Valdivian ecosystems in the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary of Antarctica: further evidence from myrtaceous and eucryphiaceous fossil wood

Poole, Imogen; Mennega, Alberta M.W.; Cantrill, David J.. 2003 Valdivian ecosystems in the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary of Antarctica: further evidence from myrtaceous and eucryphiaceous fossil wood. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 124. 9-27. 10.1016/S0034-6667(02)00244-0

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract/Summary

Cool temperate rainforests growing on the flanks of the Andes and along the Coastal Range in Valdivia (Chile) today provide the closest analogue for the fossil floras of Antarctica during the Eocene. This paper records key Valdivian elements in a Maastrichtian to Eocene wood flora that extends the evidence for a Valdivian analogue back as far as possibly the Late Cretaceous. Here we record the first occurrences of myrtaceous and eucryphiaceous wood taxa from the Maastrichtian-Palaeocene sediments of the James Ross Basin. In addition, a previously unrecorded morphotype is described and assigned to the form genus Antarctoxylon which Poole and Cantrill erected for fossil angiosperm woods of Antarctica with uncertain taxonomic affinities. This increases the number and range of the described morphotypes from the Antarctic Peninsula and helps further our understanding of the southern high latitude angiosperm dominated floras.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/S0034-6667(02)00244-0
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Antarctic Biodiversity - Past, Present and Future
ISSN:	0034-6667
Additional Keywords:	Cretaceous, Tertiary, Antarctica, fossil wood, Valdivia
NORA Subject Terms:	Botany Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	22 Feb 2012 13:06 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12941

Actions (login required)

View Item

Document Downloads

More statistics for this item...