The Eocene–Oligocene transition period was marked by one of the most abrupt and severe global environmental changes in the Cenozoic record, and this had a marked influence on the evolution of a number of animal and plant groups and entire ecosystems. This study documents continental palynomorphs recovered from the sedimentary rocks of the Dabaa Formation (Qattara area, North-Western Desert, Egypt) located on the southern shore of the Tethys Ocean and dated as Late Eocene–Early Oligocene. The botanical affinities, (phyto)ecology and distribution of the vegetation during the Eocene–Oligocene of the study area are discussed. The recorded assemblages are well preserved and comprise diverse lineages of algae, spores and pollen. They were identified, illustrated and assigned to 46 families encompassing chlorococcalean algae, lycopods, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The studied assemblages demonstrate the development of tropical vegetation, including tropical deciduous forest, grassland and (semi-)arid tropical shrubland, in which angiosperms were one of the main representatives; additionally open, drier habitats might have existed in the hinterland. Our data have been combined with previous megafossil and palynological evidence to assess and refine vegetation changes during the Early Oligocene time window in Egypt and across North Africa. Vegetation was a mosaic of different vegetation belts that ran more-or-less parallel to the coastline of the Tethys Ocean under the variable geographical influence of lagoons and streams. It is assumed that the belt of tropical forest along the coast of the Tethys Ocean narrowed during the Oligocene in parallel to climatic deterioration following the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, which may have also led to the fractionation of forest habitats.

中文翻译：

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来自埃及西北沙漠达巴组的大陆孢粉：对渐新世早期特提斯洋南岸植被重建的贡献

始新世-渐新世过渡时期是新生代记录中最突然和最严重的全球环境变化之一，这对许多动植物群和整个生态系统的演化产生了显着影响。本研究记录了从位于特提斯洋南岸的 Dabaa 组（埃及西北沙漠 Qattara 地区）的沉积岩中发现的大陆孢粉型，其年代为晚始新世 - 早渐新世早期。讨论了研究区始新世—渐新世的植物亲缘关系、（植物）生态学和植被分布。记录的组合保存完好，包括藻类、孢子和花粉的不同谱系。它们被识别、说明并分配给 46 个科，包括绿球藻、石松、蕨类植物、裸子植物和被子植物。研究的组合展示了热带植被的发育，包括热带落叶林、草地和（半）干旱热带灌丛，其中被子植物是主要代表之一；腹地可能还存在另外开放、干燥的栖息地。我们的数据已与之前的巨型化石和孢粉学证据相结合，以评估和完善埃及和整个北非渐新世早期时间窗口期间的植被变化。植被是不同植被带的马赛克，在泻湖和溪流的多变地理影响下，这些植被带或多或少平行于特提斯海的海岸线。