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LAURACEAE MACROFOSSILS AND DISPERSED CUTICLE FROM THE MIOCENE OF SOUTHERN NEW
ZEALAND
ABSTRACT
Twenty-five species of Lauraceae cuticle are described from 120 fossil-bearing samples from two Early Miocene basins in southern New Zealand; the St Bathans Paleovalley of the Manuherikia Group, and the Gore Lignite Measures of the East Southland Group. The genera Endiandra and Cryptocarya are identified, which are no longer in the extant flora of New Zealand, and Beilschmiedia and Litsea which are in the extant flora. In the St Bathans Paleovalley it is likely that at least 22 species were growing as part of a single broader community. The presence of Lauraceae
at this latitude in New Zealand and their high diversity clearly implies warmer
temperatures than currently exist at lowland locations at that latitude today,
which lie to the south of the existing limit of the family.
Mike Pole. Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld
4072, Australia.
KEY WORDS: Early Miocene; Lauraceae; cuticle; stomata;
epidermis
Copyright: Paleontological Society April 2007
Submission:
20 September 2006. Acceptance: 10 January 2007. |
