora of West Europe. Wu Xiuyuan and Zhao Xiuhu Schimper, Cardiopteridium spitsbergense Nathorst (981) studied fossil plants from the Koalishan For and Sphenopteris (Rhodea?) sp. from the Lower Car mation of Lower Carboniferous in ]urong, southern boniferous in -::astern Kansu CGansu), China. Triphyl ]iangsu of China, including Sublepidodendron lopteris collumbiana and Cardiopteridium spitsber mirabile CNath.) Hirmer, S. d. mirabile CNath.) gense are the characteristic elements of the Hirmer, Eolepidodendron jurongense Wu & Zhao, Lepidodendropsis flora and the species of world Eolepidodendron sp., Lepidodendrongaolishanense wide occurrence. Deng Bao (978) recorded fossil Wu & Zhao, Stigmaria ficoides CSternberg) plants from the Lower CarboniferolIs in Shanyang, Brongniart, S. rugulosa Gothan, Rhodeoptericl.iumcf. southern Shanxi CShaanxi) as Archaeocalamites hsianghsiangense CSze), Rhodeopteridium sp., scrobiculatusCSchlotheim) Seward, Cardiopteridium Telangium sp. and Hamatophyton verticillatum Gu spetsbergense Nathorst, Triphyllopteris collumbiana & Zhi, etc. The flora indicates Late Tournaisian to Schimper, Cardiopteris? spp. and Lepidodendron Early Visean and represents a typical Lepidodendrop shanyangenseWu & He, etc. Zhang Shanzhen et at. sis flora. Wu Xiuyuan (992) described fossil plants (980) described the Early Carboniferous flora from from the Yangshan Formation of Lower Car the Tseshui Series in Shuangfeng of Hunan compris boniferous in Gushi, Henan of China, such as ing Cardiopteridiumspitsbergense Nathorst, Triphyl Lepidodendronaff. aolungphyllukenseSze, L cf. wor lopten's collumbiana Schimper, Adiantites gothani thenii Lesquereux, 1. d. shanyangense Wu & He, 1. (Sze), Rhodeopteridium d. hsiangh'siangense CSze), dabieshanense Wu, 1. ?gushiense Wu, Archaeocalamites prolixus Zhang, Zhao & Wu, Lepidodendron sp., Cathaysiodendrori? sp., Lepidodendron d. robertii Nathrost, Lepidodendron Bothrodendron yangshanense Wu, B. Jlabellatum spp., Lepidostrobophyllum spp. and Lepidostrobus Wu, Archaeocalamites scrobiculatus CSchlotheim) CHANDRA & SUN-DISTRIBUTION, EVOLUTION