Palynological Evidence of Southwestern Gondwana's Prolonged Carboniferous-Permian Glaciation: Towards a Refined Biotic Deglaciation Model

The Late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA) represents one of the most extreme climate transformations in Earth history, transitioning from icehouse to greenhouse conditions. However, the controversial discussion on the termination of glaciation demonstrates the need for a more robust stratigraphic control including climatic palynoevents calibrated by radiometric data. New palynological data from Karoo basins of southwestern Gondwana (South Africa, Mozambique) reveal thick lacustrine deposits of Artinskian age, documenting the final glacial retreat with melt waters supplying broad lowland sinks. The switch from cold to cool-temperate conditions is displayed in the pollen record with the first taeniate bisaccate elements occurring in the Artinskian, clearly marking a change in the upland flora. This prominent floral signature indicates that at least in the southwestern part of Gondwana glaciers still characterized the upland regions during the late Cisuralian. Palynological evidence of a prolonged glaciation also includes marine phytoplankton associations and their response on meltwater influx into marine basins during the late Cisuralian.