Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 83. (Budapest 1991)

Kvaček, Z. ; Hably, L.: Notes on the Egerian stratotype flora at Eger (Wind Brickyard), Hungary, Upper Oligocene

of these leaves. The mere large size cannot document the relationship to Magnoliaceae. We have studied well preserved specimens (MM more than 10 specimens, BP 83.294.1 - type ANDREÁNSZKY 1955, 38. pl. 1, f. 4) but have not found good arguments for a generic assignment. VEGETATION AND CLIMATE According to BÁLDI (1973) the deposition of the three flora levels at EW took place in very different environment. In view of the taphonomical studies of recent sediments (e. g. GASTALDO et al. 1989, GASTALDO in press) we think the depositional environment greatly influenced the composition of the assemblages. The Molluscan Clay (the EWL assemblage) was deposited in deep littoral to bathyal environment, i. e. in the sea, deeper than about 100 m. The leaf remains are carbonized, pyritized and occur solitarily. The sorting of the leaf fossils was extreme, only the tough remains have survived the deposition and transport. Thus in the EWL coriaceous (evergreen) elements prevail: Lauraceae, Platanus neptuni, ? Fagaceae gen., cf. Myrica integerrima, and above all Dryophyllum callicomifolium. As additional accessories Pinus, Juglandaceae, Salix vei Populus sp., Ziziphus cf. ziziphoides, "Ficus" latsonoides and "Quercus" cruciata should be added. The species with toothed leaves obviously prevail over the entire-margined ones. The assemblage does not seem to be extremely thermophilous. The best extant forest to compare with appears in the warm temperate to subtropical mixed mesophytic forest of East Asia. In this estimation we are close to ANDREÁNSZKY'S view (ANDREÁNSZKY 1966:127), the vegetation, however, does not correspond to a gallery forest but to mesophytic forests and hence the humidity of climate was not reduced. On the contrary, the total annual precipitation was surely above 1000 mm. The environment of the shallow marine Alternating Clay and Claystone, in which drift levels of the EWM assemblage are interbedded, suggests a far front delta deposits that brought plant detritus from the shore and river banks. The assemblage is dominated by pine remains and Daphnogene together with other Lauraceae, Ulmus pyramidalis, evergreen Fagaceae, Myrica longifolia, cf. Myrica integerrima and accessory Engelhardia and other Juglandaceae, Salix vei Populus, Ziziphus cf. ziziphoides and exceptional Alnus. The pines are common elements of warm temperate and subtropical sea shore vegetation. Ulmus and Daphnogene seem to represent riparian forests. Here again we must expect strong sorting of leaf remains that underwent long-distance transport. The parallel orientation of abundant leaf remains on one bedding plane is a result of the delta regime with occasional increase of current during floods. The mollusc fauna of the uppermost member of the section, the Coarse Sands with clay lenses refer to brackish to freshwater swamp conditions. Indeed, in the EWU assemblage we met with many swampy and riparian plants that dominated the forests around the standings waters. The forest included mostly Alnus, Acer tricuspidatum, Cedrela and masses of "Rhamnus" warthae (as an undergrowth element - ? Rubus). The forests might not be purely deciduous. Thermophile elements Daphnogene, Engelhardia, palms, Sequoia couttsiae, Leguminosae and common accesories as Tetracentron, Ilex, Comptonia dryandroides, Myrica longifolia, "Talauma" egerensis refer to quite equable frostless climate. The riparian forests of warmer zones are today often dominated by deciduous elements (Himalayas, SE China) and thus we cannot attribute