Late Quaternary environmental changes in the Lagoa da Curuca region (eastern Amazonia, Brazil) and evidence of Podocarpus in the Amazon lowland

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetational and climate dynamics and human impac t of the eastern Amazon rain forest in the coastal region of eastern Para S tate in northern Brazil have been studied in two sedimentary records from L agoa da Curuca. Seven radiocarbon dates provide the chronology for two poll en and charcoal records starting from 11,700 and 9440 uncal B.P. to present . Dense and high diverse terra firme Amazon rain forest in the coastal area shows that there was no savanna during the Late-glacial period. The occurr ence of Podocarpus trees in the coastal region during the Late-glacial indi cate wet and markedly colder conditions at that time. A possible habitat fo r Pleistocene populations of Podocarpus trees which are now also evident fr om several other Amazon regions is discussed. There were no rain forest fir es between 11,700 and 10,840 uncal B.P. The increase of charcoal particles in the lake deposits after this period suggest an early Amerindian occupati on of the coastal region.