Abstract Detail



Paleobotany

Lupia, Richard [1], Murphy, Kaitlyn A. [2], Taylor, Ian A. [2].

Paleobotanical remains associated with vertebrate-bearing horizons in the Moreno Hill Formation (Turonian-Coniacian), New Mexico.

The Moreno Hill Formation in western New Mexico represents Turonian-Coniacian-aged terrestrial sediments that accumulated along the southern coast of Laramidia. The formation is known to preserve a diverse vertebrate fauna—including fish, turtles and archosaurs—as well as abundant petrified wood. Here we present initial results of a new survey of paleobotanical remains from sites associated with vertebrate remains in an effort to reconstruct the local paleoecology. Although no compression floras were recovered, numerous palynological and charcoal samples, and petrified wood, provide a glimpse of the ancient landscape. Spores of pteridophytes (e.g., ferns, lycophytes) numerically dominate and also appear most diverse in most samples, and their diversity may be greater than is evident due to the high frequency of psilate monolete forms. Conifer pollen is common-to-abundant, and in most samples is represented by taxodiaceous types and Classopollis/Corollina. Bisaccate pollen (including Alisporites and Rugubivesiculites?) is especially abundant in palynological samples with abundant wood/tracheids. Angiosperm pollen has been identified in most samples. Angiosperm pollen is consistently represented by reticulate monosulcate/trichotomosulcate forms (e.g., Asteropollis). The triaperturate pollen (eudicot) flora is rare in some samples, composed of small, weakly ornamented forms, or common-to-abundant in others, with large, robustly ornamented grains. Wood remains (petrified and charcoalified) are thus far entirely conifer, with the exception of one piece of angiosperm petrified wood recovered from a conglomeratic sand/cobble deposit overlying the local outcrop.


1 - UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK, 73072, United States
2 - University of Oklahoma, School of Geosciences, 100 East Boyd St, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

Keywords:
Paleoecology
Cretaceous
Palynology
North America.

Presentation Type: Poster
Number: PPB002
Abstract ID:715
Candidate for Awards:None


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