Spatial and temporal distribution of fossil gymnosperm trees identified in Türkiye

Abstract

Son yıllarda giderek artan fosil çalışmalar, geçmişten günümüze odunsu bitki çeşitliliğinin değişimini ortaya koymakta ve günümüzle karşılaştırma olanağı sunmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’de fosil odunlarla ilgili makalelerde tespit edilen gymnosperm cins ve türlerinin zamansal ve alansal dağılımını irdelemektir. Ülkemizde varlığı tespit edilen en yaşlı gymnospermler Orta Jura döneminden olup üç cinsten ikisi günümüzde temsilcileri bulunmayan Xenoxylon ve Protelicoxylon, biri de günümüzde Güney Yarımkürede temsilcileri olan Agathoxylon fosil cinsleridir. Bu üç fosil cins, Orta Jura döneminde Erzurum-Gümüşhane hattında karasal kıyı şeridinin varlığına da göstermektedir. En yaygın gymnospermler ise Oligo-Miyosen dönemine ait olup bunlar Pinuxylon, Cedrus, Taxodioxylon, Glyptostroboxylon, Cupressinoxylon, Ginkgoxylon, Juniperoxylon ve Podocarpoxylon fosil cinsleridir. Bu cinslerden bazılarının (Pinus, Cedrus, Cupressus, Juniperus) günümüzde temsilcileri bulunurken, diğerlerinin (Glyptosrobus, Taxodium/Sequoia, Ginkgo ve Podocarpus) temsilcileri Türkiye topraklarından uzaklaşmışlardır.

The curious case of Karl Nagalhard and the central European influence on the early studies on the Cenozoic paleobotany in Turkey

“…The leaf morphogenus A. oenigense, which is known from the Eocene to Miocene fossil record of Europe (e.g., Kunzmann and Walther, 2007), would also be the first evidence of this fossil taxon in Turkey, if it was defined correctly. Finally, the putative representation of Cupressinoxylon temporally overlaps with the confirmed Miocene-Pliocene occurrences of this taxon in Turkey (Akkemik and Çelik, 2022).…”

“…The fluvial and lacustrine deposits with lignite beds around Yeniköy were first tentatively dated to Miocene (e.g., Nebert, 1960), then the stratigraphic position was updated to upper Miocene after the evaluation of pollen and ostracod fossils (e.g., Baş, 1986Baş, , 1987. On the other hand, deltaic deposits covering lignite layers in the vicinity of Lake Terkos (Oktay et al, 1992) are slightly older; the deposition around Ağaçlı is considered as Oligo-Miocene in age, based on palynology (Nakoman, 1968;Karlıoğlu et al, 2018) and petrified wood identifications (Akkemik et al, 2019;Akkemik and Çelik, 2022). The plant specimens examined by Nagalhard, however, still possess a limited use in biostratigraphy.…”

“…The plant specimens examined by Nagalhard, however, still possess a limited use in biostratigraphy. Those referred to Pinaceae and Cupressaceae have a wide Cenozoic temporal and spatial distribution in the region (e.g., Velitzelos et al, 2014;Akkemik, 2020;Akkemik and Çelik, 2022), but their representatives mentioned by Nagalhard were the earliest documentation of such taxa in Turkey. Similarly, the diagnosed angiosperm taxa were present throughout the Cenozoic (e.g., Taylor, 1988Taylor, , 1990.…”