Thallites yabei (Kryshtofovich) Harris from the Lower Cretaceous Nakdong Formation of Sindong Group, Korea

Abstract

In this study, fossil liverwort (Hepaticae) of Thallites yabei (Kryshtofovich) Harris is described based on the newly obtained material from the Lower Cretaceous Nakdong Formation of Sindong Group, Korea. The thalli of T. yabei is ribbon-like, bifurcating at least three or four times, and has a distinct midrib. Although the thalloid plants are herbaceous with little hard part, the thalli of T. yabei is relatively well preserved to show the sequentially bifurcating pattern in the specimens occurred in the same fossil locality. Such characteristics indicate that they were probably buried in situ. The abundant occurrence of thalli plants also indicate that land was covered densely by them as one of the terrestrial land plant members, and flourished under the tall arbor trees in the humid environment during the Early Cretaceous in the Gyeongsang Basin.