Middle Triassic megafossil plants from Long Gully, near Otematata, north Otago, New Zealand

Evolution and Relationships of the Conifer Seed Cone Telemachus: Evidence from the Triassic of Antarctica

“…The genus was subsequently discovered in a number of localities throughout Gondwana, including the Middle Triassic of New Zealand (Retallack 1981), Antarctica (Yao et al 1993;Axsmith et al 1995Axsmith et al , 1998, Argentina (Morel 1994;Lutz 2006), and Chile (Nielsen 2005). As a result of these reports, Telemachus represents the most widely distributed conifer seed cone from the Triassic of Gondwana.…”

“…In addition to the morphological and anatomical similarities discussed above, additional information supports the relationship between Telemachus and Parasciadopitys seed cones. Both genera have been repeatedly associated with broad multiveined leaves, Telemachus with compressed leaves of Heidiphyllum and Podozamites (Anderson 1978;Retallack 1981;Yao et al 1993) and Parasciadopitys with permineralized leaves of Notophytum (Axsmith et al 1998). On the basis of anatomical, morphological, and cuticular characters, Axsmith et al (1998) suggested that Heidiphyllum and Notophytum probably represent different preservational modes of the same biological taxon (see also Hermsen et al 2007).…”

“…5), photographs of the actual specimens do not provide convincing evidence of ovule presence, and thus the description regarding their organization and morphology remains equivocal. Retallack (1981) noted that the fossils consisted of poorly preserved impressions and described the ovules only as ovoid. Yao et al (1993) described two specimens of compressed seed cones assigned to Telemachus elongatus from the Late Triassic Falla Formation of Antarctica; one of them showed two possible ovules on an OC.…”

“…was described in the original diagnosis (Anderson 1978). Retallack (1981) offered a generic diagnosis and described a new species from the Middle Triassic of New Zealand, Telemachus lignosus, including data on number and morphology of the ovules. Although the ovules are figured in line drawings (Retallack 1981, fig.…”

“…The systematic affinities of Telemachus and the relationship of the fossil with both living and extinct families of conifers also remain unclear. The genus has been variously assigned to the extinct conifer families Voltziaceae (Retallack 1981;Yao et al 1993) and Cycadocarpidiaceae (Anderson and Anderson 1983) on the basis of seed cone features. Telemachus has also been related to Podocarpaceae because of its frequent association with multiveined leaves that exhibit podocarpaceous features (see Axsmith et al 1998).…”