Abstract
Sediments deposited in an early Aranuian lake in a mountain valley contain abundant, well-preserved fossil wood, leaves, and seeds. Radiocarbon dates ranging from 13 300 to 10 800 yr B.P. have been obtained for wood samples. The macrofossil species represented all grow in the region today. By analogy with modern plant communities, the fossil assemblage appears to be drawn from two main kinds of vegetation complex: hillside scrub, with Phyllocladus alpinus a major component; and valley-floor communities, including river floodplain, with Racomitrium lanuginosum abundant and associated grassland with dwarf shrubs (Leucopogon fraseri) and thorn scrub (Discaria toumatou). The scarcity of Podocarpus hallii fossils suggests that the climate was cooler than now. Archeria traversii fossils indicate that precipitation was at least as high as now.
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