This study concerns a long marine section (DSDP Site 380: Late Miocene to Present) and onshore exposed sections from the Late Miocene and/or Early Pliocene. The main target of this study is to reconstruct vegetation and climate in the North Anatolia and North Aegean region for the last 7 Ma. Two vegetation types were alternately dominant: thermophilous forests and open vegetations including Artemisia steppes. During the Late Miocene, most of the tropical and subtropical plants declined because of the climatic deterioration. However, some of them survived during the Late Pliocene, such as those which constituted coastal swamp forests (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa) or composed deciduous mixed forests with mesothermic trees. Simultaneously, herbaceous assemblages became a prevalent vegetation component despite steppe elements (Artemisia, Ephedra, Hippophae rhamnoides) did not significantly develop. At 2.6 Ma, as a response to the onset of Arctic glaciations, subtropical elements rarefied despite some taxa persisted (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa). In parallel, deciduous mixed forest assemblages composed of mesothermic trees (deciduous Quercus, Betula, Alnus, Liquidambar, Fagus, Carpinus, Tilia, Acer, Ulmus, Zelkova, Carya, Pterocarya) almost disappeared too while steppe environments strongly enlarged. Then, Artemisia steppic phases developed during longer temporal intervals than mesophilous tree phases all along the glacial-interglacial cycles (first with a period of 41 kyrs, then 100 kyrs). Since 1.8 Ma, herbaceous ecosystems including Artemisia steppes still continuously enlarged up today. Such an expansion of Artemisia steppes in the Ponto-Euxinian region was observed at the earliest Pliocene but their earliest settlement in Anatolia seems to have occurred in the Early Miocene. The development of the Artemisa steppes in Anatolia might result from the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Relictuous plants such as Carpinus orientalis, Pterocarya, Liquidambar orientalis, Zelkova persisted up today. This story can be explained by some influence of the Asian monsoon which reinforced as a result from the uplifted Tibetan Plateau.

Cette étude concerne un long enregistrement sédimentaire marin (Site DSDP 380 : Miocène supérieur à Présent) et des affleurements à terre de dépôts marins ou lacustres du Miocène supérieur et(ou) du Pliocène inférieur. L’objectif principal de cette recherche est de reconstruire la végétation et le climat des régions nord-anatolienne et nord-égéenne des 7 derniers Ma. Deux types de végétation y furent alternativement : les forêts de plantes thermophiles et les formations ouvertes incluant les steppes à Artemisia. A la fin du Miocène, la plupart des éléments mégathermes (tropicaux) et mégamésothermies (subtropicaux) avaient régressé en raison des détériorations climatiques. Cependant, certains d'entre eux ont survécu pendant le Pliocène supérieur, notamment ceux qui constituaient des forêts littorals marécageuses (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa) ou participaient à des forêts mixtes avec des arbres décidus mésothermes. Pendant ce temps, les formations ouvertes à herbes sont devenues prédominantes dans la végétation sans que les éléments steppiques (Artemisia, Ephedra, Hippophae rhamnoides) soient très abondants. A 2,6 Ma, sous l’effet des premières glaciations arctiques, les éléments méga-mesothermes se sont très raréfiés malgré la persistance de quelques reliques (Taxodiaceae : probablement Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa). Simultanément, les forêts mixtes à éléments mésothermes (Quercus décidus, Betula, Alnus, Liquidambar, Fagus, Carpinus, Tilia, Acer, Ulmus, Zelkova, Carya, Pterocarya, etc) ont aussi quasiment disparu tandis que les environnements steppiques se développaient fortement. Désormais, tout au long des cycles glaciaire-interglaciaire (d’abord de 41 ka de périodicité puis de 100 ka), les steppes à Artemisia occuperont plus d’espace temporel que les phases arborées. Depuis 1,8 Ma, les environnements à herbes et les steppes à Artemisia n’ont cessé de s’étendre jusqu' à aujourd'hui. Cette expansion des steppes à Artemisia dans la région du Pont-Euxin a été observée au tout début du Pliocène mais leur premier enregistrement en Anatolie date du Miocène inférieur. Le développement de la steppe à Artemisa en Anatolie pourrait résulter du soulèvement du Plateau tibétain. Le maintien dans cette région de plantes thermophiles reliques en situation de refuges (Carpinus orientalis, Pterocarya, Liquidambar orientalis, Zelkova) peut être expliqué par l’influence grandissante de la mousson asiatique dont le renforcement aurait aussi résulté du soulèvement du Plateau tibétain. / This study concerns a long marine section (DSDP Site 380: Late Miocene to Present) and onshore exposed sections from the Late Miocene and/or Early Pliocene. The main target of this study is to reconstruct vegetation and climate in the North Anatolia and North Aegean region for the last 7 Ma. Two vegetation types were alternately dominant: thermophilous forests and open vegetations including Artemisia steppes. During the Late Miocene, most of the tropical and subtropical plants declined because of the climatic deterioration. However, some of them survived during the Late Pliocene, such as those which constituted coastal swamp forests (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa) or composed deciduous mixed forests with mesothermic trees. Simultaneously, herbaceous assemblages became a prevalent vegetation component despite steppe elements (Artemisia, Ephedra, Hippophae rhamnoides) did not significantly develop. At 2.6 Ma, as a response to the onset of Arctic glaciations, subtropical elements rarefied despite some taxa persisted (Glyptostrobus, Engelhardia, Sapotaceae, Nyssa). In parallel, deciduous mixed forest assemblages composed of mesothermic trees (deciduous Quercus, Betula, Alnus, Liquidambar, Fagus, Carpinus, Tilia, Acer, Ulmus, Zelkova, Carya, Pterocarya) almost disappeared too while steppe environments strongly enlarged. Then, Artemisia steppic phases developed during longer temporal intervals than mesophilous tree phases all along the glacial-interglacial cycles (first with a period of 41 kyrs, then 100 kyrs). Since 1.8 Ma, herbaceous ecosystems including Artemisia steppes still continuously enlarged up today. Such an expansion of Artemisia steppes in the Ponto-Euxinian region was observed at the earliest Pliocene but their earliest settlement in Anatolia seems to have occurred in the Early Miocene. The development of the Artemisa steppes in Anatolia might result from the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Relictuous plants such as Carpinus orientalis, Pterocarya, Liquidambar orientalis, Zelkova persisted up today. This story can be explained by some influence of the Asian monsoon which reinforced as a result from the uplifted Tibetan Plateau.