Palynology of Waikato Coal Measures (Late Eocene—Late Oligocene) from the Raglan area, North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Spore-pollen assemblages from Waikato Coal Measures in the Kawhia-Raglan region, North Island, indicate that the coal measures, which rest on basement, are time transgressive and young to the southwest. The climate was predominantly cool to warm temperate, in accord with other climatic reconstructions for the Late Eocene-Late Oligocene period elsewhere in New Zealand, with brassi beech being the dominant component in the forests of the region. One new genus, Gemmapollis, is erected to accommodate tricolporate pollen with thickened colpi margins and gemmate/verrucate surface sculpture. Five new species are described. These are Monosulcites subverrucatus, Gemmapollis raglanensis, Rhoipites aequatorius, R. karamuensis, and Sparsipollis acuminatus. One species, Polypodiaceoisporites papuanus (Khan), has been recombined, a revised description is given for Nothofagidites waipawaensis (Couper), and a new name is proposed for Rhoipites pilatus (Couper). The following taxa are recorded and/or illustrated from New Zealand for the first time-Polypodiaceoisporites papuanus (Khan), Tricolpites discus Harris, Cupanieidites reticularis Cookson & Pike, Santalumidites cainozoicus Cookson & Pike, and Corsinipollenites oculus noctis (Thiergart).

A fossil Fuchsia (Onagraceae) flower and an anther mass with in situ pollen from the early Miocene of New Zealand

“…Three genera of Onagraceae: Epilobium , Fuchsia , and Ludwigia have been reported from the Cenozoic pollen record of New Zealand (Raine et al, 2011), although Ludwigia is no longer represented in the native flora. Monads and regular, tetrahedral tetrads of triporate pollen attributed to Corsinipollenites oculusnoctis were reported from late Eocene and Oligocene sediments (Pocknall, 1985; Raine et al, 2011), as well as from the early Miocene Foulden Hills Diatomite (Bannister et al, 2005). This pollen has an affinity with Ludwigia s.l.…”

Late Eocene‐Oligocene Te Kuiti Group at Mount Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand

“…No dinoflagellates were recorded from this sample. The composition of this assemblage is transitional between that of the Araucariacites australis Subzone (lAr-eLwh) and Myrtaceidites Subzone (Ar) of the Nothofagidites matauraensis Assemblage Zone, but the high percentage of Haloragacidites harrisii suggests a late Eocene (Ar) age rather than early Oligocene (eLwh) (Pocknall 1985).…”

“…Dominance of the Spiniferites group has previously been used to indicate inner to outer neritic watermasses (Brinkhuis 1994), but the low number of Impagidinium forms suggests conditions were not fully open oceanic (Brinkhuis 1994). Land was probably not far away, as miospores are moderately abundant, and a probable specimen of Deflandrea phosphoritica may indicate deposition in a coastal nearshore environment (Pocknall 1985). Miospore assemblages suggest that onshore vegetation was not significantly different to that of the late Eocene.…”

The monocot fossil pollen record of New Zealand and its implications for palaeoclimates and environments

“…& G.Forst. was illustrated by Pocknall (). The climate at the time was regarded as cool to warm temperate and humid.…”