Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-cnmwb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T06:04:08.286Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Morphometric analysis of proposed evolutionary lineages of Early Devonian land plant spores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2005

PIERRE BREUER
Affiliation:
Paléobotanique, Paléopalynologie et Micropaléontologie (PPM), Université de Liège, Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
LUDOVIC STRICANNE
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Paléontologie et Paléogeographie du Paléozoïque (LP3), UMR 8014 et FR 1818 du C.N.R.S., Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille: Sciences de la Terre, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France Institut für Geowissenschaften, Sigwartrasse 10, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
PHILIPPE STEEMANS
Affiliation:
Paléobotanique, Paléopalynologie et Micropaléontologie (PPM), Université de Liège, Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

Abstract

Early Devonian miospore assemblages from ‘La Gileppe’ (Eastern Belgium) include five varieties of trilete spore belonging to the genus Emphanisporites. These five varieties show a continuous variation of their morphological characteristics. The variation in morphological characteristics can be related to the evolution of morphological features and allows us to define the Emphanisporites micrornatus Morphon. A statistical evaluation of this population highlights the interdependence of almost all morphological parameters. This study proves the increase in size of ornamental and structural parameters over several million years. The biometric changes and the progressive replacement of older morphotypes by younger ones indicate that a temporal link exists between these different varieties. Two phylogenetic hypotheses for the E. micrornatus Morphon are proposed. This morphological evolution is so far observed only on the Eastern Old Red Sandstone Continent and defines a palaeophytogeographic sinuosus–zavallatus Province.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)