中国晚新近纪哺乳动物群落与东亚环境变化

根据已有的中国晚新近纪哺乳动物化石记录,综合新近研究成果,初步探讨中国晚新近纪哺乳动物群落演变进程及其对于气候与环境变化的响应。结果表明,自中中新世晚期至晚中新世(约13 Ma至7-8 Ma),中国北方哺乳动物群落组成上没有明显的分异;而在其后的晚中新世晚期发生了较为明显的区域性分化,分化为东部地区以适应潮湿的较为封闭的动物群落与西部地区适应干旱的开阔环境的群落,这种分异可能与东亚夏季风的加强密切相关; 青藏高原及其周边地区化石类群的扩散与交流资料也表明由青藏高原隆升而形成的地理阻隔也可能发生在该时期;上新世哺乳动物群落演化表现出对于持续的干旱化气候背景的适应,而晚上新世某些类群的分异与主导地位的确立与该时期气候环境背景的剧烈震荡相一致。由于化石资料的不完整,时段分布的不均一,以及地理分布区域的局限,全面认识中国晚新近纪哺乳动物群落组成以及与环境变化的关系尚有很长的一段历程。     

新近系谢家阶层型剖面的孢粉植物群及其意义

在中国新近系建阶研究中,文章作者对中新统最下部的一个阶谢家阶层型剖面开展了古地磁、孢粉等方面的综合研究工作。文中是在磁性地层学的时间标尺上,着重讨论孢粉植物群的变化规律。谢家阶层型剖面中发现的孢粉组合特征,总体上与我国中新世早期的孢粉植物群变化规律相一致。但裸子植物花粉,尤其是云杉（Picea）花粉的含量在两个含孢粉丰富的样品中,由下到上明显增加,反映出研究区早中新世气候具有趋冷特征,与同期深海氧同位素变化规律可相对比。而耐旱植物,尤其是藜科（Chenopodiaceae）和蒺藜科（Zygophyllaceae）白刺属（Nitraria）花粉的含量明显降低,反映谢家期后期孢粉组合所指示的湿度具有较明显的增加,推测与东亚季风在新近纪的发展存在着一定的耦合关系。此外,蒿属（Artemisia）花粉在样品中时有见到,与其在我国新近纪地层中的分布规律相一致,与车头沟剖面古地磁的测量结果相吻合。     

欧亚大陆东部新近纪气候与生物群变化——序言

<正>欧亚大陆东部新近纪对于全面认识现代全球气候与生物群的形成过程起到重要的作用。最近的研究表明,该地区在整个新生代不仅是动植物发源地,而且也是周围大陆之间的生物地理通道。有科学家提出在上新世/更新世期间该地区也可能是人类演化的中心。新近纪青藏高原的隆升深刻地影响了全球气温与降雨的分布格局,导致了亚洲季风的形成与加剧以及中亚干旱化。这些气候的变化推动了草原植被及相关生物群在欧亚大陆的扩展,以及晚中新世C_4植物的生态扩张。最近几十年来,越来越多的科学家致力于对上述问题的研究。古生物学家们研究或修订了自20世纪早期以来发现的大量动植物化石     

东海陆架西南部台北坳陷古近纪孢粉植物群的时空分布

详细叙述东海陆架西南部台北坳陷古近纪不同凹陷区各时期孢粉植物群展布情况。区内古近纪孢粉植物群可分为早古新世、晚古新世、早始新世和中始新世4个发育阶段,早古新世孢粉植物群仅见于坳陷西南的局部地区,称Abietineaepollenities/Cedripites-Parcisporites-Momipites leffingwellii组合,晚古新世孢粉植物群分4种类型,椒江凹陷称Taxodiaceaepollenites-Engelhardtioidites-Momipites leffingwellii组合,丽水-福州凹陷称Taxodiacenepollenites-Myricaceoipollenites-Momipites leffingwellii组合,闽江凹陷南部称Taxodiaceaepollenites-Momipites leffingwellii组合,闽江册陷北部称Lygodiumsporites-Cicatricosisporites dorogensis-Tiliaepollenites-Bombacacidites组合。早始新世孢粉植物群具南北差异,北部以海金沙科和椴科孢粉植物发育为特征,南部以海金沙科、椴科和杨海科孢粉植物群发育为特征,以上均指示为湿热的亚热带气候。中始新世本区孢粉植物群比较一致,称Cicatricosisporties dorogensis-Ephedripites(D)-Nitrariadites组合,指示为受到干旱气候影响的亚热带气候。区内缺失渐新统,故无渐新世孢粉记录。     

青藏高原东部地区晚新生代孢粉组合特征及其古地理意义

青藏高原东部晚新生代孢子花粉组合大致可分为三个组合两个亚组合。中新世组合主要以壳斗科,桦科以及榆科为主,并有大量的松科花粉。上新世以后组合则以壳斗科和松科花粉据优势,并有很多草本植物花粉。晚新生代孢粉植物群在本地区已经分出南北两个区系,反映了不同的气候特征或者不同的高度。青藏高原东部的孢粉资料显示本地区至少有两个成煤时期：中新世和上新世到早更新世。孢粉资料说明在中新世时青藏高原可能已经达到两千米高度。这个高度已经可以构成影响本地区气候特征的因素之一。青藏高原在晚新生代的抬升是我国季风气候和现代气候分区形成的一个很重要的因素。     

东海陆架西南部台北坳陷新近纪孢粉植物群演替

对东海陆架西南部台北坳陷13口钻井孢粉分析表明,本地区新近纪植物群经历了3个发展阶段,即：1)早中新世早期松科花粉优势期;2)早、中中新世阿丁枫科花粉繁盛期;3)晚中新世至早上新世草本被子植物发展期。各时期孢粉植物群在横向上几乎没有大的区别,表明新近纪整个坳陷内构造与沉积环境及其变迁具有很好的一致性。植物群演替反映古气候从早中新世早期的湿润温凉到早、中中新世的暖湿,最后(晚中新世至早上新世)又趋温凉的变化历程。     

唐古拉山地区渐新世孢粉植物群及其古植被、古气候

唐古拉山地区广泛出露早新生代陆相地层,较好地记录了青藏高原北部新生代地质构造演化与古环境变迁的过程.通过在该区1:25万地质调查对雅西措组上段进行孢粉分析表明,孢粉组合以裸子植物花粉为主要成分,地质时代为早-中渐新世.在此基础上划分了3个孢粉植物群-气候期,当时植被是以松科植物为主组成的针叶林植被,从早期到中期喜湿热的蕨类植物和落叶阔叶树种增多;气候从凉爽湿润的南温带→半湿润偏干的北亚热带→偏干的南温带的转变.     

渤海海域东南部新近纪湖盆萎缩期古生物特征及古环境意义

渤海海域新近纪普遍发育河流相沉积,近年大量探井揭示渤海海域东南部地区新近系发育湖相、浅水三角洲相以及河流相几种沉积类型。本文对东南部地区新近纪古生物特征展开系统研究,在此基础之上结合丰富的岩心资料总结了渤海海域新近纪湖盆萎缩期河湖过渡带各种典型沉积相类型的古生物分布特征。研究表明:湖相地层古生物门类丰富,发现了藻类,孢粉以及无脊椎动物等类型,化石丰度高,尤其是藻类化石占有重要比重,局部含量达90%以上。三角洲前缘化石门类多,但是丰度较滨浅湖低。三角洲平原相,孢粉较藻类化石含量具有明显优势,尤其是草本植物类型含量高,并且植物碎屑,根系,碳屑常见。河流相化石相对贫乏。在此基础上对渤海海域东南部新近系古环境演化开展研究,结果表明新近纪湖盆萎缩整体呈先扩张再衰退的变化过程,馆陶组中晚期以后湖盆逐渐扩张,到明化镇组下段沉积时期古湖盆最为发育,明化镇组上段时期古湖盆逐渐收缩。     

长江三角洲锦溪地区全新世气候适宜期孢粉组合及其环境意义

通过对长江三角洲锦溪地区白莲湖附近人工剖面的孢粉研究,重建该地区7 230cal a BP前后的植被和气候。孢粉植物群反映当时气候略有波动,但整体上与全新世气候适宜期的温暖环境相一致。孢粉自下而上可以细分为4个组合带:Zone 1青冈栎含量丰富,反映温暖气候;Zone 2落叶栎有所增多,气候稍有转凉;Zone 3青冈栎含量再度增高,气候变暖;Zone 4松属和落叶栎明显增多,气候再度转凉。从沟鞭藻和相关孢粉类型的分布分析,除底部12号样品因孢粉含量低而未予考虑外,其它样品都指示沉积时期当地受到海水的影响。其中Zone 1和Zone 2孢粉植物群指示两次海水的进退过程。当前孢粉研究结果很好地反映出长江三角洲地区全新世大暖期的气候变化特征,以及与当时海平面变化的关联。     

长江三角洲锦溪地区全新世气候适宜期孢粉组合及其环境意义北大核心CSCD

通过对长江三角洲锦溪地区白莲湖附近人工剖面的孢粉研究,重建该地区7 230cal a BP前后的植被和气候。孢粉植物群反映当时气候略有波动,但整体上与全新世气候适宜期的温暖环境相一致。孢粉自下而上可以细分为4个组合带:Zone 1青冈栎含量丰富,反映温暖气候;Zone 2落叶栎有所增多,气候稍有转凉;Zone 3青冈栎含量再度增高,气候变暖;Zone 4松属和落叶栎明显增多,气候再度转凉。从沟鞭藻和相关孢粉类型的分布分析,除底部12号样品因孢粉含量低而未予考虑外,其它样品都指示沉积时期当地受到海水的影响。其中Zone 1和Zone 2孢粉植物群指示两次海水的进退过程。当前孢粉研究结果很好地反映出长江三角洲地区全新世大暖期的气候变化特征,以及与当时海平面变化的关联。     

A brief review of the fossil history of the family Rosaceae with a focus on the Eocene Okanogan Highlands of eastern Washington State, USA, and British Columbia, Canada

Many of the oldest definitive members of the Rosaceae are present in the Eocene upland floras of the Okanogan Highlands of northeastern Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. Over a dozen rosaceous taxa representing extant and extinct genera of all four traditionally recognized subfamilies are known from flowers, fruits, wood, pollen, and especially leaves. The complexity seen in Eocene Rosaceae suggests that hybridization and polyploidy may have played a pivotal role in the early evolution of the family. Increased species diversity and the first appearance of additional modern taxa occur during the Late Paleogene in North America and Europe. The Rosaceae become increasingly important components of fossil floras during the Neogene, with taxa adapted to many habitats.     

Are Chilean coastal forests pre‐Pleistocene relicts? Evidence from foliar physiognomy,palaeoclimate, and phytogeography

Aim We ask whether contemporary forests of the Chilean Coastal Range can be considered to be direct and conservative descendants of pre‐Pleistocene palaeofloras that occurred in southern South America from the Palaeogene to early Neogene periods (65–10 Ma), maintaining foliar physiognomies that do not match their present‐day climate. We also identify the most likely ancestors of present‐day coastal forests. Location Coastal Range of south‐central Chile (33–40° S). Methods We compared leaf morphology between five representative modern floras from mid‐latitude forests of the Chilean Coastal Range, and 14 Palaeogene–early Neogene palaeofloras from southern South America. We also compared the composition of biogeographical elements (defined by the modern distribution of plant genera) between fossil and present‐day assemblages. Palaeoclimatic reconstructions were based on a canonical correspondence analysis between leaf morphology of modern assemblages and eight climatic variables, and tested by a Monte Carlo permutation test. We compared the relative positions of fossil and modern floras on the environmental vector space defined by Canoco, and on axes defined by instrumental and estimated temperature and precipitation data. Results According to foliar characters, Palaeogene palaeofloras were strikingly divergent from present‐day coastal forests of central Chile. In contrast, two extant forest floras of the Chilean Coastal Range have a foliar morphology that resembles some late Eocene to early Miocene mixed palaeofloras, at least 23 Myr older. These two modern sites are representative of an area of the Coastal Range (36–37° S) that has been highlighted for its relictual character. None of the 14 fossil floras corresponded exactly to the modern composition of phytogeographic elements, although correspondence analyses showed that mixed and Neogene subtropical fossil floras were compositionally close to the extant woody floras of coastal forests in central Chile. Main Conclusions Contemporary forests of the Chilean Coastal Range exhibit strong physiognomic resemblance to the mixed palaeofloras from 33°57′ to 41°15′ S, which may be the closest ancestor of the deciduous and endemic‐rich Maulino forest, presently restricted to coastal areas between 36° and 38° S. In turn, the Neogene subtropical palaeoflora that occurred in the Proto‐Andean foothills of central Chile is the likely predecessor of Mediterranean‐type sclerophyllous forests of central Chile (32–33° S). Despite foliar resemblance between the late pre‐Pleistocene and extant forest floras, our palaeoclimatic reconstructions suggest that modern assemblages exist under climatic conditions that do not match their foliar physiognomy. We attribute this convergence in foliar morphology to the ‘evolutionary inertia’ of surviving lineages, favoured by the buffering effect of the coastal environment on climatic variability.     

Studies in Neotropical paleobotany. XII. A palynoflorafrom the Pliocene Rio Banano Formation of Costa Rica and the Neogenevegetation of Mesoamerica

An assemblage of 17 identified and four unknown pollen and sporetypes is reported from the Pliocene Rio Banano Formation of southeasternCosta Rica. The most abundant are monolete fern spores, Palmae, cf.Antrophyum, Symphonia, Pelliceria,Lacmella (previously unreported in the fossil record),Alchornea, and Sabicea. These arrange into twopaleocommunities-mangroves and lowland tropical rain forest. Annual precipitation is estimated at near the present ～3500 mm, butless seasonal, and the MAT (mean annual temperature) at ～27°C. No pollen taxa representing distinctly arid or high-altitude vegetationwas being blown or washed into the coastal depositional basin, and nopollen grains were recovered of northern temperate elements that arepresent in Neogene floras to the north in Guatemala and southeasternMexico. These data are consistent with those from 12 other Miocene andPliocene palynofloras from northern Latin America, indicating the lateappearance of dry habitats and moderate paleoelevations and aprogressive southward introduction of northern temperate elements withlate Cenozoic cooling.     

The significance of pollen signal in present-day marine terrigenous sediments: The example of the Gulf of Lions (western Mediterranean Sea)

Terrigenous marine and continental sediments constitute pollen reservoirs able to fulfil the lack of Pleistocene data extracted from autochtonous lacustrine sediments for palaeovegetation reconstructions. Nevertheless, it is essential to constrain the signification of the pollen signal in such still under-exploited sediments. This article introduces a study carried out on the shelf of the Gulf of Lions. It aims at (1) highlighting the transport of pollen grains and the signification of the record in that area as well as at (2) discussing the pollen transport in various sedimentary contexts. The present study was carried out on surface water of the Rhone River, sea water and surface sediments of the shelf of the Gulf of Lions. The pollen content of the Rhone River and of its plume is in agreement with the season of sampling. On the contrary, the other samples of sea water did not contain any pollen grain. The samples from the surface sediments of the shelf are very rich in pollen grains and evidence the absence of sorting by currents except for Pinus. Indeed, its relative abundance increases when the fluvial impact decreases. The pollen signal (except Pinus) records the phytogeographic changes linked to the different drainage basins. The riparian woodland is over-represented at the Rhone River mouth. In front of the Pyreneo-languedocian rivers, Mediterranean xerophytes pollen grains are more abundant. From these results and from others taken in the literature, a model of pollen transport is built: all thin terrigenous sediments contain pollen grains essentially transported by rivers while autochthonous sediments (i.e., found in closed lakes or marine pelagic sediments) contain pollen grains brought by wind. Small closed lakes (or peat bogs) pollen spectra document local floras while those from pelagic marine sediments document floras from several hundred square kilometres.     

Cretaceous diversification of angiosperms in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula

The classic leaf fossil floras from the Cretaceous of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal, which were first described more than one hundred years ago, have played an important role in the development of ideas on the early evolution of angiosperms. Insights into the nature of vegetational change in the Lusitanian Basin through the Cretaceous have also come from studies of fossil pollen and spores, but the discovery of a series of mesofossil floras containing well-preserved angiosperm reproductive structures has provided a new basis for understanding the systematic relationships and biology of angiosperms at several stratigraphic levels through the Cretaceous. In the earliest mesofossil floras from the Torres Vedras locality, which are of probable Late Barremian-Early Aptian age, angiosperms are surprisingly diverse with about 50 different taxa. In slightly later mesofossil floras, which are of probable Late Aptian-Early Albian age, the diversity of angiosperms is still more substantial with more than hundred different kinds of angiosperm reproductive structures recognized from the Famalicão locality alone. However, this early diversity is largely among angiosperm lineages that produced monoaperturate pollen (e.g., Chloranthaceae, Nymphaeales) and early diverging monocots (Alismatales). Eudicots are rare in these Early Cretaceous mesofossil floras, but already by the Late Cenomanian the vegetation of the western Iberian Peninsula is dominated by angiosperms belonging to various groups of core eudicots. The Normapolles complex is a particularly conspicuous element in both mesofossil floras and in palynological assemblages. In the Late Cretaceous mesofossil floras from Esgueira and Mira, which are of Campanian-Maastrichtian age, core eudicots are also floristically dominant and flowers show great organisational similarity to fossil flowers from other Late Cretaceous floras described from other localities in Asia, Europe and North America.     

The steps of vascular plant and land ecosystem evolution

Basal steps of higher plant evolution are reconstructed by the structure of their conducting tissues. Historically, transport networks are derivatives of buffer zones for symbiotic exchange between prokaryotic pro-cursers. Two symbiogenetic acts (prochlorophytes + protists → higher algae; marine algae + fungi → higher land plants) are fixed in plant body by two networks for water transport. Descending phloem arises in phylogenesis from the membrane capsule of cyanobacteria. Fungi mycelium is a source of rising xylem exudates. The diversity of plant life forms is considered as a sequence of adaptive evolution of algo-myco-bacterial complex. Relationship to global chronical of climate events is shown by the specificities of Paleogene thermal floras and Neogene cold floras. The trends of plant genome size evolution are discussed.     

Arctic plant diversity in the Early Eocene greenhouse

For the majority of the Early Caenozoic, a remarkable expanse of humid, mesothermal to temperate forests spread across Northern Polar regions that now contain specialized plant and animal communities adapted to life in extreme environments. Little is known on the taxonomic diversity of Arctic floras during greenhouse periods of the Caenozoic. We show for the first time that plant richness in the globally warm Early Eocene (approx. 55-52 Myr) in the Canadian High Arctic (76° N) is comparable with that approximately 3500 km further south at mid-latitudes in the US western interior (44-47° N). Arctic Eocene pollen floras are most comparable in richness with today's forests in the southeastern United States, some 5000 km further south of the Arctic. Nearly half of the Eocene, Arctic plant taxa are endemic and the richness of pollen floras implies significant patchiness to the vegetation type and clear regional richness of angiosperms. The reduced latitudinal diversity gradient in Early Eocene North American plant species demonstrates that extreme photoperiod in the Arctic did not limit taxonomic diversity of plants.     

青藏高原杨属化石概述

杨属是北半球温带森林生态系统中一个重要的乔木属。文中概述了青藏高原古近纪和新近纪的杨属化石记录,并根据最新的地层学和年代学数据,对化石的时代进行厘定。化石记录显示杨属在青藏高原最早出现于始新世最晚期。在渐新世和中新世杨属在青藏高原的南部和北部都有较多的化石,但在高原中部尚未见记录。青藏高原具有杨属的化石植物群大多数都是温带落叶阔叶的河岸植被,进一步证实杨属在其演化历史早期就偏好温带近河岸的环境。青藏高原北部的早渐新世植物群中杨属多样性较高,并占据显著优势,表明这一地区在杨属早期分化中具有重要作用。     

罗马尼亚白垩纪植物群概述

罗马尼亚白垩纪植物群以压型植物化石为代表, 其他植物化石类型则包括碎屑和搬运的类群, 并缺乏角质层和孢粉学记录。以压型为代表的白垩纪植物群主要分布在南喀尔巴阡山脉的几个盆地(包括Ha?eg、Rusca Montan?和Ruc?r盆地)、特兰西瓦尼亚(特兰西凡尼亚盆地)和多布罗吉亚(巴巴达格盆地), 在东喀尔巴提亚山脉也有少量分布。这些植物群的时代从Cenomanian到Maastrichtian, 其分类多样性包括蕨类植物(木贼类、真蕨类)、 裸子植物(松柏类)和被子植物(单子叶植物和双子叶植物)。从古植物地理学的角度来看, 罗马尼亚白垩纪植物群属于欧洲省Eurosinian地区, 分布在特提斯地区的北部框架上, 唯一的成煤植物群分布在Rusca Montan?盆地。     

Intercontinental disjunctions between eastern Asia and western North America in vascular plants highlight the biogeographic importance of the Bering land bridge from late Cretaceous to Neogene

This review shows a close biogeographic connection between eastern Asia and western North America from the late Cretaceous to the late Neogene in major lineages of vascular plants (flowering plants, gymnosperms, ferns and lycophytes). Of the eastern Asian–North American disjuncts, conifers exhibit a high proportion of disjuncts between eastern Asia and western North America. Several lineages of ferns also show a recent disjunct pattern in the two areas. In flowering plants, the pattern is commonly shown in temperate elements between northeastern Asia and northwestern North America, as well as elements of the relict boreotropical and Neogene mesophytic and coniferous floras. The many cases of intercontinental biogeographic disjunctions between eastern Asia and western North America in plants supported by recent phylogenetic analyses highlight the importance of the Bering land bridge and/or the plant migrations across the Beringian region from the late Cretaceous to the late Neogene, especially during the Miocene. The Beringian region has permitted the filtering and migration of certain plant taxa since the Pliocene after the opening of the Bering Strait, as many conspecific taxa or closely related species occur on both sides of Beringia.