Coniferous woods from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

Silicified wood is figured and described from the upper part of the Upper Cretaceous Allen Formation of Rio Negro Province, Argentina. The good preservation as well as the presence of roots in some of the logs suggest they were transported for short distances. Two new species are described, Circoporoxylon gregussii and Podocarpoxylon garciae. The characters of the wood remains, together with the comparison made between living and fossil woods, indicate that both taxa belong to the Podocarpaceae. Associated plants (palms, cycads) and the anatomical structure of the woods suggest that they developed under a fairly equable climate; growth rings are not well marked.