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Pesquisas em Geociências http://seer.ufrgs.br/PesquisasemGeociencias Paleoclimatic implications of Lycophyta in the Gondwana of Southern Brazil Margot Guerra-Sommer, Miriam Cazzulo-Klepzig, Marleni Marques-Toigo Pesquisas em Geociências, 22 (1/2): 21-31, set./dez., 1995. Versão online disponível em: http://seer.ufrgs.br/PesquisasemGeociencias/article/view/21231 Publicado por Instituto de Geociências Portal de Periódicos Informações Adicionais Email: [email protected] Políticas: http://seer.ufrgs.br/PesquisasemGeociencias/about/editorialPolicies#openAccessPolicy Submissão: http://seer.ufrgs.br/PesquisasemGeociencias/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions Diretrizes: http://seer.ufrgs.br/PesquisasemGeociencias/about/submissions#authorGuidelines Data de publicação - set./dez., 1995. Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil PESQUISAS. 22 tl·2):21·11. I99S 1.. 1i,"", <Ie Gtoc:~; ... UFllGS ISSN OlOO-B7S P<Ino "'lrgr<. RS ·lIt.. il Palaeoclimatic implications of Lycophyta in the Gondwana of Southern Brazil lriSlitulO de Geociencias. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SuI, Caixa Postal 15052. CEP 91501·970. Porto Alegre. RS. Brasil. (Recebido em 06,1)3195. Aceito para publica~Ao em 23/12195.) Abstraci _ The Lycophyta played an importruu role in Ihe noral associations developed during Permian times in the Gondwana area of South Brazil (State of Rio Grande do Sui). The Iycophyte affinities of certain palynomorphs (Lulldbladispora. Vllllarisporiles. Crisllllisporiles). and the impressions of compressed molds of lycophytes. suggeSlthat the climax of Lycophyta look place under coal·measure conditions in a warm. seasonal, climate. At some levels, dense thickets of arborescent forms have been found "in situ": thcir cormose TOOting systems are non·sligmarioid. Thechangcs in climatic and palaeoecological conditions that occurred during Late Pennian times are renected by a mpid decrease of pteridophylic spores. particularly those related to Lycophyta and the concommilant increase in gymnospenn saccate polien. During Ihe uppennost Lmc Permian Ihe nora became sirikingly impoverished. glossoplerids occurred as complementary elemcms nod lycophytes became dominants. These palaeonlological dma which are COrroboraled by facies analysis. indicalc a very warm, semiarid climate 10 Ihe sOUlhem portion of Paran~ Basin. Resurno • As LycophYla desempenhamm importallie papel para 0 desenvolvimcmo das associilti6es norislicas durame 0 Permiano no Gondwana do sui do Brasil (Esmdo do Rio Grande do SuI). As afinidades botanicas de palinomorios como LWldbllldispor(l. V(ll/lllisporiIU. CriSUJlisporilu) e impressUcs e compressUcs de Lycophyta sugerem que 0 clima~ deslc grupoocolTCu duralliC adeposi~ao das camadas de earvao. em dima quellie c sazonal. Em alguns niveis. densas associiltiOes de fomlas arborescentes foram encontradas "in situ". Seu sistema radicular cormoso ~ do tipo nao eSligmari6ide. As modifica~Oes nas cond i~ Oes dim~ticas e paleoecot6gicas que ocorreram no Pcnniano Superior s;\.o evidenciadas por urn r~pido dedfnio de csporos de ptcrid6filas. particulamlentc os rcferidos a Lycophyta. e aumcnto concomitanle de p6lens sacados de gimnospermas. No IOpo do Permiano Superior a composi~ao norislica sofreu urn r:ipido cmpobrecimcnto; as glossoplcrfdcas ocorrern como clcmemos complcmentares e as Lycophyta vol lam a dominar. Esles dados palcomol6gicos, corroborados por dados de an~lises faciol6gicas, indicam clima muito quente. semi·:llido. Os resuhados oblidos nCSIC trabalho referem·se e~clusivamerlte i\ parte sui da Bacia do Paran~. Estado do Rio Grande do Sui. INTRODUCTION The intracratonic Parana Basin, with a total area of 1.700.00 km2(1.IOO.OOO kml of which correspond to Brazil) is situated in east-central South America. It contains Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and, locally, also Caenozoic sediments. The present study is based on data from Pennian sedimems in the southern part of this basin in Rio Grande do Sui slale. Brazil (Fig. I), comprising, in agreement with Schneider et al. (1974), the following lithostratigraphic units: (Fig. 2). C3 c-",,,, I!ZJ =EO] Figure I • Localion of the gondwana rocks in Rio Gnmde do Sui (Southern Figure 2 • Stratigraphic column of the Paran~ Basin (Brazil). (Modif. Bra1';1). Schneider el (Jt., 1974). 22 Itarare Group. Guata Group ( Ri o Bonito and Palermo structures in diamictites indicate peri- and proglacial lake Fonnati ons) and Passa Dois Group (Irati. Estrada Nova and conditions (Itarm-e Group -Sakmarian/Artinskian). according Rio do Rasto Fonnations - Fig. 2). to Piccoli (1989). The macropalaeobotanical and palynological dalll howe In the associated rhythmic deposits the palynological made it possible to establish a climatic evol ution; the increase assemblage is composed primarily of po ll en grains belonging in Iycophyte remains up-sequence is considered to be a to Potollieisporites. Caheniasacciles, Camwfloropollis. parameter of wanning. Lithological characters have been PJicalipolielliles. Prolohapioxypilllls and Vitlalilla, and trilete used as supplementary data and have corroborated the spores such as Llllldbladispora. Vallatisporiles. infonnation suppl ied by micro and megafloral data. PUllctati!'poriles. GrllllUlalisporiles. etc ., as we ll as A comparison between the Late Palaeozoic floral palynomorphs of unknown affinilies (POl"taliles. Pilosporiles, elemenls of the Brazilian portion of the Parana Basi n and Telrllporilla). The high proportion of pollen grains indicates Ihose of other Gondwana areas reveals an overall similarit y that gymnospcmlS were the predominant floral elements in between NOlOafroamerican laphofloTlls with an important th is postion of the basin. Pteridophytes were mere accessories Iycophytecontribution. In the Auslralo/1ndian Province this (Cazzulo-Klepzig, el al., 1980). group is poorl y represented in the micro and megafloristic On the other hand. the megafloral remains recovered associations (Taylor & Taylor. 1989). from sandy sediments corresponding to the Facies Suspiro A review of Pennian lycopods recorded from southern (Piccoli, 1989) of the Itarare succession mainly belong 10 part of the Parana Basin shows high proportion ofspccimens the glossoplerids, e.g. Rllbidgea, GlllIgamopteri.~. with somc represented by isolated vegetative shoots preserved :IS Glossopteris (P I. I. Fig. 3). Relicts such as BOllychiopsis impressions. Unfortunmely, the poor preservation does not p/amialla (Carruthers) Archangelsky and AITOndo (PI. I. Fig. frequently offer an adequate basis for generic designations. 2) are still important components of th is taphoflora. which Fragments of lycopods are assigned in literature as represents an association similar to the present-day "taiga". Lycopodiopsis "sensu lalo" following a general tendency 10 suggesting cold climatic conditions (Retallack. 1980). attribute Pemlo-Carboniferous Gondwana lycophytes to this Pteridophytic megafossils, including Lycophyta, were not genus. registered in this periglacial palaeoflora (Cazzulo-Klepzig The first Lycophyta described from the Gondwana of & Guerra-Sommer, 1983). Rio Grande do Sui was identified as Flemi"gites petiroa"lIIn With the retrcat of the ice-caps, the glacigene by Carruthers (1869). Later. the type-material of this genus sedimentation was replaced by fluviodeltaic depositional has been redefined as Lepidodendron pedroollllm (Zei11er. systems, represented by a thick succession of sandstones. 1895. White. 1908. Lundqvist. 1919). Lycopodiopsis siltstones, and coal seams (about 60-70 m), belonging to the pedroallllln (Edwards, 1952) and. most recently. as Rio Bonito Fonnation (Paim el af.. 1983). The taphofloras BrasilOllendron petiroonllm (Chaloner el af. , 1979). Another of the basal sil tstones are chardcterized by the presence of genus described from south Brazilian strata is BOlrychiopsis p/alllialla and articulates (Phyllolheca iluJica Lycopodioph/oios (Krliusel, 1961), but this fonn probably Bumbury. PI. I , Fig. I), a hygrophile assemblage which corresponds to a different level of decortication of occurs in bands associated with glossopterids, G/OsSOIJteris. Lycopodiopsis or BrasilodendrOIl. Gangamopleris, Rubidgea. The association of Botrychiopsis More accurate observmion of some samples. hitherto IJfamialla with Pllyllotheca indica is considered to indicate undescribed, reveals a grem diversification among Pennian a climatic amelioration (Guerra-Sommer, 1979) Lycophyta Gondwana lycophytes in southern Brazil. However. a fonnal have not been recorded in these deposits. description of megafossil taxa is outside the scope of this Microfloral assemblages arc still dominated by saccate paper. pollen (Cahelliasaccites. POlOllieilporiles. Call1lflllOropolis. An abundance of lycophytes in the plant communities Plicatipollelliles. ProlOhap/o.l}piIlIlS, Villa/ilia). However. of Rio Grande do Sui is also apparent from the palynological there is a gradual increase in the proportion of Sporites, which analysis, taking into account the palaeobotanical affinities indicates that. with the retreat of the glaciers, the Pteridophyta of the spores. according to Azcuy (1978), Doubinger ( 1959). found favourable conditions, allowing them to prol ifera te. Gould & Dclevoryas ( 1977), Boureau & Doubinger ( 1975). Trilete Iycophyte spores are represented mainly by the genera Paleobotanical samples (Pb) and palynological slides Lllrulb/adispora. Crislalisporiles, Vallolisporiles and (M P-P) are registered and deposited at the Museum of Kraellselis/Jorites (Marques-Toigo,