The first occurrence of Phlebopteris dunkeri and P. woodwardii (Matoniaceae) from the middle Jurassic of Iran

Abstract

The coal horizons of the Middle Jurassic Hojedk Formation of East-Central Iran are fossiliferous, bearing numerous well-preserved fossil plants, comparable to the Shemshak Group/Formation in the Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran. Here we present two recently discovered fossil taxa from the Middle Jurassic Hojedk Formation of the Tabas Block (Central Iran). Based on their distinct morphologies, impression/compression specimens can be assigned to Phlebopteris dunkeri (Schenk) Schenk (Palaeontographica 23: 157-163, 1875) and P. woodwardii Leckenby (Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 20 (1-2): 74-82, 1864), belonging to Matoniaceae. This is the first record of these two taxa in Iran. Taxa belonging to Equisetaceae, Marattiaceae, Dipteridaceae, Schizaeaceae, Dicksoniaceae, Caytoniales, Bennettitales, Cycadales and Podozamitaceae were observed as accompanying taxa in the studied section. Ecology comparison of the Hojedk Formation plant fossils with the extant relatives of the fossil plant taxa occurring in these deposits indicates accumulation of the host strata under a moist warm (tropical to subtropical) climate during the Middle Jurassic.

Depositional and thermal history of a continental, coal-bearing Middle Jurassic succession from Iran: Hojedk Formation, northern Tabas Block

“…Hashemi-Yazdi et al . 2014; Vaez-Javadi, 2016; Badihagh & Uhl, 2019; Badihagh et al . 2019; Khalilizadeh et al .…”

Matoniaceous ferns from the Lower Jurassic strata of the Holy Cross Mountains (SE Poland). Revision of historical specimens and description of some new materials

“…The following genera were documented: Matonia R. Brown in Wallich, Matonidium Schenk and Phlebopteris Brongniart (= Laccopteris Presl in Sternberg) (Raciborski, 1891(Raciborski, , 1892(Raciborski, , 1894Makarewiczówna, 1928;Reymanówna, 1963;Barbacka et al, 2010Barbacka et al, , 2014Barbacka et al, , 2016Pacyna, 2013). Published research (Barbacka et al, 2014(Barbacka et al, , 2016 and ongoing work on Matoniaceae from the Polish Mesozoic (Holy Cross Mountains area, Grojec locality) has indicated the need to revise historical specimens, as new data about this family have been amassed in recent years (Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, 1993;Badihagh and Uhl, 2019;Barbacka et al, 2019;Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert et al, 2020) and there has been progress on taxonomical issues (Harris, 1980;Klavins et al, 2004;Kvaček and Dašková, 2010).…”