Abstract
WE have found fossil angiosperm leaves more than 1,000 km further south than any other previously reported. Specimens were obtained in situ by R. W. B. from tuffs in a volcanic sequence in the eastern Elgar Uplands of northern Alexander Island (Fig. 1). Hitherto in Antarctica, angiosperm macrofossils have been reported only from the northern Antarctic Peninsula area in Tertiary sediments on Seymour Island1 and in volcaniclastic sequences on King George Island, South Shetland Islands2,3, although angiosperm microfossils, mainly pollen, have been found in erratics of marine sandstone from the McMurdo Sound area4. The source area of these latter specimens however, is not known, and it is well known that some pollens, including that of Nothofagus, can be transported in detectable quantities over large distances5. No macro plant fossils seem to be associated with the McMurdo Sound pollen.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dusén, P. Wiss. Ergebn. schwed. Südpolarexped. 3, Lief 3 (1908).
Barton, C. M. in Antarctic Geology (ed. Adie, R. J.) 603–8 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1964).
Orlando, H. A. in Antarctic Geology (ed. Adie, R. J.) 629–36 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1964).
Cranwell, L. M., Harrington, H. J. & Speden, I. G. Nature 186, 700–702 (1960).
Darlington, P. J., Jr Biogeography of the Southern End of the World (Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965).
Adie, R. J. in Antarctic Research (ed. Adie, R. J.) 118–62 (Butterworth, London, 1964).
Bell, C. M. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. No. 39, 36–44 (1974).
Bell, C. M. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. No. 32, 75–83 (1973).
Grikurov, G. E. & Dibner, A. F. Dokl. Akad. Nauk. S.S.S.R., Geology 179, 410–412 (1968).
Grikurov, G. E. in Antarktika. Mezhduvedomstvennaya komissiya po izucheniyu Antarktiki 13–42 (Izdatel'stvo Nauka, Moskva, 1971).
Edwards, C. W. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. (in the press).
Grikurov, G. E., Krylov, A. Ya., & Silin, Yu. I. Dokl. Akad. Nauk. S.S.S.R., Geology 172, 168–71 (1967).
Lowrie, W. & Hayes, D. E. Initial Rep. DSDP 28, 869–78 (1975).
Bailey, I. W. & Sinnott, E. W. Science 41, 831–834 (1915).
Drewry, D. J. J. geol. Soc., Lond. 131, 255–273 (1975).
Kemp, E. M. & Barrett, P. J. Nature 258, 507–508 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
THOMSON, M., BURN, R. Angiosperm fossils from latitude 70°S. Nature 269, 139–141 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/269139a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/269139a0
This article is cited by
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.