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LYCOPHYTA from the EARLY-MIDDLE TRIASSIC (ANISIAN) PIZ DA PERES (DOLOMITES - NORTHERN ITALY) by MICHAEL WACHTLER

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LYCOPHYTA from the EARLY-MIDDLE TRIASSIC (ANISIAN) PIZ DA PERES (DOLOMITES - NORTHERN ITALY) by MICHAEL WACHTLER LYCOPHYTA FROM THE EARLY-MIDDLE TRIASSIC (ANISIAN) PIZ DA PERES (DOLOMITES - NORTHERN ITALY) by MICHAEL WACHTLER Wachtler, M.: Lycophyta 1 Dolomythos Published online by the Dolomythos Museum, Innichen, South Tyrol, Italy. Dolomythos includes results of original research on systematic, evolutionary, morphological and ecological biology, including paleontology. Syntheses and other theoretical papers, based on re- search, are also welcome. Dolomythos is intended primarily for papers by the staff of the Dolomy- thos Museum or on research using material in this Museum. Editors: Edith Campei, Michael Wachtler Dolomythos is published at frequent but irregular intervals. Manuscripts, orders for publications, and all correspondence concerning publications should be sent to: Museum Dolomythos Rainerstraße 11 39038 Innichen Italy mail: [email protected] Please cite this articles as: Wachtler, M., (12/2011): Lycophyta from the Early-Middle Triassic (Anisian) Piz da Peres (Dolo- mites - Northern Italy), Dolomythos, 3-49, Innichen. 1 Michael Wachtler, P. P. Rainerstrasse 11, 39038 Innichen, Italy, e-mail michael@wachtler. com. Dolomythos, 2011 2 LYCOPHYTA FROM THE EARLY-MIDDLE TRIASSIC (ANISIAN) PIZ DA PERES (DOLOMITES - NORTHERN ITALY) by Michael Wachtler P. P. Rainerstrasse 11, 39038 Innichen, Italy, e-mail [email protected]. Abstract Although the most dominant group of plants in the Carboniferous, Lycophyta currently inhabit the shadows of more successful plants. Therefore, discoveries of new missing links not only throw light on the evolution of this important family, but also help us understand climatic and paleoecological cataclysms in the past. Four different genera con- taining five new species from the Early-Middle (Anisian) Triassic age in the Eastern Alps are described here. They were well preserved and enabled the determination of their preferred living habitat and symbiosis to other plants and animals due to their abundance and detailed stratigraphical classification. Surprisingly, the most abundant form was the sub-arborescent club moss Lycopia dezanchei gen. et sp. nov., exhibiting dichotomous branching and creeping root horizons. They could act as an intermediate form between Carboniferous Lepidodendrales and extant Lycopodia- les. The fertile morphogenus was the homosporous Lycopodostrobus gaiae gen. et sp. nov. Extant Sellaginella-like forms were represented by Selaginellites leonardii sp. nov., with its heterosporous strobili and Selaginellites venierii sp. nov., with characteristic anisophyllous shoots. Another group of extant Lycophyta, the Isoetales, were represent- ed by Isoetites brandneri sp. nov., resembling mostly extant Isoëtes and Lepacyclotes bechstaedtii sp. nov., with its bulbous corpus. Never recorded in these Anisian strata was the most enigmatic Early Triassic lycophyte, Pleuromeia sternbergii. Surprisingly, in the near but slightly older Werfen strata of the Carinthia, it still constitutes the dominant plant assemblage. Therefore, this work compared the living conditions in the Early-Middle Triassic age and developed information and solutions about the rapid extinction of the historic and often discussed Pleuromeiales. Online: December 2011. Key words: fossil lycophyta, Dolomites, Italy, Middle Triassic, Anisian. Remarks for when my country learns to appreciate science. Michael Wachtler wanted to publish This study summarises fifteen years of my his discovery of a new Lycophyta species in lonely and dangerous work in the mountains Piz da Peres and Kühwiesenkopf. Although of the Eastern Alps in which I made a lot of agreeing with some parts of the content of interesting discoveries. In long-lasting stud- ”Lycophytes from the Middle Triassic (Ani- ies, cataloguing and descriptions, I tried to sian) locality Kühwiesenkopf (Monte Prà shed more light on a lost world. I thought della Vacca) in the Dolomites (northern It- that all this could be useful for humanity aly)“ (2010), this publication was, however, to understand more about our past. Unfor- never fully authorised by Michael Wachtler tunately, one day, the authorities confis- and edited under unacceptable pressure, cated and removed all my specimens from with several formerly-agreed conditions of my house, damaging a large part of my re- a reciprocal contract not being maintained. search. My computers, photos and notations Therefore, in my opinion, the right author- were also sequestered and taken away, the ship has to be read as MICHAEL WACHTLER, cataloguing labels changed to cover the EVELYN KUSTATSCHER, JOHANNA H. A. VAN traces of my findings and studies, and my KONIJNENBURG-VAN CITTERT or it has to be name cancelled from my collection and seen as an illegal publication or one with- anonymised. Many photos and annotations out agreement from all authors. He regrets were based on my older archives and a large the pronounced interdiction of research by part of these studies lacked further cuticle the authorities, as well as police force, at- analyses and pollen preparation. I apologise tempting to exercise his intellectual research for this and hope to make a revised version rights. Wachtler, M.: Lycophyta 3 Fig. 1: Fossil-plant bearing localities in the Eastern Southern Alps. Orange: carboniferous fossil points; yellow: Permian fossil points; red: Early Triassic - Olenekian fossil points; and green: Early-Middle Triassic (Anisian) fossil points. Localities not yet, marine deposited cycles contributed to the Gröden-Formation during the Upper The fossil plant-rich Piz da Peres area covers Permian. During the following Early Triassic about 8 km of the Northern part of the Do- age, the now oceanic-influenced sediments lomite Mountains, starting from the western contributed to the Werfen-Formation. They side of Piz da Peres over the Ladinian village consist of a strongly varying sequence of of St. Vigil and reaching the Kühwiesenkopf mixed terrigenous siliciclastic and carbonatic over the hamlet of Prags. It traverses sever- lithofacies (BRANDNER ET AL., 2009). Since al mountains, which the native people refer the 19th century, the Werfen-Formation has to as a big mountain sundial. Starting from been divided into two sections: one begin- the Kühwiesenkopf, we have the ”Zehner” ning from the Permian-Triassic boundary (Tenner) “Elfer” (Elevener)and “Zwölfer” subdivided into Tesero-, Mazzin-, Andraz-, (Twelver), also called Hochalpenkopf, the Seis-Member and Gastropodenoolith, which “Einser” (Oner), also called Maurerkopf, and are characterised by an abundance of the the “Zweier”(Twoer). Other mountains with scallop-like bivalve mollusc Claraia especial- fossil plant lenses are the Flatschkofel and ly found in the Seis-Member, and the other the Drei-Fingerspitze. The main fossil plant composed of Campill-, Val Badia-, Cence- lenses lie in the sometimes-exposed open nighe- and San Lucano-Member, showing an rock slopes that are occasionally interrupt- increase in terrigenous input. Hemipelagic ed by shrubs and woods in which the lay- terrigenous and subordinate carbonate sedi- ers cannot be traced. Other places impor- ments were deposited continuously, while tant for the comprehension of Early Triassic storm events also sometimes delivered a lycophyte evolution lie in the neighbouring lot of plant debris. These basin sediments, Carinthian Mountains, where the Induan/ with a conspicuous clastic input, continue Olenekian Werfen layers hold a rich Pleu- until the Anisian Dont Formation (=Pragser romeia-dominated flora. Usually, the recov- Schichten sensu PIA, 1937). The fine silty ered specimens are well preserved and give marine Werfen layers reach 500 metres in a deep insight into the ecosystems after the thickness in the Northern Alps, and 200 me- Permian-Triassic boundary. tres in the Southern Alps (BRANDNER ET AL., 2009). The Campill-Val Badia Member in the Eastern Southern Alps could be corre- Paleobiology and paleoecology lated with the Middle Buntsandstein, a more During the Early Triassic age, the Eastern- detailed Volpriehausen-Hardegsen-Forma- Southern Alps were located near a beach tion of Germany (about 249.7 to 245.9 ± close to a shallow water basin. The high 0.7 Mya old) stretching from Induan to Ole- sedimentation rate suggests frequent storm nekian. events (hurricanes). After intense volcanic While the South Tyrolean Werfen-Formation activities in the Lower Permian, their first, has not revealed to date any determinable Dolomythos, 2011 4 Kühwiesenkopf Hochalpenkopf Maurerkopf Zehner Elfer Zwölfer Einser Zweier Flatschkofel Drei-Fingerspitze Piz da Peres Fig. 2: The Piz da Peres fossil area. It covers about 8 km from Piz da Peres to Kühwiesenkopf, around a mythical sundial of the native people. Zehner = Tenner, Elfer = Elevener, Zwölfer = Twelver, Einser = Oner, Zweier = Twoer. The main plant fossil lenses lie on open rock. plant species, the nearby Gailtaler Alps and and Carnian, showing only minimal changes other mountain chains in Carinthia display in its aspect and reproduction cycles. well fossilised floras (Ulrichberg-Klagenfurt, Most Carinthian Triassic localities are situ- Wunderstätten-St. Paul, Nötsch-Villach, ated inside crowded vegetation below the Golsernock-Stockenboi and Laas-Kötschach- forest line (in the Dolomites, mainly all fos- Mauthen). They are characterised by a dom- sil plant-bearing horizons lie over the for- inance of the lycophyte Pleuromeia stern- est limit); therefore, only newly built forest bergii, accompanied by the sphenophyte trails enable the exploration of underlying Equisetites and some isolated Voltzia
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