Abstract

PUENTE-ARAUZO, Estefanía et al. New records of the genus Tempskya CORDA, 1845 (Pteridophyta) in late Hauterivian-early Barremian deposits in northern Spain. Bol. Soc. Geol. Mex [online]. 2014, vol.66, n.1, pp.123-134. ISSN 1405-3322.

In this study we present new records of the tree fern fossil genus Tempskya Corda, 1845 from the Pinilla de los Moros Formation, late Hauterivian - early Barremian in age, in the surroundings of the village Salas de los Infantes (Burgos province, northern Spain). The studied samples exhibit similar anatomical features to those of the species T. riojana Barale y Viera, 1989 , even though they present some extra characters. These additional features include the presence of sclerenchyma islets with irregularly shaped parenchymal layer in the inner bark of stems and also an intermediate bark layer which invaginates into the inner layer. These characters are identified for the first time in this taxon, and they could serve as a criterion for differentiating this species from other Tempskya Corda, 1845 species, constituting a new contribution to the knowledge of this taxon.

Keywords : palaeobotany; fossil tree ferns; Tempskya; Early Cretaceous; Spain.