Coexistence climate analysis of the late

Eocene Florissant flora, Colorado

Aly BaumgartnerGeoCorps Intern

Herb MeyerPaleontologist Florissant Fossil Beds NM

34.07 ± 0.10 Ma◦ Late Eocene

Lake Florissant Plant fossils

◦ ~140-150 plant species 7 extinct genera, all families extant

◦ Mixed broadleaved deciduous/broadleaved evergreen/ coniferous forest

Insect, vertebrate fossils

Florissant Fossil Beds

Nearest living relative (NLR) Leaf physiognomy/CLAMP Weighted-averaging partial least-squares

regressions (WAPLS)◦ Family and genus levels

MAT range: 10°C -18°C

Previous Paleoclimate Work

(Gregory, 1994a; MacGinitie, 1953, Boyle et al., 2008)

(Zachos et al., 2008)

Florissant Formation

Uses nearest living relative’s recent distribution and climatic requirements

(Mosbrugger and Utescher, 1997; palaeoflora.de)

Coexistence Approach

Which taxa?◦ Only included previously described taxa

identifiable as extant genera Eocene requires generic level (too old for species)

◦ Outlier taxa for any parameter completely removed from analysis

Which parameters?◦ Mean annual temperature (MAT) for comparison

to previous studies

Coexistence Approach

Which databases?◦ Initially, Palaeoflora Database

◦ Subsequently, obtained climate data from alternate sources

Relations Between Climatic Parameters and Distributions of Trees and Shrubs, North America. (Thompson et al., 2000)

Atlas of Woody Plants in China: Distribution and Climate Volume I (Fang et al., 2011)

Coexistence Approach

Pros◦ Can be used on any plant organ◦ Some misidentifications may be eliminated as

outliers

Cons◦ Possible misidentification of fossils◦ Possible incorrect NLR

Extinct genera

◦ Climatic tolerances changed due to evolution Especially older fossils

Coexistence Approach

The Fossils of Florissant by Herbert W. Meyer (Appendix)

Florissant Fossil Database◦ Summary of current

valid taxa Macrofossils and pollen Includes dubious

identifications◦ Fossils from all

stratigraphic units, undifferentiated

Sources

(Meyer, 2003; http://planning.nps.gov/flfo/)

Sources Evolutionary trends and ecological

differentiation in early Cenozoic Fagaceae of western North America

Johannes Bouchal, Reinhard Zetter, Fridgeir Grimsson, and Thomas Denk, 2014

Pollen sample from single stratigraphic unit

(Bouchal et al., 2014)

(Boyle et al., 2008)

Sources Higher taxa as paleoecological and

paleoclimatic indicators: A search for the modern analog of the Florissant fossil flora

Brad Boyle, Herb Meyer, Brian Enquist, Silvia Salas, 2008◦ Taxa evaluated by Estella Leopold, Steven

Manchester and Herb Meyer List of “confidently recorded” plant taxa

◦ Pollen and macrofossils Represent all stratigraphic units,

undifferentiated

Abie

s

Ailanth

us

Burs

era

Cast

anea

Cedre

la

Celt

is

Cerc

oca

rpus

Coti

nus

Cro

ton

Dodonaea

Ela

eagnus

Euco

mm

ia

Hale

sia

Hydra

ngea

Koelr

eute

ria

Lygodiu

m

Moru

s

Osm

anth

us

Part

henoci

ssus

Pic

ea

Pla

tanus

Populu

s

Pro

sopis

Pte

roca

rya

Rhus

Rosa

Salix

Sapin

dus

Sm

ilax

Tabern

aem

onta

na

Torr

eya

Ulm

us

Vit

is

Ziz

iphus

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Cedrela Colubrina Oreopanax

Outlier taxa

Fossils of Florissant: Macrofossil/Pollen

Abies

Ailant

hus

Burse

ra

Casta

nea

Cedre

la

Celtis

Cerco

carp

us

Cotin

us

Dodon

aea

Ephe

dra

Humul

us

Koelre

uter

ia

Malus

Osman

thus

Parth

enoc

issu

s

Pice

a

Plat

anus

Pota

mog

eton

Prun

usRhu

sRos

aSa

lix

Sapi

ndus

Smila

xTi

lia

Ulmus

Ziziph

us

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

CedrelaColubrina

Oreopanax

Outlier taxa

Fossils of Florissant: Macrofossil Taxa

Abies

Ailant

hus

Carya

Cham

aecy

paris

Celtis

Cerco

carp

us

Crata

egus

Dryop

teris

Hydra

ngea

Linde

ra

Morus

Parth

enoc

issu

s

Pice

a

Plat

anus

Pota

mog

eton

Prun

usRhu

sRos

aSa

lix

Sapi

ndus

Smila

xTi

lia

Ulmus

Ziziph

us

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

Fossils of Florissant: Macrofossil No Outliers

14.4-17.6°C

Abies

Acer

Carya

Casta

nea

Croto

n

Cyclo

cary

a

Elae

agnu

s

Ephe

dra

Euco

mm

ia

Fagu

s

Jugl

ans

Koelre

uter

ia

Lygo

dium

Nupha

r

Pice

aPi

nus

Plat

ycar

ya

Popu

lus

Pter

ocar

ya

Querc

usSa

lix

Sam

bucu

s

Sequ

oia

Tabe

rnae

mon

tana

Tsug

a

Vibur

num

Zelko

va

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Fossils of Florissant: Pollen

15.7-19.4°C

Abies

Acer

Alang

ium

Betul

a

Catha

ya

Casta

nea

Carya

Crata

egus

Diosp

yros

Enge

lhar

dia

Ephe

dra

Euco

mm

ia

Frax

inus

Jugl

ans

Litho

carp

us

Pice

aPi

nus

Plat

anus

Salix

Sequ

oia

Spar

gani

um

Tabe

rnae

mon

tana

Tsug

a

Ulmus

Vibur

num

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Bouchal et al.: Pollen

17-19.4°C

Abies

Acer

Ailant

hus

Alnus

Amel

anch

ier

Betul

a

Carya

Cercis

Cerco

carp

us sp.

Cham

aeoc

ypar

is

Crata

egus

Croto

n

Cyclo

cary

a

Elae

agnu

s

Ephe

dra

Euco

mm

ia

Humul

us

Hydra

ngea

Jugl

ans

Koelre

uter

ia

Parth

enoc

issu

s

Pice

aPi

nus

Plat

anus

Plat

ycar

ya

Podo

carp

us

Popu

lus

Prun

us

Pter

ocar

ya

Querc

usRos

a

Rubus

Salix

Sam

bucu

s

Sequ

oia

Smila

x

Tabe

rnae

mon

tana

Torre

ya

Tsug

aViti

s

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

15.7-17.5°C

Boyle et al.: Macrofossil and Pollen

Abies

Acer

Ailant

hus

Amel

anch

ier

Carya

Cercis

Cerco

carp

us

Cham

aeoc

ypar

is

Crata

egus

Ephe

dra

Euco

mm

ia

Humul

us

Hydra

ngea

Jugl

ans

Koelre

uter

ia

Parth

enoc

issu

s

Pice

aPi

nus

Plat

anus

Popu

lus

Prun

us

Pter

ocar

ya

Querc

usRos

a

Rubus

Salix

Sam

bucu

s

Sequ

oia

Smila

x

Torre

yaViti

s

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Boyle et al.: Macrofossil Taxa

10.6-17.5°C

Abies

Acer

Alnus

Betul

a

Carya

Croto

n

Cyclo

cary

a

Elae

agnu

s

Ephe

dra

Euco

mm

ia

Jugl

ans

Koelre

uter

iaPi

cea

Pinu

s

Plat

ycar

ya

Podo

carp

us

Popu

lus

Pter

ocar

ya

Querc

usSa

lix

Sam

bucu

s

Sequ

oia

Tabe

rnae

mon

tana

Tsug

a

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Boyle et al.: Pollen Taxa

15.7-19.4°C

Boyle et al.: Macrofossil Supplemental

Abies

*

Abies

**

Acer*

Acer*

*

Ailant

hus

Amel

anch

ier

Carya

*

Carya

**

Cercis

Cerco

carp

us

Cham

aeoc

ypar

is

Crata

egus

Ephe

dra*

Ephe

dra*

*

Euco

mm

ia**

Humul

us

Hydra

ngea

Jugl

ans

Koelre

uter

ia

Parth

enoc

issu

s

Pice

a*

Pice

a**

Pinu

s*

Plat

anus

Popu

lus

Prun

us

Pter

ocar

ya

Querc

usRos

a

Rubus

Salix

*

Sam

bucu

s

Sequ

oia*

*

Smila

x

Torre

yaViti

s

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

*Atlas of Woody Plants in China **Relations Between Climatic Parameters and Distributions of Trees and Shrubs, North America

10-13.2°C

High-elevation paleo pollen assemblages problematic◦ Likely to have warm, low elevation pollen influx◦ Less likely to have cool, high elevation pollen

influx◦ Taxa such as Ephedra can disperse >1,000 km

Pollen reconstructions tend to be warmer and wetter than those with macrofossils◦ Macrofossil reconstructions preferred

Pollen Problems

(Maher, 1964; Ortu et al., 2006)

Comparisons to previous studies

Supp

lem

enta

l Mac

rofo

ssil

Macro

foss

il (u

sing

FoF)

Polle

n (u

sing

FoF

)

Polle

n (u

sing

Bou

chal

et a

l.)

Macro

foss

il (u

sing

Boyle

et a

l.)

Polle

n (u

sing

Boy

le e

t al.)

Boyle

et a

l. (2

008)

Boyle

et a

l. (2

008)

Leop

old

and

Clay-

Pool

e (2

001)

Axelro

d (1

997)

Grego

ry a

nd M

cInto

sh (1

996)

Grego

ry a

nd M

cInto

sh (1

996)

Grego

ry (1

994a

)

Grego

ry (1

994b

)

Wol

fe (1

994)

Grego

ry a

nd C

hase

(199

2)

Wol

fe (1

992)

Meyer

(198

6/19

92)

MacGin

itie

(195

3)0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Current study

Macrofossils

Pollen

Comparisons to previous studies

Supp

lem

enta

l Mac

rofo

ssil

Macro

foss

il (u

sing

FoF)

Polle

n (u

sing

FoF

)

Polle

n (u

sing

Bou

chal

et a

l.)

Macro

foss

il (u

sing

Boyle

et a

l.)

Polle

n (u

sing

Boy

le e

t al.)

Boyle

et a

l. (2

008)

Boyle

et a

l. (2

008)

Leop

old

and

Clay-

Pool

e (2

001)

Axelro

d (1

997)

Grego

ry a

nd M

cInto

sh (1

996)

Grego

ry a

nd M

cInto

sh (1

996)

Grego

ry (1

994a

)

Grego

ry (1

994b

)

Wol

fe (1

994)

Grego

ry a

nd C

hase

(199

2)

Wol

fe (1

992)

Meyer

(198

6/19

92)

MacGin

itie

(195

3)0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Current study

WAPLSCLAMP/Leaf physiognomy

NLR

Precision and accuracy of climate data matter!

Demonstrated assumed precision 0.1° C inaccurate◦ Palaeoflora Database precision stated ≤ 5°C◦ Important lower limits

All roads lead to Carolina◦ 560/700 taxa at 16° C

Relict taxa◦ Sequoia, Eucommia?

Genus v. species

Coexistence Approach Critique

(Grimm and Denk, 2012)

Why use multiple sources?◦ To combat bias from single sources◦ To include more taxa, narrower climate resolution

What about outliers/taxa not included in analysis?◦ Focused on MAT, fewer outliers

Confidently identified had fewer outliers◦ Many excluded taxa relictual

Larger range in Eocene

Questions and Concerns

Pollen and macrofossil analyses differ◦ Pollen analyses give warmer results◦ At high elevation, macrofossil analyses probably

more accurate

MAT: 10-13.2°C◦ Overlaps with previous macrofossil analyses◦ Cooler than analyses including pollen

Conclusions

David Greenwood for modern climate data and additional resources

GeoCorps America for research opportunity

The National Park Service and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument for resources

Experiment and all my supporters for getting me to GSA

Acknowledgements