Changes in dominance patterns in upper Carboniferous plant-fossil assemblages

Research Article| December 01, 1982 Changes in dominance patterns in upper Carboniferous plant-fossil assemblages Hermann W. Pfefferkorn; Hermann W. Pfefferkorn 1Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Margaret C. Thomson Margaret C. Thomson 1Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Hermann W. Pfefferkorn 1Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Margaret C. Thomson 1Department of Geology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1982) 10 (12): 641–644. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1982)10<641:CIDPIU>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Hermann W. Pfefferkorn, Margaret C. Thomson; Changes in dominance patterns in upper Carboniferous plant-fossil assemblages. Geology 1982;; 10 (12): 641–644. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1982)10<641:CIDPIU>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) terrestrial clastic rocks from North America and Europe contain compression-impression plant-fossil assemblages that represent the remains of plant communities that grew on floodplains, levees, and other clastic facies of fluvial and deltaic lowlands. Quantitative analysis of 66 plant-fossil assemblages spanning the entire late Carboniferous demonstrates that before the middle of the Westphalian D Stage the majority of plant-fossil assemblages are dominated by pteridosperms and sphenopsids. Lycopods and cordaites dominate only a few assemblages counted. Ferns do not dominate any assemblages. These findings contrast sharply with the dominance of lycopods reported by others from coal swamps of the same time interval. Above the middle of the Westphalian D, however, one-third of the compression-impression assemblages counted are dominated by ferns. The change in dominance pattern in compression-impression plant-fossil assemblages occurs half a stage earlier than the previously reported change from lycopod-dominated to fern-dominated assemblages at the Westphalian-Stephanian boundary in coal swamps. A trend toward dryer climate during Westphalian D apparently influenced plants growing on better-drained alluvial soils earlier than those growing on water-logged soils of contemporaneous coal swamps. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.