A palynological research was carried out at Le Castella (Calabria), the classical deposit proposed as a Plio/pleistocene boundary type-section. The palynological sequence consisting of about 60 spectra, shown in the diagram (fig. 1), provide a sequence of floristic-vegetational phases. The oldest phase (= “A” zone in diagram) records a wide diffusion of the sub-mountain and mountain vegetation substantiating a somewhat cool-wet climate. The subsequent phase (= “B” zone) shows a continuous presence of forest elements mainly confined to the Pre-Pleistocene, especially Pinus haploxylon, Taxodium and Sciadopitys, together with temperate-warm species common to upper Pliocene and lower Pleistocene. The “C” zone shows climatic deteriorations of continental-steppic type, causing a sharp disappearance of the most typical tertiary elements (like Taxodium, Palmae, cfr. Magnoliaceae, etc.) and a drastic impoverishment of the pliocenic vegetation, which was replaced by the Mediterranean thermophilic-xerophilic flora in the basal vegetation belt and by mountain Conifers in the mountain belt (= “D” zone). Preliminary considerations have been made on some paleobotanic affinities of the floristic-vegetational zones of Le Castella with those of other Italian plio/pleistocenic deposits, particularly with that of Pietrafitta, containing the plio-pleistocenic Tiberian Limit.
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Con il contributo del Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali