The fossil record and phytogeographic history of Rhizophoraceae
红树科植物的化石记录及植物地理史

The fossils of 4 genera of Rhizophoraceae, Rhizophora, Kandelia, Ceriops and Bruguiera, distributed in the strata of Tertiary to Quaternary in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and America: (1) the earliest fossil occurrence of Rhizophora pollen was in the Paleocene strata in India, but few fossils of Rhizophoraceae have been found in Paleocene strata worldwide. (2) In Eocene besides Rhizophora the fossils of Bruguiera, Ceriops and Kandelia occurred consecutively. Rhizophora was dispersed to France in Early Eocene and to Borneo, Senegal, Gabon, Surinam, Panama, Australia and Hungary in Middle-Late Eocene. The fossils of Bruguiera, Palaeobruguiera and Ceriops were mainly discovered in France and England, while the fossils of Kandelia were reported from Alaska. Palaeobruguiera, the primitive form of Bruguira, were also found in Hainan Island of China. (3) Abundant Rhizophoraceae pollens in Oligocene were found in India, Borneo, Nigeria, Senegal, Guiana, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Guinea, Isle of Wight, Leizhou Peninsula and Beibu Bay of China. (4) In Miocene Rhizophoraceae was distributed even wider, including India, Borneo, Burma, Pearl River estuary in China, Nigeria, Senegal, Guiana, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, New Guinea and Pacific Islands. Ceriops was mainly discovered in Guam, Fiji and Pacific Islands of Eniwetok. Bruguiera fossils also distributed in Pacific Islands and Japan. (5) In Pliocene the number of fossils and the distribution area of Rhizophoraceae reduced significantly. It mainly distributed in Borneo, New Guinea, Nigeria, Venezuela, Guatemala, Australia, Leizhou Peninsula and Pearl river estuary of China. (6) In Pleistocene the number of fossils and distribution area of Rhizophoraceae further reduced. It mainly distributed in Niger, Guiana, Surinam, Venezuela, and Leizhou Peninsula, Pearl river estuary, Shenzhen and Hongkong of China. (7) In Holocene, the fossils number and distribution area of Rhizophoraceae were markedly increased. They mainly distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Australia, Niger, Benin, Senegal, Guiana, Surinam, Venezuela and South China. The fossil record of Rhizophoraceae indicated (1) Rhizophoraceae was highly probable originated in the Tethys seacoast from Paleocene through Early Eocene, and rapidly dispersed to Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and America during Middle Eocene; (2) during Oligocene Rhizophoraceae continued to spread in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and America, but it became extinct in Europe since Oligocene; (3) during Miocene Rhizophoraceae became a characteristic taxon across tropical-subtropical seacoast of Asia, Africa, Oceania and America; (4) from Pliocene through Pleistocene Rhizophoraceae reduced markedly, and then began to flourish in Holocene.The distribution pattern and phytogeographic evolution of Rhizophoraceae distribution closely correlated to the continental drift, Quaternary glaciation and global climates changed.