Wei-Ming Wang

Palynostratigraphy and climatic implications of Neogene deposits in the Himi area of Toyama Prefecture, Central Japan

Abstract A palynological study on the well-outcropped sections in the Himi area of Central Japan yields new evidence of Neogene floral and climatic changes. Five palynostratigraphical zones recognized from the strata show changes in palynofloras from the Middle Miocene to the Pliocene. Major changes in the palynofloras are indicated by the fluctuating occurrence of some elements such as Taxodiaceae, Tsuga , Picea , evergreen Quercus and now-extinct Tertiary types in Japan, reflecting a general trend of climate deterioration from before 13 to 2xa0Ma. This trend is punctuated by the re-expansion of warm-temperate types in the late Middle Miocene (13–9.2xa0Ma), and in part of the Early Pliocene (5.5–4xa0Ma). Our results are largely comparable to pollen data derived from the neighboring areas. The inferred climate is largely consistent with the pattern of Neogene climatic change revealed in marine sediment records of the Ocean Drilling Program and the Deep Sea Drilling Project, implying that the evolution of the Neogene climate in Japan has been primarily consistent with worldwide climatic change since the opening of the Sea of Japan.

Palynological record of Pliocene climate events in North China

Abstract The pollen flora of the Yushe Basin is dominated by Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae, Ulmus and Pinaceae. Carya , Carpinus and Juglans / Pterocarya are represented by lower values, but, being thermophilic, are of ecological significance in the pollen flora. Repeated appearances of the thermophiles along a continuous pollen sequence provide a good opportunity to produce a climate index curve for calibration of some significant temperature variations between 3.2 and 2.0 Ma. Pollen analysis of the Yushe Basin reveals several important Pliocene climate features. There is a temperature-declining trend with cyclic oscillations between about 3.2 and 2.0 Ma. A warm phase is recorded at about 3.05 Ma and a cooling event, at about 2.5 Ma that can be correlated with the marine record. The lengths of oscillations are estimated to be about 40–60 ka, which probably implies some astronomical influence(s) on the ancient climate of North China.

Paleofloristic and paleoclimatic implications of Neogene palynofloras in China

Abstract Paleofloristic and paleoclimatic changes are highlighted through a review on pollen records from the Neogene of China. Four longitudinal development stages of the Neogene pollen floras are recognized with their inferred climates mainly in accordance with the world-wide variations. In addition, Neogene pollen floras also display a distinct regionalization and differential development among different palynofloristic regions. Latitudinal changes in the pollen floras are considered as largely linked with the second episode of the Himalayan movement and the gradual increase in the intensity of the East Asian monsoon besides world-wide variations. Also described are features of these pollen stages and palynofloristic regions.

Climate indexes of phytoliths from Homo erectus' cave deposits in Nanjing

A study on phytoliths and their climate indexes is carried out fromHomo erectus’ cave deposits in Hulu Cave, Nanjing. Evidence shows that phytolith assemblages of the cave deposits are dominated by the cold resistant types with a lower warm index, reflecting an overall cold inclined climate. This possibly connects the cave deposits with glacial climate to a great extent, which is in accordance with the northern fauna revealed by fossil mammals and temperate climate indicated by pollen assemblages. According to the distributional state of the phytoliths and their climate indexes on 4 profiles in the cave, it is revealed that profiles I and II display certain cold/warm, and dry/wet fluctuations; profile HI shows a humid and cold condition with the highest humility in the cave deposits; while profile IV indicates a possible quick accumulating process because of its stable climate indexes except for its bottom and top.

Cathaya (Pinaceae) pollen from Mio-Pliocene sediments in the Himi area, central Japan.

This paper describes the pollen morphology of Cathaya from well-dated Mio-Pliocene sediments in the Himi area of Toyama Prefecture in central Japan. The geological distribution of the genus shows that it was present around the study area and in northern Japan from at least the Middle Miocene to the Early Pleistocene. The genus flourished in the Early Pliocene when the climate was warm, and became extinct in Japan in or after the Early Pleistocene because of climatic deterioration.