376 HT^^-ER, ARCTIC FOSSIL PLANTS. 



The plants of the black shales of the south side of Noursoak 

 Peninsula have a diiferent character. Nordenskiold has found 

 them at two points (Atane, and on the shore below Atanekerdluk, 

 the well-known Miocene locality). The number of species is 

 about equal to that found in the Lower Cretaceous just referred to; 

 but their type is almost totally different, and it indicates that they 

 belong to the Upper Cretaceous. Sequoia again predominates among 

 the Conifers, and fortunately cones were found as well as twigs. 

 With them were found a Thuitcs and a Salisburea (?). Cycads 

 are much less common than in the Lower Cretaceous beds, only one 

 {Cycadites Dicksoni) having been discovered. Among the Ferns, 

 though these are common (eleven species) only two Gleichenias 

 were found instead of six ; other forms, such as 3Ia?'aitiacecp, 

 Adiantum, and Dictyophyllum, have disappeared. The predo- 

 minant forms are Dicotyledons, of which there are twenty-four, 

 of various genera and species ; many of them have not yet been 

 absolutely determined. But there are three species of Poplar, one 

 Fig (leaves ^w^ Jruits)^ owq Myrica, one Sassafras, onQ Credneriay 

 with two MagnolicB, 



These facts show us that here, as in Central Europe, the 

 Lower Cretaceous Flora consists principally of Ferns, Conifers, 

 and Cycads ; while in the Upper Cretaceous Dicotyledons appear. 

 The climatological changes which produced so important modifica- 

 tions in the types of vegetable life must have been as extensive in 

 high as in lower latitudes. If we examine into the climatic 

 character of the Lower Cretaceous Flora, we find it to be almost 

 tropical, as will be seen from the predominant forms of vegetation. 

 The same is true of the Flora of Wernsdorf in the Northern 

 Carpathians, so that in this respect the Lower Cretaceous Flora 

 resembles the Carboniferous Flora. The comparative rarity of 

 Gleichenias and Cycads, and the disappearance of Marattiace(B, 

 might point to a change of climate for the Upper Cretaceous ; 

 but the presence of Ficus renders this doubtful, so that we cannot 

 decide whether the change of climate occurred during the Cretaceous 

 or the Tertiary period in Greenland ; at all events, the Flora of 

 the former epoch has a more southern character than that of the 

 latter. 



Miocene : Greenland. — Besides these fossils, Nordenskiold has 

 brought over a large series of Miocene Plants from various locali- 

 ties. The most interesting of these are from a deposit, which is 

 separated by beds of basalt, some 2,000 feet thick, from the Lower 

 Miocene plant-bearing strata, and which, though still Miocene, are 

 much later in age. 



[According to the succession of strata, Nordenskiold divides the 

 Miocene plant-bearing formation into three groups : — 



L The lowest (" Upper Atanekerdluk ") consists of sand, sand- 

 stone with shale, coal-seams, and clayironstone. To this belongs 

 the upper portion of the Atanekerdluk section, with its rich fossil 

 flora, Lower Miocene in character. Also found at Iglosungoak and 

 Isungoak on Disco Island. 



II. The middle or " Ifsorisok group " of plant-bearing sand, 

 shale, coal, and brown clayironstone, lying between basalts, tuffs. 



