Reconstructing High-Latitude Cretaceous Vegetation and Climate: Arctic and Antarctic Compared

Abstract

By comparison with Alaska, the Cretaceous record from Antarctica is poor. Several accounts document the occurrence of leaves and wood from the Antarctic Peninsula region, but taxonomic or paleoclimatic interpretations are found to be inadequate. Additionally, problems are found to exist with stratigraphic resolution and paleolatitude. Recent paleogeographic reconstructions are said to place the AP at about 60s, which is outside the region where light constraints are most strongly felt. Thus, it is concluded that southern high latitude Cretaceous climates may have to be interpreted in large part from predictions based on Alaskan work.