Palynology of Tertiary and Quaternary sediments in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Abstract An outline of the palynological record of Tertiary and Quaternary sediments in Southeast Asia is presented. Some of the controlling factors which dictate the nature of the record are discussed and factors which limit its use for stratigraphy are noted. The significance of the record in unravelling palaeogeography and past plate positions is stressed. The pattern of development of the flora of the area is shown by assessment of the botanical affinities of pollen floras through the epochs of the Tertiary. Some of the major gaps in our knowledge of the record are indicated.