dc.contributor.author
El Atfy, Haytham
dc.contributor.author
Coiffard, Clément
dc.contributor.author
El Beialy, Salah Y. Y.
dc.contributor.author
Uhl, Dieter
dc.date.accessioned
2023-04-14T13:03:43Z
dc.date.available
2023-04-14T13:03:43Z
dc.identifier.uri
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/38902
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-38618
dc.description.abstract
Changes in terrestrial vegetation during the mid-Cretaceous and their link to climate and environmental change are poorly understood. In this study, we use plant macrofossils and analysis of fossil pollen and spores from the Western Desert, Egypt, to assess temporal changes in plant communities during the Cenomanian. The investigated strata have relatively diverse sporomorph assemblages, which reflect the nature of parent vegetation. Specifically, the palynofloras represent ferns, conifers, monosulcate pollen producers, Gnetales, and a diverse group of angiosperms. Comparisons of both, dispersed palynoflora and plant macrofossils reveal different characteristics of the palaeoflora owing to a plethora of taphonomical and ecological biases including the depositional environment, production levels, and discrepancies between different plant organs. A combination of detailed records of sporomorphs, leaves, and charcoal from the studied successions provide new understandings of the palaeoclimate and palaeogeography during the Cenomanian and Albian-Cenomanian transition in Egypt. The mixed composition of the palynofloral assemblages reflects the presence of different depositional situations with a weak marine influence, as evidenced by a minor dinoflagellate cysts component. The local vegetation comprised various categories including herbaceous groups including ferns and eudicots, fluvial, open environments, and xeric arboreal communities dominated by Cheirolepidiaceae and perhaps including drought- and/or salt-tolerating ferns (Anemiaceae) and other gymnosperms (Araucariaceae, Ginkgoales, Cycadales, and Gnetales) as well as angiosperms. The presence of riparian and freshwater wetland communities favouring aquatic and/or hygrophilous ferns (of Salviniaceae and Marsileaceae), is noted. The wide variation of depositional settings derived from the palynological data may be attributed to a prevalent occurrence of producers in local vegetation during the early Cenomanian of Egypt. For the purpose of this work on the studied Bahariya Formation and its equivalent rock units, where iconic dinosaurs and other fossil fauna roamed, we attempt to improve the understanding of Egypt’s Cenomanian climate, which is reconstructed as generally warm and humid punctuated by phases of considerably drier conditions of varying duration.
en
dc.format.extent
53 Seiten
dc.rights.uri
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
Paleoclimatology
en
dc.subject
Flowering plants
en
dc.subject.ddc
500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::550 Geowissenschaften, Geologie::550 Geowissenschaften
dc.title
Vegetation and climate change at the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys during the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous): Evidence from Egypt
dc.type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber
e0281008
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi
10.1371/journal.pone.0281008
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle
PLoS ONE
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.number
1
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume
18
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281008
refubium.affiliation
Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
refubium.affiliation.other
Institut für Biologie
refubium.resourceType.isindependentpub
no
dcterms.accessRights.openaire
open access
dcterms.isPartOf.eissn
1932-6203
refubium.resourceType.provider
WoS-Alert