A quantitative palynostratigraphy of the Miocene Manuherikia Group, New Zealand

A quantitative palynostratigraphy is presented for the Manuherikia Group, New Zealand Six stratigraphic sections were studied from the northern Manuherikia basin where the relative proportions of six pollen taxa were compared Nothofagus ‘brassu type’, Nothofagus ‘fusca type’, Casuannaceae, Myrtaceae, Arecaceae, Asteraceae, and Chenopodiaceae A consistent order of dominance is apparent and zone boundaries are erected based on dominance of the latter five taxa over that of Nothofagus ‘brassu type’ Four new zones are proposed the Nothofagus ‘brassu type’ Zone, the Arecaceae‐Myrtaceae Zone, the Casuannaceae Zone, and the Asteraceae‐Chenopodiaceae Zone The latter is essentially a redefinition of the Chenopodipolhs chenopodiaceoides Zone of Mildenhall and Pocknall Correlation with the International time scale is attempted the N ‘brassu type’ Zone is Early Miocene, while the base of the Casuannaceae Zone or the Asteraceae‐Chenopodiaceae Zone may correlate with major global cooling recognised at approximately 14 Ma

Keywords:

• biostratigraphy
• climate change
• Manuhenkia Group
• Miocene
• palynology

Notes

Department of Botany, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia

14 Jubilee Street, Dunedin, New Zealand