Sites recording the extinction or extirpation of tropical–subtropical and cool–cold temperate rainforest genera during the Plio–Pleistocene aridification of Australia are scattered across the continent, with most preserving only partial records from either the Pliocene or Pleistocene. The highland Lake George basin is unique in accumulating sediment over c. 4 Ma although interpretation of the plant microfossil record is complicated by its size (950km2), neotectonic activity and fluctuating water levels. A comparison of this and other sites confirms (1) the extinction of rainforest at Lake George was part of the retreat of Nothofagus-gymnosperm communities across Australia during the Plio–Pleistocene; (2) communities of warm- and cool-adapted rainforest genera growing under moderately warm-wet conditions in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene have no modern analogues; (3) the final extirpation of rainforest taxa at Lake George occurred during the Middle Pleistocene; and (4) the role of local wildfires is unresolved although topography, and, elsewhere, possibly edaphic factors allowed temperate rainforest genera to persist long after these taxa became extinct or extirpated at low elevations across much of eastern Australia. Araucaria, which is now restricted to the subtropics–tropics in Australia, appears to have survived into Middle Pleistocene time at Lake George, although the reason remains unclear.

中文翻译：

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灭绝和灭绝：澳大利亚东南部新南威尔士州南部高原乔治湖盆地热带雨林和湿硬叶植物群落灭绝的植物微化石历史

在澳大利亚的上新世-更新世干旱化期间，记录热带-亚热带和冷-冷温带雨林属灭绝或灭绝的地点散布在整个大陆，大多数仅保留了上新世或更新世的部分记录。高地乔治湖盆地在 c. 上积累沉积物方面是独一无二的。4 Ma 尽管植物微化石记录的解释因其大小（950 平方公里）、新构造活动和波动的水位而变得复杂。对这个地点和其他地点的比较证实 (1) 乔治湖雨林的灭绝是上新世 - 更新世期间澳大利亚各地假毛藻-裸子植物群落撤退的一部分；(2) 晚上新世至早更新世在适度暖湿条件下生长的暖和冷适应雨林属群落没有现代类似物；(3) 乔治湖雨林分类群的最终灭绝发生在中更新世；(4) 尽管地形和其他地方可能的土壤因素使温带雨林属在澳大利亚东部大部分地区的低海拔地区灭绝或灭绝后很长时间内仍然存在，但当地野火的作用尚未得到解决。南洋杉现在仅限于澳大利亚的亚热带 - 热带地区，似乎在乔治湖存活到中更新世时期，尽管原因尚不清楚。(4) 尽管地形和其他地方可能的土壤因素使温带雨林属在澳大利亚东部大部分地区的低海拔地区灭绝或灭绝后很长时间内仍然存在，但当地野火的作用尚未得到解决。南洋杉现在仅限于澳大利亚的亚热带 - 热带地区，似乎在乔治湖存活到中更新世时期，尽管原因尚不清楚。(4) 尽管地形和其他地方可能的土壤因素使温带雨林属在澳大利亚东部大部分地区的低海拔地区灭绝或灭绝后很长时间内仍然存在，但当地野火的作用尚未得到解决。南洋杉现在仅限于澳大利亚的亚热带 - 热带地区，似乎在乔治湖存活到中更新世时期，尽管原因尚不清楚。