An early Devonian flora from the Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group) of South Africa.

[en] Newly discovered early plant bearing lenses from the Baviaanskloof Formation at Impofu Dam in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa provide evidence for one of the most diverse Late Silurian to Early Devonian assemblages known to date. This work represents the first account of this flora. Fifteen taxa are presented, including eleven diagnosed to existing genera, of which eight may be reasonably diagnosed to existing species including several species of the genus Cooksonia. Three new taxa, Krommia parvapila, Elandia itshoba and Mtshaelo kougaensis are described. This flora is furthermore remarkable for the large number of complete or sub-complete specimens allowing good understanding of earliest plant architecture. The assemblage bears the greatest resemblance to Early Lochkovian assemblages from the Parana Basin of Brazil and the Anglo Welsh basin. Biostratigraphic constraints on the dating of the Baviaanskloof Formation are provided by this flora, which represents the oldest known from Africa.

Disciplines :

Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...)

Author, co-author :

Gess, Robert W; Geology Department and Albany Museum, Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa

Prestianni, Cyrille ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Evolution and diversity dynamics lab ; OD Terres et Histoire de la Vie, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium. cyrille.prestianni@naturalsciences.be

Language :

English

Title :

An early Devonian flora from the Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group) of South Africa.

Publication date :

2021

Journal title :

Scientific Reports

eISSN :

2045-2322

Publisher :

Nature Research, England

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

11859

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90180-z.pdf

Funders :

BELSPO - Belgian Science Policy Office [BE]

Available on ORBi :

since 07 October 2022

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