Putative Early Cretaceous pteridaceous spores from the offshore Austral Basin in Patagonia, Argentina

A palynological review of cingulate spores having affinities with the fern family Pteridaceae found in Lower Cretaceous assemblages of Patagonia, Argentina, is presented. The new genus Sotasporites, with three species is defined: S. triangularis sp. nov., S. elegans (Archangelsky and Gamerro) comb. nov. and Sotasporites sp. Comparisons with spores of extant members of the family show close similarities in shape and sculpture with the products of taxa living in the southern Andes. Muricingulisporis annulatus Archangelsky and Gamerro, originally defined from the Aptian Baqueró Group of Patagonia, is maintained in its original combination after the revision of the types. The differences from Cyatheacidites of the family Lophosoriaceae, to which this species was assigned elsewhere, are underscored. Finally, three species of Contignisporites, viz. C. cooksoniae (Balme) Dettmann, C. glebulentus Dettmann and C. burgeri Filatoff and Price are described and reviewed. It is concluded that the Pteridaceae played an important role in Patagonia and were represented by several taxa during the Early Cretaceous.