Estípites de Arecaceae en la Formación Ituzaingó(Plioceno-Pleistoceno), Entre Ríos, Argentina

Acta geológica lilloana 26 (1): 2014

Abstract

First record of Arecaceae stipe from Ituzaingó Formation (Pliocene-Pleis-tocene), Entre Rios, Argentina. The palm macrofossils are common in the fossil record, in itsstratigraphic and geographic distribution, and showing an increase over the time.The aim ofthis paper is to describe two new silicified palm trunks from late Cenozoic of Entre Ríos, foundin the river sediments of Ituzaingó Formation: Palmoxylon yuqueriense Lutz 1984 and Pal-moxylon sp. Palmoxylon yuqueriense has more affinity with Coryphoidea subfamily. A striking as-pect in this fossil is the presence of starches, single or fused, observed and confirmed undernormal and polarized light. Palmoxylon sp.is a silicified palm stump with preserved adventitiousroots. The presence of Palmoxylon yuqueriense and Palmoxylon sp. in the Ituzaingó Formationwould indicate a tropical-subtropical clime and expands the macrofossil Arecaceae record tothe Paraná River Basin.