The early Miocene angiosperm flora of Akrocheiras in Lesvos Petrified Forest (North Aegean, Greece) - Preliminary results

The pyroclastic rocks of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in the North Aegean comprise one of the early Miocene's most imposing megaflora assemblage. In this area, the new outcrop of Akrocheiras yielded numerous leaf compressions. Based on their macroscopic characteristics, we identified a total of sixteen different taxa, most of them of palaeotropical origin. Dominant species are Daphnogene polymorpha, Pungiphyllum cruciatum and Phoenicites sp., represented by more than 50% of the specimens. Several taxa are new for the Neogene palaeobotanical record of Lesvos Island, such as Laurophyllum sp. 1, Smilax weberi, Celtis japeti, div. Juglandaceae, Ilex miodipyrena, cf. Ilex sp. and Apocynophyllum sp., and provide new floristic data for the area. According to the vegetation analysis, the plant assemblage of Akrocheiras site assigned to lowland/riparian and mesophytic forests on well drained soils. The palaeoclimatic analysis for the new flora revealed a humid warm-temperate climate with seasonal alternations from wetter to drier conditions. The floristic characteristics are outlined, and the record is compared to other ones of the early Miocene period.