%0 Journal Article
%A Villalba Breva, Sheila
%A Martín Closas, C.
%A Marmi, J.
%A Gómez, Bernard
%A Fernández Marrón, María Teresa
%T Peat-forming plants in the Maastrichtian coals of the Eastern Pyrenees
%D 2012
%@ 1695-6133
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44211
%X The Lower Maastrichtian of Fumanya and neighbouring localities of the Vallcebre syncline (Eastern Pyrenees,Catalonia, Spain) provide the first taphonomic evidence for the hypothesis that cheirolepidiacean conifers weresignificant precursors of Maastrichtian Pyrenean coal. Most Frenelopsis-rich lignite beds do not bear rootletmarks, suggesting that the original peat was detrital. Sedimentological and taphonomic evidence indicatesdeposition on the margins of a lagoon after the transport of the cheirolepidiacean remains by flotation. The sameparautochthonous assemblage includes complete impressions of Sabalites longirhachis leaves and large impressionsof logs attributed to the same palm trees. Other parautochthonous or allochthonous plant megaremains includeextremely rare cycadalean and monocot leaves and abundant minute angiosperm seeds. Rootlet marks associatedwith thin lignite beds occur at the top of some charophyte limestones. The charophyte association, dominated byin situ accumulation of Peckichara and Microchara gyrogonites, suggests that these limestones were depositedin shallow, freshwater lakes and that the corresponding peat mires were limnic rather than paralic in nature. Thebotanical affinity of plant remains associated with these root-bearing lignites is uncertain. Palynological analysisshowed abundant bisaccates, with less abundant fern spores and freshwater algal oospores. Locally, the abundantrootlet marks were associated with large brush-like rooting structures attributed to Sabalites longirhachis palms.Our results show that, at the beginning of the Maastrichtian, cheirolepidiacean conifers were still significant peatproducingplants, although, unlike analogous Lower Cretaceous ones, they shared this role with rare angiosperms,such as palms.
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