Early Cretaceous Equisetites from Slovakia

A new find of terrestrial plant Equisetites cf. lyellii is reported from the Early Cretaceous of Slovakia. It comes from the Mraznica Formation of the Rajec Basin in Fatricum, Zbynov locality, Rajecke Teplice (& Zcaron;ilina district). The presence of a 53 mm long horsetail axis provides good evidence of terrestrial environments during sedimentation of the studied strata. According to our interpretation, such a plant strongly indicates a moist to wet habitat (even swampy environments) on the presumed dryland from where it was transported. This dryland could represent an isolated unknown small island(s) in the vicinity, or the Vindelician-Bohemian Massif that was active as a dryland for the entire period of time from the Triassic through the Late Cretaceous. However, the exact palaeogeographic position of the Fatricum during the Mesozoic in relation to the Vindelician Landmass is not entirely clear, and such an interpretation needs a bit of caution.

Automated summary

A new terrestrial plant, Equisetites cf. lyellii, from the Early Cretaceous of Slovakia is reported. The discovery of a 53 mm horsetail axis provides evidence of terrestrial environments during sedimentation. The plant suggests a moist to wet habitat on its presumed dryland origin, possibly representing a small island(s) or the Vindelician-Bohemian Massif.