European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference 2026

The occurrence of plant fossils on oceanic islands has been reported in numerous archipelagoes worldwide, although these records remain typically understudied. This is also the case for the Canary Islands, where palaeobotanical research is still limited. In addition, most of this research has been focused on the fossil localities from Gran Canaria Island, being the plant fossil record from the rest of the archipelago less studied. Here, we present the palaeoflora from seven Middle Pleistocene fossil localities, exceptionally preserved within pyroclastic deposits from the Fasnia Member (Diego Hernández Formation) of the Bandas del Sur region, on Tenerife Island. With this aim, gathering of stratigraphical and taphonomical data and collection, preparation and registration of fossil material were carried out. A total of 441 remains were studied. Next, they were described and compared with current plant individuals. The preliminary results indicate the presence of roots of cf. Phoenix; stems of Euphorbia canariensis L; leaves from cf. Visnea, cf. Sideroxylon, cf. Jasminum, cf. Pistacia; and stems and leaves from cf. Kleinia and Aeonium sp. in anatomical connection. The taphonomical analysis suggests the autochthony or parautochthony of the remains. These data allow us to reconstruct the paleoflora that developed on the south of Tenerife Island during the Middle Pleistocene, which will be useful for understanding the biota's response to environmental changes on mid-latitude oceanic islands.