Palynology of the central Myanmar basin corroborates Eocene-Oligocene monsoonal conditions in south-east Asia
Résumé
The Cenozoic vegetation history of Central Myanmar is only
sparsely documented and yet of great interest in the context of
regional paleogeographic and climatic changes. The Kalewa section,
situated in the Central Myanmar Basin and recently dated
by our group (Myanmar Paleoclimate and Geodynamics research
group), presents an excellent opportunity to study the vegetation
development from the Cretaceous to the Miocene. Here, we
focus on the late middle Eocene to Oligocene time interval and
document the palynoflora using 138 samples that were collected
from the Pondaung, Yaw, and Letkat formations. The sediments
exposed along a 1436.1 m section were formed in a predominantly
fluvio-deltaic environment. Our study shows that the late middle
Eocene to Oligocene Kalewa palynoflora includes at least 126 sporomorphs,
belonging to 53 families and 91 genera. The dominant
sporomorphs of this palynoflora are Dicolpopollis (e.g. Dicolpopollis
kalewensis, derived from the rattan group Calamoideae
within Arecaceae), Sapotaceoidaepollenites (from trees within
Sapotaceae, such as Palaquium), and fern spores. Other typical palynofloral
elements are also derived from mountain ranges (Podocarpidites,
Taxodiaceaepollenites, and ?Piceaepollenites), and taxa
from fluvial and deltaic floodplains such as Liliacidites (from Liliaceae),
Myriophyllum type (Haloragaceae), Corsinipollenites oculus
(from Jussieua within Onagraceae), cf. Florschuetzia (possibly
sonneratioid), Zonocostites ramonae (from Rhizophoraceae), dinoflagellate
cysts, and foraminiferal chitinous linings. In addition,
the megathermal elements constitute the most significant fraction
of all sporomorphs, such as Discoidites (from Brownlowia within
Malvaceae), Margocolporites (from Caesalpinia within Leguminosae),
Striatricolporites catatumbus (from Crudia within Leguminosae),
Lanagiopollis (e.g. Lanagiopollis emarginatus, from
Alangium sect. Conostigma, which has significant biogeographic
significance), Palmaepollenites kutchensis (from Iguanurinae
within Arecaceae), Meyeripollis naharkotensis (possibly from
Myrtaceae, indicating the age from late Eocene to basal Miocene),
while the temperate elements are very rare. Generally, the late
middle Eocene to Oligocene Kalewa palynoflora is a seasonally dry
flora characterised by moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forest
that is consistent with monsoonal conditions in south-east Asia.