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Angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous of Northern Gondwana: A Track Record

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Brazilian Paleofloras

Abstract

This chapter reviews both systematics and ecology of the angiosperms from the Crato Formation, which are represented by members of all major angiosperm groups. These include the early-diverging ANITA grade (e.g., waterlilies, star anise), the magnoliids (e.g., magnolias, bay laurel), monocots and eudicots. The systematic composition of this assemblage is more comparable to younger assemblages from the northern mid-latitudes (Potomac zone II) dominated by eudicots than with their age equivalent (Potomac zone I) which are dominated by ANITA members and Chloranthaceae. This diachronism supports the idea of a poleward dispersal of angiosperms during the lower Cretaceous an idea already proposed by Axelrod in the 1950ss. Regarding their ecology, these angiosperms occupied the whole water and light supply, ranging from aquatic to drought-tolerant and from shade adapted to sun adapted. Nevertheless, these angiosperms were probably only herbaceous or shrubby, the conifers occupying the canopy. The systematic and ecological diversity of the angiosperms in the Crato flora shows that the radiation of angiosperms was already advanced in the tropics during the late Aptian.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank institutions and researchers that made this publication possible, especially B.A.R. Mohr. We would also like to thank the staff of the Museum of Natural History, Berlin, especially Hwa-Ja Götz for part of the photography. Funding was provided by the German Funding Agency (DFG) which provides the support for Clément Coiffard (Funding No. CO 1060/3-1 and CO 1060/5-1). The second author thanks CNPq (= National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) for the CNPq – 310.823 / 2016-1 Research Productivity Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions-und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany

    Clément Coiffard

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica e Geotectônica, IGc/USP – Laboratório de Paleobotânica e Palinologia, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Mary Elizabeth Cerruti Bernardes-de-Oliveira

Authors
  1. Clément Coiffard
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  2. Mary Elizabeth Cerruti Bernardes-de-Oliveira
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Correspondence to Clément Coiffard .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Roberto Iannuzzi

  2. Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

    Ronny Rößler

  3. Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Dresden, Germany

    Lutz Kunzmann

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Coiffard, C., Bernardes-de-Oliveira, M.E.C. (2020). Angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous of Northern Gondwana: A Track Record. In: Iannuzzi, R., Rößler, R., Kunzmann, L. (eds) Brazilian Paleofloras. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90913-4_31-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90913-4_31-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90913-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90913-4

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