The Middle Miocene Central European Plant Record Revisited; Widespread Subhumid Sclerophyllous Forests Indicated

Abstract

The Middle Miocene plant record from the wider Central Paratethys region (Central Paratethys, the North Alpine Foredeep, Carpathian Foredeep, the Swabian Alb and southern parts of the Bohemian Massif) was analysed by the Integrated Plant Record (IPR) vegetation analysis to assess major vegetation types. The plant assemblages at 27 sites accumulated under very different sedimentological settings and refl ect heterogeneous environments. Although of very different origin, the plant record delivers a fairly consistent signal towards subhumid sclerophyllous forests (ShSF) as the most likely major zonal vegetation unit for the Langhian/Serravallian. Today, such forests develop under seasonal climate with pronounced seasonal changes in precipitation. The fl oristic characteristics are outlined and the record is compared to that of the preceding and the following Miocene periods.