Palynology of the lower Lefipan formation (upper cretaceous) of Barranca de los Perros, Chubut province, Argentina part il angiosperm pollen and discussion

Abstract

Angiosperm pollen are documented from nine outcrop samples from the Lefipán Formation, Barranca de los Perros, in the Chubut Province of southern Argentina. The material was collected from the lower part of the Lefipán Formation that contains a marine fauna of Maastrichtian age. Twenty‐seven angiosperm pollen taxa are described. Stratigraphic and geographic distribution of these taxa, and of pteridophyte and bryophyte spores and gymno‐sperm pollen from these samples, are compared with Campanian to Paleocene assemblages from southern South America, the Antarctic Peninsula, New Zealand and Australia. The Lefipán flora contains taxa in common with Maastrichtian assemblages to the south, but in overall aspect is dissimilar to the high latitude, wet temperate Weddellian conifer‐rich forest floras. The fern and angiosperm‐rich Lefipán palynoflora probably represents a shrubby angiosperm‐fernland vegetation with patchy wooded areas growing in warm temperate (to subtropical?) conditions.