Climatic conditions in Southern Africa since the last glacial maximum, inferred from pollen analysis

A review of Late Quaternary palaeoclimatic data derived from several pollen sequences, between ca. 22 and 34°S in Southern Africa, shows a degree of similarity in temperature and moisture variations between the various site. Pollen data from sites such as Wonderkrater and Rietvlei (Transvaal), Tate Vondo (Venda), Elim (Orange Free State), Equus Cave (Southern Kalahari) and Boomplaas (Cape Province) suggest relative dryness during the Last Glacial Maximum, wet conditions during the Late Glacial, and dry conditions during the Early Holocene ca. 8000 yr B.P., followed by progressively moister conditions peaking soon after the development of a temperature optimum ca. 6500 yr. B.P. Problems with radiocarbon dating of polleniferous spring deposits, however, prevent precise correlations of especially Late Pleistocene sequences. Different seasonal patterns in the Late Glacial and Early Holocene may explain palaeobotanical data and are partly compatible with simulations of past climates of Kutzbach and Guetter (1986).