An exceptional plant mesofossil assemblage from the Kungurian
“Plant meso-fossils are crucial in paleobotanical studies, including taxonomy, paleoecology and plant–animal interactions. However, Cisuralian (early Permian) plant meso-remains such as dispersed cuticles, wood fragments and pollen aggregate, are extremely rare. One exceptional outcrop yielding late Kungurian plant mesofossils is Gorl in the Athesian Volcanic District (Northern Italy). Dispersed cuticles confirm the presence of Peltaspermales and describe the cuticle of conifer shoots previously assigned to Hermitia and ten new cuticle morphotypes. Five of these belong to conifers, one belongs to the Peltaspermales, whereas the botanical affinity of the other four remains uncertain. Dispersed cuticles yielded also traces of plant–animal interactions of the piercing and sucking type. A megaspore confirms the presence of lycophytes in the flora. Two types of pollen aggregates yielded Protohaploxypinus -type pollen. Statistical analysis on the epidermal pattern of the leaves of Conifer morphotype 3 and Dwarf shoot type 1 demonstrates that these two taxa belong to the same biological species. The mesofossils integrate the macro- and micro-fossil record increasing the diversity on this late Kungurian site.” view article