A Mediterranean woody species composition from Late Miocene-Early Pliocene deposits of northeastern Turkey with newly described fossil-taxa palaeoclimatically evaluated

Abstract

We describe new fossil woods of Late Miocene – Early Pliocene age from Northeastern Turkey and discuss the woody flora with respect to palaeoclimate and palaeovegetation. Three different wood species, Cedrus anatolica Akkemik, Cistoxylon cistoides Akkemik & Mantz. sp. nov. and Phillyreoxylon phillyreoides Akkemik & Mantz. sp. nov. were identified. Among these fossil angiosperm species, C. cistoides is the only second fossil species of this genus described in the world. P. phillyreoides is the first fossil wood form assigned to Phillyrea L. The wood anatomical features of the described fossil angiosperm species, along with their palaeoclimatic evaluation using vulnerability and mesomorphy ratios and conductive capability sensu Carlquist, showed xeromorphic characteristics similar to the wood features of their modern representatives growing in Mediterranean conditions. The woody plant composition and xeromorphic characteristics of the woods suggest that northeastern Anatolia housed Mediterranean floristic elements in the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene.