The anatomically preserved Early Carboniferous flora of Pettycur, Fife, Scotland

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Abstract

The Late Viséan (mid-Mississippian) anatomically preserved flora from Pettycur, Fife, Scotland is one of the most sig- nificant plant assemblages (lagerstätte) from this period anywhere in the world. It has been known from the later 19th century, mainly from loose limestone blocks found on the beach. Thin sections of limestones showing outstand- ing permineralised plants offered a number of the most eminent British palaeobotanists of their day to describe many of the plants. Most of the thin sections were made commercially so that an understanding of the formation of the de- posit as a whole proved difficult. The peel technique developed in the 1950s allowed large slices of limestone to be peeled but only small pieces of the peels were ever mounted and studied by the new authors. Large collections (more than 100) of loose blocks on the beach and from in situ from within basaltic lava flows by the author and col- leagues from the late 1970s onwards have been slabbed and peeled and provide the opportunity for new studies and an assessment of the plant assemblages and possible communities present. At least 25 plant organ species are present representing more than 13 whole plant species. Of particular significance is the occurrence of the four main lycopsid tree types that dominate later Pennsylvanian peats and the occurrence of five ferns. It is shown also that a number of the plants may also be preserved as charcoal, especially zygopterid ferns such as Metaclepsydropsis. Of particular im- portance is the occurrence of true permineralised peats that provide evidence of the botanical composition of the ear- liest peat-forming mire at a time of rapid global change with a sudden fall of atmospheric CO2 and rise in O2 that would have also had an effect upon wildfire systems.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)389-415
Number of pages27
JournalProceedings of the Geologists' Association
Volume135
Issue number4
Early online date12 Aug 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

Keywords

  • CARBONIFEROUS
  • Mississipian
  • Asbian
  • Kinghorn Volcanic Formation
  • Peat
  • Mire
  • wildfire
  • Post-Fire erosion
  • Charcoal
  • Fossil plants
  • Lycopsids
  • Ferns
  • Plant-arthropod interactions
  • Volcanism

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