SINO-INDIAN BIOGEOGRAPHIC AFFINITIES AS INDICATED BY A TROPICAL RAINFOREST OF THE MIDDLE MIOCENE OF FUJIAN (SE CHINA)

The middle Miocene Fotan flora is well known for the occurrence of Dipterocarpus fossils. A tropical flora is, therefore, assigned to this site. However, this view has been challenged. In this study, we describe new tropical and subtropical elements of this flora occurring along with Dipterocarpus. The present study reports fossils newly collected. The materials come from the middle Miocene Fotan group of the Zhangpu area, South Fujian, China. The fossil leaves are identified by comparison to living plants. This palaeoflora is compared with Chinese and Indian Neogene floras. Six new species belonging to six different families are described; they belong to the following genera: Artocarpus (Moraceae), Bauhinia (Leguminosae), Boehmeria (Urticaceae), Calophyllum (Calophyllaceae), Flacourtia (Salicaeae), and Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae). These species are the first fossil records of these genera in China, with the exception of Bauhinia. These elements confirm the presence of a tropical rainforest in South Fujian during the middle Miocene. They show more affinities with Indian palaeofloras than with other Chinese paleofloras. During the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, the border between the tropical and subtropical vegetation moved north to South Fujian. The Fotan palaeoflora is the first record of Miocene floristic affinities between Indian and South Chinese floras. The southwestern Chinese Miocene palaeofloras have a different floristic composition without clear Indian affinities. The link between the Indian and South Chinese palaeoflora was established through South-East Asia.