A Paleogene flora from the upper Bonnet Plume Formation of northeast Yukon Territory, Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Vavrek, Matthew J., Evans, David C., Braman, Dennis R., Campione, Nicolás E., Zazula, Grant D.
• Other Authors: Jin, Jisuo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2012
• Subjects: Archipelago; Arctic Archipelago; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Alaska; Yukon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e11-073; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/e11-073; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e11-073

Palaeontological exploration of the Bonnet Plume Basin in northwestern Yukon Territory, Canada, has revealed a Late Paleocene to Early Eocene macrofloral assemblage from a channel fill deposit. The flora is typified by cosmopolitan taxa and dominated by deciduous angiosperms, with the notable presence of Zizyphoides , Ettingshausenia , and Corylites . Floras with a similar composition are known from Late Cretaceous through Early Eocene deposits in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, where they have been interpreted as evidence for warm, equable temperatures. This collection represents the most diverse known Paleogene plant macrofossil assemblage from the Yukon Territory and helps to expand our knowledge of ancient high-latitude floras.