Riccia spores in Quaternary deposits; fossil evidence from Polish sequences

Abstract

The manuscript presents fossil records of Riccia spores in the Quaternary deposits. They are rarely reported and identified to the species level during routine pollen analysis. In the available sequences 5 species, including R. cavernosa, R. beyrichiana, R. sorocarpa, R. crinita and R. bifurca were noted. The occurrence of spores in fossil records proves the existence of temporary wet habitats characteristic both for natural environments (e.g. temporary dry lake shores or peat bogs) as well as habitats resulting from human activity, e.g. microhabitats in crops and pastures or trench walls. The spores recorded in sequences present an opportunity for discussion of their potential use as proxies in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions