PALAEOBOTANICAL RESEARCH GROUP

UNIVERSITY  MÜNSTER

HISTORY  OF  PALAEOZOIC  FORESTS
CALLIPTERIDS

Two groups of plants are often found in Permian rocks.  These are the conifers which first appeared in the middle-Late Carboniferous and the Callipterids. Callipterids are a group of seed ferns (pteridoserms) which first appeared in the latest Carboniferous but was far more common in the Permian.  Callipterids belong to the Peltaspermaceae, a seed fern family that was also widely distributed during the Triassic and Early Jurassic.  It is the only pteridosperm family that survived the mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic boundary.  Callipterids were apparently rather small, shrub-like plants with a short, often lying stem and up to 80 cm long fronds.

Taxon / Subject
Web Source
Comments
Pics
Info
Autunia is a genus for Early Permian forms of which not only foliage but also cuticles and reproductive organs are known.  Autunia conferta is amongt he first fossil plants ever illustrated in the literature (Scheuchzer, 1729).
Autunia conferta Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart listed as Callipteris
Autunia conferta Naturhistorisches Museum Wien 2nd row, nr. 3
Autunia conferta Paläobotanik, Münster cuticles
Have a look !!!
Autunia conferta Hans Steur's Palaeobotany Pages  
Have a look !!!
Rhachiphyllum 
Rhachiphyllum schenkii Paläobotanik Münster  
Have a look !!!
 
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Disclaimer

The last check of the list of links was done on 6 December 2002. The links give the most direct connections to pictures available on the web; in many cases they are from sites that have additional palaeobotanical information.  The above ratings refer to: 
1. Pics: the quality of the specimens, particularly with regard to characteristic features, and to the quality of the pictures. 
2. Info: the additional information provided.
Ratings are of course subjective but should be helpful for finding the fastest way to good pictures on the web. Own pictures are of course not rated. This is up to you! 
Suggestions for improvement and hints to other internet resources are most welcome

© Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
December  2002