The uppermost Eocene Florissant Formation, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, has yielded numerous insect, vertebrate, and plant fossils. Three previous comprehensive palynological studies investigated sections of lacustrine deposits of the Florissant Formation and documented the response of plant communities to volcanic eruptive phases but overall found little change in plant composition throughout the investigated sections. These studies reported up to 150 pollen and spore phenotypes. In the present paper we used a taxonomic approach to the investigation of dispersed pollen and spores of the Florissant Formation. Sediment samples from the shale units containing macrofossils were investigated using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The general picture of the palynoflora is in agreement with previous studies. However, the combined LM and SEM investigation provides important complementary information to previous LM studies. While a fairly large amount of previous pollen determinations could be confirmed, the purported taxonomic affinities of several pollen phenotypes need to be revised. For example, pollen referred to as Podocarpus or Podocarpidites sp. belongs to the Pinaceae Cathaya, Malus/Pyrus actually belongs to Dryadoideae, pollen of the form genus Boehlensipollis referred to as Proteaceae/Sapindaceae/Elaeagnaceae or Cardiospermum belongs to Sapindaceae but not to Cardiospermum, and pollen of Persicarioipollis sp. B with previously assumed affinities to Polygonaceae actually belongs to Thymelaeaceae. Pandaniidites and one type of Malvacipollis cannot be linked with Pandanaceae and Malvaceae. A few taxa are new records for Florissant (Ebenaceae: Diospyros; Mernispermaceae; Trochodendraceae: Tetracentron). In general, SEM investigations complement the LM palynological studies and improve the identification of dispersed pollen and spores and enable integration of data from dispersed fossil pollen into a wide range of comparative morphological, taxonomic, evolutionary, biogeographic, and phylogenetic studies.

Anatolia was a crossroads for mammal migration during the Miocene due to intermittent land connections between Africa and Anatolia and persisting warm conditions. Here, we investigated a palynological section from middle Miocene sediments of Eskihisar (southwestern Anatolia) in order to establish biogeographic links of the palynoflora and to infer the palaeoenvironment. Four algal palynomorphs, nine spore taxa, eight gymnosperms, three monocots, and 67 dicot pollen types were encountered and investigated using the “single grain method” that combines light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Two pollen zones reflect different phases of basin development. Zonal vegetation remained fairly stable across the section and reflects heterogeneous environments including broad-leaved deciduous forest, subtropical forest, and sclerophyllous and semi-evergreen oak forest. Conifers were accessory elements in the broad-leaved deciduous forest communities and replaced these at higher elevations. Some herbaceous taxa (Plumbaginaceae) indicate scattered occurrences of sandy and/or rocky soils. Biogeographic affinities are general Northern Hemispheric, North American, and East Asian as also suggested by the macro fossil record. Only two taxa provide potential biogeographic links with the African flora. This suggests that biome shifts of plant taxa between African subtropical /tropical biomes and Anatolian (western Eurasian) temperate forests and shrublands may have been rare in the middle Miocene.

In an ongoing study, focussing on the plant fossils and palynofloras of the lignite strip mines of the Yatağan basin(Muğla province), a number of pollen taxa, previously not reported from middle Miocene terrestrial sediments of Anatolia were encountered.

Middle Miocene deposits exposed at the Tınaz lignite mine, Yatağan Basin, Muğla, southwestern Turkey, were palynologically investigated. The Tınaz lignite mine section belongs to the Eskihisar Formation. The lignite seam at the base of the section represents the uppermost part of the Turgut Member. Above, c. 65 m of clayey siltstone, limestone, and marls represent the Sekköy Member. Nine spores, zygospores and cysts of fungi and algae, seven moss and fern spores, 12 gymnosperm pollen types, and more than 80 angiosperm pollen taxa were recovered from the Tınaz lignite mine section. Three pollen zones were recognized, of which pollen zone 1 corresponds to the formation of the main lignite seam and reflects the change from a fluviatile to a lacustrine depositional setting. Pollen zones 2 and 3 and a transitional zone 2-3 reflect different stages of lake development and a shift in local vegetation from forested (pollen zones 1 and 2) to more open (transitional zone 2-3, zone 3). Interpreting changes in regional vegetation from pollen zones 1 to 3 is not straightforward as changes in the pollen spectra may be affected by changing contributions of airborne and water transported pollen and spores to the observed palynoassemblages. Age inference for the Tınaz lignite mine section has been complicated by the absence of datable ash layers, associated mammal faunas, or marine sediments. However, pollen zone 3 shares key features with the pollen spectrum recovered from the nearby mammal site Yenieskihisar (upper part of Sekköy Member) for which an age of 12.5-11.2 Ma has been suggested, and to the youngest pollen zone recovered from the mammal locality Çatakbağyaka, 10 km south of Tınaz, that probably represents mammal zone MN7/8 instead of MN5 or MN6 as previously suggested. In contrast, pollen zones 1 and 2 are fairly similar to the basal parts of the Çatakbağyaka pollen flora (uppermost parts of Turgut Member, basalmost parts of Sekköy Member). Furthermore, new mammal data from the Yatağan basin suggest that the layers below pollen zone 1 are MN4/5, and that carnivores cooccuring with pollen zone 1 in the main lignite seam of Eskihisar probably belong to MN6. Hence, a Langhian to Serravallian age can be inferred for pollen zones 1 and 2 of the Tınaz lignite mine section, and a late Serravallian age for pollen zone 3. Palaeobiogeographic relationships of the palynofloras are generally northern hemispheric, with many north temperate tree taxa showing modern disjunctions East Asia- NorthAmerica (Tsuga, Carya), East Asia- western Eurasia (Zelkova), East Asia- North America- western Eurasia (Liquidambar), or restricted to East Asia (Cathaya, Eucommia) or North America (Decodon). A few taxa belong to extinct lineages that have complex biogeographic patterns (Engelhardioideae, Cedrelospermum). The presence of Picrasma (Simaroubaceae) in the lower lignite layers of pollen zone 1 is remarkable, as the botanical affinities with the enigmatic flower Chaneya present in early to middle Miocene deposits of Turkey and Central Europe have recently been shown to be with Picrasma. 

Previous studies on the palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin show that it contains a rich

assemblage of spores and gymnosperm pollen. Present and ongoing investigations of

dispersed angiosperm pollen suggest a high diversity within this group, and due to the

excellent preservation of the material some rare pollen types are recognized. The Magnoliales

to Fabales pollen record documented here contains 30 different taxa. Only a few pollen types

are assigned to Magnoliids (four taxa); these are rare in the pollen record. Similarly, the

Commelinids comprise five taxa and are also rare. Most of the angiosperm pollen originate

from Eudicots, 21 taxa. Of the angiosperm taxa documented here, Magnolia , Carex ,

Ranunculaceae, Platanus , Trochodendron , Buxus , Cercidiphyllum , Daphniphyllum ,

Distylium , Fortunearia , Parrotia , Parthenocissus , Vitis , Euphorbia , Salix , and

Papilionoideae are recorded for the first time from the Lavanttal Basin. This also includes the

first fossil pollen record of Trochodendron  worldwide and the first reliable pollen record of

Daphniphyllum . Several of the taxa described here had a wide Northern Hemispheric

distribution from Eocene until the end of the Miocene. Also, key relatives of the fossil taxa

are presently confined to humid warm-temperate environments, suggesting a very mild

climate during the middle Miocene (Sarmatian) of the Lavanttal area. Some of the taxa

encountered also support previous observations that the sediments of the Lavanttal Basin

accumulated in a lowland wetland environment. This is based on pollen from aquatic taxa

thriving in lakes, streams and swamps, and pollen of terrestrial plant taxa occupying margins

of lakes and streams, backswamps, floodplains, river plains, and hummocks. Other 

 angiosperm pollen clearly originate from plants thriving on drier substrates, reflecting various

vegetation units of the mixed evergreen/deciduous broad-leaved/conifer forests surrounding

the wetland basin.

An ongoing investigation of the middle Miocene (Sarmatian) palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin continues to show that it contains an extremely rich assemblage of angiosperm taxa. The Fagales to Rosales pollen record documented here contains 34 different taxa belonging to the Betulaceae (Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, Ostrya), Fagaceae (Castanea, Fagus, Quercus Groups Cerris, Ilex, Cyclobalanopsis, Quercus/Lobatae), Juglandaceae (Engelhardioideae, Carya, Juglans, Pterocarya), Myricaceae (Morrella vel Myrica), Cannabaceae (Celtis), Elaeagnaceae (Elaeagnus), Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae (Prunus) and Ulmaceae (Cedrelospermum, Ulmus, Zelkova). Two of the pollen types represent extinct genera, Trigonobalanopsis and Cedrelospermum, and are also reported for the first time from the Lavanttal Basin along with pollen of Rhamnaceae and Prunus. The different types of Quercus pollen are now affiliated with Groups Cerris, Cyclobalanopsis, Ilex and Quercus/Lobatae based on sculpturing elements observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Köppen signatures of potential modern analogues of the fossil Fagales and Rosales suggest a subtropical (Cfa, Cwa) climate at lower elevation and subsequent subtropical to temperate climate with altitudinal succession (Cfa→Cfb/Dfa→Dfb; Cwa→Cwb→Dwb) in the Lavanttal area during accumulation of the palynoflora. Most of the fossil taxa have potential modern analogues that can be grouped as nemoral and/or merido-nemoral vegetation elements, and the diversity of Fagales indicates a varying landscape with a high variety of niches.

Köppen signatures (Denk et al. 2013, Grímsson et al. 2015) can be used to generalize the climatic niche occupied by potential modern analogues (PMA) of fossil plants (here: palynological) assemblages. The Köppen climate system distinguishes climate zones by certain abiotic parameters or combinations thereof and represents them in a three letter code referring to the general climate types (first letter), the seasonal distribution of precipitation (second letter) and the seasonal distribution or general level of warmth (third letter). Based on their Köppen signatures PMAs can be categorized as arctic-alpine, boreal, nemoral, meridio-nemoral, tropical-meridional, tropical, eurytropical, and/or semihumid meridional vegetation elements (see also Denk et al. 2013, Velitzelos et al. 2014, Grímsson et al. 2015). Based on the climatic preferences of their PMAs, the Fagales and Rosales lineages present at the Lavanttal site rule out tropical (A-)climates and climates with pronounced (summer) draught (B-, Cs-, Ds-climates). The same holds for boreal/subarctic climates with short but humid summers (Cfc, Dfc, Dfd, Dwc). The Fagales are represented by 23 lineages at the Lavanttal site including genera that are today composed (predominately or exclusively) of nemoral and meridio-nemoral elements. This points to climate conditions not unlike those found today in the lowlands and adjacent mountain regions of the (south-)eastern United States, the humid-meridional region of western Eurasia (e.g. northern Italy, Black Sea region, western Caucasus), central and southern China, or Honshu (Japan). These regions are characterised by subtropical conditions at lower elevations (Cfa-, Cwa-climates) and subsequent altitudinal successions: Cfa! Cfb/Dfa! Dfb in eastern United States, western Eurasia, central China and Japan, or Cwa! Cwb! Dwb in southern China. The climax vegetation in these areas are mixed mesophytic forests and various mixed evergreen/deciduous broad-leaved forests, characteristic for the humid and semi-humid, summer-rain areas of the meridional and nemoral zone. (Co-)Dominant genera in these forests are the various members of the northern hemispheric Fagales. Important indicator taxa include Fagus , one of the most common and widespread genera in temperate, mixed mesophytic forests of North America, China and Japan, and Quercus Group Ilex, a co-dominant group in the East Asian monsoon influenced, winter-dry or fully humid southern foothills of the Himalayas and montane regions of south-western and central China. Equally informative is Corylus, and the co-occurrence of Carya , Juglans , Pterocarya  and Engelhardioideae, pinpointing towards forests as today found in south-western China and the warm subtropical parts of the southeastern United States.

A new locality, at Schaßbach (Carinthia, Austria), within the Neogene Lavanttal Basin has yielded numerous well preserved early Badenian (Langhian) plant macrofossils. This paper, which is the first in a series of papers that describe the macro-fossil remains from Schaßbach, provides a geological and chronostratigraphic framework of the study area and summarizes previous research on plant macrofossils from the Lavanttal Basin. Here, Cainozoic leaf fossils of Ginkgo with preserved cuticles showing epidermal features are described for the first time from Austria, and from the pre-Pliocene of the Central Paratethys region. The Ginkgo foliage remains are currently one of the oldest Cenozoic fossils representing this genus in Central Europe. The fossils are considered to reflect trees growing outside lowland wetland areas and originated from the riparian vegetation. Based on the current habitat and fossil occurrence of Cainozoic ginkgos, the early Badenian flora in the Lavanttal area likely endured a warm temperate and humid climate.

An increasing body of palaeobotanical data demonstrates a series of Pliocene and Pleistocene extirpationsand extinctions of plant lineages in western Eurasia, which are believed to have been determinedby the climatic properties of their related East Asian and North American sister lineages.We investigatedthe diversity of a widespread northern hemispheric plant family, Fagaceae, during the Late Pliocene ofPortugal. We found a high diversity of Fagaceae comprising extant and extinct lineages. Dispersed pollenof Castanopsis and Quercus sect. Cyclobalanopsis represent the youngest records of these Himalayan-Southeast Asian groups in western Eurasia. Likewise, fossil-species of Quercus sect. Lobatae and theNorth American clade of sect. Quercus are the youngest records of these modern New World groups inwestern Eurasia. For the extinct Trigonobalanopsis, the pollen record of Portugal is the youngest known ofthis genus. Climate data of modern representatives demonstrate that a deterministic model can explainonly a part of the Pliocene and Pleistocene extirpations. Modern cold month mean temperatures ofCastanopsis and Quercus sect. Cyclobalanopsis and their last occurrences in western Eurasia in the Pliocenefit with a deterministic model (niche conservatism). In contrast, survival or extirpation of groupswith high cold tolerance appear to have been more complex. Here, niche evolution, abundance anddiversity of a lineage during pre-Pleistocene times, and habitat availability/loss determined the fate ofFagaceae lineages in western Eurasia.