The Matoniaceae ferns from the Mesozoic of China: fossil record, diversity variation and tempo-spatial distribution pattern
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Abstract:
Matoniaceae Presl 1847 is a family of leptosporangiate ferns represented by two extant genera, Matonia R. Brown 1829 and Phanerosorus Copeland 1909, both of which are restricted to the tropical-subtropical areas, such as the Malay Archipelago and Indonesia. Nine fossil genera of Matoniaceae have been reported from the Mesozoic strata of Eurasia, Americas, and Antarctica. Similar to their modern representatives, the presence of these fossil matoniaceous plants suggests tropical-subtropical climate conditions. Available reports indicate that there are 16 documented species in two genera of the Mesozoic of China, including 15 species of Phlebopteris and one species of Matonidium. Paleogeographically, six species of Phlebopteris are distributed in the Southern Floristic Province during the Late Triassic. During the Early Jurassic, Phlebopteris reached its highest level of diversity with 10 species widely distributed in both the Southern and Northern Floristic Provinces; Of the 10 species, eight are newly emerged. During the Middle Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous, the diversity of the genus Phlebopteris is significantly decreased, with only three species reported from Xinjiang, Gansu and Hubei Provinces. Whereas the records of Matonidium are limited, with only one species reported from the Early Cretaceous of Heilongjiang Province. The change of diversity level and tempo-spatial distribution pattern of these matoniaceous ferns from China are suggested to be linked to paleoclimatic variations during the Mesozoic.
