Late Miocene vegetation and climate of the La Cerdanya Basin (eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

Abstract

The Tortonian and early Messinian levels of the La Cerdanya intramontane basin (Province of Lleida, eastern Pyrenees, Catalonia, Spain) are here studied from a palaeoecological perspective. Based on the palynological and macrofloristic assemblages of the Sansor and Sanavastre Mines (Puigcerdà Sub-basin), and the surface outcrops of the Bellver Sub-basin, a mixed forest of broadleaved deciduous trees (e.g., Quercus hispanica, Fagus gussonii, Tilia vidali, Carpinus spp. and Acer spp.), conifers (e.g., Pinus palaeostrobus, Cryptomeria anglica, Abies saportana, Cathaya spp. and Picea spp.), some laurophyllous plants (e.g., Daphnogene polymorpha), and a few palaeotropical elements (e.g., members of Sapotaceae and Araliaceae) made up the forested landscapes of the La Cerdanya Basin during both periods. These landscapes were floristically similar to others of the Mediterranean late Miocene (e.g., those of the Likudi-Vegora complex of Greece and Italy). The importance of the mesohygrophilous elements and conifer taxa renders the La Cerdanya Basin of special interest in the Iberian late Miocene context. The coexistence approach (CA) method provided intervals for seven palaeoclimatic parameters for the Tortonian palynological and macrofloral datasets. The palaeoclimate was warm and humid, with marked seasonality and absence of dry season during the warmest period. Precipitations were similar than today but this palaeoclimate was warmer. Comparing the palaeoclimatic data for Tortonian and early Messinian levels from La Cerdanya Basin, only slight differences, mainly for temperature values, are observed. In general, the obtained palaeoclimatic values match well with those from the late Miocene of Central Europe.