Cancellidium intergraniferum (R. Potonié & S.C.D. Sah) G. Worobiec & E. Worobiec, comb. nov. from the Miocene of Poland, with remarks on the fossil history and palaeoecological potential of Cancellidium

Abstract

A fungal palynomorph corresponding to the fossil-species Lirasporis intergranifer R. Potonié & S.C.D. Sah, from the Middle Miocene lignite mine in Tomisławice (central Poland), is considered as the new combination Cancellidium intergraniferum (R. Potonié & S.C.D. Sah) G. Worobiec & E. Worobiec, comb. nov. The fossil-genus Lirasporis is treated as a synonym of the modern genus Cancellidium Tubaki. Cancellidium intergraniferum from the Miocene of Poland represents the first fossil record of Cancellidium outside Asia, the first record of this genus from Europe, and the northernmost known fossil occurrence of Cancellidium. Living representatives of Cancellidium seem to prefer warm and humid climates and, being aero-aquatic hyphomycetes, are usually associated with decaying woody remains in aquatic environments. A similar ecology is suggested for the fossil C. intergraniferum, which could be a reliable fungal non-pollen palynomorph proxy for palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.

Keywords:

• fungal palynomorph
• Cancellidium
• Lirasporis
• new combination
• palaeoecology
• Europe
• Neogene

Acknowledgements

The authors express special thanks to the authority of the Konin Lignite Mine for granting permission to conduct fieldwork in the mine. Four anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their detailed revision and valuable suggestions that improved our manuscript. This study contributes to NECLIME – an open international network of scientists working on the Cenozoic climate evolution and related changes in continental ecosystems.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. The description of the geological setting was provided by M. Widera. Material preparation and palynological investigations were done by B. Słodkowska. E. Worobiec found the fossil remains of Cancellidium intergraniferum and participated in preparing the discussion section of the manuscript. The remains of C. intergraniferum were analysed and interpreted by G. Worobiec. The first draft of the manuscript was written by G. Worobiec. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, through its statutory funds to Grzegorz and Elżbieta Worobiec, and partly by the National Science Centre, Poland, under Grant 2017/27/B/ST10/00001 to M. Widera.

Notes on contributors

Grzegorz Worobiec

GRZEGORZ WOROBIEC is a researcher at the Palaeobotany and Palaeoenvironment Group, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków. His research focuses on the taxonomy and palaeoecology of fossil fungi. In addition, he is interested in the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of ancient wetland vegetation.

Elżbieta Worobiec

ElŻBIETA WOROBIEC is a researcher of the Palaeobotany and Palaeoenvironment Group of the W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków. Her research focuses mainly on the palynological analysis of Upper Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene strata as well as the reconstruction of ancient vegetation and palaeoclimate based on fossil spore–pollen assemblages. She is also interested in freshwater organic-walled algal microfossils (mainly Zygnemataceae and desmids) from Neogene deposits and reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment.

Marek Widera

MAREK WIDERA is a researcher at the Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, in Poznań. He is interested in the geology of lignite deposits of Paleogene–Neogene age, including lithostratigraphical, palaeotectonic, palaeogeographical and sedimentological studies. In addition, he investigates the origin of lignite seams, their deformations and siliciclastic partings in the context of mining and the industrial use of lignite.

Barbara Słodkowska

BARBARA SŁODKOWSKA is a researcher at the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, Warszawa. Her research focuses mainly on palynological studies (pollen and phytoplankton analysis) of Paleogene and Neogene strata as well as the reconstruction of ancient vegetation and palaeoclimate based on fossil spore–pollen assemblages.