Singular taphonomic record of a wildfire event from middle Albian deposits of Escucha Formation in northeastern of Spain

Abstract

A fossil plant assemblage composed of a great amount of macro, meso and microscopical charcoalifed remains occur in a single layer in Albian deposits of the Escucha Formation in northeastern Spain. This assemblage consists fundamentally of fragments of pinnae and pinnules corresponding to the Matoniaceous ferns Weichselia reticulata and Phlebopteris dunkeri also with some gymnosperm wood remains. The features of both the fossil plants and the deposit itself indicate accurate paleoenvironmental conditions related to the action of wildfires over the vegetation growing in freshwater swamp plains during Albian in Southwestern Eurasia.

Keywords::

• charcoal
• charred fossil ferns
• paleowildfire
• middle Albian
• Escucha Formation
• Spain

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jesús Méndez from CACTI Electronic Microscopy Service at Vigo University for his help in the SEM photographs. The authors also thank ‘Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural’ of Government of Aragón region for permissions of fieldworks.

Additional information

Funding

This article is a contribution to project CGL2011-27869/BTE of the ‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’ of the Spanish Government.