Sprecher
Beschreibung
The Aptian–Albian transition (c. 113 Ma) represents a major upheaval in global vegetation with the rapid distribution and diversification of angiosperms. In southern England, this interval is represented by the Lower Greensand Group (c. 119-112 Ma), a series of shoreline/nearshore deposits derived from the London-Brabant landmass – the youngest and last truly known terrestrial sediments derived from Mesozoic Britain. Previous work has provided foundational taxonomic context as well as an overview of the broad nature of the vegetation. Following this, we quantitatively examine the taxonomic composition of pollen and spores from outcrop and borehole samples from southern England to expand on our knowledge of mid-Cretaceous sporomorph assemblages in this area. In this poster, we outline our preliminary results with an overview of the taxonomic composition and evaluation of the regional presence of angiosperm pollen during this time. Through harmonising the taxonomic classification of Aptian–Albian pollen and spore in different geographical regions, we aim to integrate our findings into the reconstructions of large-scale patterns of plant biodiversity, such as the latitudinal diversity gradient, to understand how angiosperms became core components of global ecosystems.