New Fossil Plant from the Late Devonian Strata of Northern Timan (Russia)

Abstract

Remains of a new fossil plant Petrosjania salarina gen. et sp. nov. were found in the Upper Devonian deposits of the Northern Timan (eastern coast of the Chosha Bay of the Barents Sea). This plant has a number of features characteristic of different groups of higher plants: Barrandeinoid stems (characteristic of the Barrandeinales), flabelloid leaves on stems (Devonian groups incertae sedis) and perfoliate leaves (characteristic of many plants, including horsetails), fibrous root system (typical for Pteridophyta, Monocotyledones). The systematic position of the new fossil plant, its morphology and possible relationships are discussed.