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RESTOS VEGETALES PERMINERALIZADOS: UNA NUEVA VENTANA A LA VEGETACIN PASADO DE PATAGONIA Y ANTRTICA (Permineralized plant debris: A novel window

to the past vegetation of Patagonia and Antarctica) Nishida, H.1,2, Uemura, K.3, Terada, K.4, Yabe, A.3, Asakawa, T.5, Yamada, T.6, Kurita, Y.7, Rancusi, M.8, Hinojosa, L.F.9, and M. Leppe10
1

Department of Biological Sciences, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 112-8551 Japan. Email: helecho@bio.chuo-u.ac.jp 2 Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan 3 National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, 169-0073 Japan 4 Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Fukui, 911-8601 Japan 5 Faculty of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, 263-8522 Japan 6 Faculty of Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan 920-1192 7 Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata, 950-2181 Japan 8 Colegio Compaia de Maria, Santiago, Chile 9 Chile Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile 10 Instituto Antrtico Chileno-INACH, Punta Arenas

Permineralized plant fossil assemblages that are preserved in certain terrestrial or shallow marine deposits are rich source of not only plants but also of other co-existed biota or even ecosystems of the past. Two major preservation types have historically provided biological information of remarkable quality and quantity. Calcareous concretions represented, for example, by Carboniferous coal-balls and Cretaceous Hokkaido nodules from Japan are the one, and the silicified peat layer such as the famous Devonian Rhynie Chert, Permian Homevale Chert of Australia, and Eocene Princton Chert of Canada are the other. All these fossil types provide novel aspects of past vegetation and environment in contrast to those based on fossils of other preservation types. In Patagonia or even in South America, such materials have not been found or studied much, excepting larger and more attractive fossils such as wood. This work summarizes recent results obtained from our field research in south Chile and in Antarctica, which is aimed to collect permineralized plant remains, particularly focusing on small debri preserved in calcareous concretions of shallow marine origin or in silicified peat of terrestrial origin. The first plant-containing calcareous concretion from Patagonia was found at Riesco Island in 2003. Various array of terrestrial plants and fungi have been identified within acetatecellulose peel sections obtained from only three nodules possibly derived from the Paleocene Chorillo Chico Formation (Nishida et al., 2006). Most interestingly the assemblage consists of a large amount of tiny plant debris including epiphytic fungi, mosses, and epiphytic filmy fern, which are not expected to be preserved in usual depositional condition (Fig. 1). Similar concretions have been collected from Riesco Island and other localities in Magallanes region in our later field investigation. A certain amount of nodules are confirmed to have originated from the Late Cretaceous Dorotea Formation based on associated ammonites.

Fig. 1. A-O. Plantas permineralizadas de la Formacin Chorrillo Chico. A. Cormo de Bryophyta. L1, L2: apndices foliares. B,C. Conidioma de Coelomyceta que contiene una conidiospora (flecha). D. Esporangio de Lophosoria. Puntas de flecha indican borde marginal tpico al gnero. E. Rizoma de Hymenophyllacea. F. Rizoma de Trichomanes radicans Sw., especies actuales para la comparacin. G, H. Retoo y hoja de Cupressacea. I, Retoo de Podocarpacea y la hoja tipo-1. J. Hoja tipo-2 de Podocarpacea. K, Posible retoo ovulifero de Pteridosperma. L. Semilla del K ampliada. M-O. Fruta angiosprmica en forma de estrella. M, N. Imgenes por TC. O. Seccin delgada. Escalas: A, D, 100 m. B, G-K, M, 1 mm. E, F, 0,5 mm. Fig. 1. A-O. Permineralized plants from the Chorrillo Chico Formation. A. Bryophyta cormus. L1, L2: leafy appendages. B,C. Coelomycetes conidioma containing a conidiospore (arrow). D. Sporangium of Lophosoria. Arrowheads indicate typical spore marginal rim. E. Hymenophyllaceae rhizome. F. Rhizome of extant Trichomanes radicans Sw. for comparison. G, H. Cupressoid shoot and leaf. I, Podocarpaceous shoot and leaf type-1. J. Podocarpaceous lear type-2. K,L. Possible Pteridosperm ovuliferous shoot. M-O. Star-shaped angiosperm fruit. M,N. CT images. O. Thin section. Scales: A, D, 100 m. B, G-K, M, 1 mm. E,F, 0.5 mm.

Attempts to find similar calcareous concretions of the same time-span in northern part of Chile became successful at Cocholgue, north of Tom, Concepcin Province. Wellpreserved plant debri have been found from the Maastrichtian Quiriquina Formation, also yielding petrified wood. It has been identified by now a wood rotting fungus, an epiphytic lycopod strobilus; fern rhizomes and rachises, including those of dennstaedtiaceous ferns; various conifer wood and leaves; and angiosperm remains (Fig.2, A-I). The assemblage shows components of humid warm temperate mixed forest that do not exist in Chile now.

In 2011, a silicified peat layer was found for the first time in South America at Cocholgue (Fig. 2, J-L).

Fig. 2. A-I. Plantas permineralizadas de la Formacin Quiriquina. A-C. Estrbilo de Lycopodium Seccin Huperzia. D. Conidioma de hongo destruyendo la madera. E,F. Rizoma y raquis del helecho Dennstaedtioideo. G, H. Retoo y hoja de cuprescea. I. Retoo de Araucaria. J, K. Turba silicificada de la Formacin Navidad. L. Rizoma de gleichenicea. M. Vegetacin actual pantanosa de la isla de Chilo mostrando Gleichenia y el bosque valdiviano detrs. Escalas 1 mm. Fig. 2. A-I. Permineralized plants from the Quiriquina Formation. A-C. Strobilus of Lycopodium Section Huperzia. D. Conidioma of wood rotting fungus. E,F. Dennstaedtioid fern rhizome and rachis. G, H. Cupressoid conifer shoot and leaf. I. Araucaria shoot. J, K. Silicified peat from the Navidad Formation. L. Gleicheniaceous rhizome. M. Present bog vegetation in Chiloe Island showing Gleichenia and Valdivian forest behind. Scales 1 mm.

H.N. and M.L. tried to find comparable concretions in Antarctica in 2011. Because of bad weather, only one nodule containing a piece of wood was available, leaving future

possibility. The permineralized debri assemblage can successively provide anatomy-based rich paleobiological information. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work is supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Survey nos. 18405013, 21405012 and 24570112 from MEXT Japan to HN, and has been realized with the courtesy of Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales de Chile. Instituto Antartico Chileno (INACH) logistically supported the field work in Antarctica. REFERENCES Nishida, H., Uemura, K., Terada, K., Yamada, T., Rancusi, M. H., and Hinojosa, LF. 2006. Preliminary report on permineralized plant remains possibly from the Paleocene Chorrillo Chico Formation, Magallanes Region, Chile. In: Nishida, H. (ed.) Post-Cretaceous Floristic Changes in Southern Patagonia, Chile. Chuo University, Tokyo, pp. 11-27.

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