Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests responded to glacial-interglacial rhythms

Research Article| August 01, 2004 Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests responded to glacial-interglacial rhythms Howard J. Falcon-Lang Howard J. Falcon-Lang 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Howard J. Falcon-Lang 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 29 Jan 2004 Revision Received: 15 Apr 2004 Accepted: 18 Apr 2004 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2004) 32 (8): 689–692. https://doi.org/10.1130/G20523.1 Article history Received: 29 Jan 2004 Revision Received: 15 Apr 2004 Accepted: 18 Apr 2004 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Howard J. Falcon-Lang; Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests responded to glacial-interglacial rhythms. Geology 2004;; 32 (8): 689–692. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G20523.1 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 SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests flourished during an icehouse climate mode. Although it is well established that Milankovitch-band glacial-interglacial rhythms caused marked synchronous changes in Pennsylvanian tropical climate and sea level, little is known of vegetation response to orbital forcing. This knowledge gap has now been addressed through sequence- stratigraphic analysis of megafloral and palynofloral assemblages within the Westphalian D–Cantabrian Sydney Mines Formation of eastern Canada. This succession was deposited in a low- accommodation setting where sequences can be attributed confidently to glacio-eustasy. Results show that long-lived, low-diversity peat mires dominated by lycopsids were initiated during deglaciation events, but were mostly drowned by rising sea level at maximum interglacial conditions. Only upland coniferopsid forests survived flooding without significant disturbance. Mid- to late interglacial phases witnessed delta-plain progradation and establishment of high-diversity, mineral-substrate rain forests containing lycopsids, sphenopsids, pteridosperms, cordaites, and tree ferns. Renewed glaciation resulted in sea-level fall, paleovalley incision, and the onset of climatic aridity. Glacial vegetation was dominated by cordaites, pteridosperms, and tree ferns; hydrophilic lycopsids and sphenopsids survived in paleovalley refugia. Findings clearly demonstrate the dynamic nature of Pennsylvanian tropical ecosystems and are timely given current debates about the impact of Quaternary glacial-interglacial rhythms on the biogeography of tropical rain forest. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.