树蕨类化石在淮北煤田的发现及意义

DISCOVERY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TREE-FERN COMPRESSION FOSSILS IN HUAIBEI COAL FIELD

淮北煤田早二叠世晚期下石盒子组树蕨类茎干印痕化石丰富，计有４０余块。分属于蹄痕茎属（Ｃａｕｌｏｐｔｅｒｉｓ）、大痕木属（Ｍｅｇａｐｈｙｔｏｎ）及皱痕茎属（ＰｔｙｃｈｏＰｔｅｒｉｓ），共３属９种；其中蹄痕茎属４种（包括２个新种，Ｃａｕｌｏｐｔｒｉｓｙａｎｇｚｈｕａｎｇｅｎｓｉｓｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．和Ｃａｕｌｏｐｔｅｒｉｓｐｓｉｌｏｃｉｃａｔｒｉｘｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．）；大痕木属在国内尚属首次报道，仅见１种；皱痕茎属在国内亦属首次发现，鉴定有４个未定种。该类化石在本区以极大的丰度和良好的保存为特征，其发育显示该区早二叠世晚期热带雨林气候盛行。其次，说明树蕨类在其晚期发育中心已由欧美区移至华夏区。此外，该类在本区的发育是华夏植物地理区分化渐趋强烈的直接证据。

he tree-fern compression fossils in Huaibei coal-field are very abundant during the lower Shi-He-Zi formation of Early Permian.There are 40 specimens or more in this area.The fossils belong to 3 genera and 9 species, i.e. Cauloptelis, Megaphyton and Ptychopteris. Caulopteris consists of 4 species (including 2 new species, i. e. Caulopteris yangzhuangensis sp. nov. and Caulopteris psilocicatlix sp.nov.).Megaphyton is discovered in China for the first time. The genus only has a species. Ptychopteris is also found in our country firstly. We have diagnosed 4 underdetermined species of the genus. These genera have an excellent conservation and a deep abundance in this region.lts development demonstrates the tropical rainforest climates of this area in the late time of Early Permian, the growing center of the tree-ferns in its late period having migrated into Cathaysian flora from Eurrope-America flora. It is a direct evidence of the strong differentiation in Cathaysian floral province.