Pollen record from red clay sequence in the central Loess Plateau between 8.10 and 2.60 Ma

The Late Miocene and Pliocene are the key periods for understanding the origin and development of the present Asian monsoon circulations and ecologic environments. Here we present a pollen record from Chaona Red Clay section located in the central Loess Plateau in attempt to establish the histories of vegetation and associated climate changes between 8.10 and 2.60 Ma. Our results show that Gramineae-dominated woodland-grasslands developed in this region with Cedrus- and Pinus-characterized montane coniferous forests distributing in higher elevations from 8.10 to 6.73 Ma, probably suggesting a semi-humid climate in a warm-temperate zone. A subsequent expansion of Ulmus-dominated deciduous forests and a synchronous increase of Gramineae-dominated grassland reflect a warmer and more humid climate between 6.73 and 5.67 Ma. The vegetation changed to an Artemisia- and Gramineae-characterized steppe in lower elevations and to a coniferous forest in higher elevations from 5.67 to 3.71 Ma, implying probably a warm and semiarid climate in lowland and hill, and a colder and moister climate in mountain. During this period, a considerable warmer and more humid climate occurred between 4.61 and 4.07 Ma as indicated by pollen assemblages. The period between 3.71 and 2.58 Ma was characterized by the disappearance of Cedrus and Tsuga and also by an abrupt expansion of Cupressaceae, reflecting a drastic enhancement of monsoon-related climatic seasonality.