白垩纪中期陆地植被的变化及其与气候和环境变化的联系知之甚少。在这项研究中,我们使用植物大化石和分析来自西部沙漠的花粉和孢子化石,埃及,评估Cenomanian期间植物群落的时间变化。被调查的地层具有相对不同的孢子形态组合,反映了母体植被的性质。具体来说,花锥花代表蕨类植物,针叶树,单硫酸盐花粉生产者,Gnetales,和一群不同的被子植物。两者的比较,分散的孢粉群和植物大化石揭示了由于大量的植物学和生态偏见,包括沉积环境,生产水平,和不同植物器官之间的差异。孢子体的详细记录的组合,叶子,所研究的演替中的木炭为埃及塞诺马尼亚和阿尔比亚-塞诺马尼亚过渡期间的古气候和古地理提供了新的理解。触花组合物的混合组成反映了不同沉积情况的存在,海洋影响较弱,由一个小的鞭毛藻囊肿成分证明。当地的植被包括各种类别,包括蕨类植物和eudicots等草本植物,河流,开放环境,和以Cheirolepidiaceae为主的干燥树栖群落,可能包括干旱和/或耐盐蕨类植物(Anemiaceae)和其他裸子植物(Araucariaceae,银杏,Cycadales,和Gnetales)以及被子植物。河岸和淡水湿地群落的存在有利于水生和/或湿润的蕨类植物(萨尔瓦多科和马西里科),注意到。从孢粉学数据得出的沉积环境的广泛变化可能归因于埃及塞诺马尼亚早期当地植被中生产者的普遍出现。为了对所研究的Bahariya组及其等效岩石单元进行这项工作,标志性的恐龙和其他化石动物群在那里漫游,我们试图增进对埃及塞诺马尼亚气候的了解,它被重建为通常温暖和潮湿的,被不同持续时间的相当干燥的条件所打断。
Changes in terrestrial vegetation during the mid-Cretaceous and their link to climate and environmental change are poorly understood. In this study, we use plant macrofossils and analysis of fossil pollen and spores from the Western Desert, Egypt, to assess temporal changes in plant communities during the Cenomanian. The investigated strata have relatively diverse sporomorph assemblages, which reflect the nature of parent vegetation. Specifically, the palynofloras represent ferns, conifers, monosulcate pollen producers, Gnetales, and a diverse group of angiosperms. Comparisons of both, dispersed palynoflora and plant macrofossils reveal different characteristics of the palaeoflora owing to a plethora of taphonomical and ecological biases including the depositional environment, production levels, and discrepancies between different plant organs. A combination of detailed records of sporomorphs, leaves, and charcoal from the studied successions provide new understandings of the palaeoclimate and palaeogeography during the Cenomanian and Albian-Cenomanian transition in Egypt. The mixed composition of the palynofloral assemblages reflects the presence of different depositional situations with a weak marine influence, as evidenced by a minor dinoflagellate cysts component. The local vegetation comprised various categories including herbaceous groups including ferns and eudicots, fluvial, open environments, and xeric arboreal communities dominated by Cheirolepidiaceae and perhaps including drought- and/or salt-tolerating ferns (Anemiaceae) and other gymnosperms (Araucariaceae, Ginkgoales, Cycadales, and Gnetales) as well as angiosperms. The presence of riparian and freshwater wetland communities favouring aquatic and/or hygrophilous ferns (of Salviniaceae and Marsileaceae), is noted. The wide variation of depositional settings derived from the palynological data may be attributed to a prevalent occurrence of producers in local vegetation during the early Cenomanian of Egypt. For the purpose of this work on the studied Bahariya Formation and its equivalent rock units, where iconic dinosaurs and other fossil fauna roamed, we attempt to improve the understanding of Egypt\'s Cenomanian climate, which is reconstructed as generally warm and humid punctuated by phases of considerably drier conditions of varying duration.