Seven decades of Quaternary palynological studies in southern Africa: a historical perspective

Abstract

Quaternary palynology as a discipline evolved historically in northern hemisphere temperate environments where conditions favourable to the preservation of pollen facilitated its application to the reconstruction of vegetation history and, through interpretation, palaeoenvironments. Such studies in Africa started much later and, in southern Africa, were only initiated when E.M. van Zinderen Bakker joined the Department of Botany in what is now known as the University of the Free State in the late 1940s. This paper explores the early work and influence of van Zinderen Bakker and his first PhD student, J.A. (Joey) Coetzee and tracks the course of the emerging science through to the present day. The sustained basis of van Zinderen Bakker's work was pollen analysis and the laboratory quickly developed a substantial pollen reference collection to support the research. Forays into tropical Africa were followed by work on organic sediments in South Africa. The relatively limited occurrence of suitable wetland deposits in the region led to the group exploring opportunities for what were (at least in the 1970s and 1980s) regarded as less ‘conventional’ deposits, including pan sediments, cave sediments and even coprolites. A second Quaternary palaeoecological research centre was developed by the author, initially at Rhodes University, and led to palaeoecological laboratories being established at the University of Cape Town and subsequently at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Meanwhile, at the University of the Witwatersrand, a strong palaeontological and palaeoanthropological research thrust led to the development of related studies there. While typically associated with only small numbers of Masters and PhD students, initiatives at all three of these centres have been associated with an increase in the number and geographical range of studies as well as in the diversity of palaeoecological proxies. The rise in international collaboration together with methodological developments and improvements in temporal resolution have enabled Quaternary palynological studies in the region to play an important role in the understanding of past environments in southern Africa.

Keywords:

• Quaternary palynology
• palaeoecology
• history of science
• South Africa