New insights into the affinities, autoecology, and habit of the Mesozoic fern Weichselia reticulata based on the revision of stems from Bernissart (Mons Basin, Belgium)

International audience ; The Mesozoic is a key period in fern evolution, with the rise of most modern families. Weichselia reticulata is a widely distributed Jurassic–Cretaceous fern that has been suggested to belong to the Matoniaceae or possibly the Marattiaceae. The most accepted classic whole‐plant reconstruction for this species is based on stem and foliage material from the Barremian–Aptian locality of Négresse (Bernissart, Mons Basin, Belgium). In this work, two of these stems are revised and analysed using computed tomography, providing new information on their internal anatomy and ext... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Blanco‐moreno, Candela
Decombeix, Anne-Laure
Prestianni, Cyrille
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
Verlag/Hrsg.: HAL CCSD
Schlagwörter: Weichselia reticulata / Bernissart / fern anatomy / Early Cretaceous / plant reconstruction / [SDV.BV.BOT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics / [SDU.STU.PG]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Paleontology / [SDV.BID.EVO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE] / [SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics / Phylogenetics and taxonomy
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26989293
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-03038289

International audience ; The Mesozoic is a key period in fern evolution, with the rise of most modern families. Weichselia reticulata is a widely distributed Jurassic–Cretaceous fern that has been suggested to belong to the Matoniaceae or possibly the Marattiaceae. The most accepted classic whole‐plant reconstruction for this species is based on stem and foliage material from the Barremian–Aptian locality of Négresse (Bernissart, Mons Basin, Belgium). In this work, two of these stems are revised and analysed using computed tomography, providing new information on their internal anatomy and external morphology. Weichselia reticulata has a unique anatomy, distinct from all other extant or fossil ferns. Stem external morphology suggests adaptations to stressful environments, due to the scale insertions, and a thick cortex. Especially noteworthy is the presence of structures interpreted as aerophores or nectaries at the base of putative roots and petioles that could suggest a need for extra ventilation of the frond or interactions with animals. Although these new results do not settle the question of the systematic affinities of Weichselia, they provide new information about its autoecology and allow us to test the validity of previous whole‐plant reconstructions.