History and rediscovery of Cycadeoidea veronensis (Spermatophyta) in the Museum of Natural History of Verona

This paper unveils the history of the fossil cycadacean Cycadeoidea veronensis, recovered at Verona in the mid of eighteen century and almost forgotten since the early nineteen century. The careful investigation of available literature and recently published documents, along with the examination of historical material housed in some museums allowed to identify the original specimen, displayed, but mislabeled, at the Museum of Natural History of Verona. The reconstruction of the nomenclatural history of C. veronensis indicates that the authorship of this taxon must be attributed to Solms-Laubach in Capellini and Solms-Laubach (1892). Furthermore, the micropaleontological investigation of the rocky matrix associated with the specimen allowed to assign C. veronensis to the lower part of Lower Cretaceous (upper Berriasian-upper Valanginian). The fossil represents the only one firmly dated Cycadeoidea's specimen so far recovered in Italy.