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Dicroidium bandelii sp. nov. (corystospermalean foliage) from the Permian of Jordan

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Abstract

Dicroidium bandelii sp. nov. (Corystospermales) is described from the Um Irna Formation (Permian) of the Dead Sea Region, Jordan. The type and only specimen is a compressed frond fragment with cuticle. The new species is unique in showing pinnate frond architecture with elongate, lanceolate pinnae with a dense, near-parallel venation. In situ epifluorescence-microscopic analysis of the cuticle revealed evenly distributed, superficial stomata with differentiated lateral subsidiary cells typical of the genus. Epidermal and cuticular features readily distinguish D. bandelii from some superficially similar species of Ptilozamites or Thinnfeldia. Our report demonstrates that the diversity of Corystospermales in the unusual ‘mixed flora’ of the Permian palaeotropics is still greater than previously thought, and that the Um Irna Formation in particular holds a great potential for future palaeontological research.

Kurzfassung

Dicroidium bandelii sp. nov. (Corystospermales) wird aus der Um Irna-Formation (Perm) der Region Totes Meer in, Jordanien beschrieben. Der Holotyp ist ein Zusammendruck eines Teilstückes eines Wedelfragmentes unmittelbar oberhalb der Bifurkation. Die neue Art unterscheidet sich von bisher bekannten Dicroidium-Arten durch ihre einfach gefiederte Architektur mit länglich-lanzeolaten Fiedern, die eine dichte, gleichmäßige und fast parallele Nervatur zeigen. Die Untersuchung mit Epifluoreszenz-Mikroskopie zeigt, dass die Blattoberfläche gleichmäßig verteilte Spaltöffnungsapparate besitzt, deren pseudosyndetocheiler Bau mit stark differenzierten lateralen Nebenzellen typisch für die Gattung Dicroidium ist. Die Epidermal- und Kutikularmerkmale erlauben eine zweifelsfreie Abgrenzung von morphologisch entfernt ähnlichen Gattungen, wie z. B. Ptilozamites oder Thinnfeldia. Der Artenreichtum und die Formenvielfalt der permischen Corystospermales ist offensichtlich größer als bisher angenommen. Dies zeigt, dass die ungewöhnlichen und immer noch wenig bekannten Mischfloren der Um Irna-Formation großes Potenzial für zukünftige paläobotanische Forschung bieten.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Jörg Schneider and Frank Scholze (Freiberg) for assistance in the field, as well as two anonymous reviewers and Dieter Uhl for their help and comments on the manuscript. Technical and financial support by the University of Jordan and by the German Science Foundation (DFG grants KE584/20-1 to HK and BB3131/1-1 to BB) is gratefully acknowledged. Abdalla Abu-Hamad wishes to thank the German Science Foundation for the financial support during his stays in Germany (DFG grants BA675/26-1-3 to Klaus Bandel and KE584/20-1 to HK). This manuscript is a contribution to the Emmy Noether Research Programme “Latitudinal Patterns in Plant Evolution”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied and Environmental Geology, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan

    A. Abu Hamad

  2. Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany

    P. Blomenkemper, H. Kerp & B. Bomfleur

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  1. A. Abu Hamad
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Correspondence to P. Blomenkemper.

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Handling editor: Dieter Uhl.

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Abu Hamad, A., Blomenkemper, P., Kerp, H. et al. Dicroidium bandelii sp. nov. (corystospermalean foliage) from the Permian of Jordan. PalZ 91, 641–648 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-017-0384-2

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