Late Holocene Changes in Vegetation of the Mrągowo Lakeland (NE Poland) as Registered in the Pollen Record from Lake Salęt
Abstract Pollen analysis of sediments from the upper part of bottom deposits from Lake Salęt allowed reconstruction of main stages of the Late Holocene vegetation transformation in the Mrągowo Lake District (from ca. 3600 cal. years BC) and to correlate some of these changes with immigration and economic activity of local human groups. Significant spreading of secondary semi-natural birch forest, development of horn beam forest and increasing importance of anthropogenic open communities were the most characteristic features of vegetation evolution. A definite break down of elm took place between 2900 and 2500 cal. years BC, slightly after increased contribution of birch in wood lands. Disappearance of hazel around 1200 cal. years BC, accompanied by expansion of horn beam has been observed and should be linked with activity of the Ząbie-Szestno type culture and the Lusatian culture tribes during the Bronze Age, but not with a climate change. Considerable intensification of settlement processes recorded in the younger part of the Subatlantic chronozone was one of the important reasons that were responsible for quick changes in forest structure. Strong and continued deforestation started as early as the end of the 10th century AD and was substantially intensified in the first half of the 13th century.
Environmental environmental changes and human activity recorded in the 1 gyttja-type bottom sediments of the Młynek Lake Lake Młynek ( Warmia and Masuria 2 Region , northern Poland ) 3 4
18 19 In the densely forested Warmia and Masuria region (north-eastern Poland) there are many 20 endorreic lakes characterized by small size, and calm slow sedimentation and lack of tributaries, 21 which makes them very good Holocene environmental and paleoclimatic archives. a very good 22 archive of environmental and paleoclimatic data for the Holocene. For this reason., Oone of them 23 the Młynek Lake Młynek, located near the village of Janiki Wielkie, has been selected for multi24 faceted palaeoenvironmental research based on a precise radiocarbon scale. Bottom Ssediments of 25 this reservoir lake also contain unique information about anthropopressionhuman impact of the 26 environementenvironment, because a defensive settlement stronghold (?)has been operating on its 27 northern shore since the early Iron Age to early Medieval period, which gives opportunity to 28 correlate paleoenvironmental data with phases of the human activity in the last 2400 years. 29 Between 3rd – 2nd century BC the lake was surrounded by a dense forest with domination of warm 30 and wet climate conditions. During 3 and 2 century BC in the warm and humid climatic 31
Taphonomy of Isisfordia duncani specimens from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) portion of the Winton Formation, Isisford, central-west Queensland
Taphonomic analysis of fossil material can benefit from including the results of actualistic decay experiments. This is crucial in determining the autochthony or allochthony of fossils of juvenile and adult Isisfordia duncani, a basal eusuchian from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) distal-fluvial-deltaic lower Winton Formation near Isisford. The taphonomic characteristics of the I. duncani fossils were documented using a combination of traditional taphonomic analysis alongside already published actualistic decay data from juvenile Crocodylus porosus carcasses. We found that the I. duncani holotype, paratypes and referred specimens show little signs of weathering and no signs of abrasion. Disarticulated skeletal elements are often found in close proximity to the rest of the otherwise articulated skeleton. The isolated and disarticulated skeletal elements identified, commonly cranial, maxillary and mandibular elements, are typical of lag deposits. The holotype QM F36211 and paratype QM F34642 were classified as autochthonous, and the remaining I. duncani paratypes and referred specimens are parautochthonous. We propose that I. duncani inhabited upper and lower delta plains near the Eromanga Sea in life. Their carcasses were buried in sediment-laden floodwaters in delta plain overbank and distributary channel deposits. Future studies should refer to I. duncani as a brackish water tolerant species.