Tucanopolus, a new genus of early angiosperms

Abstract

Tucanopollis, a new genus of early angiosperms, is described and figured. The amplitude of its genotype, Tucanopollis crisopolensis, ranges from the Barremian to the Early Aptian and, as far as we know, its geographic distribution is restricted to northeastern Brazil and western A frica. T. crisopolensis appeared in the Recôncavo Basin and its extinction is noted in the Alagoas Basin; its acme occurred in the Tucano Basin, during the Late Barremian. Relationships between crisopolensis, monosulcates and ornamented tricolpates, and Afropollis spp. are illustrated on a composite palynogram, which also shows the frequency inversion of Gnetales and Cheirolepidiales, linked to the acme of T. crisopolensis. lt isdemonstrated that sulcated shapes, with circular central areas, appear and become extinct at the same time. The holotype for this new genus is the same as that figured by Regali, Uesugui & Santos (1974) and is part of the type collection of the Biostratigraphy and Paleoecology Sector of PETROBRÁS' Leopoldo A. Miguez de Mello Research and Development Center, Prédio 20, Quadra 7, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.