Migration of Fupingopollenites in the Cenozoic: Contribution from Turkish palynoflora and paleoclimatic implications

Fupingopollenites, an extinct plant, has been suggested to belong to a family that originated in eastern Asia, where it was recovered from the early middle Eocene. It developed throughout the Oligocene in eastern Asia, expanding its geographical range and reaching maximum distribution and probably species diversity in the Miocene. In this study, we present the Fupingopollenites occurrences from different regions and ages in Türkiye: the middle-late Eocene transition from the Hatıldağ area (NW Türkiye), the middle-late Eocene transition from the Niğde-Ulukışla area (central Türkiye), the early Oligocene from the Ankara-Şereflikoçhisar area (central Türkiye), the Miocene from the Muğla area (SW Anatolia), and the Pliocene from the Isparta-Şarkikaraağaç area (southern Anatolia). Based on all new findings and published records, we suggest that the migratory route of this plant into Europe is across Türkiye. Furthermore, we can conclude that the suitable palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions for the flourishment of this pollen existed in Türkiye during the Eocene-early Oligocene. According to the numerical climatic estimates, the favorable mean annual temperature and the mean annual prepitation was ∼ 16 °C and 1000–1100 mm respectively. In addition, we suggest that the microclimatic conditions driven by the intense local tectonics in different depositional areas exerted a significant role in the distribution of this plant. In this study, the botanical relationship of Podocarpium podocarpum with Fupingopollenites has not been fully determined. However, it is noteworthy that both plants were identified in the macro- and micro-flora of Muğla and its surroundings in the Middle Miocene.