The first evidence of paleo-wildfire from the Campanian (Late Cretaceous) of North Africa |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516, Mansoura, Egypt;2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ambiente e Desenvolvimento da UNIVATES (PPGAD/UNIVATES), Centro Universitário Univates, Rua Avelino Tallini, 171, CEP 95.900-000, Lajeado, RS, Brazil;3. Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;1. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales-CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, 1405, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina;2. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires (IGEBA), Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Guiraldes 2620, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina;1. Environmental and Applied Geology Department, The University of Jordan, 11942 Amman, Jordan;2. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516 Mansoura, Egypt;3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ambiente e Desenvolvimento da UNIVATES (PPGAD/UNIVATES), Centro Universitário Univates, Rua Avelino Tallini, 171 – CEP 95.900-000, Lajeado, RS, Brazil;4. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;5. Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstraße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;1. Structural and Functional Plant Diversity Group, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, 14195, Germany;2. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany;3. Science Education Supervision Unit, Education Authority, Al-Bukairiyah, Saudi Arabia;4. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany;5. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt |
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| Abstract: | Although the fossil record of plant macro- and mesofossils, including fossil charcoal, is patchy geographically and temporally, such remains play an important role for the interpretation of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic developments in the continental realm. In Egypt, previous palynological studies on the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) deposits suggested presence of lush subtropical forests, dominated by angiosperms and pteridophytes, which developed under warm and wet climatic conditions. In the present study, the occurrence of paleo-wildfires during the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) is presented for the first time, based on samples from a surface exposure in the vicinity of the Baris Oasis, south Western Desert, Egypt. Macroscopic charcoal was collected and subsequently analyzed under a stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The charred wood remains were identified as belonging to gymnosperms, which were important components of the North African paleoflora during the Cretaceous. These charcoal remains represent the first verified occurrence of paleo-wildfires in Africa during the Campanian. |
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| Keywords: | Charcoal Gymnospermous wood Paleo-wildfire Baris Oasis Western Desert Egypt |
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