Role of Charcoal Analysis for Interpreting Vegetation Change and Paleoclimate in the Miocene Rhine Embayment (Germany)

Abstract

Other| August 01, 2002 Role of Charcoal Analysis for Interpreting Vegetation Change and Paleoclimate in the Miocene Rhine Embayment (Germany) ISABEL FIGUEIRAL; ISABEL FIGUEIRAL 1Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Sigwartstrasse 10, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany * Current address: UMR 5059, CNRS, Institut de Botanique, 163 Rue A. Broussonet, 34090 Montpellier, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar VOLKER MOSBRUGGER; VOLKER MOSBRUGGER 2Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Sigwartstrasse 10, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar NICK PETER ROWE; NICK PETER ROWE 3UMR 5120, CIRAD TA40—PS2, Bd de la Lironde, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar TORSTEN UTESCHER; TORSTEN UTESCHER 4Institut für Geologie, Nussallee 8, D- 53115 Bonn, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar TIMOTHY PETER JONES; TIMOTHY PETER JONES 5Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 914, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3YE Wales, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar FRITZ VON DER HOCHT FRITZ VON DER HOCHT 6Rheinbraun AG, Stüttgenweg 2, 50935 Köln, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar PALAIOS (2002) 17 (4): 347–365. https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2002)017<0347:ROCAFI>2.0.CO;2 Article history accepted: 10 Feb 2002 first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation ISABEL FIGUEIRAL, VOLKER MOSBRUGGER, NICK PETER ROWE, TORSTEN UTESCHER, TIMOTHY PETER JONES, FRITZ VON DER HOCHT; Role of Charcoal Analysis for Interpreting Vegetation Change and Paleoclimate in the Miocene Rhine Embayment (Germany). PALAIOS 2002;; 17 (4): 347–365. doi: https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2002)017<0347:ROCAFI>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract The potential of fossil wood and charcoal from browncoal deposits as sources of reliable paleoenvironmental information is explored with material from the Lower Rhine Embayment (Germany). The presence of charcoalified material demonstrates proof of natural wildfires in Tertiary mire environments, most probably during, or after periods of increased drainage and drying of surface vegetation and litter. The results presented suggest that sampling from charcoal layers may provide a more statistically reliable data set for study of such environments. Inclusion of taxa recovered from charcoal layers might compensate for the taphonomic and preservational bias of Tertiary lignitic floras based solely on the collection of lignitic wood. These data confirm the hypothesis that, during certain intervals of the Miocene, both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous angiosperms might have dominated or represented significant portions of the peat-forming vegetation. The importance of palms and shrubby woody taxa, such as ‘Cyrilla’, is particularly striking from new evidence of charcoalified remains. In addition, certain wood anatomical features observed from well preserved lignitic wood and charcoal may be used as indicators of environmentally modulated growth: (1) clear growth rings testify to the existence of a seasonal climate; (2) wide variations in growth ring characters indicate variable environmental conditions; and (3) high incidence of dicotyledonous taxa, with abundant small vessels and scalariform perforation plates, is interpreted as evidence of a mesic environment. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.