DISCOVERY OF THE MIDDLE DEVONIAN SYMBIOSIS SPECIMENS OF PLANT AND GASTROPODS AT WUDING, YUNNAN, SOUTH CHINA, AND THEIR PALAEOECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
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Abstract:
During late Middle Devonian, the diversity of land vascular plants had reached a fairly high level. In China, the typical flora of this period is represented by the flora in Yunnan, that is named as Lepidodendropsis arborecense-Minarodendron cathaysiense-Eocladoxylon minutum (LME) assemblage. At the locality of Yangliuhe, Wuding, Yunnan, the plants, including Lepidodendropsisi arborescense, Eocladoxylon minututm, Rhipidophyton acanthum, etc., were found from upper part of the Xichong Formation (late Middle Devonian). Among these plants, the 6 symbiosis specimens of plant R. acanthum and gas-tropods Valvata sp. had been found. Based on the absence of animal bits on the surface of stem, the evolution and palaeoe-cological characters of gastropods, the symbiosis of plant and aquatic gastropods is explained as: the stems fall into the fresh water, that provide the new habitat for aquatic and benthic gastropods; after that, these are carried by current and storm to be buried at other places. The life model of aquatic gastropods is very common, and it is also an important way of migration and diffusion of gastropods. This study provides new evidence to show the diversity in the terrestrial ecological system.
