Geology and woods of a new fossil forest from the Early Miocene of Gokceada (Turkey)

Abstract

In Gokceada, metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic rocks from the period covering the Paleozoic to the Upper Miocene periods have formed outcrops over time. A newly identified fossil forest site in Gokceada covers an area of approximately 1.5 square kilometers of land situated near the coastline. Silicified trees in the area from the early Miocene period were observed to present three phases of pyrodastic deposition, namely: the complete silicification phase, the half silicification phase and the coal phase. The purpose of this study is to present the paleobiology and paleoecology of the wood flora and the geological formation of the fossil forest site, and to evaluate this information in terms of paleoclimatology. Sixteen (16) petrified pieces of wood thought to have originated from the upper slopes and found on the sea shore were collected, with three planes of thin sections taken horn each one. A total of 12 types of woods were identified, as follows: three (orders (Cupressinoxylon,sequoioxylon and Pinoxylon) and nice angiosperms (alnoxylon,Corpinoxylon, ostryoxylon type1 and 2, Fagoxylon,Quercoxylon sect. ilex, laurinoxylon and plotanoxylon). The wood composition in Gokceada is similar to that of the wood flora of the Miocene in Lesvos, showing the presence of riparian. well-drained lowland and coastal trees.