• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2015

In order to understand the broad outline and palaeobotanical significances, the fossil woods from the Korean Peninsula were integrated through the literature surveys. Types and diversity of them are gradually increasing from Mesozoic to Cenozoic, especially increased sharply in Cenozoic. During the Early Mesozoic, six conifer taxa belonging to four genera were described, which corresponds to about 6% of the Daedong flora. Those of the Late Mesozoic are all conifers, consisting of fifteen taxa belonging to seven genera, which corresponds to about 29% of the Nakdong flora. During the Neogene, thirty four taxa belong to sixteen families were described. Those woods mostly consist of dicotyledon and have the greatest diversity compared to other geologic eras, which corresponds to about 83% of the Janggi flora. It is inferred that such a rapid increase of the silicified wood fossils in Neogene are due to the abundant presence of dicotyledon in floral composition and of pyroclastic rocks in strata, which are appropriate for preserving wood as fossils.