Rhipidopsis in the upper Permian of the Dead Sea region, Jordan – Another clade of Mesozoic gymnosperms in the Permian?
Final Report Abstract
The fossil flora from the Dead Sea region is with nearly 60 taxa one of the most diverse late Permian floras worldwide. Moreover, it is a mixture of Euramerican, Cathaysian and Gondwa-nan plant taxa, including the last occurrences of typical Paleozoic taxa and precocious appearances of representatives of groups that are traditionally regarded as typical Mesozoic. Our goal was to collect more material of a peculiar Caytonia-like fructification that was found in the spring of 2019 in close association with Rhipidopsis foliage, a segmented hand-shaped leaf whose natural affinity was still unclear. Due to the Corona pandemic the fieldtrip had to be postponed until December 2022. Unfortunately, the original locality did not reveal new material, but a new locality yielded abundant plant fossils, including three specimens of the fertile organs we were looking for, and many Rhipidopsis leaves – the first with good cuticle preservation found in Jordan. In addition, other old and new localities were sampled. A number of spectacular finds were made. One of the highlights was the discovery of minute charophyte fossils. Several show thickened cells, which are in modern representatives typical for brackish influence. Another highlight are the finds of the peltaspermalean seed fern Permophyllocladus polymorphus, both as compressions and as cuticles in bulk-macerated samples. Permophyllocladus also shows adaptations to brackish conditions. Permophyllocladus is a typical Angaran genus like Ustyugia of which two species were found. The Dead Sea region is unique as it is the only place so far known worldwide from which typical elements of all four major floral provinces are known. In addition, 115 palynological samples were taken in plant-bearing localities in order to document changes of the vegetation in time and space.
Publications
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A lyginopterid pollen organ from the upper Permian of the Dead Sea region. Grana, 60(2), 81-96.
Zavialova, Natalia; Blomenkemper, Patrick; Kerp, Hans; Hamad, Abdalla Abu & Bomfleur, Benjamin
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Contributions towards whole-plant reconstructions of Dicroidium plants (Umkomasiaceae) from the Permian of Jordan. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 278, 104210.
Blomenkemper, Patrick; Kerp, Hans; Abu, Hamad Abdalla & Bomfleur, Benjamin
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Bennettitalean Leaves From the Permian of Equatorial Pangea—The Early Radiation of an Iconic Mesozoic Gymnosperm Group. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9.
Blomenkemper, Patrick; Bäumer, Robert; Backer, Malte; Abu, Hamad Abdalla; Wang, Jun; Kerp, Hans & Bomfleur, Benjamin
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The fossil flora of the Dead Sea region, Jordan – A late Permian Garden of Delights. Journal of Palaeosciences, 70(1-2), 135-158.
Kerp, Hans; Blomenkemper, Patrick; Abu, Hamad Abdalla & Bomfleur, Benjamin
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A taxonomic revision of the late Paleozoic lyginopterid Sphenopteridium germanicum and description of its globose-stem growth habit. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 298, 104591.
DiMichele, William A.; Kerp, Hans; Lucas, Spencer G. & Chaney, Dan S.
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Rhabdotaenia– a typical Gondwanan leaf from the upper Permian of Jordan. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 46(1), 85-93.
Blomenkemper, Patrick; Kerp, Hans; Abu, Hamad Abdalla & Bomfleur, Benjamin
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Saportaea Fontaine et White 1880 – An enigmatic, long-ranging, widely distributed but rare type of late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic foliage. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 296, 104542.
Kerp, Hans; Blomenkemper, Patrick; Abu, Hamad Abdalla & Bomfleur, Benjamin
