Neuralethopteris foliage (Medullosales) in the Carboniferous of the Dobrudzha Coalfield, Bulgaria

Four species of Neuralethopteris occur in the Dobrudzha Coalfield, with Neuralethopteris schlehanii being by far the most widespread and abundant. They are often associated with sandstone bodies representing tongues of clastic sediment entering the basin from the south. This assemblage is similar to that found in other macrofloras of similar age in Europe, both in lowland-paralic and upland settings. However, in the Dobrudzha Coalfield there are marked dissimilarities compared with the North American assemblages, including those of the Canadian Maritimes, suggesting a barrier (possibly upland) to plant migration in early Westphalian times. As with most other coal basins in Europe, Neuralethopteris undergoes a significant decline in abundance and species diversity in Dobrudzha in middle Langsettian times.