Petrified Woods in the Mesozoic of Southern Brazil

Mainly restricted to the Paraná Basin and southernmost areas of Brazil, Triassic and probably also Jurassic petrified forests were identified in a thick succession of clastic red-beds, with rich tetrapod fauna accompanying them. These petrified forests attest that favorable climate and environmental conditions existed at this time interval that followed the Permian-Triassic global extinctions and preceded the breakup of Gondwana. The diversity of the floristic assemblages from which they were part encompass both arborescent and shrubby components. Diverse preservation modes and taxa underline the linkage with various environmental contexts that characterize the ancient river systems. This chapter summarizes the main components of xylotaphofloras that have been studied since the twentieth century. The main characters of the wood taxa found in the outcrops are analyzed for their biostratigraphic value and paleoecological inferences.