Polar Terrestrial Climate During the Coniacian Age (Middle Late Cretaceous)

北坡王子溪组的图卢瓦克舌 科尼亚阶（Coniacian）是阿拉斯加州的一个属，包含科尼亚阶（Coniacian）中纬度最高的植物群（中 晚白垩世）。 初步研究表明，该植物群 可能代表了一个混合针叶林， 被子植物的多样组合。 叶缘分析 被子植物可以提供年平均 温度 温度估计值可以通过以下方式得到支持： 植被地貌分析（ 植被，这是强烈的气候控制）和 化石木材的生长轮特征，特别是如果这些 特征可与下=和上覆的特征进行比较 花卉 因此，图卢瓦克舌的植物群提供了 有机会量化近极地的地球温度， 科尼亚期 因为科尼亚奇可能是一个热的 最大的是在晚白垩世，根据同位素证据， 海洋化石在低纬度地区，这是特别重要的， 了解当时极地地区的气候。 在 此外，还将图卢瓦克植物群与 Albian-Cenomanian Niakogon Tongue（钱德勒组）和 Campanian-Maastrichtian Kogosukruk Tongue（王子溪组） 将有助于确定北极附近的气候变化 同步，在数据的分辨率范围内， 在低纬度地区观察。 收集的信息 Tuluvak舌不仅可以用来帮助建立纬度 温度梯度的Coniacian年龄，但也将完成 近极地气候变化的历史已经确定， 古老和年轻的植物群。

The Tuluvak Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation, North Slope of Alaska, contains the highest-latitude flora of Coniacian (middle Late Cretaceous) age. Preliminary work suggests that the flora probably represents a mixed coniferous forest, and that it contains a diverse assemblage of angiosperms. Leaf-margin analysis of angiosperms can provide quantitative information on mean annual temperature. The temperature estimates can be supported by analysis of the vegetational physiognomy (overall aspect of the vegetation, which is strongly controlled by climate) and of the growth-ring characteristics in fossil wood, particularly if these characteristics can be compared with those of under= and overlying floras. Thus, the flora of the Tuluvak Tongue provides the opportunity to quantify near-polar terrestrial temperatures for the Coniacian Age. Because the Coniacian may have been a thermal maximum in the Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic evidence from marine fossils at lower latitudes, it is particularly important to understand the climate in polar regions for that time. In addition, comparison of the Tuluvak flora with the floras of the Albian-Cenomanian Niakogon Tongue (Chandler Formation) and Campanian-Maastrichtian Kogosukruk Tongue (Prince Creek Formation) will help determine whether climate change near the North Pole was synchronous, within the resolution of the data, with the changes observed at lower latitudes. The information gathered from the Tuluvak Tongue can be used not only to help establish latitudinal temperature gradients for the Coniacian Age, but also will complete the history of near-polar climate change already determined from older and younger floras in the region.