"Lo Hueco" Lagerstätte of Late Campanian/Eary Maastrichtian Spain was an Evnironmentally Stressed Coastal Swamp

Palaeoecology of the late Campanian/early Maastrichtian Fossil-Lagerstätte of "Lo Hueco" (Cuenca, Spain): Palynological insights

Authors:

1. Daniel Peyrot (a)
2. Fernando Barroso-Barcenilla (a, b)
3. Oscar Cambra-Moo (c)

Affiliations:

a. Grupo de Investigación Eventos Bióticos Mesozoicos. Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 28040 Madrid, España - Spain

b. Grupo de Investigación IBERCRETA. Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. 28871 Alcalá de Henares, España - Spain

c. Laboratorio de Poblaciones del Pasado (LAPP). Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. 28049 Madrid, España - Spain

Abstract:

Detailed palynological analyses of the late Campanian/early Maastrichtian Fossil-Lagerstätte of "Lo Hueco" have been undertaken. The recovered assemblages, particularly rich in angiosperm taxa, included freshwater palynomorphs, spores and pollen grains related to swamp or local wetland vegetation. The palynofloras of the site revealed different micro-environments. The main differences among them may be related to water availability within a coastal environment. The overwhelming presence of pollen grains (especially Emmapollis? spp., but also Sparganiaceaepollenites spp.), herein described and related to Typhaceae, distinguishes the assemblages of Lo Hueco from the other Late Cretaceous European palynofloras. Accordingly, this site may represent the oldest wetland vegetation under stressful conditions showing such modern plant community characteristics.