Origin and Evolution of Tropical Rain Forests

Provides the first comprehensive review of the evolution oftropical rain forests on a continent by continent basis, within anup-to-date tectonic, palaeogeographical and palaeoclimaticframework primarily by reference to the record of fossil pollensand spores.

Although tropical rain forests form the world's most species-richecosystems, their origin and history remain unclear, except on thevery short timescale of the last 40,000 years or so. This booklooks at their history on a long term geological and globaltimescale, commencing with the origin of the angiosperms over 100million years ago which today overwhelmingly dominate the forests.It also establishes the age of the great tropical rain forestblocks and identifies the world s oldest tropical rain forests.Finally, it compares 20th Century tropical rain forest destructionwith prehistoric forest clearance in temperate regions, and looksfor analogues of the present phase of destruction within thegeological record before considering long term implications oftotal rain forest destruction.

The book draws on previously unpublished palynological datagenerated for petroleum companies during the course of hydrocarbonexploration programmes.

It will be of interest to all concerned with tropical rain forests, especially biologists, botanists, ecologists, and students ofevolution. It will be invaluable for postgraduates, and advancedundergraduates, as well as stratigraphers, palaeobotainists, palynologists, and petroleum geologists.