Sphenopteris

Sphenopteris is a genus of seed ferns containing the foliage of various extinct plants, ranging from the Devonian to Late Cretaceous.[1][2]

Sphenopteris
Temporal range: Late Devonian-Cretaceous
~388–70 Ma
S. schumannii specimen on display at Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: †Pteridospermatophyta
Class: †Lyginopteridopsida
Order: †Lyginopteridales
Family: †Lyginopteridaceae
Genus: †Sphenopteris
Sternberg 1825
Species
  • S. alata †
  • S. elegans †
  • S. fragilis †
  • S. obtusiloba †
  • S. pinnae †
  • S. plicata †
  • S. pottsvillea †
  • S. sanjuliensis †
  • S. spiniformis †
  • S. suessi †
  • S. trifoliata †
  • S. valentinii †

Biology

The frond of Sphenopteris could be up to 20 inches (51 cm) long.[1]

Distribution

In Brazil, fossil of form genus Sphenopteris was located in outcrop Morro Papalé in the city of Mariana Pimentel. They are in the geopark Paleorrota in Rio Bonito Formation and date from Sakmarian in Permian.[3] Fossils of Sphenopteris have also been found in the Valle Alto Formation, Caldas, Colombia, among many other locations.[4]

References
  1. Palmer, Douglas; et al. (2009). Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth (1st American ed.). New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7566-5573-0.
  2. Manuscript entitled, Fossil Flora and Fauna of the Pennsylvanian Period, Will County, Illinois
  3. Afloramento Morro do Papaléo, Mariana Pimentel, RS
  4. Sphenopteris at Fossilworks.org


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