(Table 1) Pollen assemblage at DSDP Holes 96-603B and 93-605

The analysis of 104 core-catcher samples from Site 603 resulted in a continuous palynological record from the middle Miocene to early Pleistocene. Two palynological zones could be established (Zone 2, below 380 m: high Pinus, Quercus, and Carya values; Zone 1, above 380 m: high Pinus, and Sphagnum values). The marine pollen record was found to reflect the history of the vegetation of the eastern United States, the flora from Zone 2 indicating a warmer climate than that from Zone 1, which depicts a climatic cooling trend. The onset of Western Boundary Undercurrent deposition had no noticeable effect on the pollen distribution in the marine sediments.