Fossils of Lepidozamia hopites in southern Australia reveal a cycad very similar to the modern L. hopei. There are also Australian fossils attributed to Bowenia (B. papillosa and B. eocenica) from the Eocene. Bowenia is considered one of the more advanced of the Cycadales, yet here it was in recognizable form sixty million years ago. Fossils attributed to Ceratozamia and Dioon have been discovered in Alaska, and there is even an incidence of Ceratozamia in Switzerland, suggesting that this genus was once present worldwide. A fossil of Encephalartos was discovered in Greece, placing this African genus far to the north of its present day range. Encephalartos-like fossils (E. cretaceus) have also been found in South Dakota and Kansas, and fossilized stems with a polyxylic structure similar to Encephalartos or Cycas have been discovered in Lower Teritary and Paleocene sediments of Argentina. If Encephalartos was also present in North and South America at one time, it's ranges must have been such that it could not survive the Pleistocene glaciations, while the more equatorial range of it's close relative Dioon permitted this genus to maintain it's New World hold. 

Cycas Fujiiana
Japan, Eocene (Paleocene?)

Encephlartos gorceixianus
Greece, Miocene

1. Zamia mississippiensis.
Tennessee, Lower Eocene

3 & 4. Zamia noblei
Puerto Rico & Virgin islands
Upper Eocene or Oligocene

Zamia is also represented in the fossil record of South America. Paleocene fossils attributed to the Zamiaceae consist of an ancient forest deposit in Patagonia (Argentina) at the southern tip of South America. Other Zamia fossils have been discovered in Chile and Argentina, far to the south of present day ranges. Apparently, a rich cycadale flora was present in Argentina before the advent of the Pleistocene glaciers. Eocene fossils suggestive of Zamia intregrifolia, Z. pumila and Z. angustifolia have also been found in Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi, extending the ancient range of Zamia northwards.