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> Biogeography > Australia  Mistletoes - biogeography  Loranth
history in Australia  How does mistletoe biogeography in
Australia contribute to our understanding of the evolution of
the Australian flora as a whole?  The northward separation of
Australia from Antarctica commenced about 125 million years ago
(Ma), but movement remained slow (4.5 mm/yr) until 55 Ma, when
it increased to 60-70 mm/yr. Narrow land connections between
Australia, Antarctica and South America may have persisted until
40 Ma, and when circumpolar oceanic circulation was initiated,
heat transport from equator to pole was reduced, temperature
gradients increased, and arid conditions started to overtake
Australia from the south. Our unique scleromorphic flora
developed in response to these changes. Thus we can identify a
Gondwanan element in the Australian