Taxonomic revision of in situ tree trunks and silicified wood from the Early Jurassic Kirkpatrick Basalt in the Mesa Range area, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Abstract

Sedimentary interbeds between lava flows of the Early Jurassic Kirkpatrick Basalt, East Antarctica, are long known to contain abundant fossil wood, including in situ-preserved tree trunks. Following an initial brief report containing only preliminary taxonomic assessments, however, these trunks have never been studied in greater detail. Here, we provide a detailed wood-anatomical description of in situ trunks and associated float specimens of fossil wood from several localities in the Mesa Range. Four genera are identified: Agathoxylon Hartig, Brachyoxylon Hollick et Jeffrey, Mixoxylon Chernomorets et Sakala and Protocupressinoxylon-type wood. This set completely challenges the image that prevailed until now of a little diversified paleoxyloflora in Antarctica during the Jurassic.