中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园苏涛研究员与合作者，报道了始新世—渐新世过渡时期的植被变化。2024年8月7日，国际知名学术期刊《中国科学：地球科学》发表了这一成果。

研究人员对青藏高原东南缘和欧洲中纬度地区的7个化石产地的9个大型化石组合，范围从最新的Bartonian期和Priabonian期(37.71-33.9 Ma)到Rupelian期(33.9-27.82 Ma)。本研究目的是追溯和比较这两个地区在始新世晚期和渐新世早期的植被历史。

结果表明，两个区域的植被组成都经历了对气候变化的响应，表现为常绿阔叶林百分比减少，一般植被类型变化明显；从始新世晚期的亚热带阔叶林转变为渐新世早期的温带阔叶混合落叶林或中温生混交林的总体植被类型变化。

结果表明，欧洲中纬度地区的叶片结构、叶缘状态和次生脉络类型发生了明显的变化，而青藏高原东南边缘地区的叶片面积则明显减小。他们的数据表明，全球和区域因素在这两个地区的植被形成中都起着关键作用。

据研究人员介绍，始新世—渐新世过渡时期(EOT)标志着一个快速的全球变冷事件，通常被认为是现代冰室世界的开始。受构造活动和古地理环境等多种因素的影响，陆地化石记录显示了动物和植被对这一全球性事件的不同响应。

附：英文原文

Title: Vegetation changes across the Eocene-Oligocene transition: Global signals vs. regional development

Author: Mengxiao WU, Lutz KUNZMANN, Shufeng LI, Vasilis TEODORIDIS, Zhekun ZHOU, Tao SU

Issue&Volume: 2024/08/07

Abstract: The Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) marked a rapid global cooling event, often considered as the beginning of the modern icehouse world. Influenced by various factors, including tectonic activity and paleogeographic settings, the terrestrial records indicate a diverse response of fauna and vegetation to this global event. We examined nine macrofossil assemblages from seven fossil localities on the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and from the mid-latitudinal Europe ranging from the latest Bartonian and Priabonian (37.71–33.9Ma) to the Rupelian (33.9–27.82Ma). Our aims were to trace and compare the vegetation history of both regions in the late Eocene and early Oligocene. The results show that both regions experienced changes in vegetation composition in response to climate change, characterized by a decrease in the percentages of broad-leaved evergreen elements and distinctive changes in general vegetation types. A general change in the overall vegetation type from subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forests in the late Eocene to temperate broad-leaved mixed deciduous evergreen forests, or mixed mesophytic forests, in the early Oligocene is recognized in both regions. The results indicate a clear change in leaf architecture, leaf margin states, and secondary venation types in the mid-latitudinal Europe, while the results from the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau show a distinct reduction in leaf size. Our data suggest that both global and regional factors played key roles in shaping the vegetation in the two regions.

DOI: 10.1007/s11430-023-1335-8

Source: https://www.sciengine.com/SCES/doi/10.1007/s11430-023-1335-8