Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Palaeobotany'

Dicynodonts were non-mammalian herbivorous therapsids (mammal-like reptiles) that flourished world-wide during the Permian and Triassic Periods. They are nowhere more abundant than in the rock strata of the Karoo basin in South Afiica. Taphonomy, the transition from biosphere to lithosphere, is of great geological and biological significance and has provided remarkable insight into palaeoenvironments. A partially articulated dicynodont that has been fossilised alongside an unidentified predator tooth shows evidence of predation and is analysed here. The dicynodont is possibly Oudenodon grandis and was most likely drowned after which it was scavenged from by a gorgonopsian predator, Aelurognathus. The fossil is important as it provides further insight into the ecology of the Late Permian and it enhances our taphonomic understanding.

The "desertification" debate surrounding the Karoo Biome of South Africa has recently inspired much research in this region. The preservation of pollen in middens in arid environments from different parts of the world has great potential for the reconstruction of past vegetation. A lodge of the bush karoo rat (Otomys unisulcatus) was excavated near Prince Albert, South Africa, and the high numbers of well-preserved pollen grains was analysed. The vegetation reconstruction suggested that there was a decline in grasses over the whole sequence, while the vegetation experienced several short-term fluctuations throughout the time period. The ages within the lodge were uncertain, although the material is likely to be modern. The palynological analysis appear to be reliable and corresponds relatively well with other studies. The lodges of these species could therefore provide an exciting new source of historical pollen in the arid regions of southern Africa.

This study presents a detailed palynological investigation of Middle Pleistocene interglacial sediments from the North Sea. A borehole and three vibrocores from the Inner Silver Pit area of the southern North Sea, and a borehole from the Devil's Hole area of the central North Sea, have been investigated. The palynological investigation has been supplemented by micropalaeontological and sedimentological analyses and also by seismic data. The sequence recovered in borehole 81/52A from the Inner Silver Pit presents a depositional record from the mid-Anglian to the Wolstonian glacial stage. Glacigenic sediments overlying Cretaceous Chalk correlate with the Lowestoft Till (Anglian). The depositional history of the interglacial cycle indicates that during the pre-temperate substage extensive erosional activity occurred in coastal areas causing a large proportion of reworked pollen and a very low amount of contemporaneous pollen to be deposited. The sequence preserves a good vegetational record of the early-temperate (HoII), late-temperate (HoIII) and post-temperate (HoIV) substages. The pollen assemblages representing HoIlI and HolV are very similar to the pollen assemblages of these substages from Marks Tey, Essex. The pollen assemblage representing HoII is different from Marks Tey in having a high proportion of Picea; as such it shows similarity with the pollen assemblages found at Nechells, Birmingham. The sequence of the sands and gravels can be correlated with the Wolstonian sands and gravels at Tottenhill in the Nar Valley, North Norfolk and with Saalian sediments in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. Three vibrocores, 53/00/962, /1103 and /1104, from the Inner Silver Pit area provide additional data and represent various parts of the Hoxnian interglacial stage. Pollen data from borehole 81/34 from the Devil's Hole area suggests that the sequence representing the Ling Bank Formation does not represent a single interglacial stage but rather two interglacial stages (separated by a cold stage) within the Cromerian Complex.

Palaeobotany illuminates past environments by relating the fossilised species to the existing geological conditions. This has previously been done with fossilised leaves and spores but not with fossilised wood. The recovery of a significant quantity of wood from an area of Tertiary sediments in New South Wales, enabled the used of fossilised wood as a palaeoenvironmental tool. Tertiary sedimentary deposits of south eastern Australia are diverse lithologically, occupy distinct areas and are limited in vertical and horizontal extent. However, samples in museum collections together with samples from field work and descriptions of fossil wood from previous researchers enabled an analysis of the fossil wood. The geological and palaeontological aspects of the fossil wood were considered for each specimen. Only specimens with precise information concerning location and description of the sedimentary deposits in which the specimens were found were investigated. Lithology, sedimentary structures and the relationship with surrounding geological units were also considered. The samples were then classified and identified. It was possible to identify fossil wood to Family level by comparison with existing taxa. In the majority of cases, identification to species level was not possible due to the lack of detail in the specimen and because features such as colour cannot be used with fossilised specimens. With Australian fossilised wood, a systematic nomenclature based on structure observed within the palaeotaxa, would be more relevant. Comparisons of cell structures with previous work on palaeoenvironmental indicators was found to be possible. Fossil wood has two uses. Firstly, as a local environmental indicator, usually in conjunction with sedimentological data, assessing the rate and direction of water flow, types of depositional environments and localised floral assemblages. Secondly, as an indicator of regional climate. Within any one particular time period, comparisons between the cellular structures of wood found in different parts of south eastern Australia show gross changes in cell size, mean growth ring size and vessel size, which enabled generalisations about climate for each epoch in the Tertiary. Palaeoclimatic indicators from the wood concurred with previous climatic interpretations based on palynology and sedimentology. Cool conditions during the Palaeocene were clearly indicated by small cells and small growth rings which gradually increased throughout the remainder of the Tertiary. Several areas e.g., Dargo High Plains, where cold conditions existed in isolation could be clearly distinguished. This corresponds with the gradual northward movement of the Australian plate with consequent increasing temperatures on the mainland.

I compared atmospheric and soil pollen values to determine taphonomic influences on pollen in Southwestern soils. Burkard traps sampled atmospheric pollen for six years from multiple sites in Tucson, Arizona. Tauber and soil samples were collected for two years at Tumamoc Hill (Tucson). Morus, Ambrosia, Gramineae, and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus characterize Tucson's airborne pollen. Artemisia, Garrya and summer Pinus pollen are transported from the mountains. Annual pollen capture is similar between Burkard and Tauber samplers. Atmospheric pollen is seasonally variable; annual variability is low. Spatial variability among sites is low. Pollen concentrations vary widely among sites, but taxonomic composition remains constant. Reentrained soil pollen comprises 11% of the airborne pollen. Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus pollen comprise 90% of the reentrained pollen. Pollen reentrainment varies seasonally. High maximum and minimum temperatures, low dew point and moderate wind speeds are associated with maximum atmospheric pollen concentrations. Winds preceding summer storms cause increased pollen concentrations. Deterioration characterizes pollen from soils. Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus, Ambrosia, Other Compositae and Graminear are commonly found; Morus is rarely found. Pinus, Sphaeralcea, Boerhaavia and Kallstroemia are present in low numbers. These taxa have thick pollen walls, and they resist destruction. Seasonally collected soil samples have similar pollen spectra. Seasonal airborne pollen variability does not affect the soil pollen spectra. Inoculated soil pollen is well preserved, but pollen is lost rapidly. After one year, pollen concentrations approached background levels for seven of the eight pollen taxa tested. Solidago remained an order of magnitude higher. Pollen morphology may play a role in differential pollen loss. Pollen from the inoculated plots is lost through post-mortem transport. Pollen in soils is time-averaged and exhibits little temporal variability. The average airborne pollen spectra differs from the pollen in the soil. Soil pollen was degraded; inoculated plot pollen was well preserved. I conclude airborne pollen contributes little to the soil pollen of Tumamoc Hill. The soil pollen spectra is affected by selective- or non-deposition of airborne pollen (e.g. Morus), differential pollen destruction, and differential post mortem transport.

Measurements of surface uplift rate potentially hold the key to understanding the tectonics of mountain belts and areas of uplift. Wolfe (1993) compiled a multicharacter data set (CLAMP) of the physiognomy of woody dicotyledon leaves with a view to using it to extract climatic information from fossil floras. The limited extent of this data set, along with the anomalous behaviour of some outliers cause me to question the global relationship between physiognomy and climate which has been implicitly assumed in all analyses of the data conducted to date. Additional data collected from native vegetation in New Zealand and Australia are compared to the CLAMP data set. These data include samples along altitudinal transects and from different forest types growing in the same climatic regime. In addition taphonomic samples were collected from lake bottom sediments and their physiognomic signals compared to those of the adjacent living vegetation. The possibility that the relationship between climate and physiognomy is sufficiently non-linear that only local relationships should be sought is investigated. To estimate the climate at a certain flora, resemblance functions are used to select physiognomically similar sites. Estimations of climate are formed using only these sites. The power of this approach to estimate mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean growing season precipitation, and moist enthalpy is investigated using the modern sites, and varying the number of nearest neighbours and dimensions used as well as the type of ordination. The collection of altitudinal transects has allowed the study of physiognomic change with altitude. Because these transects were collected over a very restricted area it was possible to observe this change without the superimposed effects of changing continentality and variation in latitude. In addition studies made of adjacent floras in similar climatic regimes and taphonomic studies of leaves in lacustrine sediments has allowed the beginning of a realistic assessment of possible errors in climate estimation for fossil sites. Fossil sites examined using CLAMP and related methods are re-examined using the nearest neighbour approach.

La paléoflore du Jurassique moyen et supérieur du bassin parisien est documentée par un ensemble de gisements assez importants et relativement peu connus, contenant des fossiles de tous types, généralement sous forme d’empreintes avec ou sans cuticule, ou encore sous forme de silicification dans des chailles. Huit gisements historiques ou nouveaux ont été étudiés, plus quatre fossiles isolés, tous datant de l’intervalle Bathonien-Oxfordien, et répartis sur l’ensemble du bassin parisien et de ses marges. Trois gisements ont étés étudiés dans la partie Est du bassin, Il s’agit d’Arc-en-Barrois (Bathonien supérieur), d’Étrochey (Callovien inférieur et moyen) et de Laignes (Callovien moyen). Ils appartiennent tous à l’archipel de la plate-forme bourguignonne, dont les îles étaient alors couvertes d’une forêt mixte xérophytes à Brachyphyllum. Le gisement d’Auxey, situé plus au sud, près de Beaune, daté de l’Oxfordien supérieur, montre au contraire une flore de milieu humide, riche en fougères. Deux autres gisements ont été étudiés au niveau du seuil du Poitou, les flores du Callovien moyen de Sauzé-Vaussais et des environs de Poitiers, riches en bennettitales, correspondant probablement à des milieux xéromorphes assez ouverts. Enfin, deux derniers gisements ont étés étudiés dans l’ouest du bassin, sur la marge orientale du massif armoricain alors émergé, les flores du Bathonien supérieur de Mamers et de Nonant-le-Pin. Ces deux gisements correspondent à des forêts mixtes côtières à Brachyphyllum, dans un milieu également xéromorphe. Ainsi, le bassin parisien présente au Bathonien et au Callovien exclusivement des flores côtières xérophytes, correspondant à des paléoenvironnements plutôt fermés, comme sur la plate-forme bourguignonne, jusqu’à des milieux au contraire assez ouverts, comme dans le Poitou. Les flores de milieu interne, loin des côtes, ne sont pas connues pour cette période. À l’Oxfordien supérieur en revanche, la flore d’Auxey indiquerait plutôt une certaine humidification du climat, bien que de plus amples données soient nécessaires pour confirmer cette interprétation
The palaeoflora of Late and Middle Jurassic of the Paris basin is documented by a set of rather important outcrops, relatively little know, containing fossils of every type, mainly imprints often without cuticle, sometime with, or otherwise silicification in flint nodules. Eight historic or new outcrops were studied, plus four isolated fossils, all dating from the Bathonian-Oxfordian interval and distributed on the whole Paris basin and its margins. Three deposits were studied in the eastern part of the basin, its Arc-en-Barrois (late Bathonian), Étrochey (early and middle Callovian), and Laignes (middle Callovian). They all belong to the archipelago of the Burgundian platform, whose islands are covered by a mixed xerophytes Brachyphyllum forest. The deposit of Auxey, situated to the south, close to the city of Beaune, dated of late Oxfordian shows on the contrary a flora of wet environments, rich in ferns. Two others outcrops were studied close to the seuil du Poitou, the late Callovian flora of Sauzé-Vaussais and Poitiers surroundings, rich in bennettitales, presumably corresponding to relatively open xeromorphic environments. Finally, two last deposits were studied in the west of the basin, on the oriental margin of the emerged Armorican massif, the flora of the late Bathonian of Mamers and Nonant-le-Pin. These two outcrops correspond to a coastal mixed Brachyphyllum forest, also in a xeromorphic environment. Thereby, the Paris basin presents from Bathonian to Callovian exclusively xerophytes floras, corresponding to rather closed paleoenvironments, as on the Burgundian platform, to on the contrary opened enough environments, as in Poitou. The flora of internal environments, far from coasts, are not known for this period. In late Oxfordian on the other hand, the flora of Auxey would indicate rather a certain moistering of the climate, although more ample data are necessary to confirm this interpretation

Esta tesis doctoral recoge el estudio antracológico de los materiales leñosos carbonizados de cinco yacimientos arqueológicos de la Región de Murcia cuya secuencia cronológica cubre los últimos 3800 años, desde la Edad del Bronce hasta la época medieval. Los yacimientos estudiados son concretamente La Punta de los Gavilanes (Mazarrón), con ocupación desde la Edad del Bronce hasta mediados del siglo I a.C.; Barranco de la Viuda (Lorca), con un único momento de ocupación asociado al Bronce Argárico; el Balneario Romano de Archena, cuya cronología se sitúa en torno al siglo I d.C.; los materiales constructivos carbonizados del Teatro Romano de Cartagena y, finalmente, el enclave de los siglos XII y XIII localizado en la Calle Santa María nº 19 de Jumilla.Los resultados obtenidos se insertan en el contexto del Sureste de la Península Ibérica a partir de su discusión con las secuencias polínicas y antracológicas publicadas para esta zona.
This doctoral thesis contains the charcoal analysis of the charred materials from five archaeological sites of the Región de Murcia, whose chronological sequence covers the last 3800 years, from the Bronze Age to the medieval period. The studied sites are concretely Punta de los Gavilanes (Mazarrón), occupied from the Bronze Age to the I century BC; Barranco de la Viuda (Lorca), with one moment of occupation associated to the Argaric Bronze; Balneario Romano de Archena, whose chronology is around the I century AD; the charred building materials of the Teatro Romano de Cartagena and, finally, the medieval site (XII and XIII centuries) located in the Calle Santa Maria nº 19 of Jumilla.The results are inserted in the context of the Southeastern Iberian Peninsula by means of their discussion with published pollen and charcoal sequences from this zone.

The transition from ice-house to green-house conditions that characterized the Permian (289–252 million years ago) climate passed through several glacial and interglacial phases and an increase of aridity, which affected the palaeoequatorial regions. The causes behind this increase, which led to several important changes within the terrestrial ecosystems, are still poorly understood. During the Permian, extrabasinal floras, mainly composed of drought-tolerant plants such as conifers and other gymnosperms, started to spread and move into the lowlands, progressively replacing the hygrophytic lowland floras that characterized the Carboniferous peat-forming forests. These climate changes and terrestrial biotic turnover left an important imprint in the carbon stable isotopic composition of the atmospheric CO2, and consequently, of the terrestrial organic matter. However, the step-wise nature of the Permian palaeofloristic transition and the low-resolution of δ13C data on the terrestrial organic matter make it difficult to clearly reconstruct what happened to the Permian palaeoequatorial ecosystems. A palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate reconstruction of the Kungurian (Cisuralian, early Permian) Tregiovo Basin (NE-Italy) is here provided. A multidisciplinary study has been carried out, through which two sections of the Tregiovo Formation, respectively “Le Fraine” and Tregiovo village sections, have been investigated for sedimentology, geochemistry, palaeobotany and palynology. The taxonomical study on the two rich palaeobotanical assemblages of the “Le Fraine” section revealed a very diverse and abundant flora, composed of sphenophytes (Annularia), ginkgophytes (?Sphenobaiera), pteridosperms (Peltaspermum), conifers (e.g., Hermitia, Feysia, Quadrocladus, Dolomitia) and taxa with uncertain botanical affinity like taeniopterids (Taeniopteris), sphenopterids (Sphenopteris) and two incertae sedis “morphotypes”. The palaeobotanical and palynological study indicates a xerophytic character for the Tregiovo flora, mainly dominated by conifers and sphenopterids. A thorough taxonomical study on these two plant groups showed a remarkable diversity, which allowed to pre-date the first appearance of genus Dolomitia to be moved back to the Kungurian, and to identify a new sphenopterid species, Sphenopteris valentinii. Sedimentological studies from the two sections indicate a playa-lake environment alternating with stable lacustrine conditions. Lake phases are indicated by common microbial carbonates, whereas playa-lake phases are indicated by the occurrence of mud-cracks and tetrapod footprints. Stable isotopic analyses on bulk organic carbon and conifer coalified tissues from the two Tregiovo sections highlighted a distinct negative shift of the δ13C curve on the terrestrial organic carbon within the Tregiovo Formation, well-constrained to the middle Kungurian by radiometric data, that correlates very well with the negative shift recorded by other authors for the Kungurian. This work represents a contribution to the comprehension of the complex picture of Permian palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimate, filling a gap on the knowledge about the early Permian eastern palaeoequatorial ecosystems.
Il Permiano (289–252 milioni di anni) rappresenta un periodo di transizione da condizioni di ice-house a condizioni di green-house, avvenuto attraverso diverse fasi glaciali e interglaciali. Questo cambiamento è stato caratterizzato da un incremento di aridità che interessò le regioni paleoequatoriali della Pangea. Le cause principali di questo incremento e di altri importanti cambiamenti che hanno interessato gli ecosistemi terrestri sono ancora poco chiare. Nel Permiano, le flore che occupavano le aree al di fuori dei bacini, costituite soprattutto da conifere ed altre gimnosperme che meglio tollerano periodi di aridità, cominciarono a migrare all’interno dei bacini, rimpiazzando progressivamente le flore più igrofitiche che avevano caratterizzato le foreste pluviali Carbonifere. Tali cambiamenti, sia climatici che relativi al biota terrestre, lasciarono un’impronta considerevole sulla composizione isotopica della CO2 atmosferica, e di conseguenza, della materia organica terrestre. La natura discontinua della transizione paleofloristica Permiana e la scarsa risoluzione dei dati riguardanti il δ13C della materia organica terrestre, rendono difficile una chiara visione di quello che accadde agli ecosistemi Permiani paleoequatoriali. In questa ricerca, viene proposta una ricostruzione paleoclimatica e paleoambientale del bacino Kunguriano (Cisuraliano, Permiano inferiore) di Tregiovo (NE-Italia). Attraverso uno studio multidisciplinare, le due sezioni di “Le Fraine” e del villaggio, appartenenti alla Formazione Tregiovo, sono state investigate dal punto di vista sedimentologico, geochimico, paleobotanico e palinologico. Lo studio tassonomico sui due depositi a piante di “Le Fraine” ha rivelato una flora molto ricca e diversificata, composta da sfenofite (Annularia), ginkgofite (?Sphenobaiera), pteridosperme (Peltaspermum), conifere (e.g., Hermitia, Feysia, Quadrocladus, Dolomitia) e taxa con affinità incerta come taeniopteridi (Taeniopteris), sfenopteridi (Sphenopteris) e due morfotipi incertae sedis. Gli studi paleobotanico e palinologico indicano un carattere xerofitico per la flora di Tregiovo, dominata da conifere e sfenopteridi. L’approfondito studio tassonomico di questi due gruppi ha svelato una notevole diversità, ha permesso di retrodatare al Kunguriano la prima comparsa del genere Dolomitia, e ha consentito di identificare una nuova specie di sfenopteride, Sphenopteris valentinii. Gli studi sedimentologici su entrambe le sezioni hanno indicato un’alternanza tra condizioni di playa-lake e lacustri stabili. Le fasi di playa-lake sono indicate dalla presenza di mud-cracks ed impronte di tetrapodi, mentre quelle lacustri stabili sono indicate dalla presenza abbastanza comune di carbonati microbiali. Le analisi isotopiche sul carbonio stabile contenuto nel bulk e nei tessuti carbonificati provenienti dalle due sezioni, hanno evidenziato uno shift negativo della curva del δ13C della Formazione di Tregiovo. Quest’ultima, radiometricamente datata Kunguriano medio, è molto ben correlabile con lo shift negativo registrato da altri autori per il Kunguriano. Il presente lavoro rappresenta un notevole contributo alla comprensione del complesso, e tuttora incompleto, quadro degli ecosistemi e del clima Permiani, che va a colmare una lacuna nelle conoscenze riguardante gli ecosistemi paleoequatoriali Permiani della Pangea orientale.

De nombreuses biomolécules qui constituent les plantes vasculaires ne sont synthétisées que par certains taxons de plantes et ont donc une spécificité chimiotaxonomique. Certaines d'entre elles, tels que les bioterpénoïdes, sont particulièrement résistantes et sont préservées dans les sédiments où elles se transforment en géoterpénoïdes lors de la diagenèse. Ces géoterpénoïdes conservent, partiellement ou totalement, leur spécificité initiale (spécifité paléochimiotaxonomique). Cependant, nos connaissances actuelles en paléochimiotaxonomie botanique, qui permettent d'associer ces biomarqueurs moléculaires à des taxons végétaux, restent encore lacunaires. L'objectif de cette étude est de déterminer la signature moléculaire des familles de conifères fossiles. 68 représentants appartenant aux 7 familles actuelles de conifères ont été artificiellement maturés par pyrolyse en milieu confiné afin de reproduire en laboratoire la transformation des bioterpénoïdes en géopterpénoïdes. Les résultats montrent que les Pinaceae, les Araucariaceae, les Cupressaceae, les Sciadopityaceae, les Podocarpaceae, les Taxodiaceae et les Taxaceae "fossilisés" peuvent se distinguer par la nature et la proportion relative de ces terpénoïdes. De plus, la comparaison des signatures moléculaires ont permis de réaliser des regroupements intergénériques pour chaque famille. Ces regroupements sont comparables avec ceux de la classification phylogénétique. À terme, ces résultats pourront être utilisés dans le cadre d’études paléobotaniques, paléoenvironnementales, environnementales et archéologiques
Many biomolecules that constitute terrestrial vascular plants are only synthesized by a restricted number of plant taxa and have thus a chemotaxonomic specificity. Some of these biomolecules, like the terpenoids, are particularly resistant and can be preserved within sediments where they are transformed into geomolecules during diagenesis. Geoterpenoids keep, partially or totally, their initial specificity (palaeochemotaxonomic specificity). However, our current knowledge in botanical palaeochemotaxonomy, allowing to link these plant biomarkers to plant taxa, remains incomplete. The aim of this study is to determine the molecular signature of fossil conifers. In this objective, 68 species belonging to the 7 extant conifer families were subjected to artificial maturation by confined pyrolysis. This process converts the bioterpenoids included within the plant material into geoterpenoids. The results show that the "fossilized" Pinaceae, Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, Sciadopityaceae, Podocarpaceae, Taxodiaceae and Taxaceae can distinguished from each other by the nature and the relative proportion of these geoterpenoids. The comparison of these molecular signatures allows to achieve intergeneric groups for each family. These groups are comparable to those of the phylogenetic classification. In the future, these results could be used for palaeobotanical, palaeoenvironmental, environmental and archaeological assessments

Die vorliegende Dissertation stellt den ersten Teil eines Nachschlagewerks zur Tertiärflora Sachsens dar. Dieser Teil umfasst alle Taxa, die sich auf Angiospermenblätter und auf Ginkgo gründen. Auf einen Überblick zum regionalgeologischen Kenntnisstand des Tertiärs in Sachsen folgend, werden phytostratigrafische Konzepte vorgestellt und ein historischer Abriss der tertiärpaläobotanischen Forschung in Sachsen gegeben. Nach einer Erfassung aller bis Ende 2013 für das sächsische Tertiär publizierten pflanzlichen Makrofossilien und deren Fundorte (Primärdaten), welche durch projektbezogene Qualifikationsarbeiten Dritter durch zusätzliche Attribute ergänzt und vereinheitlicht wurden, werden die fossilen Taxa von Angiospermenblättern selektiert, deren Daten harmonisiert, ausgewertet und auf einen einheitlichen Forschungsstand gebracht. Für 187 von 235 untersuchten Taxa werden Datenblätter für einen Bestimmungsatlas erstellt. In diesem Atlas werden makro- und mikromorphologische Merkmale der Arten beschrieben, sowie Angaben zur Systematik, Synonymie, Paläoökologie und räumlicher und zeitlicher Verbreitung gemacht. Der beschreibende Teil wird durch Abbildungen und instruktive Zeichnungen ergänzt. Im Ergebnisteil werden die Daten nach ihrer Qualität innerhalb der Literatur begutachtet und anwendungsbezogen diskutiert. Eine Bibliografie der umfangreichen paläobotanischen Literatur für sächsische Pflanzenfossilien rundet die Arbeit ab. Um die taxon- und fundortbezogenen Daten visualisieren und effektiv verwalten zu können, werden diese in ein Open Source-Geoinformationssystem (GIS) überführt. Die im GIS implementierten Untersuchungsergebnisse ermöglichen erstmalig sowohl eine Generierung von Verbreitungs-karten für die Taxa tertiärer Angiospermenblätter und des Ginkgos in Sachsen als auch eine Abfrage von topografischen, geologischen und paläobotanischen Informationen zu den Fossilfundstellen. Ein für das Fossilmaterial entwickelter Bestimmungsschlüssel erlaubt zudem eine grobe Determination der Funde im Gelände. Das Kompendium wird in gedruckter und digitaler Version für die freie Nutzung zur Verfügung gestellt
The thesis represents the first part of a reference book to the Tertiary flora of Saxony. All taxa based on leaves of angiosperms and on Ginkgo are included in this compendium. After an overview about the geological state of knowledge on the Tertiary in Saxony, phytostratigraphic concepts are introduced and a historical survey on the Tertiary paleobotanical research in Saxony is given. All plant macrofossils published from Saxonian Tertiary until end of 2013 and their sites of discovery (primary data) were recorded. This data were supplemented by additional attributes and unified through project-based M.Sc. theses. Subsequently, taxa of fossil leaves were selected, their data evaluated and brought to a consistent state of research. Data sheets for 187 out of 235 examined taxa were established for a determination atlas. Macro- and micromorphological attributes are described in this atlas and information are given about the systematic, synonymy, palaeoecology and spatial and temporal distribution. The describing part is illustrated by images and instructive drawings. The documented data were surveyed and discussed related to their quality within the literature in the result part. A bibliography of the extensive palaeobotanical literature for plant fossils of Saxony completes the work. The taxon and locality related data are implemented into an open source geographical information system (GIS) in order to visualize and to manage them effectively. For the first time, the results of this thesis implemented in the GIS allow the generation of distribution maps for the taxa of leaves of Tertiary angiospermes and Ginkgo in Saxony. Furthermore it enables to query topographical, geological and paleobotanical information about the fossil sites. A determination key was developed for the fossil material that allows a rough determination of the findings in the field. The compendium will be available for free use in a printed as well as in a digital version

Palaeobotanical research on oceanic islands has been largely ignored despite its importance to provide empirical proofs to disentangle insular plant diversity, evolution, ecology and biogeography. Here we use the oceanic archipelagos of Madeira and Azores as a ‘testing ground’, via fieldwork, laboratorial and collection-based research, to demonstrate the existence of well-preserved and palaeobiological informative plant fossils. In Madeira Island, mid-19th century collections from São Jorge leaf bed were stratigraphically and taxonomically reappraised revealing the presence of the stink-laurel forest at 7-1.8 Ma, similar to the extant community. Porto da Cruz sediments exploration and new 40Ar-39Ar dating revealed of the existence at 1.3 Ma of the extinct Eurya stigmosa (Theaceae), the neoendemic Melanoselinum decipiens (Apiaceae) and the probable ancestor of the Madeiran besom heath, Erica scoparia (Ericaceae). Preliminary prospection and dating of limnic sediments revealed the presence of a suitable Pleisto-Holocene palynological content for palaeoecological reconstruction. In Azores archipelago, the historical fossil collection and palaeobotanical review, revealed the existence of plant fossils on all islands. On Faial Island, charcoalified wood found within the 1200 yr BP ignimbrite revealed the presence of abundant Prunus lusitanica subsp. azorica, today a rare endemic tree due to anthropic impacts. Fanal Bay leaf-beds (Terceira Island), were prospected during 2016, revealing an in-situ leaf litter forest, but these were destroyed in 2018, despite being within the Azores Geopark. Here I demonstrate, for both archipelagos, the presence of an abundant and well-preserved plant fossil record, ranging probably from the Miocene, but mostly Pleistocene to the Holocene. These plant fossils are valuable, as they provide minimum ages for future phylogeny calibration, clues on the evolution of insular syndromes and allow the inference of the anthropic impact on pristine insular vegetation. However, this information can only be retrieved if the palaeobotanical geoheritage in these archipelagos are protected and properly studied.
ARDITI - Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação, projecto M1420- 09-5369-FSE-000001

The effects of climate change on plant natural resources is becoming an urgent problem that requires effective action to preserve what is left of remnant native and wild species. Native plant species can hold important genetic information that can be applied to sustainable management efforts. The main theme of this thesis concerns the genomics of the genus Santalum, also known as the sandalwoods, a highly exploited genus of trees, extending from Australasia into the Pacific. The sandalwoods are much sought after for their fragrant timber and oil, and have been wild harvested for centuries; to such an extent that one of the species is now extinct. Using next generation sequencing techniques (NGS) with an Ion Torrent platform, this thesis involves an extensive genomic survey of the genus to realise several evolutionary questions. The central approach is to obtain genome-wide genetic markers using NGS, and then use these markers to first, infer the genetic diversity of populations of Santalum acuminatum, a sister species of Santalum spicatum or Australian sandalwood, across South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales; second, to explore the feasibility of this approach in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships between species, some of which exhibit morphological phenotypes that make their identification difficult. Included in this work is an exploration of the utility of NGS platforms for ‘deep’ sequencing traditional markers (ccmp2, trnL, nrITS) and a consideration of their applications for various areas of research. To give a time perspective to the work, an isotope and macrofossil analysis of cave sediments, to infer past plant vegetation and climate scenarios, closes the data chapters. Among the results inferred from markers obtained from the Ion Torrent are that the genetic diversity of S. acuminatum appeared to be low and a population structure analysis reveals a mixing of genotypes across the geographic range of the populations assessed. The phylogenomics of Santalum using NGS markers revealed a similar path of dispersals out of Australia and into the Pacific as reported in previous studies, but with fewer events than previously thought. It was also found that there appear to have been hybridisation between species in some populations of Santalum in the dry lands of South Australia. As well, it was found to be quite feasible to deep sequence traditional markers, such as chloroplast locus ccmp2, proving that they can be applied in new ways for research in metabarcoding of bulk samples. This novel application of traditional markers can then be applied in studies of soil sediments, as another proxy to sedimentary studies alongside isotope and macrofossil analyses. Together, the set of studies presented in this thesis represent an interdisciplinary approach to a botanical study and begins to answer questions concerning the relationship between humans and plants. It is possible to integrate a battery of methods to study a highly exploited plant genus such as Santalum in its long historical trajectory with our species, and obtain results that can help in proposing potential solutions for its future sustainable management.
Thesis (Ph.D.) (Research by Publication) -- University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, 2015.

In contrast to the wealth of palaeoenvironmental research stemming from the eastern Afromontane archipelago, the southern Afromontane component, which comprises largely of the Drakensberg, remains understudied. The Drakensberg constitute an area of significant biodiversity, cultural and economic importance. Suitable sites for palaeoenvironmental research are rare in South Africa due to general arid climatic conditions over much of the country. The KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg offers a unique opportunity for palaeoenvironmental research through its increased rainfall and higher altitudes, which enable the development of wetlands that have the potential for polliniferous accumulation to occur. Catchment Six in Cathedral Peak is one such wetland that has provided an opportunity to research palaeoenvironmental conditions of the southern Afromontane archipelago component. A 371 cm sediment core was extracted from a subalpine wetland in Catchment Six and analysed using multiple proxies including; pollen, charcoal and geochemistry (carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes). A chronological framework for the core was established based on accelerated mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of eight bulk sediment samples. A basal date of 15,100 ± 445 cal yr BP was determined at a depth of 298 cm. Poor pollen preservation of the basal portion of the core limited palaeoenvironmental inference for the late Pleistocene section of the record. The multiproxy record provides high chronological resolution for the early to late Holocene. Multi-proxy data indicate that the Holocene period in the Drakensberg was characterised by variable climatic conditions. Charcoal data indicate periods of increased regional fires in the last ca. 400 cal yr BP. Palaeoenvironmental inferences from the Catchment Six record are broadly in agreement with regional climatic indications based on existing literature.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

The remains from a sub-fossil pine forest burried in layers of peat deposits at the northern edge of the CHKO Křivoklátsko in the Central Bohemia is completely unique findings for the area of the Czech Republic. It offers new opportunities for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and related climate changes during the Late Glacial and early Holocene epoch. The methods of dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating were used to date subfossil trees. The results of radiocarbon dating determined the existence of the forest in the period approximately 12,000 to 10,300 cal yr BP. The dendrochronological analyses revealed two continuous floating chronologies. The chronology RD4, which is long 200 years, originates from the Younger Dryas. The chronology RD6, 300 years long, originates from the Preboreal. The growth dynamics of the forest were reconstructed on the basis of the tree- ring analysis. Hydrological regime has been identified as a major disturbancy factor that influenced the growth of trees. This has been evident from synchronous phase depressions in the growth of synchronized tree-ring series. The high water table was the main cause of their extinction. This was in concordance with the results of macrofossils analyses. The effect of hydrological regime was largely influenced by microsite differences...

Die vorliegende Dissertation stellt den ersten Teil eines Nachschlagewerks zur Tertiärflora Sachsens dar. Dieser Teil umfasst alle Taxa, die sich auf Angiospermenblätter und auf Ginkgo gründen. Auf einen Überblick zum regionalgeologischen Kenntnisstand des Tertiärs in Sachsen folgend, werden phytostratigrafische Konzepte vorgestellt und ein historischer Abriss der tertiärpaläobotanischen Forschung in Sachsen gegeben. Nach einer Erfassung aller bis Ende 2013 für das sächsische Tertiär publizierten pflanzlichen Makrofossilien und deren Fundorte (Primärdaten), welche durch projektbezogene Qualifikationsarbeiten Dritter durch zusätzliche Attribute ergänzt und vereinheitlicht wurden, werden die fossilen Taxa von Angiospermenblättern selektiert, deren Daten harmonisiert, ausgewertet und auf einen einheitlichen Forschungsstand gebracht. Für 187 von 235 untersuchten Taxa werden Datenblätter für einen Bestimmungsatlas erstellt. In diesem Atlas werden makro- und mikromorphologische Merkmale der Arten beschrieben, sowie Angaben zur Systematik, Synonymie, Paläoökologie und räumlicher und zeitlicher Verbreitung gemacht. Der beschreibende Teil wird durch Abbildungen und instruktive Zeichnungen ergänzt. Im Ergebnisteil werden die Daten nach ihrer Qualität innerhalb der Literatur begutachtet und anwendungsbezogen diskutiert. Eine Bibliografie der umfangreichen paläobotanischen Literatur für sächsische Pflanzenfossilien rundet die Arbeit ab. Um die taxon- und fundortbezogenen Daten visualisieren und effektiv verwalten zu können, werden diese in ein Open Source-Geoinformationssystem (GIS) überführt. Die im GIS implementierten Untersuchungsergebnisse ermöglichen erstmalig sowohl eine Generierung von Verbreitungs-karten für die Taxa tertiärer Angiospermenblätter und des Ginkgos in Sachsen als auch eine Abfrage von topografischen, geologischen und paläobotanischen Informationen zu den Fossilfundstellen. Ein für das Fossilmaterial entwickelter Bestimmungsschlüssel erlaubt zudem eine grobe Determination der Funde im Gelände. Das Kompendium wird in gedruckter und digitaler Version für die freie Nutzung zur Verfügung gestellt.
The thesis represents the first part of a reference book to the Tertiary flora of Saxony. All taxa based on leaves of angiosperms and on Ginkgo are included in this compendium. After an overview about the geological state of knowledge on the Tertiary in Saxony, phytostratigraphic concepts are introduced and a historical survey on the Tertiary paleobotanical research in Saxony is given. All plant macrofossils published from Saxonian Tertiary until end of 2013 and their sites of discovery (primary data) were recorded. This data were supplemented by additional attributes and unified through project-based M.Sc. theses. Subsequently, taxa of fossil leaves were selected, their data evaluated and brought to a consistent state of research. Data sheets for 187 out of 235 examined taxa were established for a determination atlas. Macro- and micromorphological attributes are described in this atlas and information are given about the systematic, synonymy, palaeoecology and spatial and temporal distribution. The describing part is illustrated by images and instructive drawings. The documented data were surveyed and discussed related to their quality within the literature in the result part. A bibliography of the extensive palaeobotanical literature for plant fossils of Saxony completes the work. The taxon and locality related data are implemented into an open source geographical information system (GIS) in order to visualize and to manage them effectively. For the first time, the results of this thesis implemented in the GIS allow the generation of distribution maps for the taxa of leaves of Tertiary angiospermes and Ginkgo in Saxony. Furthermore it enables to query topographical, geological and paleobotanical information about the fossil sites. A determination key was developed for the fossil material that allows a rough determination of the findings in the field. The compendium will be available for free use in a printed as well as in a digital version.