Squamella
australis
Glossopteris
ampla
Geological
Time: Late Permian
Size: Squamella:
20 mm by 10 mm Glossopteris: 30 mm by 10 mm-130 mm by 22 mm Matrix: 195
mm x 70 mm
Fossil Site:
Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia
Code: AAF576
Price: Sold
Description:
Glossopteris leaves are a widespread fossil, but are difficult to
assign by species because of the wide variety of venation patterns
and morphology. They are found throughout what was once Gondwnana,
another support for continental drift. The genus derives its name
from the Greek words for tongue and fern. They favored a swampy
habitat, and some had leaves up to a meter in length. The leaves
have only rarely ever been found attached to braches, but the restoration
here is of one that had a tree-like habit. The specimens here are
G. ampla, albeit small examples of the type. This species is the
record holder for Glossopteris with leaves as much as a METER in
length. Few Glossopteris leaves have been found in strata younger
than the Permian, a time that closed with the greatest of all mass
extinctions on the planet. The scalelike structure that can be seen
on the upper left side of the plaque in the first photo is known
as Squamella australis, and represents one of the largest such fruiting
bodies I have come across. Glossopteris scales (squamae) are often
found in profusion with leaves, and were originally thought to have
been bud scales. They are now known to be the fruiting bodies of
male Glossopteris.
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