Abstract
The large negative excursion of carbon-isotope composition (δ 13 C) recorded from foraminifera and bulk carbonates indicates a major anomaly in the operation of the global carbon cycle across the Palaeocene-Eocene boundary. Therefore, we sought terrestrial evidence for the transfer of isotopically light carbon ( 12 CO 2 ) from the ocean to the atmosphere by making systematic δ 13 C measurements or well-dated sequences of fossil pollen from NW Europe. The results indicate an atmospheric 12 CO 2 spike of c. 2 % between 58 and 55 Ma coincident with the ocean isotopic anomalies. Pollen spectra from these sequences suggest a marked shift in dominance from mixed mesophytic to paratropical forests synchronous with the terrestrial isotope excursion.
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