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Mazocarpon Oedipternum, Sp. Nov STATE OF ILLINOIS DWIGHT H. GREEN, Govornor DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION FRANK G. THOMPSON, Director DIVISION OF THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. LEIGHTON. Chief URBANA REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS-NO. 75 Contributions to Pennsylvanian Paleobotany MAZOCARPON OEDIPTERNUM, SP. NOV. AND SIGILLARIAN RELATIONSHIPS JAMES M. SCHOPF PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS URBANA, ILLINOIS 1941 STATE OF ILLINOIS HON. DWIGHT H. GREEN, Governor DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION HON. FRANK G. THOMPSON, Director BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION HON. FRAKK G. THOMPSON, Chairman EDSON S. BASTIN, Ph.D., Geology WILLIAM TRELEASE, D.Sc., LL.D., Biology WILLIAM A. NOYES, Ph.D., LL.D., Chem.D., D.Sc., EZRA JACOB KRAUS, Ph.D., DSC., Forestry Chemistry ARTHUR CUTTS WILLARD, D.Engr., LL.D., LOUIS R. HOWSOX, C.E., Engineering President of the University of Illinois STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION LTRBANA M. M. LEIGHTON, Ph.D., Chief ENID TOWNLEY, M.S., Assistant to the Chief JANE TITCOMB, M.A., Geological Assistant GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES GEOCHEMISTRY Coal FRANK H. REED, Ph.D., Chief Chemist G. H. CADY, Ph.D., Senior Geologist and Head ROBERTA M. LANGENSTEIN, B.S., Chemical Assistant L. C. McCABE, Ph.D., Geologist (on leave) R. J. HELFINSTINE, M.S., -4ssoc. Mech. Eng. Coal JAMES M. SCHOPF, Ph.D., Asst. Geologist G. R. YOHE, Ph.D., Assoc. Chemist J. NORRIAN PAYNE. P11.D.. Asst. Geologist MYRON H. WILT, B.S., Research Assistant CHARLES C. BOLEY, M.S., Asst. Mining Eng. BRYAN PARKS, M.S., Asst. Geologist Irzdz~strial Minerals J. S. MACHIN, Ph.D., Chemist and Head Indzistrial Minerals DELBERT L. HAKNA, MS., Research Assistant J. E. LAMAR, B.S., Geologist and Head H. B. WILLMAN. Ph.D.. Assoc. Geoloeist DOUGLAS F. STEVENS,' M.E., ~esearchAssociate Fluorspur ROBERT M. GROGAN, I'h.D., Asst. Geologist G. C. FINGER, Ph.D., Assoc. Chemist ROBERT R. REYNOLDS, B.S., Research ~siistant EVERETT W. MAYNERT, B.S., Research Assistant Oil and Gas X-ray and Spectrography A. H. BELL, Ph.D., Geologist and Head W. F. BRADLEY, Ph.D., Assoc. Chemist G. V. COHEE, Ph.D., Asst. Geologist FREDERICK SOUIRES. B.S.. Assoc. Petr. Ena. Analytical CHARLES W. CARTER, Ph.D., Asst. ~eologist 0. W. REES, Ph.D.. Chemist and Head WlLTAAM H. EASTON, Ph.D., Asst. Geologist L. D. McVICICER, B.S., Asst. Chemist PAUL G. LUCKHARDT, M.S., Research Assistant P. W. HENLINE, M.S., Asst. Chemical Engineer WAYNE F. RIEENTS, Research Sssistant ARNOLD J. VERAGUTN, MS., Asst. Chemist WILLIAM F. WAGNER, MS., Asst. Chemist Areal and Elzgineerirtg Geology K. F. BURSACK, B.A., Research Assistant GEORGE E. EKBlAW, Ph.D., Geolo~istand Head RICHARD F. FISHER, Asst. Geologist MINERAL ECONOMICS Sz~bszirfaceGeology W. H. VOSKUIL, Ph.D., Mineral Economist L. E. WORKMAN, RI.S., Geologist and Head GRACE N. OLIVER, A.B., Assistant in Mineral Economics TRACY GILLETTE, Ph.D., Asst. Geologist ARNOLD C. MASON, B.S., Asst. Geologist KEENETH O. EMERY, Ph.D., Asst. Geologist EDUCATIONAL EXTENSION MERT'YN B. BUHLE, MS., Asst. Geologist FRANK E. TIPPIE, B.S., Asst. Geologist DON L. CARROLL, B.S., Assoc. Geologist Stratigraphy and Paleontology PUBLICATIONS AND RECORDS J. MARVTN FELLER, Ph.D., Geologist and Head CHALMER L. COOPER, MS., Assoc. Geologist GEORGE E. EKBLAW, I'h.D., Geologic Editor CHALMER L. COOPER, MS., Geologic Editor Petrography DOROTHY E. ROSE, B.S., Technical Editor RALPH E. GRIM, Ph.D., Petrographer KATHRYN K. DEDMAN, M.A., Asst. Technical Editor RICHARDS A. ROWLAND, Ph.D.. Asst. Petrographer ALMA R. SWEENy. A.B.. Technical Files Clerk PORTIA ALLY N SMITH,' Asst. Technical Files Clerk Physics RUTH E. ROTH, B.S., Asst. Technical Files Clerk R: J. PIERSOE, Ph.D., Physicist MEREDITH M. CALKINS, Geologic Draftsman DONALD 0. HOLLAND, M.S., Asst. Physicist LESLIE D. VAUGHAN, Asst. Photographer PAUL F. ELARDE, B.S., Asst. Physicist DOLORES THOMAS SIMS, B.A., Geologic Clerk Consultants: Ceramics, CULLEN W. PARMELEE, M.S.. D.Sc., and RALPH K. HURSH, B.S., University of Illinois; Pleistocene Intiertebrate Paleontology, FRANK COLLINS BAKER, B.S., Thiversity of Illinois; fifechanicnl Engineering, SEICHI KOXZO, MS., U11i.i-ersily of Illinois. Topographic Mapping in Cooperation with the United States Geological Survey. This Report is a Contribution of the Coal Division, Geological Resources Section. August 1, 1911 o.v@lg+&2 -F->7c-- CONTENTS Preface ...................................................................... 5 Iiitroduction ................................................................ 7 Acknowledgments ....................................................... 8 Age relations of coal-balls containing Muxocarpon ............................. 8 Illinois coal-ball horizons ................................................-10 European coal-ball horizons ...............................................11 Discussion ..............................................................13 Description of new material .................................................-14 iMaxocarpon Benson. ex Scott, 1909 ....................................... -14 Muxocarpon oeclipternumz SP. nov ..........................................14 Forma megaZopho~unz,forma nov .................................... -15 Forma microphorum. forma nov .....................................-15 Morpho.logic features ................................................ -16 Comparison of 111 . oedipternum with other species of Maxocarpon. .....22 Maxocarpon pettycurense Benson ................................ -22 Muxocurpon ca'shii ...............................................22 Muxocarpon shorense ........................................... -22 Relation of Maxocurpon to affiliated groups of plants ..........................25 Peduncular steles of Xigillaria. and Mazocarpon ..........................-27 Relation of Maxocarpoin and Xigillariostrobus .............................-28 Specific relationships .....................................................3z Relation of Paleozoic lycopod groups ......................................... -31: Free-sporing character of Maxocarp.o.n. ...................................-34 Maxocarpon and Lepidocarpon ............................................ 35 iMaxocnrpon and Xpencerites ............................................. -35 Conclusion ................................................................. -36 References ................................................................. -3'7 PREFACE Applied research on coal has revealed the fact that there is a dearth of fundamental information regarding the nature of the original plant material from which the coal was derived. It is therefore necessary to carry forward a parallel program of fundamental studies whose results should give new concepts that will make applied research even more productive. The present paper represents an important contribution to the lcnowledge of spores and to the relationship betmeen certain types of spores and certain kinds of trees that contributed to the mass of vege- tation from which {the coal beds were derived. Among the constituents of coal there are certain plant tissues that endure better lthan others the changes, severe compaction, and other solidification effects, of the transformation of plant material into bitu- minous coal. Even in the compressed solid material of the coal in Illinois, such tissues or organs can be found so little altered from their original appearance that they can be readily identified. Also, because of their relatively great re,sistance to oxidation by chemical reagents, it is possible to isolaite them completely from the rest of the coal so that they can be examined and photographed. The most interesting of these forms are the plant spores, which may make up a large percentage of the mass of a coal and hence definitely affect the property of such a coal, and which are also valuable as a record of the forms of vegetation that contributed to the coal bed. The present paper is concerned mainly with the investigation of certain parts of the kinds of plants of which the coal beds are composed. The spores vary considerably in their outer form and appearance because of differences in shape and differences jn the kind of ornamenta- tion. Shape and ornamentation have been ~~sedby paleobotanists as a basis of elaborate and complicated form-classification of spores. This is largely because of the uncertainty as t40the identity of the spores in terms of the parent tree. For the purpose of relating spore varieties to definite plants, it is fortunate that Illinois coal beds have yielded several important deposits of fossilized peat in the form of coal-balls. These coal-balls are petrified masses of peat material which is preserved essentially in the condition in which it existed in the peat deposit before the overlying strata were deposited. Calcite was deposited in the open cell spaces and in all other open spaces in the peat or in spaces filled only by liquids, thereby fixing the tissues in their relatively unconsolidated form. Such fossilized peat contains all the kinds of plant forms that compose the surrounding normal coal bed. Spores are not uncommon components of the coal-balls, but ~vliatis more important to the paleobotanist is the fact that spores are found associated with the organs from which they were produced and the cones containing such organs. Once certain cones and certain spores arc. definitely linked together, it becomes much easier to identify the spores in terms of the plants from which they were derived. Thus a step in the process of classifying spores in a natural way
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