B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 30-31. 1999-2000 (Budapest, 2000)

Erdei, Boglárka; Lesiak, Maria: A study of dispersed cuticles, fossil seeds and cones from Sarmatian (Upper Miocene) deposits of Sopron-Piusz puszta (W Hungary)

Sludia bot. hung. 30-31, pp. 5-26, 1999-2000 A STUDY OF DISPERSED CUTICLES, FOSSIL SEEDS AND CONES FROM SARMATIAN (UPPER MIOCENE) DEPOSITS OF SOPRON-PIUSZ PUSZTA (W HUNGARY) B. ERDEI

1 and M. LESIAK

2 'Department of Botany, Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1476 Budapest, Pf. 222, Hungary 2

W. Szafer Botanical Institute, PAN PL-31 512 Krakow, Lubicz str. 46, Poland The flora of Sopron-Piusz puszta (W Hungary) excavated from layers of the upper part of Sarmatian was studied. The flora has provided dispersed cuticles, some seeds and cones, namely, taxa of Taxodiaceae, Pinaceae, Lauraceae, Buxaceae, Magnoliaceae, Rutaceae, Juglandaceae, Loranthaceae. Due to its limited number of specimens and allochthonous mode of fossilization, the flora is not suitable for detailed palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological reconstructions of the strict area, however, it has some important implications. Systematic results are discussed from taphonomical, palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological points of view. Key words: Sarmatian, Gilbert-type delta, coalified plant debris, palaeoccology, palaeoclimatology INTRODUCTION In 1994 layers containing plant fossils of younger Sarmatian age came up during the excavation of the gravel quarry of Sopron-Piusz puszta (Western Hungary) (Fig. 1). Iváncsics Jenő, the chief geologist of the Transdanubian Group of the Geological Survey, called our attention to the presence of the flora. The study of the site began much earlier (in 1996) and some results were published in Hungarian (ERDEI 1996). The presented study completes these results with new findings and aims to assess its palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological implications. The site with its coalified material is a unique one, since, other Sarmatian localities from Hungary are characterised by mostly imprints without any organic matter. It should also be mentioned that Sarmatian sites are situated mostly in northeastern Hungary, whereas, in the western part of the country only Várpalota and Sopron-Piusz puszta are known. The site is situated in the Sopron-Kismarton basin filled with Neogene sediments. The gravel quarry is located near the eastern margin of the basin about 600 m to the west of the Kőhida-fault zone (ROSTA 1993). Studio Botanica Hungarica 30-3J, 1999-2000 Hungarian Natural History Museum