Cenozoic distribution of Ephedripites Bolkhovitina (1953) ex Potonié (1958) emend. Krutzsch (1961) in Brazil

Abstract

Here we present a critical revision of the occurrence of Ephedripites pollen grains during the Cenozoic of Brazil along with a new interpretation of the palaeo-biogeographical implications regarding the distribution of E. eocenipites, E. fusiformis, E. lusaticus and E. claricristatus (=E. tertiarius) in continental and marine sediments. Morphological features of these taxa, in general terms, differ from those of Cretaceous forms by the reduced number of plicae and thinner ribs. The revision of the Brazilian literature of Ephedripites point to a Paleocene distribution restricted to 30° S palaeo-latitude, whereas from the Eocene to the Pliocene, this genus is found in higher palaeo-latitudes of south-eastern and southern Brazil, attesting its occurrence in vegetation on dry or well drained soils.

Keywords:

• ephedroids
• Ephedra
• Paleogene
• Neogene
• Brazil

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the organisers of this special volume for the invitation to partake in this project, especially Carina Hoorn, Catarina Rydin, Else Marie Friis and an anonymous referee who also reviewed the text and gave us useful suggestions. Paulo Alves de Souza, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), is thanked for laboratory and microscopy support. The authors thank Pauline Sabina Kavali (CNPq/BJT of Science Program without Frontiers in IGc/USP, Brazil, and Palynologist of BSIP, India) for the improvements of the English text.

ORCID

Maria Judite Garcia http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1189-6917

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially funded by CNPq – Productivity Scholarships Process 306609/2012-6 to MJG, 304978/2013-2 to MECBO and FAPESP Process 2011/16346-8 to JBM, also PNPD-CAPES Scholarship Post Doctorate to MJG.