Early miocene floras from Central Otago, New Zealand

Abstract

Thirty eight taxa of plant macrofossils are recognised from Early Miocene (Alton ian) sediments of the Manuherikia Group, Central Otago. They include 4 ferns, 4 conifers, 1 palm, 24 “broadleaved” angiosperms and 5 fructifications of higher plants. Identification of leaves is speculative, although specimens comparable in form to Nothofagus and Eucalyptus are present and fructifications can be' placed into Myrtaceae, Casuarinaceae, Leguminosae, and Palmae. Most of the angiospermous fossil taxa do not have comparable representatives in the extant New Zealand flora, and conversely, common elements of the extant flora are not found in the fossil assemblage. This suggests a significant turnover in the New Zealand flora, at least at the species level, since the Early Miocene. Taxa are grouped into several distinct floras, which probably represent different environments. Climate was similar to that in forested regions of New Zealand today.