DISCOVERY OF SEVERAL SPHENOPHYLLUM FROM CISURALIAN IN YONGCHANG,GANSU AND ITS PALEOGEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE
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Abstract:
In order to study the taxonomic diversity and morphology evolution of Sphenophyllum in the Late Paleozoic, several sphenophytes fossils, collected from Taiyuan Formation in Yongchang County, Gansu, were studied by comparing their morphological characters with similar fossil species. A total of 5 species within 2 genera of sphenophytes fossils were identified in this study, including vegetative leaves and reproductive organs. Based on these new specimens of Sphenophyllum, some characteristics(longitudinal lines present on stem surface, the number of leaf divisions and leaf veins, etc.) of Sphenophyllum kawasakii Stockm. and Math and Sphenophyllum oblongifolium(Unger) Barthel were modified. A new species of Bowmanites yongchangensis sp. nov. was also reported. According to the palaeogeographic distribution of Sphenophyllum plants in the Late Paleozoic, Sphenophyllum reported in the early Cisuralian from the study area showed a high diversity. And it can also be speculated that Sphenophyllum plants originated no later than the late Devonian, and spread into North China from South China during the Visean. Finally, in the late Pennsylvania, Sphenophyllum migrated from North China into the Longshoushan Mountain area in Alashan Terrane.
