| Abstrakt: |
ABSTRACTThe fossil species Monosulcites prominatuswas described from Early Eocene sediments in Canterbury, New Zealand. It resembles the pollen of the mangrove palm Nypa fruticans.Subsequently, the new genus Spinizonocolpiteswas proposed with a type species, S. echinatus, which we consider to be a junior synonym of S. prominatus. However, S. prominatushas not always been recognised as the type species, with many authors deferring to the ‘original’ type, S. echinatus. Some 37 species of Spinizonocolpiteshave been described, though several are undoubtedly synonyms. Many have an affinity to Nypaand the earliest appeared in the Late Cretaceous, especially in northern South America, Africa, India and Borneo. The Indian subcontinent appears to have been the global centre of diversity of Nypa-like species during the Paleocene with a high diversity of Spinizonocolpitesspecies. Nypawas most widespread globally during the Eocene, but the onset of global cooling in the late Middle Eocene resulted in the ultimate range contraction to Northern Australia, the Indonesian Archipelago, the Philippine Islands and China present day. The presence of Nypapollen in sediment samples indicates a mangrove environment of muddy, slow moving tidal estuaries or rivers influenced by fresh and brackish waters. |
