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Description
A paleoartistic interpretation of what the Middle Jurassic Mistuskwia beds of northern Ontario may have looked like in their heyday. Every detail of the artwork is based on palynomorph finds, megaplant remains, sedimentological data and paleoclimatological analyses.

The foreground is dominated by ferns such as, Thyrsopteris sp. (based on the presence of Cyathidites minor spores), Coniopteris hymenophylloides (based on the presence of Deltoidospora hallei spores), Komlopteris sp. (based on the presence of corystospermacean spores), and Cladophlebis albertsii (based on megaplant remains in the overlying Mattagami Formation as well as fern spores in the Mistuskwia beds). The background features several conifer species, such as two different cheirolepidiaceans (or cheiroleps), Pagiophyllum sp. and Brachyphyllum mamillare (based on fossil finds in formations that correlate with the Mistuskwia beds as well as Classopollis pollen); and Tsuga sp. (based on Cerebropollenites carlylensis pollen).

Researchers have concluded that the Mistuskwia beds weren't diverse compared to other Mid-Jurassic formations of the world. Only conifer and fern pollen has been found up to date, unlike some European formations, which feature other major plant groups of the time such as lycopods and horsetails.

The area would have been dominated by conifers such as cheiroleps, their Classopollis-type pollen being the most commonly found in the Mistuskwia beds. The forest floor would have been carpeted by ferns of all sorts, as grasses and their allies would only come to dominate the world much later.

Based on paleoclimatological data, the climate was relatively warm. Seasons blended into each other without much to show for it.

No animal remains have been found (yet), but it is safe to assume that primitive ornithopods, theropods, early sauropods, cynodonts, tritylodonts, turtles, lizards, pterosaurs and crocodylomorphs would have inhabited the land.

Hopefully, more work will be done on this formation, which appears to be the only terrestrial Mid-Jurassic formation in eastern Canada.

References:

Bell, W.A. Mesozoic plants from the Mattagami Series of Ontario, Contributions to Canadian palaeontology, 1928. doi.org/10.4095/105033

Geoffrey Norris. Palynofloral evidence for terrestrial Middle Jurassic in the Moose River Basin, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 14(2): 153-158. doi.org/10.1139/e77-018

I.P. Martini, Canadian Inland Seas, Elsevier, Volume 44, 1986, doi.org/10.1016/S0422-9894(08)… .

Slater, S.M., Wellman, C.H., Romano, M. et al. Dinosaur-plant interactions within a Middle Jurassic ecosystem—palynology of the Burniston Bay dinosaur footprint locality, Yorkshire, UK. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 98, 139–151 (2018). doi.org/10.1007/s12549-017-030…

Thomas N. Taylor, Edith L. Taylor, Michael Krings, Paleobotany (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2009.

Description
A paleoartistic interpretation of what the Middle Jurassic Mistuskwia beds of northern Ontario may have looked like in their heyday. Every detail of the artwork is based on palynomorph finds, megaplant remains, sedimentological data and paleoclimatological analyses.

The foreground is dominated by ferns such as, Thyrsopteris sp. (based on the presence of Cyathidites minor spores), Coniopteris hymenophylloides (based on the presence of Deltoidospora hallei spores), Komlopteris sp. (based on the presence of corystospermacean spores), and Cladophlebis albertsii (based on megaplant remains in the overlying Mattagami Formation as well as fern spores in the Mistuskwia beds). The background features several conifer species, such as two different cheirolepidiaceans (or cheiroleps), Pagiophyllum sp. and Brachyphyllum mamillare (based on fossil finds in formations that correlate with the Mistuskwia beds as well as Classopollis pollen); and Tsuga sp. (based on Cerebropollenites carlylensis pollen).

Researchers have concluded that the Mistuskwia beds weren't diverse compared to other Mid-Jurassic formations of the world. Only conifer and fern pollen has been found up to date, unlike some European formations, which feature other major plant groups of the time such as lycopods and horsetails.

The area would have been dominated by conifers such as cheiroleps, their Classopollis-type pollen being the most commonly found in the Mistuskwia beds. The forest floor would have been carpeted by ferns of all sorts, as grasses and their allies would only come to dominate the world much later.

Based on paleoclimatological data, the climate was relatively warm. Seasons blended into each other without much to show for it.

No animal remains have been found (yet), but it is safe to assume that primitive ornithopods, theropods, early sauropods, cynodonts, tritylodonts, turtles, lizards, pterosaurs and crocodylomorphs would have inhabited the land.

Hopefully, more work will be done on this formation, which appears to be the only terrestrial Mid-Jurassic formation in eastern Canada.

References:

Bell, W.A. Mesozoic plants from the Mattagami Series of Ontario, Contributions to Canadian palaeontology, 1928. doi.org/10.4095/105033

Geoffrey Norris. Palynofloral evidence for terrestrial Middle Jurassic in the Moose River Basin, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 14(2): 153-158. doi.org/10.1139/e77-018

I.P. Martini, Canadian Inland Seas, Elsevier, Volume 44, 1986, doi.org/10.1016/S0422-9894(08)… .

Slater, S.M., Wellman, C.H., Romano, M. et al. Dinosaur-plant interactions within a Middle Jurassic ecosystem—palynology of the Burniston Bay dinosaur footprint locality, Yorkshire, UK. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 98, 139–151 (2018). doi.org/10.1007/s12549-017-030…

Thomas N. Taylor, Edith L. Taylor, Michael Krings, Paleobotany (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2009.