The taphonomic puzzle of <i>Notothylacites filiformis</i>: reinterpretation of bryophyte fossils from the Late Cretaceous of Czechia reveals co-occurrence of hornworts and liverworts

Notothylacites filiformis is reinterpreted as one of the rare examples of a fossil hornwort sporophyte. Gametophyte material previously assigned to N. filiformis is assigned to a new fossil liverwort species, Ricciopsis pacltovae. Hornworts frequently grow on wet soil together with Riccia liverworts. The co-occurrence of the two fossil species further highlights the presence of bryophyte diversity in the Late Cretaceous that mirrors extant ecological associations. This study corrects decades of taxonomic confusion, demonstrating how taphonomic mixing can mislead interpretations, and emphasizes the importance of re-examining collections with modern methods.