PALYNOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EARLY TO MIDDLE EOCENE VEGETATION AND CLIMATE HISTORY OF NEW-ZEALAND

Four vegetation associations are identified in early to middle Eocene palynofloras from New Zealand. These are: (1) a coastal mangrove association in which Nipa is a common element; (2) a localised wetland association of Liliaceae and Gleichniaceae; (3) a coastal/lowland shrub association dominated by Casuarinaceae and Proteaceae; (4) a hinterland association characterised by rainforest elements. The associations are distributed landward from the coast. At and near the coast climatic conditions were in the megatherm/mesotherm interzone (mean annual temperature of > 20-24°C) and in montaine regions mesothermic (mean annual temperature of 14-20°C) climatic conditions prevailed. The climatic interpretationn for coastal regions of New Zealand for the early to middle Eocene based on terrestrial data is largely in accord with climatic interpretations based on oxygen isotope studies on the Campbell Plateau and the episodic occurrence of large foraminifera with extant tropical distribution. At the generic and family (especially Proteaceae) level the early to middle Eocene palynofloras of New Zealand are similar to those of comparable age in southeastern Australia. © 1990.