The fossil history of plant life in Antarctica is central to our understanding of the evolution of vegetation through geological time and also plays a key role in reconstructing past configurations of the continents and associated climatic conditions. This book provides the only detailed overview of the development of Antarctic vegetation from the Devonian period to the present day, presenting Earth scientists with valuable insights into the break up of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Details of specific floras and ecosystems are provided within the context of changing geological, geographical and environmental conditions, alongside comparisons with contemporaneous and modern ecosystems. The authors demonstrate how palaeobotany contributes to our understanding of the palaeoenvironmental changes in the southern hemisphere during this period of Earth history. The book is a complete and up-to-date reference for researchers and students in Antarctic palaeobotany and terrestrial palaeoecology.
• The first and only overview of the fossil plant history of the Antarctic continent and its relationship to the global record of environmental and climate change • Provides an up-to-date reference for all students and researchers in the field of Antarctic palaeobotany and terrestrial palaeoecology • A complete palaeoecological approach to the evolution of southern hemisphere vegetation provides an in-depth insight into the history behind modern austral biogeography
Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Colonization of the land; 3. Deglaciation and colonization of the South Pole; 4. Mass extinction and life in the Triassic; 5. Continental break up and its impact on Jurassic vegetation; 6. Fern-conifer dominated lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) ecosystems and the angiosperm invasion; 7. The origin of southern temperate ecosystems; 8. The heat is on: Paleogene floras and the Paleocene-Eocene warm period; 9. After the heat: late Eocene to Pliocene climatic cooling and modification of the Antarctic vegetation; Index.
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