Historical Distribution of Metasequoia Referenced to Paleoclimate Factors

Metasequoia Miki 1941 was a prominent element of vegetation distributed in the high latitudes of Northern Hemisphere from the late Early Cretaceous to Miocene. However, at present this genus survived only in some mountain areas of Hubei, Hunan and Chongqing of China as a relict genus. Although the distribution of Metasequoia through geologic time have been studied in detail, the relationship between its distribution and paleoclimates remained unclear. In this paper, the potential migratory routes of Metasequoia are explained on the basis of the its fossil records plotted in the paleoclimate maps. It can be concluded that: 1) the Warm Temperate climate favored to the diffusion of Metasequoia, while the Arid climate curbs its migration; 2) with the global temperature decreased markedly since Pliocene, Metasequoia was forced to migrate to the south, and survived only in South China, under the Warm Temperate climate support. K e y w o r d s : Metasequoia, distribution, paleoclimate factors ., .. Metasequoia . Metasequoia Miki 1941 , . , , . Metasequoia , . Metasequoia Metasequoia .