Northeast South America Research Articles

Climate change effects on the diversity and distribution of soybean true bugs pests.

Climate change and pests are two major factors in the reduction of global soybean yields. The diversity and geographic distribution of soybean true bug pests vary across soybean production areas worldwide, and climate change impacts are different across species and regions. Therefore, we integrated spatial and temporal predictions at the global scale to predict the impact of global warming on the distribution of 84 soybean true bug pests by the maximum entropy niche model (MaxEnt) under present (1970-2000) and future (2041-2060) scenarios. We produced an ensemble projection of the potential distribution of pests and crop production areas to estimate how and where climate warming will augment the threat of soybean true bug pests to soybean production areas. Our results indicated that Southeast North America, Central South America, Europe and East Asia were the regions with the higher richness of soybean true bug and the most vulnerable areas to invasion threats. Climate change would promote the expansion of the distribution range and facilitate pest movement pole wards, affecting more soybean cultivated areas located in mid-latitudes. Moreover, species with different distribution patterns responded differently to climate change in that large-ranged species tended to increase in occupancy over time, whereas small-ranged species tended to decrease. This result indicates that some pests that have not yet become notable may have the chance to develop into serious pests in the future due to the expansion of their geographical range. Our findings highlight that soybean cultivated regions at mid-latitudes would face general infestations from soybean true bug pests under global warming. These results will further facilitate the formulation of adaptation planning to minimize local environmental impacts in the future. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Non-native common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758) in Western Europe: a focus on Central Italy showing evidence of a hot spot of introduction

The common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758), is a robust aquatic turtle native to southeast North America. However, it has also been introduced to other countries through the exotic pet trade, where it has gained popularity due to its distinctive appearance and impressive size. Over the past decade, a considerable number of individuals, abandoned by their owners, have been recorded and captured in Western Europe. Here, we report the first comprehensive summary of records at continental scale, showing that France and Italy represent the countries with the highest number of sightings. In France, exhibition, exchange, or sale events of exotic animals (until 2022 legal; now illegal) have been located near large cities, although records of C. serpentina were significantly higher outside the core of urban areas. We also recorded a significant increase in total number of records at European scale when comparing the periods of 2010-2015 and 2016-2020. Finally, we focused the current study on a peculiar spatial pattern at local scale (Central Italy) near an important site of exhibition and sale events of exotic animals, suggesting the presence of a hot spot of introduction. Popular events may represent critical colonization hubs from where these freshwater turtles can disperse into the surroundings.

Tracking the past: Isotopic paleoecology (δ13C, δ18O) of the Late Pleistocene megafauna from northeast of South America

Fossils from natural tanks can contribute to the paleoenvironmental interpretation of the Brazilian Intertropical Region (BIR), an important study area for the Quaternary in South America. In this paper we present results of δ13C and δ18O for Eremotherium laurillardi (δ13C = −4.6 ‰, δ18O = 33.0 ‰), Toxodon platensis (δ13C = −3.8 ‰, δ18O = 35.5 ‰), and Notiomastodon platensis (δ13C = −2.9 ‰, δ18O = 31.6 ‰) from Zabelê tank, compared to other localities, suggesting that these taxa had a mixed-feeder diet with a higher consumption of C4 plants (pi > 60%), living in a transition zone between woodland savannah and open savannah. The Zabelê tank, northeastern Brazil, presents Optically Stimulated Luminescence ages ranging from 41.2 to 30.4 ky (Lujanian Stage/Age; Late Pleistocene). The origin of the fossiliferous layer through debris flow suggests short periods of intense rainfall under drier climatic conditions. Compared to other locations in the BIR, Zabelê documented a drier climate (δ18O = 31.6–33.4 ‰), which preceded the last glacial maximum. These new isotopic data to OSL ages associated with previous data from the BIR contribute to the understanding of the paleoecology and paleoenvironment dynamics of South America.

Evaluating the Global Distribution and Characteristics of Research Studies Focusing on Swine Farm Biosecurity: A Scoping Review

Despite significant advances in swine biosecurity (BS) over the last decade, BS plans have yet to be broadly adopted on swine farms. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScRs) framework was followed to review the literature, describe the worldwide distribution of publications on swine farm BS, and characterize the research methodologies used. The final data extraction and analysis included 157 publications originating from 48 countries. Several publications (n = 93) used face‐to‐face interviews for data collection. An increase in the adoption of online and multimode approaches was detected after 2009. Many publications (n = 92) focussed on the impact of BS on the incidence of swine diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and African swine fever (ASF). Only 16 studies reported proposing incentives for study participation. Regions with high publication numbers were detected in Western and Southern Europe, Northeast of South America, and East Africa. Areas with low publication numbers were in Eastern Europe, North and Central Africa, Central America, and the Northwest of South America. This study identified the most common study methodologies used to assess swine farm BS. Countries with limited swine BS research studies were identified where future investigations are needed.

Citizen science data reveal regional heterogeneity in phenological response to climate in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus

AbstractRegional populations of geographically widespread species may respond to different environmental factors across the species' range, generating divergent effects of climate change on life‐history phenology. Using thousands of citizen science observations extracted from iNaturalist and associated with corresponding temperature, precipitation, elevation, and daylength information, we examined the drivers of adult mating and of nymphal phenology, development, and group size for populations of the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, in different ecoregions. Research‐grade iNaturalist images were correctly identified 98.3% of the time and yielded more than 3000 observations of nymphal groups and 1000 observations of mating adults spanning 18 years. Mating phenology showed distinct regional patterns, ranging from year‐round mating in California to temporally restricted mating in the Great Lakes Northeastern Coast ecoregion. Relative temperature increases of 1°C for a given daylength expanded the mating season by more than a week in western ecoregions. While increases in relative temperature delayed mating phenology in all ecoregions, greater winter precipitation advanced mating in the California ecoregion. In the eastern ecoregions, nymphal phenology was delayed by increases in summer rainfall but was advanced by relative temperature increases, whereas in western regions, relative temperature increases delayed nymphal phenology. Furthermore, accumulated growing degree days (AGDD) was a poor predictor of developmental progression, as we found a positive but weak correlation between AGDD and age structure only for the Appalachian Southeast North America and the Great Lakes Northern Coast ecoregions. These complex phenological responses of O. fasciatus are just one example of how populations may be differentially susceptible to a diversity of climatic effects; using data across a species' whole distribution is critical for exposing regional variations, especially for species with large, continental‐scale ranges. This study demonstrates the potential of photodocumented biodiversity data to aid in the monitoring of life history, host plant–insect interactions, and climate responsiveness.

Molecular Ecology of Freshwater Turtles and Future directions

The distribution and diversity of turtles now reflect the lengthy and complex evolution of the taxonomy, which represents an old group of tetrapod vertebrates in terms of evolutionary history. Freshwater turtles represent the majority of the 365 species, and they mostly live in tropical and subtropical regions. Emydidae diversity hotspots can be found in Southeast North America, as can Geoemydidae and Trionychidae in the Indo-Malayan area. While Pelomedusidae are mostly found in Africa, Chelidae are primarily found in the Neotropics and Australia. Most species of the genus are endemic to a particular region or even to a single location. The majority of freshwater turtles suffer varied degrees of threat, mostly from habitat changes and collection. With the use of morphological and molecular data, the majority of phylogenetic trees for different turtle species have been generated using DNA techniques and procedures. The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4), cytochrome b (Cyt b), carapacial ridge (CR), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO I) genes of freshwater turtles were sequenced by using universal PCR and long-PCR methods. Along with CR sequences of freshwater turtles, the composition and structure of the control region of diverse species were compared and analysed. Functional domains in the regulatory area, as well as their conserved sequences, were determined based on sequence similarities to other turtles. The mitochondrial regulatory regions and flanking sequences of diverse freshwater turtle species were recovered using Long-PCR and gene-specific primers. To clarify the genetic links between the fresh water turtle species that share the same habitat type, a tree was created based on Cytochrome b sequencing data and the PCR- Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern. Keywords: Complex evolution, Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics, Tetrapod vertebrates

Formation of SDRs-Ocean transition at magma-rich rifted margins: Significance of a mantle seismic reflector at the western Demerara margin

At distal magma-rich rifted margins, seismic reflections several seconds below the ∼10 s TWT expected base of petrological crust for thermally equilibrated lithosphere, are commonly observed. These deep seismic reflectors are often interpreted as the petrological Moho as they distally rise and merge into the imaged oceanic Moho, however, the origin of these deep seismic reflections beneath the expected base of the petrological crust is not understood.We investigate the example of the Jurassic Demerara Plateau located offshore north-east South America, which shows a strong seismic reflection at ∼15 s TWT, beneath 20 km thick SDRs (Seaward Dipping Reflectors). We use combined inversion of gravity and seismic reflection data, together with seismic interpretation, to investigate the depth of the deep reflector, its origin, formation as well as the composition and structure of the overlying material. Results from quantitative techniques show that the deep reflector is located below the SDRs at least 10 km within the mantle at a depth of ∼42 km. These results, together with seismic interpretation, suggest that the deep reflector corresponds to an intra-mantle detachment limiting semi-ductile and sheared magmatic-infiltrated mantle above from depleted ductile asthenospheric mantle below. Distally, the semi-ductile mantle is removed when the asthenospheric mantle focuses to form a stable mid-oceanic ridge. This lateral evolution results from a progressive coupling between the magmatic SDRs above and the asthenospheric mantle below. Therefore, we propose that the intra-mantle detachment, corresponding to a rheological contrast, plays a key role in the transition from distributed lithosphere extension to focused mid-ocean ridge accretion at distal magma-rich rifted margins. In addition, it may represent an indicator to determine the thermal structure of a magma-rich rifted margin.

Two new forest pathogens in Phaeolus (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) on Chinese coniferous trees were confirmed by molecular phylogeny.

Phaeolus schweinitzii (Fr.) Pat. was originally described in Europe and is considered a common forest pathogen on conifers in the Northern Hemisphere. Our molecular phylogeny based on samples from China, Europe, and North America confirms that P. schweinitzii is a species complex, including six taxa. P. schweinitzii sensu stricto has a distribution in Eurasia; the samples from Northeast and Southwest China are distantly related to P. schweinitzii sensu stricto, and two new species are described after morphological, phylogenetic, and geographical analyses. The species growing on Larix, Picea, and Pinus in Northeast China is described as Phaeolus asiae-orientalis. Another species mostly occurring on Pinus yunnanensis in Southwest China is Phaeolus yunnanensis. In addition, three taxa distributed in North America differ from P. schweinitzii sensu stricto. Phaeolus tabulaeformis (Berk.) Pat. is in Southeast North America, “P. schweinitzii-1” in Northeast North America, and “P. schweinitzii-2” in western North America.

Future Changes in Wet and Dry Season Characteristics in CMIP5 and CMIP6 simulations

AbstractClimate change will result in more dry days and longer dry spells, however, the resulting impacts on crop growth depend on the timing of these longer dry spells in the annual cycle. Using an ensemble of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and Phase 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6) simulations, and a range of emission scenarios, here we examine changes in wet and dry spell characteristics under future climate change across the extended tropics in wet and dry seasons separately. Delays in the wet seasons by up to two weeks are projected by 2070-2099 across South America, Southern Africa, West Africa and the Sahel. An increase in both mean and maximum dry spell length during the dry season is found across Central and South America, Southern Africa and Australia, with a reduction in dry season rainfall also found in these regions. Mean dry season dry spell lengths increase by 5-10 days over north-east South America and south-west Africa. However, changes in dry spell length during the wet season are much smaller across the tropics with limited model consensus. Mean dry season maximum temperature increases are found to be up to 3°C higher than mean wet season maximum temperature increases over South America, Southern Africa and parts of Asia. Longer dry spells, fewer wet days, and higher temperatures during the dry season may lead to increasing dry season aridity, and have detrimental consequences for perennial crops.

Seasonal precipitation variability modes over South America associated to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and non‐ENSO components during the 1951–2016 period

AbstractAnomalous seasonal patterns of precipitation variability over South America (SA) associated with El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and non‐ENSO (residual) conditions were assessed during 1951–2016. Patterns were obtained from empirical orthogonal functions analysis of total and residual precipitation seasonal anomalies. In austral spring and summer, precipitation variability is dominated by a dipolar anomaly mode with a centre extending from northwestern to northeastern SA and another in central‐eastern Brazil and part of southeastern SA (SESA) during spring, and a centre in northwestern SA and another extending from northeastern SA to central and eastern Brazil and central SESA, during summer. These modes are associated with ENSO to a greater extent during spring than summer. In summer, there is a strong association of the dipolar precipitation pattern with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on the east coast of Brazil, which indicates local influence. In austral fall, SST anomalies in the tropical South Atlantic relate to precipitation anomalies in northeast SA, and those in the tropical north Atlantic (TNA) to precipitation anomalies in northwestern SA, through the intertropical convergence zone anomalous position modulated by SST anomalies. In this same condition, the ENSO acts only to intensify or weaken the dominant precipitation pattern, depending on its phase, mainly over SESA. In contrast, the second variability mode in fall is characterized by positive SST anomalies in the Indian Ocean and equatorial and southern Atlantic Ocean and negative in the TNA. The importance of ENSO and the Indian Ocean in the characterization of the SST dipole in the tropical Atlantic explains the main changes in precipitation patterns over northeastern Brazil not been discussed in previous studies.

A genetic history of the pre-contact Caribbean.

Humans settled the Caribbean ~6,000 years ago, with ceramic use and intensified agriculture marking a shift from the Archaic to the Ceramic Age ~2,500 years ago1–3. We report genome-wide data from 174 individuals from The Bahamas, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, and Venezuela co-analyzed with published data. Archaic Age Caribbean people derive from a deeply divergent population closest to Central and northern South Americans; contrary to previous work4, we find no support for ancestry contributed by a population related to North Americans. Archaic lineages were >98% replaced by a genetically homogeneous ceramic-using population related to Arawak-speakers from northeast South America who moved through the Lesser Antilles and into the Greater Antilles at least 1,700 years ago, introducing ancestry that is still present. Ancient Caribbean people avoided close kin unions despite limited mate pools reflecting small effective population sizes which we estimate to be a minimum of Ne=500–1500 and a maximum of Ne=1530–8150 on the combined islands of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in the dozens of generations before the analyzed individuals lived. Census sizes are unlikely to be more than ten-fold larger than effective population sizes, so previous estimates of hundreds of thousands of people are too large5–6. Confirming a small, interconnected Ceramic Age population7, we detect 19 pairs of cross-island cousins, close relatives ~75 kilometers apart in Hispaniola, and low genetic differentiation across islands. Genetic continuity across transitions in pottery styles reveals that cultural changes during the Ceramic Age were not driven by migration of genetically-differentiated groups from the mainland but instead reflected interactions within an interconnected Caribbean world1,8.

In celebration of American Pharmacists Month, a look at lives dedicated to pharmacy

In celebration of American Pharmacists Month, a look at lives dedicated to pharmacy

Sociolingüística y etnohistoria de la Orinoquia colombiana, siglos XVII-XIX

Este texto explora aspectos del proceso de incorporación de etnias llaneras y de sus territorios al orden político y sociocultural de la sociedad neogranadina durante los siglos xvii a xix. Destacamos desde los primeros contactos la información proveniente de archivos y fuentes secundarias sobre ubicación de grupos, naciones, tribus y parcialidades. Estos grupos de descendencia local mantuvieron conexiones con otros pueblos de tierras bajas y con pueblos andinos desde antes de la Conquista. Dichos contactos estuvieron motivados por razones económicas y culturales, según se desprende de la revisión de documentos, que arrojan luces para la construcción de un panorama lingüístico actualizado y para la precisión de líneas de dispersión de familias lingüísticas en el nororiente suramericano. Las formas de intercambios comerciales y de alianzas entre grupos de filiaciones lingüísticas diferentes (particularmente arawak y carib) facilitan la comprensión de esa región multilingüe y multiétnica, que se extiende desde el río Orinoco hasta los Andes.

Regional trends of lightning activity in the tropics and subtropics

Based on 18 years of lightning data from 1996 to 2013 detected by optical transient detector (OTD) and lightning imaging sensor (LIS), the variation trend of lightning flash density (LFD) in the tropics and subtropics are investigated. Meteorological parameters from observational and reanalysis datasets are analyzed to understand the causes of LFD trends. The averaged LFD shows no significant trend during the period of analysis in the tropics and subtropics, while the regional LFD trends are significant. LFDs show significant negative linear trends in southeast North America (SENA), central South America (CSA) and eastern Australia (EA), with trend values of −0.26 fl km−2 year−1, −0.17 fl km−2 year−1, and − 0.14 fl km−2 year−1, respectively. At the same time, LFDs increased significantly in northwest South Asia (NWSA), with a trend of 0.24 fl km−2 year−1. Using a multiple linear regression method, the possible causes of LFD trends over these regions are investigated. The negative linear trends in SENA, CSA and EA are more likely due to the decreases of the convective available potential energy (CAPE), which may contribute −0.13 fl km−2 year−1, −0.14 fl km−2 year−1, and − 0.11 fl km−2 year−1 to the LFD trends in these regions, respectively. Increase of aerosol optical depth (AOD) exerts more influence on the increasing of LFD in NWSA, and could explain 0.08 fl km−2 year−1 of the LFD trends.

Tropical rainfall subseasonal-to-seasonal predictability types

Tropical rainfall is mostly convective and its subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) prediction remains challenging. We show that state-of-art model forecast skill 3 + 4 weeks ahead is systematically lower over land than ocean, which is matched by a similar land-ocean contrast in the spatial scales of observed biweekly rainfall anomalies. Regional differences in predictability are then interpreted using observed characteristics of daily rainfall (wet-patch size, mean intensity as well as the strength of local S2S modes of rainfall variation), and classified into six S2S predictability types. Both forecast skill and spatial scales are reduced over the continents, either because daily rainfall patches are small and poorly organized by S2S modes of variation (as over equatorial and northern tropical Africa), or where the daily mean intensity is very high (as over South and SE Asia). Forecast skill and spatial scales are largest where daily rainfall is synchronized by intraseasonal (such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation) as well as interannual ocean-atmosphere modes of variation (such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation), especially over northern Australia and parts of the Maritime Continent, and over parts of eastern, southern Africa and northeast South America. The oceans exhibit the highest skill and largest spatial scales, especially where interannual (central equatorial Pacific) or intraseasonal (central and eastern Tropical Indian Ocean and Western Pacific) variability is largest. These results provide a relevant regional typology of the potential drivers and controls on S2S predictability of tropical rainfall, informing intrinsic limits and possible improvements toward useful S2S climate prediction at regional scale.

Multiple-Proxy Seasonality Indicators: An Integrative Approach to Assess Shell Midden Formations from Late Archaic Shell Rings in the Coastal Southeast North America

Multiple-proxy seasonality studies, in combination with stratigraphic reconstructions, provide data critical to understanding how Late Archaic residents of the Georgia Bight created shell middens. Deposited as large circular rings, these middens in part contain fishes caught year-round, clams and oysters harvested seasonally, and tree nuts gathered in the fall and potentially consumed during other portions of the year. These findings highlight the benefit of applying multiple-proxy seasonality indicators, in conjunction with detailed stratigraphic analyses, to better understand formational histories of shell middens not only in the Georgia Bight, but on coastlines globally. Our multiple-proxy seasonality data also provides a more refined view of Late Archaic occupations of the Georgia Bight as it suggests communities adopted a complex settlement strategy in which populations were dispersed for part of the year, including in small villages, some of which were then used for large-scale gatherings that aggregated populations during the winter and perhaps fall months.

Impact of sulphur dioxide on the terrestrial carbon cycle

In this paper, the earlier results, which were obtained with the climate model developed at the A.M. Obu khov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP RAS CM) and related to the impact of the atmospheric sulphur dioxide on terrestrial carbon cycle, are elucidated. Because of the unavailability of the global data for near surface SO2 concentration, it was reconstructed by using statistical model which was fitted employing the output of the atmospheric chemistry-transport model RAMS-CMAQ. The obtained results are in general agreement with those reported earlier. In particular, the most significant SO2 impact on terrestrial carbon cycle is simulated for south-east North America and for Europe. However, such impact for south-east Asia is markedly weaker in comparison to that reported earlier, which is related to excessive moisture content in the atmosphere of this region.

Trophic state assessment of global inland waters using a MODIS-derived Forel-Ule index

Eutrophication of inland waters is considered a serious global environmental problem. Satellite remote sensing (RS) has been established as an important source of information to determine the trophic state of inland waters through the retrieval of optically active water quality parameters such as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). However, the use of RS techniques for assessment of the trophic state of inland waters on a global scale is hindered by the performance of retrieval algorithms over highly dynamic and complex optical properties that characterize many of these systems. In this study, we developed a new RS approach to assess the trophic state of global inland water bodies based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery and the Forel-Ule index (FUI). First, the FUI was calculated from MODIS data by dividing natural water colour into 21 indices from dark blue to yellowish-brown. Then the relationship between FUI and the trophic state index (TSI) was established based on in-situ measurements and MODIS products. The water-leaving reflectance at 645 nm band was employed to distinguish coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM)-dominated systems in the FUI-based trophic state assessment. Based on the analysis, the FUI-based trophic state assessment method was developed and applied to assess the trophic states of 2058 large inland water bodies (surface area >25 km2) distributed around the world using MODIS data from the austral and boreal summers of 2012. Our results showed that FUI can be retrieved from MODIS with a considerable accuracy (92.5%, R2 = 0.92) by comparing with concurrent in situ measurements over a wide range of lakes, and the overall accuracy of the FUI-based trophic state assessment method is 80.0% (R2 = 0.75) validated by an independent dataset. Of the global large water bodies considered, oligotrophic large lakes were found to be concentrated in plateau regions in central Asia and southern South America, while eutrophic large lakes were concentrated in central Africa, eastern Asia, and mid-northern and southeast North America.

Comment on “A preserved early Ediacaran magmatic arc at the northernmost part of the transversal zone - central domain of the Borborema Province, Northeast of South America”, by B. B. de Brito Neves et al. (2016)

ABSTRACT: The recent proposition for a long-lived (635-580 Ma) magmatic arc in the central portion of the Borborema Province is critically evaluated. Evidence favoring subduction include: low-T, high-P metamorphism; local occurrence of retroeclogites; and the probable participation of juvenile material in the genesis of 630-620 Ma-old plutons. However, several factors argue against the existence of a large ocean separating the Northern and Central subprovinces. First, early Tonian detrital zircons (1.0-0.9 Ga) in the Northern Subprovince indicate derivation from the Central Subprovince, and thus a connection between them until the time of deposition (ca. 660 Ma). Second, the age of peak metamorphism in the Northern Subprovince implies concomitant deformation in the upper and lower plates at 630-610 Ma. Third, 630-620 Ma-old granites have characteristics (e.g., high δO 18 values, low magnetic susceptibility) unlike plutons emplaced in continental active margins. Fourth, 590-580 Ma-old granites are clearly ­syn-transcurrent, i.e., post-collisional. Finally, the Patos shear zone, proposed to be a boundary transform between the two plates, is younger than 570 Ma, and thus cannot represent a suture zone. Therefore, if a magmatic arc existed, it had short duration and was developed at the end of the Cryogenian.

A Cretaceous sporomorph palynozonation and the palaeobiogeography of northern Egypt

ABSTRACTThe multiple biozonal nomenclatures given for the same time segment at different locations in northern Egypt are problematic, as such multiplicity is highly confusing and considerably limits the correlative value of these nomenclatures within the Egyptian territory, in the Elaterates phytogeoprovince and in the Tethyan Realm. Thirty-one wells are selected and used in this work to establish a standard and unified, semi-formal, generalised Egyptian sporomorph palynozonation scheme for northern Egypt. Marker taxa are carefully picked and tracked from the different previously established palynostratigraphies, and they are methodically re-used in the present unified framework on a regular basis, where their first down-hole appearance [last appearance datum (LAD)] palynoevents are utilised to erect a regional palynostratigraphical scheme. Ten sporomorph interval zones (IZ) and two subzones are reconstructed, established and palynologically specified from all of the studied wells. The authors surveyed the palynofloral assemblages characterising different areas of the world in order to derive meaningful palaeobiogeographical implications. Connecting these databases furnishes a comprehensive palynostratigraphical framework for inter-continental correlations with the Egyptian assemblages. In addition, such correlations confirm the dating acquired from the recovered palynological markers and assemblages presented in the current review. Comparisons of coeval assemblages confirm that the extensions and boundary limits of the palaeoprovinces of the recorded sporomorphs exhibited a gradual change and that their areal extent evolved with time. Due to the wide geographical occurrences of the recorded marker taxa during the pre-Albian stages of North and West Africa, western Atlantic and east South America, the proposed sporomorph zones can be confidently applied in these areas. During the Albian–Cenomanian such correlations can be applied only between North and West Africa and east South America.