A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia
We present a composite terrestrial pollen record of latest Eocene through Oligocene (35.5–23 Ma) vegetation and climate change from the Gippsland Basin of south-eastern Australia. Climates were overwhelmingly mesothermic through this time period, with mean annual temperature (MAT) varying between 13...
Published in: | Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
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Elsevier B.V.
2022
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Online Access: | http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/187948 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 |
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ftfederationuniv:vital:17186 2023-10-01T03:55:40+02:00 A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia Sluiter, Ian Holdgate, Guy Reichgelt, Tammo Greenwood, David Kershaw, A. P. Schultz, Nick 2022 http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/187948 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 unknown Elsevier B.V. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology Vol. 596, no. (2022), p. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/187948 vital:17186 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 ISSN:0031-0182 (ISSN) All metadata describing materials held in, or linked to, the repository is freely available under a CC0 licence Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. 4301 Archaeology 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience Australia Eocene–Oligocene Paleoclimates Palynology Vegetation Text Journal article 2022 ftfederationuniv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 2023-09-04T22:28:36Z We present a composite terrestrial pollen record of latest Eocene through Oligocene (35.5–23 Ma) vegetation and climate change from the Gippsland Basin of south-eastern Australia. Climates were overwhelmingly mesothermic through this time period, with mean annual temperature (MAT) varying between 13 and 18 °C, with an average of 16 °C. We provide evidence to support a cooling trend through the Eocene–Oligocene Transition (EOT), but also identify three subsequent warming cycles through the Oligocene, leading to more seasonal climates at the termination of the Epoch. One of the warming episodes in the Early Oligocene appears to have also occurred at two other southern hemisphere sites at the Drake Passage as well as off eastern Tasmania, based on recent research. Similarities with sea surface temperature records from modern high southern latitudes which also record similar cycles of warming and cooling, are presented and discussed. Annual precipitation varied between 1200 and 1700 mm/yr, with an average of 1470 mm/yr through the sequence. Notwithstanding the extinction of Nothofagus sg. Brassospora from Australia and some now microthermic humid restricted Podocarpaceae conifer taxa, the rainforest vegetation of lowland south-eastern Australia is reconstructed to have been similar to present day Australian Evergreen Notophyll Vine Forests existing under the sub-tropical Köppen-Geiger climate class Cfa (humid subtropical) for most of the sequence. Short periods of cooler climates, such as occurred through the EOT when MAT was ~ 13 °C, may have supported vegetation similar to modern day Evergreen Microphyll Fern Forest. Of potentially greater significance, however, was a warm period in the Early to early Late Oligocene (32–26 Ma) when MAT was 17–18 °C, accompanied by small but important increases in Araucariaceae pollen. At this time, Araucarian Notophyll/Microphyll Vine Forest likely occurred regionally. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. Article in Journal/Newspaper Drake Passage Federation University Australia: Federation ResearchOnline Drake Passage Geiger ENVELOPE(-62.900,-62.900,-64.300,-64.300) Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 596 110985 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Federation University Australia: Federation ResearchOnline |
op_collection_id |
ftfederationuniv |
language |
unknown |
topic |
4301 Archaeology 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience Australia Eocene–Oligocene Paleoclimates Palynology Vegetation |
spellingShingle |
4301 Archaeology 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience Australia Eocene–Oligocene Paleoclimates Palynology Vegetation Sluiter, Ian Holdgate, Guy Reichgelt, Tammo Greenwood, David Kershaw, A. P. Schultz, Nick A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
topic_facet |
4301 Archaeology 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience Australia Eocene–Oligocene Paleoclimates Palynology Vegetation |
description |
We present a composite terrestrial pollen record of latest Eocene through Oligocene (35.5–23 Ma) vegetation and climate change from the Gippsland Basin of south-eastern Australia. Climates were overwhelmingly mesothermic through this time period, with mean annual temperature (MAT) varying between 13 and 18 °C, with an average of 16 °C. We provide evidence to support a cooling trend through the Eocene–Oligocene Transition (EOT), but also identify three subsequent warming cycles through the Oligocene, leading to more seasonal climates at the termination of the Epoch. One of the warming episodes in the Early Oligocene appears to have also occurred at two other southern hemisphere sites at the Drake Passage as well as off eastern Tasmania, based on recent research. Similarities with sea surface temperature records from modern high southern latitudes which also record similar cycles of warming and cooling, are presented and discussed. Annual precipitation varied between 1200 and 1700 mm/yr, with an average of 1470 mm/yr through the sequence. Notwithstanding the extinction of Nothofagus sg. Brassospora from Australia and some now microthermic humid restricted Podocarpaceae conifer taxa, the rainforest vegetation of lowland south-eastern Australia is reconstructed to have been similar to present day Australian Evergreen Notophyll Vine Forests existing under the sub-tropical Köppen-Geiger climate class Cfa (humid subtropical) for most of the sequence. Short periods of cooler climates, such as occurred through the EOT when MAT was ~ 13 °C, may have supported vegetation similar to modern day Evergreen Microphyll Fern Forest. Of potentially greater significance, however, was a warm period in the Early to early Late Oligocene (32–26 Ma) when MAT was 17–18 °C, accompanied by small but important increases in Araucariaceae pollen. At this time, Araucarian Notophyll/Microphyll Vine Forest likely occurred regionally. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sluiter, Ian Holdgate, Guy Reichgelt, Tammo Greenwood, David Kershaw, A. P. Schultz, Nick |
author_facet |
Sluiter, Ian Holdgate, Guy Reichgelt, Tammo Greenwood, David Kershaw, A. P. Schultz, Nick |
author_sort |
Sluiter, Ian |
title |
A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
title_short |
A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
title_full |
A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
title_fullStr |
A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new perspective on Late Eocene and Oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of South-eastern Australia |
title_sort |
new perspective on late eocene and oligocene vegetation and paleoclimates of south-eastern australia |
publisher |
Elsevier B.V. |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/187948 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.900,-62.900,-64.300,-64.300) |
geographic |
Drake Passage Geiger |
geographic_facet |
Drake Passage Geiger |
genre |
Drake Passage |
genre_facet |
Drake Passage |
op_relation |
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology Vol. 596, no. (2022), p. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/187948 vital:17186 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 ISSN:0031-0182 (ISSN) |
op_rights |
All metadata describing materials held in, or linked to, the repository is freely available under a CC0 licence Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110985 |
container_title |
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |
container_volume |
596 |
container_start_page |
110985 |
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1778524315636989952 |