10.6084/m9.figshare.3454949.v1
Anne-Laure Decombeix
Anne-Laure
Decombeix
Brigitte Meyer-Berthaud
Brigitte
Meyer-Berthaud
Jean Galtier
Jean
Galtier
Transitional changes in arborescent lignophytes at the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary
Geological Society of London
2016
Devonian tree Archaeopteri
arborescent lignophytes
Tournaisian lignophyte trees
phenotypic diversity
arborescent taxa
Geology
2016-06-21 12:27:42
Journal contribution
https://geolsoc.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Transitional_changes_in_arborescent_lignophytes_at_the_Devonian_Carboniferous_boundary/3454949
<p>It is usually considered that after the extinction of the Devonian tree <em>Archaeopteri</em>s, no new arborescent lignophytes were established before the late Tournaisian. A reassessment of this pattern is presented
here based on a three-fold approach: a re-evaluation of the taxic diversity of Tournaisian lignophyte trees based on descriptions
of new plants from palaeotropical latitudes, a study of the patterns of phenotypic changes occurring among early lignophytes
using a principal coordinate analysis and a phylogenetic analysis of the affinities of the arborescent taxa. The best supported
results indicate that a substantial taxonomic and phenotypic diversity of arborescent lignophytes was already established
in the first part of the Tournaisian, including some taxa that persisted until the Serpukhovian. Two genera may have originated
in the Late Devonian and crossed the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary. Fewer originations and a decrease in phenotypic diversity
occurred in the Viséan. The phenotypic distinctiveness of tree stems compared with those of other growth forms in the lignophytes
is assessed. We propose a scenario in which the presence of lignophyte trees is continuous across the Devonian–Carboniferous
boundary, with arborescent taxa distinct from <em>Archaeopteris</em> already present in the latest Devonian, possibly in upland floras, and diversifying significantly soon after the Devonian–Carboniferous
boundary.
</p>