The genus Cordaicarpus Geinitz in the Lower Permian of the Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The importance of understanding reproductive strategies in Paleozoic plants has been growing due to the advances in the paleoecological studies of plant remains. Fossil seeds have an important role in these studies because of their abundance and morphological diversity. In the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, many seed-containing fossil have been recovered from Morro do Papaléo, Faxinal Section and Cerro Negro outcrops. However, few studies on them have been published. This study focuses on seed specimens of the morphogenus Cordaicarpus, recovered from Lower Permian strata of the Paraná Basin in Rio Grande do Sul. The material studied is preserved as impressions/compressions mainly from the uppermost Itararé Group, but also the Rio Bonito Formation. As results, two species have been identified, Cordaicarpus aff. C. brasilianus Bernardes-de-Oliveira et al., Cordaicarpus aff. C. famatinensis Gutierrez et al., and species are described as new: Cordaiparpus cerronegrensis sp. nov. and C. truncata sp. nov.