Holocene vegetation dynamics of mid-western Ireland are discussed with particular reference to the Galway and Mayo uplands, the development of upland blanket bog and the history of pine and yew. A detailed pollen profile from Mám Éan (Maumeen), a corrie lake, provides insights into environmental change in upland Connemara where, in recent decades, overgrazing and peat erosion have given rise to serious

The presence of noeggerathialeans has never been recognized in palynology in the Carboniferous and Permian floras, although they are a very common group as evidenced by megafossil floras. Noeggerathialeans including over 20 genera and 50 species are quite common in the Carboniferous and Permian floras and especially in Cathaysia (present-day China and East Asia). While the spores of this group will

A comprehensive study of the Late Devonian palynostratigraphy of Bjørnøya, Svalbard Archipelago is presented. A total of 61 samples collected from 10 outcrops located along the eastern coast of the island were analyzed for palynology yielding a mid- to latest Famennian age. A reassessment of the existing palynostratigraphy of the Ursa Sandstone Unit of the Røedvika Formation was undertaken. As no independent

Diverse and moderately to well-preserved palynomorph assemblages, composed of 81 organic-walled phytoplankton species, belonging to 47 genera, and two chitinozoan species, were recorded from the Ordovician rocks of the well RH-2, in the Llanos Basin of Colombia. The stratigraphic distribution of the taxa allows four assemblages to be distinguished that are, from base to top: Assemblage 1, assigned

The Late Devensian Lateglacial to early Holocene transition across north-west Europe was characterized by a rapid shift in climate from the cold, harsh conditions of the Loch Lomond Stadial to the warmer climate of the early Postglacial. However, our knowledge of this transition in south-east England has been hampered by the paucity of mires with sedimentary records spanning this period. We present

We visualized the Feulgen-stained nuclei and chromosomes of fossilized leaves of Metasequoia occidentalis (syn. M. disticha) from West Siberia dated to 29–33 million years old. There are about 22 metacentric chromosomes in somatic anaphase cells. The karyotype of the fossil plant is similar to the modern species M. glyptostroboides. Metasequoia was widespread in middle and high latitudes of Eurasia

Late Jurassic paleobotanical records from the northeast of Gondwana are rare. We present the first palynological assemblage from the upper part of the Antalo Limestone Formation from the Blue Nile Basin (central western Ethiopia). A diverse and well-preserved assemblage of palynomorphs with 70 morphospecies belonging to 39 morphogenera, including pollen, spores, fungi, algae, dinoflagellates cysts

Numerous localities in the Maine-et-Loire coalfield in northwestern France have yielded diverse adpression floras belonging to the Calymmotheca stangeri Zone, indicating an early Namurian (Serpukhovian–late Mississippian) age. The floristic affinities are with the South European Palaeoprovince, although there is some evidence of an ecotonal relationship with the Central European Palaeoprovince to the

The subtribe Ligeriinae, composed of three genera (Paliavana Vand., Sinningia Ness and Vanhouttea Lem.) and species with wide morphological differentiation, has not been investigated satisfactorily yet in terms of palynology. Thus, the pollen grains of 35 Brazilian species of Ligeriinae (Gesneriaceae) were studied under light microscopy and some species under scanning and transmission electron microscopy

Modern pollen rain analysis is useful to understand the pollen–vegetation relationship and to improve the understanding of pollen spectra in sediments by reconstructing past vegetation changes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the pollen and vegetation relationships across the landscape mosaic in central México. A total of 57 moss and surface water samples were collected from different types of

Six well-preserved seed cones of Tsuga with fine bract-scale complexes were discovered from the late Miocene (Tortonian; 9.2–10.8 Ma) deposits of the Shengxian Formation at the border of Ninghai and Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, eastern China. The fossil cones possess ovate to elliptic shape, spirally arranged and obovate-orbicular ovuliferous scales, and cuneate-rhombic bracts hidden behind the

Late Maastrichtian to Danian dinoflagellate cyst and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy was analyzed at the Sur Río Chico borehole, Austral Basin, Argentina. Two stratigraphical intervals from the 965 to 1003 m below ground surface of the drilled section were defined. The co-occurrence of Manumiella bertodano, M. seelandica and M. conorata in the 990–1000 to 1000–1003 mbgs interval, associated

The Pennsylvanian flora from the Italian Carnic Alps, stored in the Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale in Udine, Italy, was revised taxonomically. Plant fossils come from the Bombaso Formation and Pramollo (Auernig) Group (Late Pennsylvanian) that correspond to the lower part of the paralic to shallow marine Carboniferous–Permian Pramollo (or Pramollo-Nasfeld) Basin succession. Most of the ~ 2500 studied

Petrified wood is important evidence of forest type and past climate. Studies from mainly the Neogene of Turkey described many fossil woods, and revealed valuable information about the paleoenvironment structure and climate. This is the first occurrence of plant macrofossils belonging to the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum, a crucial period in Earth's history, found in Turkey. The purpose of the present

The late Paleozoic genera Chansitheca Regè, Oligocarpia Göppert and Szea Z. Yao et T. N. Taylor are small ferns that represent putative early members of the Gleicheniaceae based on their morphology and the anatomy of their fertile organs. However, the rachis and cauline anatomy are unknown, rendering their systematic affinities controversial. Here we document rachides with partly preserved anatomical

New palynological data from the deep-water Gușterița section in the Transylvanian Basin depict the late Miocene evolution of Lake Pannon between 11.0 and 10.5 Ma. Spores and pollen were used to analyze vegetation and climate while dinoflagellate cysts were used to reconstruct lake ecology. The section hosts primarily endemic brackish-water dinoflagellate cysts related to those in the Ponto-Caspian

Palynomorph assemblages and palynofacies analyses have been performed on several core samples from the Devonian–Carboniferous deposits identified in five wells located within the eastern region of the Moesian Platform. The investigated sections include, in ascending stratigraphic order, the Ţăndărei, Smirna, Călăraşi and Vlaşin formations. Based on the stratigraphic distribution of key taxa identified

An integrated palynological and geochemical approach has been initiated to date and to precise the geochemical events of the Pimenteiras Formation, in the Late Devonian from the Parnaíba Basin, Brazil. Based on good biostratigraphic markers and presence of index species among miospores, acritarchs and chitinozoa, the investigated sequences are referred to the Middle to early Late Frasnian. Among Miospores

A protracted domestication time-frame for cereals in the Near East is widely endorsed by the plant domestication research community. This occurs in tandem with the pre-domestication cultivation concept, which rests on the assumption that human husbandry operations (namely cultivation) exerted selection pressures in favor of domesticated phenotypes (e.g., non-shattering spikes) at the expense of the

A siliciclastic succession is well exposed at Kuh-e Boghou, located in eastern-central Iran. To verify the exact age and paleogeographic position of this section of the Iranian Platform, a detailed, high-resolution palynological analysis of the Ghelli Formation was performed. Sixty-nine surface samples of the sedimentary succession were collected and analyzed. Most samples yielded abundant and well-preserved

Acid-free palynological processing was performed on Permian material from a borehole of the southern Galilee Basin, eastern Australia, to test the efficacy compared to standard processing techniques. Both techniques yielded well-preserved assemblages of terrestrial and aquatic palynomorphs. The proportion of phytoclasts was much higher than in samples that underwent standard acid processing, while

A new anachoropterid fern Hansopteris uncinatus gen. et sp. nov. collected from the well-known Chinese “vegetational Pompeii” is recognized on the basis of both vegetative and fertile parts which are excellently preserved as adpressions, a few of which contain carbonized three-dimensional anatomy. Antepenultimate rachises average 3 mm in diameter and are covered by dense scales. Rachis anatomy conforms

An early Permian tuff bed between Coal 7 and Coal 6 of the Wuda Coalfield in Inner Mongolia bears T0 peat-forming vegetation preserved in situ. Documentation of the fossil record uncovered in an area of about 80 m2 shows 14 morphotaxa representing 11 whole-plant species with a wide variety of growth forms. The uncovered phytocoenosis is interpreted as a forest dominated by cordaites as the tallest

The paper provides in situ records of eight species of spore genera Punctatosporites, Laevigatosporites, Latosporites, Torispora, Cyclogranisporites and Thymospora macerated from fertile plant specimens of genera Asterotheca (A. sp. A and B), Cyathocarpus (C. arborea, C. aff. arborea and Cyathocarpus hemiteloides) and Acitheca (A. ambigua) which come from the Bolsovian to Stephanian B of the Kladno-Rakovník

Palynological investigation carried on the samples from the Unit 1 of the Sappington Formation (Upper Famennian, Montana, USA) reveals a presence of rich phytoplankton and microflora assemblages. The presence of spheroidal vesicles approx. 20 μm in diameter having a rigid smooth wall and frequently arranged in clusters connected by an external coating are proposed as a new taxon named Involusphaeridium

Pollen and charcoal records are developed from Ocate Bog (2905 m, 9530 ft) on Ocate Mesa east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. The records extend from 12,090 to 410 cal yr BP based on 19 radiocarbon dates. The vegetation on the mesa at present is a mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forest. Pollen percentages and accumulation rates show a continuous mixed conifer forest with

The Yorkshire Dales is one of the most iconic agricultural landscapes in Britain. However, many questions remain over the evolution of this landscape through time and its natural state before major human impacts. Here we present new palynological data that provide insight into the vegetation and fire history of the southern Yorkshire Dales from the late glacial period to present day. Our data suggest

Research into phytolith morphology provides essential information for understanding the relationship between phytoliths and vegetation and hence between vegetation and climate, increasing the precision and accuracy of the use of phytolith analysis in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This study aims to provide an improved basis for the quantitative description and discrimination of the common phytoliths

Here we study a well-preserved petrified palm stem from the latest Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) to earliest Danian (early Paleocene) sediments (c. 66–65 Ma old) of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. We infer its systematic relationships and relevance to palm evolution. The significant anatomical attributes of the fossil include the presence of fibrovascular bundles (fvbs)

A new species of Ginkgo L., G. pediculata sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, Northeast China, on the basis of a well-preserved ovule-bearing organ. The cuticles of the integument and peduncle are generally similar to those of the lamina and petiole of the associated Ginkgoites manchurica (Yabe et Ôishi) Cao, which is among the most widely distributed Ginkgo-like

We analyzed modern pollen deposition along an altitudinal gradient in the Brazilian southeastern coastal mountains between 1600 and 2200 m elevation in order to investigate the relationship between modern vegetation and pollen rain, within vegetation composed of montane and upper montane forest in a mosaic with campos de altitude (CDA). The results revealed that the CDA pollen assemblage represents

Paleocene leaf floras are rare in high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, where studies have shown higher taxonomic diversity compared to Northern Hemisphere equivalents. The floras provide valuable insights into biodiversity and forest communities during the Paleocene. The Antarctic Peninsula hosts a wealth of Paleocene–Eocene floras which have been used to interpret climates before, during and

The study of the interaction of cicatricose spores, related to the family Anemiaceae, with other botanical groups, in the palynological record, contributes to a better understanding of the paleoecological, paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental aspects of this family through geological times. The present work based on the investigation of Anemiaceae fossil spores, and other contemporary palynomorphs

Choerospondias (Anacardiaceae) is a monospecific genus that is mainly distributed in the subtropics and tropics of eastern Asia today. Fossil records suggest that the genus was widely distributed throughout Eurasia during the Oligocene and Miocene. In this paper, we describe a new species of Choerospondias based on three-dimensionally preserved endocarps from the middle Miocene of Fujian, Southeast

A new araucariaceous pollen cone Callialastrobus sousai gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Early Cretaceous (late Aptian–early Albian) Catefica mesofossil flora in the Lusitanian Basin, Estremadura region, western Portugal. The material comprises a single dispersed pollen cone showing peltate deltoid microsporophylls arranged in a helix. Each microsporophyll bears three pollen sacs with Araucariacites

Three types of charcoalified fossil homoxylous woods are described from the Upper Cretaceous of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin: Podocarpoxylon sp.,?Podocarpoxylon vel Taxodioxylon sp. and Protocupressinoxylon sp. They come from the uppermost part of the Peruc-Korycany Formation, which is mid-Cenomanian in age. Podocarpoxylon sp. shows distinct growth rings, uniseriate rays of medium height, 1–2 podocarpoid

Marattialeans were the most species-rich fern group in the Lopingian (late Permian) Cathaysian floras in the South China Block. However, most previous studies on marattialean ferns focused on their vegetative morphology; in contrast, their reproductive biology has rarely been examined. New compression materials of Zhutheca densata (Gu et Zhi) Liu, Li et Hilton from the Lopingian Xuanwei Formation in

The extinct legume genus Podocarpium first appeared in the middle Eocene of South China and then became widely distributed throughout Eurasia during the Oligocene and Miocene. Fossil records from Central Asia are important for understanding the patterns of floristic change of Podocarpium between Eastern Asia and Europe, but they are relatively rare. Here, we describe well-preserved fossil fruits and

Palynological study of the Upper Triassic Bidestan and Howz-e-Sheikh members of the Nayband Formation of the Tabas Block, Central Iran, revealed relatively diverse and well-preserved assemblages of palynoflora dominated by dinoflagellate cysts and miospores. The two well-known interval dinoflagellate cysts zones of Hebecysta balmei Interval Zone and Rhaetogonyaulax rhaetica Interval Zone were differentiated

A mycological survey from Monti della Tolfa, a volcanic region of central Italy that originated during the Early Pleistocene and remained isolated from the mainland for at least one million years, shows that a thermophilous shrubland dominated by Arbutus unedo preserves fungal species typically associated with conifers. Pinaceae are currently absent from the study area. Palynological data from the

Holocene vegetation changes are good indicators of climate change/and or human impacts. The environmental history in the semi-arid region with Caatinga vegetation in Northeast Brazil has been still little studied. A 420 cm-long sediment core collected in a mire at the Catimbau National Park, State of Pernambuco, has been analyzed for pollen, spores, charcoal, and sedimentological characteristics. The

The pollen morphology of 23 Brazilian native species of Rubiaceae Juss. from forest fragments of a Cerrado area was analyzed using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in the search for new characters that might increase the knowledge on the pollen morphology of the species, and also aiming to help in the taxonomic characterization of the genera. For LM, the pollen grains were

A new petrified stem from the Middle Triassic Quebrada de los Fósiles Formation (Puesto Viejo Group, San Rafael Basin) in Mendoza Province, central-western Argentina, is described. The specimen shows affinities with fossil and extant Sphenophyta, such as the presence of a medullar cavity and primary xylem with carinal canal. A new genus and species – Neoarthropitys gondwanaensis – is established based

Paleogene non-marine deposits of the Pine Hollow and Claron formations (southwestern Utah, USA) provided a rich microfossil assemblage composed of charophytes, freshwater gastropods and ostracods. Charophytes were extracted from a ca. 450-m-thick section, especially from floodplain deposits belonging to the Claron and the Pine Hollow formations. The samples from the Pine Hollow Formation includes small

Glomeromycotan spores from the Early Devonian Rhynie chert frequently contain evidence of colonization by other fungi. However, relatively few of these relationships have been described and evaluated. Brijax amictus gen. et sp. nov., a probable chytrid (Chytridiomycota) associated with certain thick-walled archaeosporalean acaulospores from the Rhynie chert, develops largely within the host spore wall

Alethopteris ascendens Halle is an endemic element in the Permian Cathaysian floras and is assumed to be a member of the Medullosales based on its alethopterid type foliage. Previous accounts have documented only its pinnae and bipinnate fronds, but other parts of the plant are unknown. Here we describe new specimens from the earliest Permian (Asselian) Wuda Tuff Flora that are identified as A. ascendens

Jurassic flora of the Tibetan Plateau is poorly known, with limited fossil records. The paleobiogeography of terrestrial biota is, however, one of the major evidences to reconstruct the intricate paleogeography of an area. Well-preserved fossil wood is described from the Middle Jurassic Xiali Formation (Callovian) in the South Qiangtang terrane of the Tibetan Plateau, SW China. The wood specimen is

A set of 30 modern pollen samples collected in pine communities of the Gúdar Range (southeastern Iberian System) has been investigated to determine the relationships between pollen percentages and vegetation composition along a ~ 1000 m elevation transect. Pollen representation was estimated by comparing the presence of plant taxa from a recent vegetation survey with pollen spectra. Classification

Phytoliths are microscopic siliceous particles that precipitate within epidermal cells of plant leaves. Phytolith morphology and its carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) are often used to understand the past vegetation composition. To extract phytoliths from modern plants, two different wet-oxidation, dry ashing and microwave digestion techniques have been used. However, the impact of these techniques

The section of São Pedro da Torre (NW Portugal) is relevant because its rich pollen content, chronologically correlated to the late Pliocene assemblages of the reference section of Rio Maior. The purpose of this study was to carry out, for the first time in the area, a taxonomic analysis of the carpological remains and integrate the results with those of the previous palynological studies. Our carpological

Ceratophyllaceae Gray is a cosmopolitan submersed family in angiosperm. The fossil record is mainly composed of fruits ranging in age from the Cretaceous to the Neogene within the Northern Hemisphere. However, its fossil record in Asia is sparse. Here we report on a fossil fruit attributed to Ceratophyllum aff. muricatum Cham. from the early middle Eocene of the Niubao Formation in Bangor County, central

This paper presents a palynological study of the archeological layers from the Neanderthal site Abrigo 3 del Complejo del Humo, in southern Spain (Málaga), with the aim of reconstructing the environmental conditions in the vicinity of this hominin site. The Upper Pleistocene vegetation and its variability are described, revealing a high diversity of thermophilous plant taxa throughout the cold dry

Croton has ca. 1200 species and a pantropical distribution, representing the second largest genus in Euphorbiaceae. In this work, we aim to characterize morphologically the pollen grains of 105 species of Croton, besides other representatives of tribe Crotoneae, to provide palynological data sustaining its current delimitation and classification and understand how pollen grains evolved in the tribe

Pollen retention on clothes, footwear, hair and body has been used to link people to localities with distinctive vegetation, or soils containing distinctive palynomorphs. Little attention has been given to human skin as a possible medium for carrying a forensically important pollen load and whether this might survive attempts to remove it. We report here the results of experiments testing the retention

The striped hyena is the largest living omnivorous scavenger in SW Asia. It generally lives in semi-arid desert steppe regions, often denning in small caves, rock shelters, and burrows close to human settlements. Bone fragments of wild and domestic animals and desiccated scats are frequently found in the hyena dens. In this study, eight striped hyena desiccated scats were subjected to pollen analysis

The adpression fossil record from the Westphalian of the Intrasudetic Basin (Czech Republic) contains diversified medullosan prepollen organs. Langsettian bell-shaped prepollen organs were found in the Lampertice Member in the Žacléř area: Whittleseya elegans Newberry, W. delphinae Stockmans et Willière, W. silesiaca Pacyna et Zdebska and Givesia media (Stockmans) Stockmans et Willière. These fructifications

The identification of Myrtaceae pollen to species level in fossil records has challenged palynologists due to the similarity of pollen grains produced by species in this family. Here, we present a pollen morphological study of the Myrtaceae species found in a specific region of southeastern Australia, the islands of the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait, and apply this to fossil pollen records from the