New record for the fungus Mariusia andegavensis Pons and Boureau (1977) for the Albian of NE Iberian Peninsula: a possible related plant–arthropod interaction

Abstract

We present the oldest report of Mariusia andegavensis Pons and Boureau that also constitutes the first evidence of this taxon from the Albian deposits of the Iberian Peninsula (Escucha locality, northeastern Spain). The examined fossil fungi consist of four in situ aligned stromata on the stem of a cheirolepidiacean Frenelopsis sp. cf. F. turolensis Gómez from the late-middle Albian Escucha Formation. Another occurrence of this taxon in this area consists of dispersed fungi from the latest Albian Transitional Marls Unit above the Utrillas Formation at Fuente del Vaso. This study documents the oldest known occurrence of these fungi, that in our case, is aligned on stems rather than a randomly distribution on leaves, as previously reported in Cenomanian deposits of France. This arrangement of fruiting bodies in the studied specimens is best explained by a plant–arthropod interaction involving subsequent invasion by a fungus.

Keywords::

• Mariusia andegavensis
• Epiphytic fungus
• Frenelopsis
• arthropod vector
• Lower Cretaceous
• Spain

Acknowledgements

This article is a contribution to project CGL2011-27869/BTE of the ‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’ of the Spanish Government. The authors are grateful to the referees Conrad Labandeira and Denise Pons for a detailed revision of this article, which helped to improve the article. Authors also thank Jesús Méndez from the CACTI Electronic Microscopy Service at Vigo University for his help in taking the SEM photographs and the government of Aragón region for permissions of fieldworks.