''Cladophlebis'' is an extinct
form genus
Form classification is the classification of organisms based on their morphology, which does not necessarily reflect their biological relationships. Form classification, generally restricted to palaeontology, reflects uncertainty; the goal of s ...
of
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except ...
, used to refer to
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
and
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Creta ...
fern leaves that have "fern fronds with
pinnules
A leaflet (occasionally called foliole) in botany is a leaf-like part of a compound leaf. Though it resembles an entire leaf, a leaflet is not borne on a main plant stem or branch, as a leaf is, but rather on a petiole or a branch of the leaf. Co ...
that are attached to the
rachis
In biology, a rachis (from the grc, ῥάχις [], "backbone, spine") is a main axis or "shaft".
In zoology and microbiology
In vertebrates, ''rachis'' can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this c ...
, and have a median vein that runs to the apex of the pinnule, and veins from that are curved and dichotomise". By convention this genus is not used to refer to fossil ferns from the
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configu ...
. Ferns with this morphology belong to several families, including
Osmundaceae
Osmundaceae (royal fern family) is a family of ferns containing four to six extant genera and 18–25 known species. It is the only living family of the order Osmundales in the class Polypodiopsida (ferns) or in some classifications the only or ...
,
Dicksoniaceae
Dicksoniaceae is a group of tropical, subtropical and warm temperate ferns, treated as a family in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), and counting 30-40 species. Alternatively, the family may be sunk into a very bro ...
and
Schizaeaceae
Schizaeaceae is a family of ferns in the order Schizaeales. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it includes only two genera. Alternatively, two families kept separate in PPG I, Lygodiaceae and Anemiaceae, may be i ...
.
Ferns with this morphology are common during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
[''Cladophlebis''](_blank)
at Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database, a large relational database assembled by hundreds of paleontologists from around the world.
History
Fossilworks was cre ...
.org
Species
There were many species of ''Cladophlebis'', including: ''C. akhtashensis, C. arctica, C. browniana, C. denticulata, C. dunberi, C. haiburnensis, C. heterophylla, C. hirta, C. impressa, C. kurtzi, C. lobifolia, C. nebbensis, C. patagonica, C. phlebopteris, C. porsildi, C. readi, C. remota, C. retallackii, C. roessertii, C. septentrionalis, C. simplicima, C. spectabilis, C. tenuis, C. wyomingensis,'' and ''C. yanschinii''.
Distribution
Fossils of ''Cladophlebis'' have been found in many locations around the world, among others in the
Valle Alto Formation
The Valle Alto Formation ( es, Formación Valle Alto, Jva) is a geological formation of the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation is composed of shales, sandstones and conglomerates and dates to the Late Jurassic period. Ammoni ...
of
Caldas and the
Caballos Formation
The Caballos Formation ( es, Formación Caballos, KI) is a geological formation of the Upper Magdalena Valley (VSM), Caguán-Putumayo Basin, Central and Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The sandstone and shale formation dates to the Midd ...
of
Tolima, Colombia, and the
Winton Formation
The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age. The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks s ...
,
Eromanga Basin
The Eromanga Basin is a large Mesozoic sedimentary basin in central and northern Australia. It covers parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia, and New South Wales, and is a major component of the Great Artesian Basin. The ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia.
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
''Cladophlebis austalis''Natural History Museum
Range map for ''Cladophlebis''from the PaleoBiology Database
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5124948
† Cladophlebis
Permian plants
Triassic plants
Jurassic plants
Cretaceous plants
Permian first appearances
Cretaceous extinctions
Mesozoic Antarctica
Mesozoic life of Asia
Mesozoic life of Europe
Mesozoic life of North America
Prehistoric plants of North America
Mesozoic life of South America
Prehistoric plants of South America
Triassic Argentina
Jurassic Argentina
Fossils of Argentina
Triassic Chile
Jurassic Chile
Fossils of Chile
Jurassic Colombia
Fossils of Colombia
Fossil taxa described in 1849