New Data on the Cenozoic History of the Underwater Yamato Rise,Sea of Japan

The Miocene terrestrial plant assemblage (in macro- and microfossils) from the underwater Yamato Rise (Sea of Japan) is examined. A fossil leaf found in the tuffogenic–sedimentary strata is identified as belonging to the beech tree. Data on the Paleogene–Neogene history of the underwater rise are given. Against the background of its general subsidence, positive relief features (volcanoes and their formations) were formed. During the Cenozoic, the entire Sea of Japan depression experienced a submergence.     

Studies in Neotropical paleobotany. XIII. An Oligo-Miocene palynoflora from Simojovel (Chiapas, Mexico)

A plant microfossil assemblage of 24 identified and five unknown pollen and spore types is reported from the early Miocene La Quinta Formation near Simojovel, Chiapas, Mexico. The taxa group into seven paleocommunities representing versions of the modern mangroves (Pelliciera, Rhizophora), swamp and lowland riparian forest (Ceratopteris, Crudia, Pachira), tropical rain forest (Selaginella, cf. Antrophyum, Pteris, Sphaeropteris/Trichipteris, cf. Aguiaria, Crudia, Guarea, Pachira), lower montane rain forest (Alfaroa/Oreomunnea, possibly Eugenia), evergreen cloud forest [Picea, Pinus, Podocarpus, Ericaceae (possibly Cavendishia/Vaccinium)], evergreen seasonal forest (Hymenaea, Ilex, possibly Eugenia), and tropical deciduous forest (Cedrela). Elements of arid and high-elevation habitats were absent or few, and northern temperate elements (Picea, Pinus?) were few or rare. Paleoelevations are estimated at 1000–1200 m (present average 2000 m, maximum 3004 m), MAT (mean annual temperature) at least as warm as the present 24°C, and annual rainfall near the present ∼2500 mm but more evenly distributed. The La Quinta (Simojovel) and other Tertiary floras from the region reflect a trend toward higher altitudes, more seasonal rainfall, cooling tempertures, increased introduction of cool-temperate elements from the north after ∼15 Ma (million years), and increased introduction of tropical elements from the south after completion of the isthmian land bridge ∼3.5 Ma ago.     

Studies in Neotropical paleobotany. XIV. A palynoflora from the Middle Eocene Saramaguacan Formation of Cuba

An assemblage of 46 fossil pollen and spore types is described from a core drilled through the middle Eocene Saramaguacán Formation, Camagüey Province, eastern Cuba. Many of the specimens represent unidentified or extinct taxa but several can be identified to family (Palmae, Bombacaceae, Gramineae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae) and some to genus (Pteris, Crudia, Lymingtonia?). The paleoclimate was warm-temperate to subtropical which is consistent with other floras in the region of comparable age and with the global paleotemperature curve. Older plate tectonic models show a variety of locations for proto-Cuba during Late Cretaceous and later times, including along the norther coast of South America. More recent models depict western and central Cuba as two separate parts until the Eocene, and eastern Cuba (joined to northern Hispaniola) docking to central Cuba also in the Eocene. All fragments are part of the North American Plate and none were directly connected with northern South America in late Mesozoic or Cenozoic time. The Saramaguacán flora supports this model because the assemblage is distinctly North American in affinities, with only one type (Retimonocolpites type 1) found elsewhere only in South America.     

中国第四纪孢粉植物群事件的记录

通过总结中国不同区域现有的孢粉资料,发现和民孢粉群的演化序列中明显地存在与演化趋势和周期不符的孢粉植物群事伯,归纳起来有三种类型,时间约万年的孢粉群突变事件,延续时间约千年的孢粉群贫乏事件和延时间几百年的孢粉群颤动,突变事件有４起,Ｂｅｔｕｌａ－Ａｅｍｉｓｉａ事件（２．５ＭａＢ．Ｐ）;Ａｒｔｅｍｉｓｉａ－Ｇｒａ,ｉｎｅａｅ事件（１．４Ｍａ．Ｂ．Ｐ．）;Ｅｐｈｅｄｒａ＝Ｃｈｅｎｏｐｏｄｉａｃｅａ事件     

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.     

江苏北部始新统戴南组、三垛组孢粉植物群及古生态环境

该文通过对苏北—南黄海盆地高邮凹陷和海安凹陷16口石油探井中戴南组及上覆三垛组690块岩心样品的孢粉分析研究,建立了始新世三个孢粉植物组合,它们分别是早始新世Ulmipol-lenites-Inaperturopollenites-Pterisisporites组合(称第一孢粉组合,分布于戴南组一段至二段的Ⅰ亚段)、早始新世Taxodiaceaepollenites-Caryapollenites组合(称第二孢粉组合,分布于三垛组一段Ⅰ亚段)和中始新世晚期Nitrariadites-Retitricolpites-Euphorbiactes组合(称第三孢粉组合,分布于三垛组二段Ⅱ亚段)。讨论了这三个组合的特征和所属时代,提出了与以往戴南组、三垛组众多研究者将其归于渐新世的不同意见。文章还简要地阐述了各孢粉植物群的生态环境。对新发现的13个种作了描述,其中8新种,2未定种,对2种作了重新组合。     

Floristic and vegetational changes in the Iberian Peninsula during Jurassic and Cretaceous

The successive vegetations inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula from the Triassic/Jurassic boundary to the Cretaceous/Tertiary Boundary is reviewed based on published palynological and macrofloral data, and the vegetational changes set in a palaeogeographical and climate context. Xerophytic microphyllous coniferous forests and pteridophyte communities of arid environments dominated the Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous vegetation. This vegetation was replaced in the mid Early Cretaceous by mixed forests of pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The composition of the successive plant assemblages suggests that a subtropical arid climate generally prevailed in the Iberian Peninsula during Jurassic-Cretaceous, although palaeobotanical and sedimentological evidences suggest that the climate was not uniform through the whole interval and that were two episodes in the Tithonian-Berriasian and Aptian-Albian periods of pronounced dry and/or arid environmental conditions. The composition and structure of the vegetation was not only affected by evolutionary changes but also by successive global geographical and climate changes. Hence, significant changes in the distribution of continental areas during the Mesozoic resulted in the latitudinal or sublatitudinal extensions of the climatic belts.     

Monocotyledon fruits and seeds, and an associated palynoflora from Eocene-Oligocene sediments of coastal central Queensland, Australia

Fruits of Restionaceae and seeds of Typhaceae are described from a latest Eocene–Oligocene mudstone underlying oil shales in a subsurface sequence near Rockhampton, coastal central Queensland. The Restionaceae fruits are unilocular and encase a single pendulous orthotropous seed with a structured micropylar cap, which may be tannin filled. These are allocated to Restiocarpum gen. nov., which has as its type Restiocarpum latericum sp. nov., and four other taxa described herein; Restiocarpum tesselatum sp. nov., Restiocarpum verrucatum sp. nov., Restiocarpum laeve sp. nov., and Restiocarpum fusiforme sp. nov. Typhaspermum cooksoniae gen. et sp. nov., which accommodates asymmetric claviform seeds, is interpreted as a member of the Typhaceae based on the presence of a lid-like operculum, bitegmic wall, and chalazal cavity.

Reconstruction of the source plant community emphasizes similarities to restiad swamps of present day Wallum (swamp heathland) vegetation which is extensively developed along the Queensland coast. Biogeographic implications for the Restionaceae and Typhaceae are discussed.     

Early Cretaceous Palynofloras from Tarim Basin,Xinjiang

One hundred and eight species of fossil spores and pollen referred to 55 genera found from the Lower Cretaceous Kapushaliang (Kizilsu) Group in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang have been studied in this paper. The Kapushaliang Group may be divided into the Yageliemu Formation, the Shushanhe Formation and Baxigai Formation in ascending order. The Yageliemu palynoflora is characterized by the predominance of gymnospermous pollen, the relative abundance of pteridophytic spores and the absence of angiospermous pollen. Coniferae is dominant, while Lygodiaceae and Schizaeaceae are important in the flora. The most common species of palynomorphs are Todisporites minor, Cicatricosisporites dorogensis, C. australiensis, Lygodiumsporites subsimplex, Schizaeoisporites cretacius, S. zizyphinus, S. certus. Cibotiumspora paradoxa, Cyathidites australis, C. minor, Biretisporites potoniael, Cycadopites minimus, Pseudowalchia hiangulina, Parvisaccites radiatus, Podocarpidites multesimus, P. canadensis, Alisporites bilateralis, Cedripites cretaceus, C. canadenris, Abietineaepollenites microalatus, Clarsopollis classoides, C annulatus, C. xinjiangensis (sp. nov.), Ephedripites multicostatus, E. tarimensis (sp. nov.), etc . The palynoflora is comparable with those of the lower part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation in northwestern China and the lower part of the Lower Mannville Formation in western Canada, which is considered corresponding from Berriasian to Valanginian in age. The Shushanhe palynoflora is also characterized by dominance of gymnosperms and subdominance of pteridophyta. Some primitive angiospermons pollen grains are found in the upper part of the formation. In addition to the most common species of the above mentioned palynoflora, the important species in the present palynoflora comprise Cicatricosisporites potomacensis, C. orbiculatus, C. subrotundus, Concavissimisporites punctatus, C. verrucosus, C. globosus, lmpardecispora apiverrucata, Trilobosporites crassus, T. trioreticulosus, Pilosisporites verus, P. trichopapillosus, Klukisporites pseudoreticulatus, Verrucosisporites obscurilaesuratur, Converrucosisporites saskatchewanensis, Foraminisporis wonthaggiensis, Cingulatisporites valdensis, C. ruginosus, Jiaohepollis verus, Pityosporites constrictus, etc. More than 40 in dicative species of Early Cretaceous occur in the assemblage. The palynoflora compares clcsely with those of the middle part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation and the Quartz Sand Member of the Lower Mannville Formatton. It is suggested that the Shushanhe Formation should belong to Hauterivian of Barremian in age. The Baxigai palynoflora is basically similar to the Shushanhe palynoflora. But the palynoflora shows an obvious increase in abundance of lygodiaceous spores and angiospermous pollen accompanied by a great reduction of Classopollis and Ephedripltes. Most of the Early Cretaceous species occurring in the above mentioned palynofloras are present. In addition, some Cretaceous species recorded from Aptian and Albian Stages in Europe, North America and Australia, such as Trilobosporites tribotrys, T. trioreticulosus, Coptospora paradoxa, Camarozonosporites insignis, Crybelosporites punctatus, etc., appear in the assemblage. In comparison with the microfloras of the upper part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation, the Upper Mannville Formation and the lower part of the Lower Colorado Group, the Baxigai Forma- tion should be referred to Aptian to Albian in age. Judging from the palynofloras, the early Cretaceous palaeoclimate in the basin should belong to the arid or semi-arid type of the subtropic zone. However, from Barremtan through Albian the climatic conditions might appear relatively wet.     

Palynoflora at Late Miocene?aEarly Pliocene from Leijiahe of Lingtai,Gansu Province,China

Vegetation and climate changes of Late Miocene-Early Pliocene have been deduced based on pollen research from Wenwanggou and Xiaoshigou sections near Leijiahe village (ca 35°04′15″N,107°43′30″E). The two sections are quite famous of rich micromammalian fossils. Before ca. 6.5 Ma, open forest-grassland was distributed in the studied area indicating a temperate and humid condition at that time. In the period between ca.6.5 and 5.8 Ma BP (Late Miocene) predominance of Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia implies that desert or desert-grassland was developed in the area and the climate should be cold and dry. During the time interval from ca.5.8 to 3.4 Ma BP mixed conifer and broad leaved deciduous forest with a few subtropical tree taxa had replaced the arid desert vegetation indicating a warm and humid climate. The climate aridity event of Late Miocene can be correlated with the global climatic event.