Early cretaceous flora from Vale Painho (Lusitanian basin, western Portugal): An integrated palynological and mesofossil study

Mesofossil and palynomorphs of probable Berriasian age is described from Cretaceous sediments exposed in the Bombarral formation near the village of Juncal in the Estremadura region (western Portugal). Both the palynoflora and mesofossil flora are poor in species diversity and in number of specimens. The palynological assemblage is dominated by pteridophytes and gymnosperms. The mesofossil flora is dominated by conifer seeds and seeds assigned to the Bennettitales–Erdtmanithecales–Gnetales group. The associations indicate the presence of a coniferous forest dominated by Cheirolepidiaceae with a grown cover and understory vegetation of ferns and other pteridophytes as well as members of the BEG group. The fossil floras indicate a warm, seasonally dry climate. The local and regional sedimentological data also point to a seasonal climate with a prolonged dry season. The vegetational and environmental signal from the Portuguese flora is in accordance with that of other, contemporaneous floras of northern Europe (southern England, Bornholm/Denmark and Germany).

Research Highlights
► Describes first Berriasian flora from Portugal based on meso- and microfossils
► Provides insight into Early Cretaceous pre-angiosperm vegetation of Portugal
► Conflicting signals from meso- and microfossils highlight importance of integrated analyses for environmental conclusions
► Fossils and sediments indicate seasonally dry climate with open vegetation of Cheirolepidiaceae, BEG-type plants and ferns.
► Plant community and environmental conditions in agreement to other contemporaneous floras from the northern Europe