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OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

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(Lophosoria) reached Tasmania before southeastern Victoria. If correct, the Lemonthyme<br />

and Wilmot microfloras may be correlatives of the Upper Nothofagidites asperus Zone<br />

assemblages in the Gippsland Basin. Pollen dominance is variable, with the mostly<br />

commonly occurring taxa being Dicksoniaceae (up to 15%), Lagarostrobos (8-17%),<br />

Podocarpus-Prumnopitys (6-12%), Podosporites (1-3%), Nothofagus (Brassospora) spp. (24-<br />

37%), Nothofagus (Fuscospora) spp. (4-5%). Nothofagus (Nothofagus) spp. (1-6%),<br />

Casuarinaceae (1-4%), and Proteaceae (3-4%). The diversity of cool temperate cryptogams<br />

and gymnosperms is unusually high whilst species whose NLRs are confined to warm<br />

temperate or subtropical rainforest are very rare, e.g. Ascarina, Cupanieae, Ilex, Quintinia and<br />

Sapotaceae. Other rare taxa include species that are unique to the sites or are the earliest<br />

records to date for Tasmania, e.g. Droseraceae, Menyanthaceae, Sparganiaceae, Stylidiaceae<br />

and cf. Trimeniaceae (Periporopollenites hexaporus). Other species point to floristic<br />

interchange with South America, e.g. Asteraceae (Mutisieae) and Proteaceae (Embothrium).<br />

Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone Equivalent microfloras from Cethana, Lea River and Little<br />

Rapid River are dominated by Nothofagus (Brassospora) spp. with lesser amounts of<br />

Podocarpaceae (Lagarostrobos, Podocarpus-Prumnopitys), Casuarinaceae and Proteaceae.<br />

Cryptogams such as Lycopodiaceae, Dicksoniaceae (Trilites tuberculiformis) and Lophosoria,<br />

and two angiosperms, Ilex and Liliaceae, are unusually frequent at Lea and Little Rapid<br />

Rivers relative to mainland assemblages of similar age. Taxa that are usually uncommon to<br />

rare include Araucariaceae (Araucaria, Wollemia-type), Cupressaceae, Podocarpaceae<br />

(Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium, Halocarpus, Microcachrys, Microstrobos, Phyllocladus,<br />

Podosporites), Ascarina, Casuarinaceae, Cunoniaceae, Cupanieae, Cyperaceae, Ericales<br />

(including Sprengelia-type), Euphorbiaceae (Austrobuxus-type, Micrantheum),<br />

Gyrostemonaceae, Meliaceae, Myrtaceae (including Eucalyptus), Quintinia, Proteaceae<br />

(including Agastachys-type, Beauprea, Embothrium, Telopea-type), Restionaceae,<br />

Sparganiaceae (Aglaoreidia, Sparganiaceaepollenites), Strasburgeriaceae and Winteraceae.<br />

Unusual records include Asteraceae (Mutisieae), Droseraceae, Menyanthaceae, Stylidiaceae,<br />

and the youngest known records of the primitive angiosperm family Lactoridaceae (Macphail<br />

et al. 1999). A probable Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone assemblage from Moina, ca. 10 km<br />

west of Cethana, is reported to include diverse Nothofagus spp. and rare Lophosoria,<br />

Sparganiaceae and Winteraceae (Harris (1967).<br />

A probable Early Miocene (late P. tuberculatus Zone Equivalent) microflora from<br />

Monpeelyata is wholly dominated by Nothofagus (Brassospora) spp. (43%) and<br />

Lagarostrobos (45%) but otherwise is similar in composition to Cethana, Lea River and Little<br />

Rapid River. The assemblage includes an early record of Mimosaceae (Archidendron-type),<br />

misidentified as Acacia in Macphail et al. (1991) and (macrofossil data) cool-adapted species<br />

of Araucariaceae, Proteaceae and Epacridaceae. Lagarostrobos macrofossils are not recorded<br />

despite the high relative abundance of the associated fossil pollen type (Phyllocladidites<br />

mawsonii).<br />

Inferred climate<br />

Holocene data (Macphail 1979) confirm that microfloras accumulating within the upper<br />

subalpine and alpine zones usually include a significant percentage of pollen transported<br />

upslope by wind from forests at lower elevation. Assuming the same phenomenon occurred<br />

during the Oligo-Miocene, then some of the taxa recorded at Monpeelyata may have been<br />

growing on the eastern escarpment of the Central Plateau or at lower elevations within the<br />

Midlands. Thermophilous taxa such as Archidendron-type and Cupanieae are one example;<br />

Lagarostrobos may be another.<br />

If correct, then mean annual temperatures will have varied from cool (upper microtherm) at<br />

lower elevations such as Cethana, to cold (lower microtherm) on the Central Plateau at<br />

Monpeelyata. Rainfall was high to very high (perhumid) throughout the year.<br />

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