Mesosingeria

{{Automatic taxobox

| taxon = Mesosingeria

| authority = S.Archang.{{Cite journal|last=Archangelsky|first=Sergio|date=1963|title=A new Mesozoic flora from Ticó, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.|journal=Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Geology|volume=8|issue=2|pages=45–62|doi=10.5962/p.313876|doi-access=free}}

| fossil_range = {{Geological range/linked|Early Cretaceous}}

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = * M. coriacea (type species)

M. herbstii
M. mucronata
M. obtusa
M. oblonga
M. parva
M. striata

}}

Mesosingeria is a genus of fossil foliage attributable to the Cycadales. This genus is found in Early Cretaceous rocks from Argentina.

Taxonomy

The genus was erected by Sergio Archangelsky based on material from the Anfiteratro de Ticó Formation in Argentina to include two species, namely M.coriacea and M. herbstii.{{Cite journal|last=Archangelsky|first=Sergio|date=1963|title=A new Mesozoic flora from Ticó, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.|journal=Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Geology|volume=8|issue=2|pages=45–62|doi=10.5962/p.313876|doi-access=free}} The name of the genus is dedicated to the mycologist Rolf Singer.

Other five species were later added to the genus from the same localities.{{Cite journal|last=Archangelsky|first=Sergio|date=1963|title=NOTAS SOBRE LA FLORA FOSIL DE LA ZONA DE TICO, PROVINCIA DE SANTA CRUZ. 2. Tres nuevas especies de Mesosingeria|journal=Ameghiniana|url=https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/article/view/1136|language=es|volume=3|issue=4|pages=113–122|issn=1851-8044}}{{Cite journal|date=2005-08-01|title=New cycadalean leaves from the Anfiteatro de Ticó Formation, Early Aptian, Patagonia, Argentina|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667105000650|journal=Cretaceous Research|language=en|volume=26|issue=4|pages=540–550|doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2005.02.004|issn=0195-6671|last1=Villar De Seoane|first1=Liliana|bibcode=2005CrRes..26..540V |url-access=subscription}}{{Cite journal|last=Villar de Seoane|first=L.|date=1997|title=Estudio cuticular comparado de nuevas Cycadales de la Formación Baqueró (Cretácico Inferior), provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina|url=https://www.sepaleontologia.es/revista/anteriores/REP%20%281997%29%20vol.%2012/1/09.%20Seoane.pdf|journal=Revista Española de Paleontología|volume=12|pages=129–140}}

Description

The genus includes foliage fossils of bipinnate leaves with a flat rachis. The pinnules are oblong to lanceolate, alternate, with one or more veins entering each pinnule, then dichotomizing and continuing straight to the apex. The cuticle presents monocyclic stomata which are usually sunken in a stomatal pit constricted by a ring of cuticle on the outside.

References

Category:Cycads

Category:Prehistoric gymnosperm genera