Arctic region

Arctic region (onshore): New Siberian Islands, Russia and Mackenzie District, Canada.

Academic Project: Biostratigraphy, reconstruction of paleovegetation and paleoclimate in the Arctic region during the late Paleocene – early Eocene.

Palynological analyses were performed on selected samples from the Faddeevsky and Belkovsky (New Siberian Islands, Russia) and Carribou Hills, Coal Mine and Bonet Plume (Mackenzie District, Canada) sections. From the biostratigraphic point of view, the age of sections was established using dinoflagellate cysts and carbon isotope analyses.

Palynoflora shows a relatively high biodiversity, with a very good preservation, and is composed of: (1) megathermic elements (Altingia, Buxus bahamensis type, Citrus, Passifloraceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Leguminosae Mimosoideae); (2) mega-mesothermic taxa (Engelhardia, Distylium, Fothergilla, Hamamelis, Microtropis, Nyssa, Symplocos, Arecaceae, Taxodium type, Sapotaceae, etc.); (3) altitudinal trees (Cathaya, Cedrus, Tsuga, Abies and Picea); (4) herbs (Alisma, Apiaceae, Epilobium, Euphorbia, Hypericum, Menyanthes, Morina, Mercurialis, Potamogeton, etc.) and (5) halophytes (Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Nitraria, etc.).

The presence of Avicennia pollen grains in the Faddeevsky (New Siberian Islands, Russia), Carribou Hills (Mackenzie District, Canada) sections and  indicates, for the first time, the highest latitudinal points ever documented where mangrove developed during the Eocene Thermal Maximum.

Arctic Region :  offshore Mackenzie Delta

Industry Project: High-resolution multi-proxy biostratigraphy (Paleocene – Oligocene).