Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-fwgfc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T21:26:50.188Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Paleobotany of Wisconsinan Interstadials, Eastern Great Lakes Region, North America1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Albert A. Berti
Albert A. Berti*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario and Department of Geology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study concerns the pollen and plant macrofossils from Mid-Wisconsinan Interstadial sites within the Wisconsinan ice margin in eastern North America. The time period covered is from about 55,000 years BP to 22,500 years BP, an interval much longer than the postglacial. Sediments examined are principally those of large lakes deposited in the Erie and Ontario basins during intervals of ice retreat.

The Port Talbot I Interval (from about 55,000 to 50,000 years BP) in the Erie basin is characterized by pollen assemblages alternating from Pinus-dominated zones to ones with abundant Pinus, Quercus, and nonarboreal pollen. These assemblages are interpreted as indicating relatively warm and dry conditions. Mean July temperatures fluctuated between 15 and 21°C.

During the succeeding Port Talbot II Interval and Plum Point Interstadial, in both the Erie and Ontario basins, pollen assemblages are characterized by dominant Pinus and Picea. Characteristic macrofossils include needles of the boreal Picea and Larix and leaves of species with a more northerly distribution, such as Dryas integrifolia, Betula glandulosa var. glandulosa, Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum, and Salix herbacea. These fossil assemblages are interpreted as indicating cooler and moister conditions in a forest-tundra environment. Mean July temperatures fluctuated between 10 and 15°C during the Port Talbot II Interval and Plum Point Interstadial.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , December 1975 , pp. 591 - 619
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

Contribution No. 334, Department of Geology, University of Western Ontario.

References

Anderson, T.W., Terasmae, J., (1966). Palynological Study of Bottom Sediments in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. University of Michigan, Great Lakes Research Division 164–168Publication 15.Google Scholar
Argus, G.W., Davis, M.B., (1962). Macrofossils from a late-glacial deposit at Cambridge, Massachusetts. American Midland Naturalist 67, 106–117.Google Scholar
Baldwin, W.K.W., (1958). Plants of the Clay Belt of Northern Ontario and Quebec. National Museum CanadaBulletin 156.Google Scholar
Bartley, D.D., (1967). Pollen analysis of surface samples of vegetation from arctic Quebec. Pollen et Spores 9, 101–105.Google Scholar
Berti, A.A., (1971). Palynology and Stratigraphy of the Mid-Wisconsin in the Eastern Great Lakes Region, North America. Ph.D. thesis University of Western Ontario London, Ontario.Google Scholar
Berti, A.A., (1975). Pollen and seed analysis of the Titusville section (Mid-Wisconsinan), Titusville, Pennsylvania. Canadian Journal Earth Science 12, 1675–1684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braun, E.L., (1967). Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America. Hafner New York.Google Scholar
Brown, D.M., McKay, G.A., Chapman, L.J., (1968). Climate of Southern Ontario. Canada Department Transport, Meterological Branch Toronto.Google Scholar
Canada Department of Transport(1967). Climatic Maps. .Google Scholar
Coope, G.R., (1968). Insect remains from silts below till at Garfield Heights (Cleveland), Ohio. Geological Society American Bulletin 79, 753–756.Google Scholar
Craig, A.J., (1969). Vegetational history of Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Geological Society America, Special Paper 123, 283–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, M.B., (1967). Late-glacial climate in northern United States; a comparison of New England and the Great Lakes region. Cushing, E.J., Wright, H.E. Jr., Quaternary Paleoecology Yale University Press New Haven, Conn 11–43.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., (1958). Wisconsin stratigraphy at Port Talbot on the north shore of Lake Erie, Ontario. Ohio Journal of Science 58, 65–84.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., (1969). Late-Pleistocene lakes in the Ontario and Erie basins. University of Michigan, Proceedings 12th Conference Great Lakes Research 170–180.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., (1971). The last ice age in the eastern Great lakes region, North America. VIII Congress INQUA, Paris 1, 69–75.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., Goldthwait, R.P., (1973). Wisconsin Glaciation in the Huron, Erie, and Ontario Lobes. Geological Society America 71–106Memoir 136.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., Karrow, P.F., (1972). Glacial history of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region, the classification of the Wisconsin(an) Stage, and its correlatives. 24th International Geological Congress Montreal, 19725–15Section 12.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., Terasmae, J., (1958). Stratigraphy of Wisconsin glacial deposits of Toronto area, Canada. Geological Association Canada, Proceedings 10, 119–136.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., Terasmae, J., McKenzie, G.D., (1966). The Port Talbot Interstade of the Wisconsin glaciation. Canadian Journal Earth Science 3, 305–325.Google Scholar
Dreimanis, A., Vogel, J.C., (1965). Reevaluation of the length of the Port Talbot interstadial in the Lake Erie region, Canada. Radiocarbon and Tritium Dating. Proceedings 6th International Carbon-14 Dating Conference 720–729Paper 71.Google Scholar
Faegri, K., Iverson, J., (1964). Textbook of Pollen Analysis. Hafner New York.Google Scholar
Gleason, H.A., Cronquist, A., (1963). Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Van Nostrand Princeton, N.J.Google Scholar
Goldthwait, R.P., Dreimanis, A., Forsyth, J.L., Karrow, P.F., White, G.W., (1965). Pleistocene deposits of the Erie lobe. Wright, H.E. Jr., Frey, D.G., The Quaternary of the United States Princeton Univ. Press Princeton, N.J 85–97.Google Scholar
Grüger, E., (1972). Late Quaternary vegetation development in south-central Illinois. Quaternary Research 2, 217–231.Google Scholar
Hammen, T., van der, , Wijmstra, T.A., Zagwijn, W.H., (1971). The floral record of the Late Cenozoic of Europe. Turekian, K.K., The Late Cenozoic Glacial Ages Yale Univ. Press New Haven, Conn 391–424.Google Scholar
Hare, F.K., (1954). The boreal conifer zone. Geographical Studies 1, 4–18.Google Scholar
Hobson, G.D., Terasmae, J., (1969). Pleistocene Geology of the Buried St. Davids Gorge, Niagara Falls, Ontario; Geophysical and Palynological Studies. Geological Survey of CanadaPaper 68-17.Google Scholar
Hough, J.L., (1958). Geology of the Great Lakes. Univ. of Illinois Press Urbana.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., (1967). Pleistocene Geology of the Scarborough Area. Ontario Department MinesGeological Report 46.Google Scholar
Karrow, P.F., (1969). Stratigraphic studies in the Toronto Pleistocene. Geological Association of Canada, Proceedings 20, 4–16.Google Scholar
Kind, N.V., (1972). Late Quaternary climatic changes and glacial events in the Old and New World: radiocarbon chronology. 24th International Geological Congress Montreal, 197255–61Section 12.Google Scholar
King, J.E., Kapp, R.O., (1963). Modern pollen rain studies in eastern Ontario. Canadian Journal Botany 41, 243–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LaRoi, G.H., (1967). Ecological studies in the boreal spruce-fir forests of the North American taiga. I. Analysis of the vascular flora. Ecological Monographs 37, 229–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, C.F.M., (1969). Late Quaternary history of lake levels in the Huron and Erie basins. Proceedings 12th Conference Great Lakes Research International Association Great Lakes Research 250–270.Google Scholar
Lewis, C.F.M., Anderson, T.W., Berti, A.A., (1966). Geological and palynological studies of early Lake Erie deposits. Proceedings 9th Conference Great Lakes Research. Great Lakes Research Division, Publication 15 176–191.Google Scholar
Lichti-Federovich, S., Ritchie, J.C., (1968). Recent pollen assemblages from the western interior of Canada. Review Paleobotany Palynology 7, 297–344.Google Scholar
Lowden, J.A., Blake, W. Jr., (1970). Geological Survey of Canada radiocarbon dates IX. Radiocarbon 12, 46–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowden, J.A., Robertson, I.M., Blake, W. Jr., (1971). Geological Survey of Canada radiocarbon dates XI. Radiocarbon 13, 255–324.Google Scholar
Maycock, P.F., (1963). The phytosociology of the deciduous forests of extreme southern Ontario. Canadian Journal Botany 41, 379–438.Google Scholar
McAndrews, J.H., (1972). Pollen analyses of the sediments of Lake Ontario. 24th International Geological Congress Montreal, 1972223–227Section 8.Google Scholar
McAndrews, J.H., (1973). Pollen analysis of the sediments of the Great Lakes of North America. Proceedings 3rd International Conference Palynology Novosibirsk, 1971Palynology of the Holocene and Marine Palynology 76–80.Google Scholar
McAndrews, J.H., Power, D.M., (1973). Palynology of the Great Lakes; the surface sediments of Lake Ontario. Canadian Journal Earth Science 10, 777–792.Google Scholar
Miller, N.G., Benninghoff, W.S., (1969). Plant fossils from a Cary-Port Huron Interstade deposit and their paleoecological interpretation. Geological Society America, Special Paper 123 225–248.Google Scholar
Mörner, N.-A., (1971). The Plum Point Interstadial; age, climate and subdivision. Canadian Journal Earth Science 8, 1423–1431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mörner, N.-A., Dreimanis, A., (1973). The Erie Interstade. Geological Society America, Memoir 136 107–134.Google Scholar
Porsild, A.E., (1958). Geographical distribution of some elements in the flora of Canada. Canada Department Mines and Technical Surveys, Geographical Branch. Geographical Bulletin 11, 57–77.Google Scholar
Porsild, A.E., (1964). 2nd ed. Illustrated Flora of Canadian Arctic Archipelago National Museum CanadaBulletin 146.Google Scholar
Porsild, A.E., (1966). Contributions to the flora of southwestern Yukon Territory. National Museum Canada, Bulletin 216, 1–86.Google Scholar
Prest, V.K., (1970). Quaternary geology. Douglas, R.J.W., Geology and Economic Minerals of Canada. Geological Survey Canada, Economic Geology Report 1 675–764.Google Scholar
Quigley, R.M., Dreimanis, A., (1972). Weathered interstadial green clay at Port Talbot, Ontario. Canadian Journal Earth Science 9, 991–1000.Google Scholar
Raukas, A.V., Serebryanny, L.R., (1972). On the Late Pleistocene chronology of the Russian Platform, with special reference to continental glaciation. 24th International Geological Congress Montreal, 197297–102Section 12.Google Scholar
Ritchie, J.C., (1960). The vegetation of northern Manitoba. V. Establishing the major zonation. Arctic 13, 211–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ritchie, J.C., (1972). Pollen analysis of Late Quaternary sediments from the arctic treeline of the Mackenzie River Delta region, North-west Territories. Kerfoot, D.E., Mackenzie Delta Area. 22nd International Geographical Congress, Montreal 29–50.Google Scholar
Rowe, J.S., (1972). Forest Regions of Canada. Canada Department of the Environment, Canada Forestry ServicePub. No. 1300.Google Scholar
Scoggan, H.J., (1957). Flora of Manitoba. National Museum CanadaBulletin 140.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., (1969). Yale natural radiocarbon measurements IX. Radiocarbon 11, 545–658.Google Scholar
Terasmae, J., Karrow, P.F., Dreimanis, A., (1972). Quaternary Stratigraphy and Geomorphology of the Eastern Great Lakes Region of Southern Ontario. 24th International Geological Congress Montreal, 1972Guidebook for Field Excursion A42 .Google Scholar
Terasmae, J., Mott, R.J., (1964). Pollen deposition in lakes and bogs near Ottawa, Canada. Canadian Journal Botany 42, 1355–1363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terasmae, J., Mott, R.J., (1965). Modern pollen deposition in the Nichicun Lake area, Quebec. Canadian Journal Botany 43, 393–404.Google Scholar
Totten, S.M., (1971). The occurrence of beetle remains in Pleistocene deposits, east-central United States. (abs). Geological Society America, Abstracts with Programs, 1971 Annual Meetings 733–734.Google Scholar
Vogel, J.C., Waterbolk, H.T., (1972). Groningen radiocarbon dates X. Radiocarbon 14, 6–110.Google Scholar
Watts, W.A., (1967). Late-glacial plant macrofossils from Minnesota. Cushing, E.J., Wright, H.E. Jr., Quaternary Paleoecology Yale Univ. Press New Haven, Conn 89–97.Google Scholar
Watts, W.A., (1970). The full-glacial vegetation of northwestern Georgia. Ecology 51, 17–33.Google Scholar
Watts, W.A., Winter, T.C., (1966). Plant macrofossils from Kirchner Marsh, Minnesota: a paleoecological study. Geological Society America Bulletin 77, 1339–1360.Google Scholar
White, G.W., (1953). Sangamon soil and early Wisconsin loesses at Cleveland, Ohio. American Journal Science 251, 362–368.Google Scholar
White, G.W., (1968). Age and correlation of Pleistocene deposits at Garfield Heights (Cleveland), Ohio. Geological Society America Bulletin 79, 749–756.Google Scholar
White, G.W., Totten, S.M., (1965). Wisconsinan age of the Titusville Till (formerly called “Inner Illinoian”), northwestern Pennsylvania. Science 148, 234–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, G.W., Totten, S.M., Gross, D.L., (1969). Pleistocene Stratigraphy of North-western Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geological SurveyBulletin G-55.Google Scholar
Whitehead, D.R., (1967). Studies of the fullglacial vegetation and climate in southeastern United States. Cushing, E.J., Wright, H.E. Jr., Quaternary Paleoecology Yale Univ. Press New Haven, Conn 237–248.Google Scholar
Willman, H.B., Frye, J.C., (1970). Pleistocene Stratigraphy of Illinois. Illinois Geological SurveyBulletin 94.Google Scholar
Wright, H.E. Jr., (1967). The use of surface samples in Quaternary pollen analysis. Review Palaeobotany and Palynology 2, 321–330.Google Scholar