
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mart&iacute;n-Closas, Carles 
T1  - Epiphytic Overgrowth of Charophyte Thalli by Stromatolite-like Structures and Fungi in the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Ranges (Spain)
JF  - Australian Journal of Botany
JO  - Aust. J. Bot.
Y1  - 1999
VL  - 47
IS  - 3
SP  - 305
EP  - 313
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/BT97098 
N2  - The Lower Cretaceous (113 million years old) lacustrine deposits of Las Hoyas(Iberian Ranges, Cuenca, Spain) yield an epiphytic assemblage formed by thecharophyte species Clavatoraxis diaz-romeraliiMart&#237;n-Closas &#38; Di&#233;guez overgrown by a muddy, laminatedstromatolite-like structure. Fossil charophyte thalli coated with biogeniclaminations were previously unknown from the fossil record. Within thisstromatolite-like structure, filaments are found which correspond to thalli ofanother charophyte, Palaeonitella vermicularisMart&#237;n-Closas &#38; Di&#233;guez, and to septate hyphae of fungi(Ascomycetes). The distribution pattern of the biogenic lamination and itsselective growth only on the strongest thalli ofClavatoraxis diaz-romeralii suggests that it occurredwhen these macrophytes were still alive, standing upright on the lake bottom.From this point of view the stromatolite-like structures are reminiscent ofextant overgrowths of charophyte thalli by epiphytic, filamentouscyanobacteria, eucaryotic algae and fungi. These assemblages appear to developafter eutrophication of nutrient-poor environments, which are more suitablefor charophyte growth. 
ER  -

