No abstract

Thirteen fossil mosses belonging to eight genera were extracted from a woody sapropel found in the upper Beaufort Formation, northwestern Banks Island, Western Canadian Arctic. All belong to extant species.On the basis of the enclosing strata, moss fossils, and associated organic remains it is concluded that the sediments were deposited in a small, shallow body of water, in which lake sedimentation was both preceded and terminated by alluvial sedimentation.

No abstract

Peats and woody-detrital deposits at two localities close to the Barnes Ice Cap at approximately 70°N contain insect faunas and mosses that indicate that these sites were situated close to tree line during the period of deposition. Modern tree line occurs some 1325 km (820 mi) to the south and southwest of these sites. Attempts to provide numeric ages based on the U-series of woody fragments were not successful. Although it has been assumed in the past that these peats were laid down during the last interglaciation, the inferred paleoclimatic conditions based on the insect faunas and plant remains suggest a substantially older (possible late Tertiary to mid Quaternary) age. The Flitaway and Isortoq sites probably had an annual average temperature at the time of deposition which was between −8 and −9 °C, i.e., about 4 – 5 °C warmer than today. Such information is important to calibrate and check global climatic models that predict substantial high-latitude greenhouse-gas warming.

The paper lists 123 species of vascular plants from several areas hitherto not investigated botanically: Masik River Valley, Banks Island; Eglinton Island; Fitzwilliam Owen Island; and Good Friday Bay, Axel Heiberg Island. Also, collections are listed from Meighen Island and from the vicinity of Eureka, Axel Heiberg Island, both areas where botanical work has been carried out earlier.