Locomotor adaptations in Plio-Pleistocene large carnivores from the Italian Peninsula: Palaeoecological implications

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Carlo MELORO

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Mammalian carnivores are rarely considered for environmental reconstructions because they are extremely adaptable and their geographic range is usually large. However, the functional morphology of carnivore long bones can be indicative of locomotor behaviour as well as adaptation to specific kind of habitats. Here, different long bone ratios belonging to a subsample of extant large carnivores are used to infer palaeoecology of a comparative sample of Plio-Pleistocene fossils belonging to Italian paleo-communities. A multivariate long bone shape space reveals similarities between extant and fossil carnivores and multiple logistic regression models suggest that specific indices (the brachial and the Mt/F can be applied to predict adaptations to grassland and tropical biomes. These functional indices exhibit also a phylogenetic signal to different degree. The brachial index is a significant predictor of adaptations to tropical biomes when phylogeny is taken into account, while Mt/F is not correlated anymore to habitat adaptations. However, the proportion of grassland-adapted carnivores in Italian paleo-communities exhibits a negative relationship with mean oxygen isotopic values, which are indicative of past climatic oscillations. As climate became more unstable during the Ice Ages, large carnivore guilds from the Italian peninsula were invaded by tropical/closed-adapted species. These species take advantage of the temperate forest cover that was more spread after 1.0 Ma than in the initial phase of the Quaternary (2.0 Ma when the climate was more arid [Current Zoology 57 (3: 269–283, 2011].

Taphonomy and palaeoecology of the late Pleistocene to middle Holocene small mammal succession of El Harhoura 2 cave (Rabat-Témara, Morocco).

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Stoetzel, Emmanuelle; Marion, Lucile; Nespoulet, Roland; El Hajraoui, Mohammed Abdeljalil; Denys, Christiane

2011-01-01

The relationship between local and global climatic variations and the origin and dispersal of Homo sapiens in Africa is complex, and North Africa may have played a major role in these events. In Morocco, very few studies are specifically dedicated to small fossil vertebrates, and neither taphonomic nor palaeoecological studies have been undertaken on these taxa, particularly in archaeological contexts. The late Pleistocene to middle Holocene succession of El Harhoura 2 cave, situated in the region of Témara, yields an exceptionally rich small vertebrate assemblage. We present the results of a first systematic, taphonomic, and palaeoecological study of the small mammals from Levels 1 to 8 of El Harhoura 2. The absence of bone sorting and polishing, as well as the presence of significant traces of digestion indicate that the small mammal bones were accumulated in the cave by predators and that no water transport occurred. Other traces observed on the surface of bones consist mainly of root marks and black traces (micro-organisms or more probably manganese) which affected the majority of the material. The percentage of fragmentation is very high in all stratigraphic levels, and the post-depositional breakage (geologic and anthropogenic phenomena) obscure the original breakage patterns of bones by predators. According to the ecology of the different species present in the levels of El Harhoura 2, and by taking into account possible biases highlighted by the taphonomic analysis, we reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental evolution in the region. For quantitative reconstructions we used two indices: the Taxonomic Habitat Index (THI) and the Gerbillinae/Murinae ratio. Late Pleistocene accumulations were characterised by a succession of humid (Levels 3, 4a, 6, and 8) and arid (Levels 2?, 5, and 7) periods, with more or less open landscapes, ending in an ultimate humid and wooded period during the middle Holocene (Level 1). We discuss particular limits of our results and

Optical dating and palaeoecological investigations of ancient mud-wasp nests: Progress and prospects in rock art chronometry and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, R.G.; Olley, J.M.; Walsh, G.L.; Murray, A.S.; Macphail, M.K.; Bowdery, D.E.; Jones, R.; Naumann, I.D.; Morwood, M.J.

1997-01-01

Full text: The spectacular rock art of northern Australia has long fascinated archaeologists but efforts to probe its probable great antiquity have been largely frustrated. Optical dating has been applied recently to ancient mud-wasp nests in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) being obtained from quartz grains extracted from the nest mud. These nests overlie and in some places underlie rock paintings, thereby providing a means of constraining the ages of specific art motifs, such as Wandjina and Bradshaw paintings. Also incorporated in the nest mud are pollen grains, spores and phytoliths from which a variety of palaeoecological information has been gleaned and which offer the possibility of direct AMS radiocarbon dating. A summary of the Holocene and late Pleistocene chronological and palaeoenvironmental records obtained so far will be presented, and avenues for future investigation will be discussed

The identification of Oligo-Miocene mammalian palaeocommunities from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia and an appraisal of palaeoecological techniques

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Black, Karen H.; Archer, Michael; Hand, Suzanne J.

2017-01-01

Fourteen of the best sampled Oligo-Miocene local faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, north-western Queensland, Australia are analysed using classification and ordination techniques to identify potential mammalian palaeocommunities and palaeocommunity types. Abundance data for these faunas are used, for the first time, in conjunction with presence/absence data. An early Miocene Faunal Zone B and two middle Miocene Faunal Zone C palaeocommunities are recognised, as well as one palaeocommunity type. Change in palaeocommunity structure, between the early Miocene and middle Miocene, may be the result of significant climate change during the Miocene Carbon Isotope Excursion. The complexes of local faunas identified will allow researchers to use novel palaeocommunities in future analyses of Riversleigh’s fossil faunas. The utility of some palaeoecological multivariate indices and techniques is examined. The Dice index is found to outperform other binary similarity/distance coefficients, while the UPGMA algorithm is more useful than neighbour joining. Evidence is equivocal for the usefulness of presence/absence data compared to abundance. PMID:28674663

Palaeoecology and geoarchaeology of the Varna Lake, northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast

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Mariana FILIPOVA-MARINOVA

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The coastal lakes are rich sources of biostratigraphic information that is very useful in palaeoecological reconstructions of climate changes and human impact on the natural vegetation. This information is of great importance for the archaeological descriptions of submerged praehistorical settlements found in the northern Bulgarian Black sea area. There are 4 archaeological sites in this area that have been palynologically studied for the last 30 years: the Durankulak Lake, the Shabla-Ezeretz Lake system, the Lake Bolata, as well as the Varna-Beloslav Lake system. Because of the lack of AMS radiocarbon dates for these sites, it was not possible to correlate adequately all palaeoenvironmental results with the available archaeological chronology.Aimed to receive additional information on the Holocene vegetation dynamics and lake level changes, as well as on the anthropogenic impact during the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age, the high-resolution spore-pollen analysis of AMS dated laminated sediments from a new Core 3 – Varna Lake was combined with analyses of dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, and other non-pollen palynomorphs.The location of the core is close to several sites of submerged praehistorical settlements and the Varna Late Eneolithic (Chalcolithic Necropolis, which is famous with the oldest hand-made gold treasure in the Worlds, and permits the palaeoenvironmental correlations of obtained results with available archaeological and geochronological data. The core is 995 cm long, but its palynologically investigated length is 870 cm. It contains dark grey clay and laminated sediments (varves. Seven samples of sediments were submitted for radiocarbon dating to the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS Facility of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI. The dates have been calibrated using the program CALIB version 6.1.0 of using the IntCal09 curve. An Age Model for the sedimentation rate was created by the

Professor Alan Turner (1947-2012). Specialist in Miocene-Pleistocene Carnivora, particularly Felidae and Hyaenidae and their palaeoecology

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O'Regan, Hannah; Turner, Adam; Antón, Mauricio

2014-07-01

Alan first trained as a telecom engineer, working for the GPO (General Post Office) which later became British Telecom. He never forgot this early training and was fascinated by how things worked - always happy to take something apart and fix it (although his attempt to close a large plate glass window with a geological hammer was not one of his successes). Following a few years as an engineer, he went to Sheffield University to study archaeology as a mature student in 1973. At this time Sheffield was a hotbed of prehistory with Graeme Barker, Robin Dennell and many others contributing to a truly research-led degree (with tutorials in the pub (well, it was the 1970s)) (Fig. 1). Alan's interest in bones developed at this time, and having graduated in 1976 he went on to take a PhD, supervised by Robin Dennell, on "Aspects of the palaeoecology of large predators, including man, during the British Upper Pleistocene, with particular emphasis on predator-prey relationships" which resulted in a life-long interest in the Carnivora and particularly hyaenas. Following his PhD, Alan moved to the Environmental Archaeology Unit at York to undertake a Science Research Council project on the morphometrics of domestic cattle and pigs from Coppergate and other major urban excavations in the city. Faced with a lot of measurements and statistics, Alan retained his interest in the animals themselves. The project also confirmed to Alan that prehistory was his metier, rather than the historic periods. Former York colleagues still fondly recall Alan's dry wit, and the day that he successfully put the irritating lab telephone beyond use with no externally visible trace of damage.

New insights on the systematics, palaeoecology and palaeobiology of a plesiosaurian with soft tissue preservation from the Toarcian of Holzmaden, Germany

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Vincent, Peggy; Allemand, Rémi; Taylor, Paul D.; Suan, Guillaume; Maxwell, Erin E.

2017-06-01

The Posidonienschiefer Formation (Toarcian) of Holzmaden, Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany has yielded several excellently preserved plesiosaurian specimens and received considerable research attention. The plesiosaurians found within these deposits are always significantly outnumbered by ichthyosaurs, and close examination of these rare specimens is crucial to a better understanding of the diversity and palaeoecology of Plesiosauria in this very peculiar ecosystem. The plesiosaurian specimen SMNS 51945 found in this area is a juvenile individual consisting of a partial, crushed skull and an exquisitely preserved post-cranial skeleton. Its anatomical characters seem to differ from the long-necked plesiosauroids Microcleidus brachypterygius and Seeleyosaurus guilelmiimperatoris that are the most abundant taxa within the plesiosaurian assemblage. The post-cranial skeleton preserves very likely soft tissues composed of buff-coloured and dark-coloured structures around the vertebral column and hindlimb of the animal. A network of buff-coloured fibres located posterior to the hindlimb most likely represents phosphatised collagen fibres as already found in some ichthyosaur specimens, confirming that wing area in plesiosaurians was much larger than that suggested by skeletal remains alone. The specimen also contains gastroliths (sand-sized grains mainly composed of quartz) in the stomach cavity suggesting the animal spent at least some of its time in shallow coastal waters, tens or hundreds of kilometres from the final place of burial.

Stable carbon isotope variability of bone collagen and hair within a modern population of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) in south western Queensland: some implications for palaeoecological research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witt, G.B.

1997-01-01

Full text: Before any palaeo-reconstruction work can be attempted using stable isotope analysis of macropod remains it will be necessary to determine the nature of natural variability within contemporary populations. This research indicates that δ 13 C of bone collagen is strongly related to age. Furthermore, bone collagen δ 13 C not at equilibrium with dietary δ 13 C, as indicated by analysis of hair, until animals are several years old. These preliminary data suggest that in younger macropods most carbon in bone collagen has been derived via the mother's milk which may have undergone fractionation. These findings have significant implications for any palaeoecological research using bone or tooth. Teeth of macropods erupt from the rear of the jaw and move forward in molar progression. Since the rate of eruption is variable, and many of the forward molars are well formed while the joey is still at the pouch, teeth formed early in the life of a macropod may be isotopically distinct from those that develop later. This hypothesis is currently under investigation

Ancient DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willerslev, Eske; Cooper, Alan

2004-01-01

ancient DNA, palaeontology, palaeoecology, archaeology, population genetics, DNA damage and repair......ancient DNA, palaeontology, palaeoecology, archaeology, population genetics, DNA damage and repair...

Benthic foraminifera in the plankton following storms: what does this mean for (palaeo)-ecological interpretations?

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Malcolm; Molina, Giulia; Smart, Christopher; Widdicombe, Claire

2017-04-01

subsequent interpretations of ecology less accurate, but in the fossil record such changes could go completely undetected and lead to considerable inaccuracy in the interpretation of palaeoecology. Murray, J.W. 1965. Significance of benthic foraminiferids in plankton samples. Journal of Paleontology, 39, 156-157. Smyth, T., Atkinson, A., Widdicombe, S., Frost, M., Allen, I., Fishwick, J., Queiros, A., Sims, D. & Barange, M. 2015. The Western Channel Observatory. Progress in Oceanography, 137, 335-341.

Assessing the fidelity of marine vertebrate microfossil δ18O signatures and their potential for palaeo-ecological and -climatic reconstructions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roelofs, Brett; Barham, Milo; Cliff, John; Joachimski, Michael; Martin, Laure; Trinajstic, Kate

2017-01-01

introduction of mineral precipitates post-formation is demonstrated in microvertebrate dentine, which showed significant heterogeneity and consistent depletion in 18O. The hypermineralised tissues present in both teeth and scales appear resistant to many diagenetic processes and indicate potential for palaeoclimatic reconstructions and palaeoecological investigations.

Ecomorphological inferences in early vertebrates: reconstructing Dunkleosteus terrelli (Arthrodira, Placodermi) caudal fin from palaeoecological data.

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Ferrón, Humberto G; Martínez-Pérez, Carlos; Botella, Héctor

2017-01-01

Our knowledge about the body morphology of many extinct early vertebrates is very limited, especially in regard to their post-thoracic region. The prompt disarticulation of the dermo-skeletal elements due to taphonomic processes and the lack of a well-ossified endoskeleton in a large number of groups hinder the preservation of complete specimens. Previous reconstructions of most early vertebrates known from partial remains have been wholly based on phylogenetically closely related taxa. However, body design of fishes is determined, to a large extent, by their swimming mode and feeding niche, making it possible to recognise different morphological traits that have evolved several times in non-closely related groups with similar lifestyles. Based on this well-known ecomorphological correlation, here we propose a useful comparative framework established on extant taxa for predicting some anatomical aspects in extinct aquatic vertebrates from palaeoecological data and vice versa. For this, we have assessed the relationship between the locomotory patterns and the morphological variability of the caudal region in extant sharks by means of geometric morphometrics and allometric regression analysis. Multivariate analyses reveal a strong morphological convergence in non-closely related shark species that share similar modes of life, enabling the characterization of the caudal fin morphology of different ecological subgroups. In addition, interspecific positive allometry, affecting mainly the caudal fin span, has been detected. This phenomenon seems to be stronger in sharks with more pelagic habits, supporting its role as a compensation mechanism for the loss of hydrodynamic lift associated with the increase in body size, as previously suggested for many other living and extinct aquatic vertebrates. The quantification of shape change per unit size in each ecological subgroup has allowed us to establish a basis for inferring not only qualitative aspects of the caudal fin

Ecomorphological inferences in early vertebrates: reconstructing Dunkleosteus terrelli (Arthrodira, Placodermi caudal fin from palaeoecological data

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Humberto G. Ferrón

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Our knowledge about the body morphology of many extinct early vertebrates is very limited, especially in regard to their post-thoracic region. The prompt disarticulation of the dermo-skeletal elements due to taphonomic processes and the lack of a well-ossified endoskeleton in a large number of groups hinder the preservation of complete specimens. Previous reconstructions of most early vertebrates known from partial remains have been wholly based on phylogenetically closely related taxa. However, body design of fishes is determined, to a large extent, by their swimming mode and feeding niche, making it possible to recognise different morphological traits that have evolved several times in non-closely related groups with similar lifestyles. Based on this well-known ecomorphological correlation, here we propose a useful comparative framework established on extant taxa for predicting some anatomical aspects in extinct aquatic vertebrates from palaeoecological data and vice versa. For this, we have assessed the relationship between the locomotory patterns and the morphological variability of the caudal region in extant sharks by means of geometric morphometrics and allometric regression analysis. Multivariate analyses reveal a strong morphological convergence in non-closely related shark species that share similar modes of life, enabling the characterization of the caudal fin morphology of different ecological subgroups. In addition, interspecific positive allometry, affecting mainly the caudal fin span, has been detected. This phenomenon seems to be stronger in sharks with more pelagic habits, supporting its role as a compensation mechanism for the loss of hydrodynamic lift associated with the increase in body size, as previously suggested for many other living and extinct aquatic vertebrates. The quantification of shape change per unit size in each ecological subgroup has allowed us to establish a basis for inferring not only qualitative aspects of

Combining short-term manipulative experiments with long-term palaeoecological investigations at high resolution to assess the response of Sphagnum peatlands to drought, fire and warming

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M. Lamentowicz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and human impacts (e.g., drainage and atmospheric nutrient deposition may trigger the emission of their stored carbon to the atmosphere. Biodiversity losses are also an important consequence of those changes. Therefore, there is a need to recognise these processes in space and time. Global change experiments are often conducted to improve our understanding of the potential responses of various ecosystems to global warming and drought. Most of the experiments carried out in peatlands are focused on carbon balance and nitrogen deposition. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how fast peatlands respond to temperature changes and water-table lowering in the continental climate setting. This is important because continental regions account for a significant proportion of all northern hemisphere peatlands. A combination of short-term and long-term approaches in a single research project is especially helpful because it facilitates the correct interpretation of experimental data. Here we describe the CLIMPEAT project - a manipulative field experiment in a Sphagnum-dominated peatland supported by a high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological study. The design of the field experiment (e.g., treatments, methodology and biogeographical setting are presented. We suggest it is beneficial to support field experiments with an investigation of past environmental changes in the studied ecosystem, as human impacts during the past 300 years have already caused substantial changes in ecosystem functioning which may condition the response in experimental studies.

Palaeoecology and depositional environments of the Tendaguru Beds (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Tanzania

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M. Aberhan

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Tendaguru Beds (Tanzania, East Africa have been well known for nearly a century for their diverse dinosaur assemblages. Here, we present sedimentological and palaeontological data collected by the German-Tanzanian Tendaguru Expedition 2000 in an attempt to reconstruct the palaeo-ecosystems of the Tendaguru Beds at their type locality. Our reconstructions are based on sedimentological data and on a palaeoecological analysis of macroinvertebrates, microvertebrates, plant fossils and microfossils (ostracods, foraminifera, charophytes, palynomorphs. In addition, we included data from previous expeditions, particularly those on the dinosaur assemblages. The environmental model of the Tendaguru Beds presented herein comprises three broad palaeoenvironmental units in a marginal marine setting: (1 Lagoon-like, shallow marine environments above fair weather wave base and with evidence of tides and storms. These formed behind barriers such as ooid bar and siliciclastic sand bar complexes and were generally subject to minor salinity fluctuations. (2 Extended tidal flats and low-relief coastal plains. These include low-energy, brackish coastal lakes and ponds as well as pools and small fluvial channels of coastal plains in which the large dinosaurs were buried. Since these environments apparently were, at best, poorly vegetated, the main feeding grounds of giant sauropods must have been elsewhere. Presumably, tidal flats and coastal plains were visited by dinosaurs primarily during periods of drought. (3 Vegetated hinterland. Vegetation of this environment can only be inferred indirectly from plant material transported into the other depositional environments. Vegetation was dominated by a diverse conifer flora, which apparently formed part of the food source of large herbivorous sauropods. Evidence from various sources suggests a subtropical to tropical palaeoclimate, characterised by seasonal rainfall alternating with

Late quaternary hillslope evolution recorded in eastern South African colluvial badlands

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Clarke, ML

2003-09-01

Full Text Available -8-03 Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 197 (2003) 199^212 www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo dates for calcrete nodules which formed post-dep- ositionally within the sequences and which could not constrain individual depositional or pedogenic events. As a..., the earlier ones of which correlate with the calculated changes in latitudinal insolation. As identi?ed by Thomas and Thorp (1995), the PALAEO 3146 4-8-03 M.L. Clarke et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 197 (2003) 199^212 timing...

Macromammalian faunas, biochronology and palaeoecology of the early Pleistocene Main Quarry hominin-bearing deposits of the Drimolen Palaeocave System, South Africa.

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Adams, Justin W; Rovinsky, Douglass S; Herries, Andy I R; Menter, Colin G

2016-01-01

The Drimolen Palaeocave System Main Quarry deposits (DMQ) are some of the most prolific hominin and primate-bearing deposits in the Fossil Hominids of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in the 1990s, excavations into the DMQ have yielded a demographically diverse sample of Paranthropus robustus (including DNH 7, the most complete cranium of the species recovered to date), early Homo, Papio hamadryas robinsoni and Cercopithecoides williamsi. Alongside the hominin and primate sample is a diverse macromammalian assemblage, but prior publications have only provided a provisional species list and an analysis of the carnivores recovered prior to 2008. Here we present the first description and analysis of the non-primate macromammalian faunas from the DMQ, including all 826 taxonomically identifiable specimens catalogued from over two decades of excavation. We also provide a biochronological interpretation of the DMQ deposits and an initial discussion of local palaeoecology based on taxon representation.The current DMQ assemblage consists of the remains of minimally 147 individuals from 9 Orders and 14 Families of mammals. The carnivore assemblage described here is even more diverse than established in prior publications, including the identification of Megantereon whitei, Lycyaenops silberbergi, and first evidence for the occurrence of Dinofelis cf. barlowi and Dinofelis aff. piveteaui within a single South African site deposit. The cetartiodactyl assemblage is dominated by bovids, with the specimen composition unique in the high recovery of horn cores and dominance of Antidorcas recki remains. Other cetartiodactyl and perissodactyl taxa are represented by few specimens, as are Hystrix and Procavia; the latter somewhat surprisingly so given their common occurrence at penecontemporaneous deposits in the region. Equally unusual (particularly given the size of the sample) is the identification of single specimens of giraffoid, elephantid and aardvark

Macromammalian faunas, biochronology and palaeoecology of the early Pleistocene Main Quarry hominin-bearing deposits of the Drimolen Palaeocave System, South Africa

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Justin W. Adams

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The Drimolen Palaeocave System Main Quarry deposits (DMQ are some of the most prolific hominin and primate-bearing deposits in the Fossil Hominids of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in the 1990s, excavations into the DMQ have yielded a demographically diverse sample of Paranthropus robustus (including DNH 7, the most complete cranium of the species recovered to date, early Homo, Papio hamadryas robinsoni and Cercopithecoides williamsi. Alongside the hominin and primate sample is a diverse macromammalian assemblage, but prior publications have only provided a provisional species list and an analysis of the carnivores recovered prior to 2008. Here we present the first description and analysis of the non-primate macromammalian faunas from the DMQ, including all 826 taxonomically identifiable specimens catalogued from over two decades of excavation. We also provide a biochronological interpretation of the DMQ deposits and an initial discussion of local palaeoecology based on taxon representation.The current DMQ assemblage consists of the remains of minimally 147 individuals from 9 Orders and 14 Families of mammals. The carnivore assemblage described here is even more diverse than established in prior publications, including the identification of Megantereon whitei, Lycyaenops silberbergi, and first evidence for the occurrence of Dinofelis cf. barlowi and Dinofelis aff. piveteaui within a single South African site deposit. The cetartiodactyl assemblage is dominated by bovids, with the specimen composition unique in the high recovery of horn cores and dominance of Antidorcas recki remains. Other cetartiodactyl and perissodactyl taxa are represented by few specimens, as are Hystrix and Procavia; the latter somewhat surprisingly so given their common occurrence at penecontemporaneous deposits in the region. Equally unusual (particularly given the size of the sample is the identification of single specimens of giraffoid, elephantid

Palaeoecological caracterisation of the mammoth steppe at Final Pleistocene in Central Ukraine from zooarchaeology, stable isotope analyses and direct radiocarbon dating

Science.gov (United States)

Péan, Stéphane; Drucker, Dorothée.; Bocherens, Hervé; Haesaerts, Paul; Valladas, Hélène; Stupak, Dmytro; Nuzhnyi, Dmytro

2010-05-01

that a modification of the regional plant and climatic context may have inferred a change of food resource for mammoths, which could have been put into food competition with horses. Mammoths from Central Ukraine at late OIS 2 may have formed an isolated local population, under the pressure of modified ecological conditions, compared to the period of maximal extension of the mammoth steppe. Thus, thanks to a combined approach of zooarchaeology, stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating, in the stratigraphic context, a better knowledge of the palaeoecological context of the last mammoths at late Pleniglacial in Central Ukraine is expected.

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages: a clue to the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironment of the Pliensbachian- Toarcian transition of Peniche (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal)

Science.gov (United States)

Rita, Patrícia; Reolid, Matias; Duarte, Luís V.

2015-04-01

sequence stratigraphic interpretation of the series (e.g. Duarte, 2007) and the proliferation of opportunistic forms in some levels could be a reflex of the turbiditic sedimentation that took place in this area during this period (Wright & Wilson, 1984), which promotes the oxygenation of the sea-bottom. References Duarte, L.V. (2007). In R. B. Rocha (Ed.): The Peniche section (Portugal). Contributions to the definition of the Toarcian GSSP. International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy, ISBN 978-972-8893-14-9, 17-23; Hesselbo, S. P., Kenkyns, H. C., Duarte, L.V., Oliveira, L. C. V. (2007). Carbon-isotope record of the Early Jurassic (Toarcian) Oceanic Anoxic Event from fossil wood and marine carbonate (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 253: 455-470. Reolid, M., Sebane, A., Rodríguez-Tovar, F. J., Marok, A. (2012). Foraminiferal morphogroups as a tool to approach the Toarcian Anoxic Event in the Western Saharan Atlas (Algeria). Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 323-325: 87-99. Wright, V.P. & Wilson, R.C.L. (1984). A carbonate submarine-fan sequence from the Jurassic of Portugal, Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 54: 394-412.

Island biodiversity conservation needs palaeoecology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nogué, Sandra; de Nascimento, Lea; Froyd, Cynthia A.

2017-01-01

to human activities. Consequently, even the most degraded islands are a focus for restoration, eradication, and monitoring programmes to protect the remaining endemic and/or relict populations. Here, we build a framework that incorporates an assessment of the degree of change from multiple baseline...... and the introduction of non-native species. We provide exemplification of how such approaches can provide valuable information for biodiversity conservation managers of island ecosystems....

Co víme o historii vápnitých slatinišť v Západních Karpatech

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájková, Petra; Hájek, M.; Horsák, M.; Jamrichová, Eva

2015-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 2 (2015), s. 267-282 ISSN 1211-5258 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : bryophytes * Caricion davallianae * macrofossils * palaeoecology * relicts * succession Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

Procedures for extraction and purification of leaf wax biomarkers from peats

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J.E. Nichols

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Palaeoecological and palaeoclimate reconstruction, using leaf wax biomarkers, is a relatively new sub-discipline of peatland science. The ability to process large numbers of samples rapidly for biomarkers makes this type of analysis particularly appealing. This review is a guide to the preparation of leaf waxes for analysis by gas chromatography. The main phases of preparation are extraction of soluble organic compounds from sediment, separation of the total extract into fractions of differing polarity, and the derivatisation of polar functional groups. The procedures described here are not meant be exhaustive of all organic geochemical possibilities in peatlands, but a distillation of methods for the preparation of leaf waxes that are commonly and increasingly being used in palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological studies.

Zajímavé nálezy vzácných mechorostů ve starých sedimentech 2

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájková, Petra; Potůčková, Anna; Hájek, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 1 (2017), s. 67-71 ISSN 0862-8904 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : glacial relict * macrofossil analysis * palaeoecology Subject RIV: EF - Botanics OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany

Karoo biome: a preliminary synthesis. Part 2 - vegetation and history

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Cowling, RM

1987-01-01

Full Text Available and soil erosion. The focus of this volume is vegetation and its history. Included are chapters on vegetation physiognomy, plant growth, vegetation change, phytogeography, palaeo-ecology, palaeontology and archaeology...

Eesti kivimid aitasid lahendada iidse jääaja mõistatust / Tiit Kändler

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kändler, Tiit, 1948-

2010-01-01

Ajakirjas Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology ilmunud artiklist, milles lahatakse jääaja tekkimise põhjusi. Autorite seas on ka USA Indiana ülikooli teadlane Seth Young ja Dimitri Kaljo TTÜ geoloogia instituudist

Stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology of the Loch Humphrey Burn lagerstätte and other Mississippian palaeobotanical localities of the Kilpatrick Hills, southwest Scotland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard M. Bateman

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims. The largely Mississippian strata of the Kilpatrick Hills, located at the western end of the Scottish Midland Valley, enclose several macrofossil floras that together contain ca 21 organ-species of permineralised plants and ca 44 organ-species of compressed plants, here estimated to represent 25 whole-plant species (Glenarbuck = nine, Loch Humphrey Burn Lower = 11, Upper = seven. The most significant locality is the internationally important volcanigenic sequence that is reputedly intercalated within the Clyde Plateau Lava Formation at Loch Humphrey Burn, where ca 30 m of reworked tuffs and other clastic sediments enclose one of the world’s most important terrestrial lagerstätten of this period. We here explore the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironments of the locality, and elucidate its controversial age. Methods. Repeated re-excavation of key exposures allowed recognition of five main depositional units, differing in thickness from 4 m to 12 m. It also permitted detailed sampling for plant macrofossils and microfossils throughout the succession. Several approaches are integrated to re-assess the taphonomy and preservation of these exceptional plant fossils. Key Results. The deposits are rich in taxonomically diverse miospores and in toto contain at least six well-developed compression floras, together with two beds yielding nodules that enclose well-researched anatomically preserved plants permineralised in calcite. Bulk geochemistry shows that the upper nodules formed by migration of Ca with subordinate Mn and Na. Some phylogenetically important plant fossils recovered in the early 20th century have been traced to their source horizons. Trends in relative proportions of macrofossil and microfossil taxa through the sequence are only moderately congruent, perhaps reflecting the likelihood that microfossils sample the regional rather than the local flora. Conclusions. The Loch Humphrey Burn sequence encompasses a wide range

Stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology of the Loch Humphrey Burn lagerstätte and other Mississippian palaeobotanical localities of the Kilpatrick Hills, southwest Scotland.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, Richard M; Stevens, Liadan G; Hilton, Jason

2016-01-01

Background and Aims. The largely Mississippian strata of the Kilpatrick Hills, located at the western end of the Scottish Midland Valley, enclose several macrofossil floras that together contain ca 21 organ-species of permineralised plants and ca 44 organ-species of compressed plants, here estimated to represent 25 whole-plant species (Glenarbuck = nine, Loch Humphrey Burn Lower = 11, Upper = seven). The most significant locality is the internationally important volcanigenic sequence that is reputedly intercalated within the Clyde Plateau Lava Formation at Loch Humphrey Burn, where ca 30 m of reworked tuffs and other clastic sediments enclose one of the world's most important terrestrial lagerstätten of this period. We here explore the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironments of the locality, and elucidate its controversial age. Methods. Repeated re-excavation of key exposures allowed recognition of five main depositional units, differing in thickness from 4 m to 12 m. It also permitted detailed sampling for plant macrofossils and microfossils throughout the succession. Several approaches are integrated to re-assess the taphonomy and preservation of these exceptional plant fossils. Key Results. The deposits are rich in taxonomically diverse miospores and in toto contain at least six well-developed compression floras, together with two beds yielding nodules that enclose well-researched anatomically preserved plants permineralised in calcite. Bulk geochemistry shows that the upper nodules formed by migration of Ca with subordinate Mn and Na. Some phylogenetically important plant fossils recovered in the early 20th century have been traced to their source horizons. Trends in relative proportions of macrofossil and microfossil taxa through the sequence are only moderately congruent, perhaps reflecting the likelihood that microfossils sample the regional rather than the local flora. Conclusions. The Loch Humphrey Burn sequence encompasses a wide range of depositional

Late Quaternary vegetation, biodiversity and fire dynamics on the southern Brazilian highland and their implication for conservation and management of modern Araucaria forest and grassland ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Behling, Hermann; Pillar, Valério DePatta

2007-02-28

Palaeoecological background information is needed for management and conservation of the highly diverse mosaic of Araucaria forest and Campos (grassland) in southern Brazil. Questions on the origin of Araucaria forest and grasslands; its development, dynamic and stability; its response to environmental change such as climate; and the role of human impact are essential. Further questions on its natural stage of vegetation or its alteration by pre- and post-Columbian anthropogenic activity are also important. To answer these questions, palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental data based on pollen, charcoal and multivariate data analysis of radiocarbon dated sedimentary archives from southern Brazil are used to provide an insight into past vegetation changes, which allows us to improve our understanding of the modern vegetation and to develop conservation and management strategies for the strongly affected ecosystems in southern Brazil.

Interstadial inland dune slacks in south-west Slovakia: a multi-proxy vegetation and landscape reconstruction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájková, Petra; Petr, L.; Horsák, M.; Rohovec, Jan; Hájek, Michal

2015-01-01

Roč. 357, Jan 30 (2015), s. 314-328 ISSN 1040-6182 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:67985831 Keywords : Late Glacial * Western Carpathians * palaeoecological reconstruction Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 2.067, year: 2015

Contrasting Holocene environmental histories may explain patterns of species richness and rarity in a Central European landscape

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájek, M.; Dudová, Lydie; Hájková, Petra; Roleček, Jan; Moutelíková, J.; Jamrichová, Eva; Horsák, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 133, FEB 1 2016 (2016), s. 48-61 ISSN 0277-3791 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : species pool * extreme species richness * biogeography * Carpathians * palaeoecology Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 4.797, year: 2016

Continuity and change in the vegetation of a Central European oakwood

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jamrichová, Eva; Szabó, Péter; Hédl, Radim; Kuneš, P.; Bobek, P.; Pelánková, Barbora

2013-01-01

Roč. 23, č. 1 (2013), s. 46-56 ISSN 0959-6836 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA600050812 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : temperate oakwoods * palaeoecology * written sources Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.794, year: 2013

Non-pollen palynomorphs: From unknown curiosities to informative fossils. Celebrating the scientific career of Bas van Geel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooghiemstra, H.

2012-01-01

This paper is dedicated to the scientific career of Bas van Geel at the moment of his retirement from the University of Amsterdam. The development of the research line of non-pollen palynomorph analysis is compared with other developments in palaeoecology.

Feeding habits of the Oligocene bristlemouth fish Scopeloides glarisianus (Teleostei: Stomiiformes: Gonostomatidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Přikryl, Tomáš; Prokofiev, A. M.; Krzemiński, W.

2012-01-01

Roč. 45, č. 4 (2012), s. 377-386 ISSN 0016-6995 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30130516 Keywords : Teleostei * Gonostomatidae * functional morphology * feeding habits * cannibalism * palaeoecology * Palaeogene Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.052, year: 2012

Refugial ecosystems in central Asia as indicators of biodiversity change during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chytrý, M.; Horsák, M.; Syrovátka, V.; Danihelka, Jiří; Ermakov, N.; German, D. A.; Hájek, M.; Hájek, O.; Hájková, Petra; Horsáková, V.; Kočí, M.; Kubešová, S.; Lustyk, P.; Nekola, J. C.; Preislerová, Z.; Resl, P.; Valachovič, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 76, Jun 17 (2017), s. 357-367 ISSN 1470-160X Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : species richness * palaeoecological reconstruction * Pleistocen-Holcen transition Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 3.898, year: 2016

Abandonment of farmland and vegetation succession following the Eurasian plague pandemic of AD 1347-52

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yeloff, D.; van Geel, B.

2007-01-01

Aim: This paper reviews the available documentary, archaeological and palaeoecological evidence for the abandonment of agricultural land and consequent regeneration of the forest in Europe after the Black Death. Location: Western and northern Europe. Methods: This review is the result of an

Palaeoenvironmental research of the Schwarzenberg Lake, southern Bohemia, and exploratory excavations of this key Mesolithic archaeological area

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokorný, Petr; Šída, P.; Chvojka, O.; Žáčková, P.; Kuneš, P.; Světlík, Ivo; Veselý, J.

2010-01-01

Roč. 101, - (2010), s. 5-38 ISSN 0031-0506 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAAX00020701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z80020508; CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : Mesolithic * palaeoecology * environmental archaeology Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Comparison of liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) for the determination of collagen amino acid δ13C values for palaeodietary and palaeoecological reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Philip J H; Honch, Noah V; Evershed, Richard P

2011-10-30

Results are presented of a comparison of the amino acid (AA) δ(13)C values obtained by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) and liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS). Although the primary focus was the compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of bone collagen AAs, because of its growing application for palaeodietary and palaeoecological reconstruction, the results are relevant to any field where AA δ(13)C values are required. We compare LC/IRMS with the most up-to-date GC/C/IRMS method using N-acetyl methyl ester (NACME) AA derivatives. This comparison involves the analysis of standard AAs and hydrolysates of archaeological human bone collagen, which have been previously investigated as N-trifluoroacetyl isopropyl esters (TFA/IP). It was observed that, although GC/C/IRMS analyses required less sample, LC/IRMS permitted the analysis of a wider range of AAs, particularly those not amenable to GC analysis (e.g. arginine). Accordingly, reconstructed bulk δ(13)C values based on LC/IRMS-derived δ(13)C values were closer to the EA/IRMS-derived δ(13)C values than those based on GC/C/IRMS values. The analytical errors for LC/IRMS AA δ(13)C values were lower than GC/C/IRMS determinations. Inconsistencies in the δ(13)C values of the TFA/IP derivatives compared with the NACME- and LC/IRMS-derived δ(13)C values suggest inherent problems with the use of TFA/IP derivatives, resulting from: (i) inefficient sample combustion, and/or (ii) differences in the intra-molecular distribution of δ(13)C values between AAs, which are manifested by incomplete combustion. Close similarities between the NACME AA δ(13)C values and the LC/IRMS-derived δ(13)C values suggest that the TFA/IP derivatives should be abandoned for the natural abundance determinations of AA δ(13)C values. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The origin and vegetation development of the Rejvíz pine bog and the history of the surrounding landscape during the Holocene

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dudová, Lydie; Hájek, M.; Hájková, P.

2010-01-01

Roč. 82, č. 2 (2010), s. 223-246 ISSN 0032-7786 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/08/0389 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : palaeoecology * peatland * pollen Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 2.792, year: 2010

Hypsodont Myomiminae (Gliridae, Rodentia) from the Miocene and the Oligocene-Miocene boundary interval of Spain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daams, R.

1990-01-01

Fifty-one localities from the Oligocene-Miocene boundary interval and the Miocene of Spain have yielded nearly 4000 teeth of hypsodont Gliridae (Armantomys and Praearmantomys). The phylogeny and palaeoecology are discussed. Two new species of Armantomys (A. parsani sp. nov. from Ramblar 1 and A.

Changing environmental conditions in recent past — Reading through the study of geochemical characteristics, magnetic parameters and sedimentation rate of mudflats, central west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Singh, K.T.; Nayak, G.N.; Fernandes, L.L.; Borole, D.V.; Basavaiah, N.

), +91 982 ak@unigoa.ac.in (G.N. Nayak). rights reserved.nt past — Reading through agnetic parameters and t coast of India a, D.V. Borole c, N. Basavaiah d matology, Palaeoecology ev ie r .com/ locate /pa laeorine sedimentation is usually a reasonably...

The Leporid Datum: a late Miocene biotic marker

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Flynn, L. J.; Winkler, A. J.; Erbaeva, M.; Alexeeva, N.; Anders, U.; Angelone, Ch.; Čermák, Stanislav; Fladerer, F. A.; Kraatz, B.; Ruedas, L. A.; Ruf, I.; Tomida, Y.; Veitschegger, K.; Zhang, Z.

2014-01-01

Roč. 44, 3/4 (2014), s. 164-176 ISSN 0305-1838 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/09/0184 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : dispersal * immigration * late Neogene * molecular tree * palaeoecology Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 4.256, year: 2014

Composition and structure of an in situ Middle Pennsylvanian peat-forming plant assemblage buried in volcanic ash, Radnice Basin (Czech Republic)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Opluštil, S.; Pšenička, J.; Libertín, M.; Bek, Jiří; Dašková, Jiřina; Šimůnek, Z.; Drábková, J.

2009-01-01

Roč. 24, 11/12 (2009), s. 726-746 ISSN 0883-1351 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/05/0105 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30130516 Keywords : palaeoecology * taphonomy * palynology * fossil plants Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 1.489, year: 2009

Palaeo-poo: date from rat scats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearson, S.; Department of Geography.

1997-01-01

AMS dating has allowed a detailed study of the stratigraphy of stick-nest rat (Leporillus spp.) middens. The results of multiple dates on apparently the same layers of the middens show that the taphonomy of the midden is complex. Nevertheless, the information recovered from this source is an exciting addition to understanding arid ecosystems. Information about the local and regional vegetation, possible CO 2 -induced changes in stomata, distribution of mammals and their predator-prey relations has been recovered from the middens. Palaeoecological information coming from the arid zone has been limited but this source provides a breakthrough in providing direct and detailed ecological information. This helps contextualise the late Holocene increase in arid zone archaeological site visibility. It emphasises the pattern of arid zone mammal losses. It provides important corroborating evidence to other palaeoecological records. It is emphasised that the deposits containing pollen and macrofossils are datable using radiocarbon but there are some serious problems in providing ecological information from stick-nest rat middens

Different habitats within a region contain evolutionary heritage from different epochs depending on the abiotic environment

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bartish, Igor V.; Ozinga, W.A.; Bartish, M. I.; Wamelink, G. W. W.; Hennekens, S.M.; Prinzing, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 3 (2016), s. 274-285 ISSN 1466-822X Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) Fellowship J. E. Purkyně Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : museums and cradles of diversity * palaeoecology * macroevolutionary ecology Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 6.045, year: 2016

Precultural vegetation in the western foothills of the Kremnické vrchy Mts in central Slovakia and its transformations by man

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rybníček, Kamil; Rybníčková, E.

2009-01-01

Roč. 81, č. 4 (2009), s. 423-437 ISSN 0032-7786 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/08/0389 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : palaeoecology * upper holocene vegetation * Kremnické vrchy Mts. Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 2.638, year: 2009

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Palaeoclimate, palaeoecological and palaeoshoreline studies were carried out for a 2.5 m deep sediment core deposited since ∼3700 yrs BP in the central part of Pichavaram mangrove wetland, Cauvery river delta. Presently, the study area is dominated by Avicennia officinalis, A. marina and Suaeda sp. with fringes of ...

The sub-arborescent lycopsid Omphalophloios feistmantelii (O. Feistmantel) comb. nov emend. from the Middle Pennsylvanian of the Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bek, Jiří; Opluštil, S.; Drábková, J.; Pšenička, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 90, č. 1 (2015), s. 227-279 ISSN 1214-1119 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP210/12/2053 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : lycopsids * in situ spores * Omphalophloios * Sporangiostrobus * cuticle analysis * densospores * Superbisporites * palaeoecology * Pennsylvanian Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.700, year: 2015

Benthic foraminifera or Ostracoda? Comparing the accuracy of palaeoenvironmental indicators from a Pleistocene lagoon of the Romagna coastal plain (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Barbieri, Giulia; Vaiani, Stefano Claudio

2018-01-01

Integrated analyses of multiple groups of microfossils are frequently performed to unravel the palaeoenvironmental evolution of subsurface coastal successions, where the complex interaction among several palaeoecological factors can be detected with benthic assemblages. This work investigates the palaeoenvironmental resolution potential provided by benthic foraminifera and ostracoda within a Pleistocene lagoonal succession of the Romagna coastal plain (northern Italy). Quantitative approaches and statistical techniques have been applied to both groups in order to understand the main factors that controlled the composition of assemblages and compare the palaeoecological record provided by single fossil groups. The two faunal groups are characterized by the high dominance of opportunistic species (Ammonia tepida-Ammonia parkinsoniana and Cyprideis torosa); however, detailed palaeoecological information is inferred from less common taxa. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages are mainly determined by the frequencies of abnormal individuals and species related to high concentrations of organic matter, showing two assemblages: a stressed assemblage, consistent with a brackish-water environment subject to salinity and oxygen fluctuations, and an unstressed assemblage, which indicates more stable conditions. Despite the lower number of species, ostracoda show more significant differences in terms of species composition and ecological structure between their three assemblages, formed in response to a salinity gradient and indicative of inner, central, and outer lagoon conditions. The stratigraphic distribution of ostracod assemblages shows a general transgressive-regressive trend with minor fluctuations, whereas benthic foraminifera highlight the presence of a significant palaeoenvironmental stress. In this case, the higher abundance along the stratigraphic succession, the higher differentiation of the assemblages, and the well-defined relationship between taxa and ecological

Response of testate amoebae to a late Holocene ecosystem shift in an Amazonian peatland.

Science.gov (United States)

Swindles, Graeme T; Kelly, Thomas J; Roucoux, Katherine H; Lawson, Ian T

2018-03-15

To date there have only been two studies using testate amoebae as palaeoecological indicators in tropical peatlands. Here we present a new ∼500-year testate amoeba record from San Jorge, a domed peatland in Peruvian Amazonia, which has a well-constrained vegetation history based on pollen analysis. We observe a major shift from Hyalosphenia subflava to Cryptodifflugia oviformis-dominated communities at ∼50 cm depth (c. AD 1760), which suggests a change to drier conditions in the peatland. The application of a statistical transfer function also suggests a deepening of the water table at this time. The transition in the microbial assemblage occurs at a time when pollen and geochemical data indicate drier conditions (reduced influence of river flooding), leading to an ecosystem switch to more ombrotrophic-like conditions in the peatland. Our work illustrates the potential of testate amoebae as important tools in tropical peatland palaeoecology, and the power of multiproxy approaches for understanding the long-term development of tropical peatlands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Realising consilience: How better communication between archaeologists, historians and natural scientists can transform the study of past climate change in the Mediterranean

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Izdebski, A.; Holmgren, K.; Weiberg, E.; Stocker, S. R.; Büntgen, Ulf; Florenzano, A.; Gogou, A.; Leroy, S. A. G.; Luterbacher, J.; Martrat, B.; Masi, A.; Mercuri, A. M.; Montagna, P.; Sadori, L.; Schneider, A.; Sicre, M. A.; Triantaphyllou, M.; Xoplaki, E.

2016-01-01

Roč. 136, SI (2016), s. 5-22 ISSN 0277-3791 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : environmental history * land - use * cultural land scape * eastern anatolia * plant land scape * soil- erosion * human impact * collapse * holocene * roman * Archaeology * Climate change * Consilience * History * Interdisciplinary collaboration * Mediterranean * Natural sciences * Palaeoecology Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 4.797, year: 2016

Paleoekologický model prostředí ovlivněného říční sedimentací (duckmant, vnitrosudetská pánev)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Libertín, M.; Dašková, Jiřina

2005-01-01

Roč. 2004, - (2005), s. 79-81 ISSN 0514-8057 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA3013306 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3013912 Keywords : palaeobotany * palaeoecology * Carboniferous * Duckmantian * Intrasudetic Basin * river environment Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy http://www.geology.cz/zpravy/obsah/2004/zpravy-o-vyzkumech-2004-str-079-81.pdf

Palaeoecology of testate amoebae in a tropical peatland.

Science.gov (United States)

Swindles, Graeme T; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Reczuga, Monika; Galloway, Jennifer M

2016-09-01

We present the first detailed analysis of subfossil testate amoebae from a tropical peatland. Testate amoebae were analysed in a 4-m peat core from western Amazonia (Peru) and a transfer function developed from the site was applied to reconstruct changes in water table over the past ca. 8,000 years. Testate amoebae were in very low abundance in the core, especially in the lower 125cm, due to a combination of poor preservation and obscuration by other organic matter. A modified preparation method enabled at least 50 testate amoebae to be counted in each core sample. The most abundant taxa preserved include Centropyxis aculeata, Hyalosphenia subflava, Phryganella acropodia and Trigonopyxis arcula. Centropyxis aculeata, an unambiguous wet indicator, is variably present and indicates several phases of near-surface water table. Our work shows that even degraded, low-abundance assemblages of testate amoebae can provide useful information regarding the long-term ecohydrological developmental history of tropical peatlands. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The largest Silurian vertebrate and its palaeoecological implications

Science.gov (United States)

Choo, Brian; Zhu, Min; Zhao, Wenjin; Jia, Liaotao; Zhu, You'an

2014-01-01

An apparent absence of Silurian fishes more than half-a-metre in length has been viewed as evidence that gnathostomes were restricted in size and diversity prior to the Devonian. Here we describe the largest pre-Devonian vertebrate (Megamastax amblyodus gen. et sp. nov.), a predatory marine osteichthyan from the Silurian Kuanti Formation (late Ludlow, ~423 million years ago) of Yunnan, China, with an estimated length of about 1 meter. The unusual dentition of the new form suggests a durophagous diet which, combined with its large size, indicates a considerable degree of trophic specialisation among early osteichthyans. The lack of large Silurian vertebrates has recently been used as constraint in palaeoatmospheric modelling, with purported lower oxygen levels imposing a physiological size limit. Regardless of the exact causal relationship between oxygen availability and evolutionary success, this finding refutes the assumption that pre-Emsian vertebrates were restricted to small body sizes. PMID:24921626

A new integrative methodology for desertification studies based on magnetic and short-lived radioisotope measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldfield, F.; Higgitt, S.R.; Maher, B.A.; Appleby, P.G.; Scoullos, M.

1986-01-01

The use of mineral magnetic measurements and short-lived radioisotope studies with 210 Pb and 137 Cs is discussed within the ecosystem watershed conceptual framework. Used in conjunction with geomorphological, sedimentological, palaeoecological and geochemical techniques, these methods can form the core of an integrated multidisciplinary study of desertification and erosion processes on all relevant temporal and spatial scales. 30 refs.; 4 figs

The late Quaternary decline and extinction of palms on oceanic Pacific islands

Science.gov (United States)

Prebble, M.; Dowe, J. L.

2008-12-01

Late Quaternary palaeoecological records of palm decline, extirpation and extinction are explored from the oceanic islands of the Pacific Ocean. Despite the severe reduction of faunal diversity coincidental with human colonisation of these previously uninhabited oceanic islands, relatively few plant extinctions have been recorded. At low taxonomic levels, recent faunal extinctions on oceanic islands are concentrated in larger bodied representatives of certain genera and families. Fossil and historic records of plant extinction show a similar trend with high representation of the palm family, Arecaceae. Late Holocene decline of palm pollen types is demonstrated from most islands where there are palaeoecological records including the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, the Juan Fernandez Islands and Rapanui. A strong correspondence between human impact and palm decline is measured from palynological proxies including increased concentrations of charcoal particles and pollen from cultivated plants and invasive weeds. Late Holocene extinctions or extirpations are recorded across all five of the Arecaceae subfamilies of the oceanic Pacific islands. These are most common for the genus Pritchardia but also many sedis fossil palm types were recorded representing groups lacking diagnostic morphological characters.

Quantitative Temperature Reconstructions from Holocene and Late Glacial Lake Sediments in the Tropical Andes using Chironomidae (non-biting midges)

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews-Bird, F.; Gosling, W. D.; Brooks, S. J.; Montoya, E.; Coe, A. L.

2014-12-01

Chironomidae (non-biting midges) is a family of two-winged aquatic insects of the order Diptera. They are globally distributed and one of the most diverse families within aquatic ecosystems. The insects are stenotopic, and the rapid turnover of species and their ability to colonise quickly favourable habitats means chironomids are extremely sensitive to environmental change, notably temperature. Through the development of quantitative temperature inference models chironomids have become important palaeoecological tools. Proxies capable of generating independent estimates of past climate are crucial to disentangling climate signals and ecosystem response in the palaeoecological record. This project has developed the first modern environmental calibration data set in order to use chironomids from the Tropical Andes as quantitative climate proxies. Using surface sediments from c. 60 lakes from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador we have developed an inference model capable of reconstructing temperatures, with a prediction error of 1-2°C, from fossil assemblages. Here we present the first Lateglacial and Holocene chironomid-inferred temperature reconstructions from two sites in the tropical Andes. The first record, from a high elevation (4153 m asl) lake in the Bolivian Andes, shows persistently cool temperatures for the past 15 kyr, punctuated by warm episodes in the early Holocene (9-10 kyr BP). The chironomid-inferred Holocene temperature trends from a lake sediment record on the eastern Andean flank of Ecuador (1248 m asl) spanning the last 5 millennia are synchronous with temperature changes in the NGRIP ice core record. The temperature estimates suggest along the eastern flank of the Andes, at lower latitudes (~1°S), climate closely resemble the well-established fluctuations of the Northern Hemisphere for this time period. Late-glacial climate fluctuations across South America are still disputed with some palaeoecological records suggesting evidence for Younger Dryas

Mesozoic basins and associated palaeogeographic evolution in North China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Qing Liu

2015-04-01

Besides, during the Late Mesozoic, a huge terrestrial biota, mainly dinosaur fauna, dominated in North China. The Yanliao biota of the Middle–Late Jurassic and the Jehol biota of the Early Cretaceous are characterized by feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, mammals, pterosaur, insects and plants (angiosperms. In northeastern Asia, this Late Mesozoic tectonic background , palaeogeoraphy and palaeoecology were shared by East China, Korean Peninsula, Japan and the Far East of Russia.

Early-Middle Pleistocene benthic turnover and oxygen isotope stratigraphy from the Central Mediterranean (Valle di Manche, Crotone Basin, Italy): Data and trends

OpenAIRE

Michele Azzarone; Patrizia Ferretti; Veronica Rossi; Daniele Scarponi; Luca Capraro; Patrizia Macrì; John W. Huntley; Costanza Faranda

2018-01-01

Ostracod faunal turnover and oxygen isotope data (foraminifera) along the Valle di Manche (VdM) section are herein compiled. Specifically, the material reported in this work includes quantitative palaeoecological data and patterns of ostracod fauna framed within a high-resolution oxygen isotope stratigraphy (δ18O) from Uvigerina peregrina. In addition, the multivariate ostracod faunal stratigraphic trend (nMDS axis-1 sample score) is calibrated using bathymetric distributions of extant mollus...

Closing the gap between plant ecology and Quaternary palaeoecology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Reitalu, T.; Kuneš, Petr; Giesecke, T.

2014-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 5 (2014), s. 1188-1194 ISSN 1100-9233 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 278065 - LONGWOOD Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : functional diversity * historical ecology * landscape reconstruction * palaeobotany Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.709, year: 2014

Splendid oddness: revisiting the curious trophic relationships of South American Pleistocene mammals and their abundance

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RICHARD A. FARIÑA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The South American Pleistocene mammal fauna includes great-sized animals that have intrigued scientists for over two centuries. Here we intend to update the knowledge on its palaeoecology and provide new evidence regarding two approaches: energetics and population density and relative abundance of fossils per taxa. To determine whether an imbalance exists, population density models were applied to several South American fossil faunas and the results compared to those that best describe the palaeoecology of African faunas. The results on the abundance study for Uruguay and the province of Buenos Aires during the Lujanian stage/age reveal that bulk-feeding ground sloths (Lestodon and Glossotherium were more represented in the first territory, while the more selective Scelidotherium and Megatherium were more abundant in the second. Although the obtained values were corrected to avoid size-related taphonomic biases, linear regressions of abundance vs. body mass plots did not fit the expected either for first or second consumers. South American Pleistocene faunas behave differently from what models suggest they should. Changes in sea level and available area could account for these differences; the possibility of a floodplain in the area then emerged could explain seasonal changes, which would modify the calculations of energetics and abundance.

Environmental dynamics and carbon accumulation rate of a tropical peatland in Central Sumatra, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Hapsari, Kartika Anggi; Biagioni, Siria; Jennerjahn, Tim C.; Reimer, Peter Meyer; Saad, Asmadi; Achnopha, Yudhi; Sabiham, Supiandi; Behling, Hermann

2017-08-01

Tropical peatlands are important for the global carbon cycle as they store 18% of the total global peat carbon. As they are vulnerable to changes in temperature and precipitation, a rapidly changing environment endangers peatlands and their carbon storage potential. Understanding the mechanisms of peatland carbon accumulation from studying past developments may, therefore, help to assess the future role of tropical peatlands. Using a multi-proxy palaeoecological approach, a peat core taken from the Sungai Buluh peatland in Central Sumatra has been analyzed for its pollen and spore, macro charcoal and biogeochemical composition. The result suggests that peat and C accumulation rates were driven mainly by sea level change, river water level, climatic variability and anthropogenic activities. It is also suggested that peat C accumulation in Sungai Buluh is correlated to the abundance of Freycinetia, Myrtaceae, Calophyllum, Stemonuraceae, Ficus and Euphorbiaceae. Sungai Buluh has reasonable potential for being a future global tropical peat C sinks. However, considering the impact of rapid global climate change in addition to land-use change following rapid economic growth in Indonesia, such potential may be lost. Taking advantage of available palaeoecological records and advances made in Quaternary studies, some considerations for management practice such as identification of priority taxa and conservation sites are suggested.

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Gayo, Eugenia M.; Santoro, Calogero M.; De Pol-Holz, Ricardo; Latorre, Claudio

2017-01-01

Archaeological and palaeoecological studies throughout the Americas have documented widespread landscape and environmental transformation during the pre-Columbian era. The highly dynamic Formative (or Neolithic) period in northern Chile (ca. 3700–1550 yr BP) brought about the local establishment of agriculture, introduction of new crops (maize, quinoa, manioc, beans, etc.) along with a major population increase, new emergent villages and technological innovations. Even trees such as the Algarrobos (Prosopis section Algarobia) may have been part of this transformation. Here, we provide evidence that these species were not native to the Atacama Desert of Chile (18–27°S), appearing only in the late Holocene and most likely due to human actions. We assembled a database composed of 41 taxon specific AMS radiocarbon dates from archaeobotanical and palaeoecological records (rodent middens, leaf litter deposits), as well an extensive bibliographical review comprising archaeobotanical, paleoecological, phylogenetic and taxonomic data to evaluate the chronology of introduction and dispersal of these trees. Although Algarrobos could have appeared as early as 4200 yr BP in northernmost Chile, they only became common throughout the Atacama over a thousand years later, during and after the Formative period. Cultural and natural factors likely contributed to its spread and consolidation as a major silvicultural resource. PMID:28742126

Mass spectrometry in oceanography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, Suresh K.

2000-01-01

Mass spectrometry plays an important role in oceanography for various applications. Different types of inorganic as well as organic mass spectrometric techniques are being exploited world-wide to understand the different aspects of marine science, for palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and palaeoecology, for isotopic composition and concentrations of different elements as well as for speciation studies. The present paper reviews some of the applications of atomic mass spectrometric techniques in the area of oceanography

CRUSTOSE CORALLINE ALGAL PAVEMENTS FROM LATE EOCENE COLLI BERICI OF NORTHERN ITALY

OpenAIRE

BASSI, DAVIDE

2017-01-01

The Eocene from the Prealpine region records the first phase of the crustose coralline algae flourishing in the Cenozoic. These algae are very frequent in the Marne di Priabona Formation (Late Eocene). This palaeoecological research involves ourcrop at Barbarano Vicentino(Vicenza) in the Colli Berici which is well known for its Paleogene stratigraphy. The coralline unit consists of a floatstone bank 6 m thick with rhodoliths and laminar crusts; it lies between macroforaminifer dominated limes...

A dinosaur community composition dataset for the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Basin of Mongolia

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G.F. Funston

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Dinosaur community composition data for eleven fossil localities in the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Basin of Mongolia are compiled from field observations and records in the literature. Counts were generated from skeletons and represent numbers of individuals preserved in each locality. These data were used in the analyses of Funston et al. [1] “Oviraptorosaur anatomy, diversity, and ecology in the Nemegt Basin” in the Nemegt Ecosystems Special Issue of Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, where the results are discussed.

Glacial to Holocene fluctuations in hydrography and productivity along the southwestern continental margin of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Thamban, M.; Rao, V.P.; Schneider, R.R.; Grootes, P.M.

was highly reduced (S.W.A. Naqvi, personal communication). during 13–6 ka BP, when the intensity of summer Secondly, the dynamics of the upwelling system monsoon is expected to be high. We suggest that along the southwest coast of India oVers an past changes...: S0031-0182(00)00156-5 114 M. Thamban et al. / Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 165 (2001) 113–127 during the early to mid-Holocene period, following and Malmgren, 1996; Naqvi and Fairbanks, 1996; Overpeck et al., 1996; Zonneveld et...

Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) of the mammoth steppe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raghavan, Maanasa; Themudo, Goncalo Espregueira Cruz; Smith, Colin

2014-01-01

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios have been used as markers for palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological reconstructions across various geographical and temporal ranges. Such studies are essential for understanding how a particular species responded to changing environmental conditions...... in precipitation and that these variations were closely associated with events such as the cold and arid Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Bolling-Allerod interstadial, Younger Dryas stadial and the warmer and humid Holocene. Regional differences in the isotopic composition of the musk ox populations are also noticeable...

Long-Term Vegetation Dynamics in a Megadiverse Hotspot: The Ice-Age Record of a Pre-montane Forest of Central Ecuador

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Encarni Montoya

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Tropical ecosystems play a key role in many aspects of Earth system dynamics currently of global concern, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. To accurately understand complex tropical systems it is necessary to parameterise key ecological aspects, such as rates of change (RoC, species turnover, dynamism, resilience, or stability. To obtain a long-term (>50 years perspective on these ecological aspects we must turn to the fossil record. However, compared to temperate zones, collecting continuous sedimentary archives in the lowland tropics is often difficult due to the active landscape processes, with potentially frequent volcanic, tectonic, and/or fluvial events confounding sediment deposition, preservation, and recovery. Consequently, the nature, and drivers, of vegetation dynamics during the last glacial are barely known from many non-montane tropical landscapes. One of the first lowland Amazonian locations from which palaeoecological data were obtained was an outcrop near Mera (Ecuador. Mera was discovered, and analysed, by Paul Colinvaux in the 1980s, but his interpretation of the data as indicative of a forested glacial period were criticised based on the ecology and age control. Here we present new palaeoecological data from a lake located less than 10 km away from Mera. Sediment cores raised from Laguna Pindo (1250 masl; 1°27′S, 78°05′W have been shown to span the late last glacial period [50–13 cal kyr BP (calibrated kiloyears before present]. The palaeoecological information obtained from Laguna Pindo indicate that the region was characterised by a relatively stable plant community, formed by taxa nowadays common at both mid and high elevations. Miconia was the dominant taxon until around 30 cal kyr BP, when it was replaced by Hedyosmum, Asteraceae and Ilex among other taxa. Heat intolerant taxa including Podocarpus, Alnus, and Myrica peaked around the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 21 cal kyr BP. The results

Holocene vegetation, fire and climate interactions on the westernmost fringe of the Mediterranean Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Molino, César; García-Antón, Mercedes; Postigo-Mijarra, José M.; Morla, Carlos

2013-01-01

A new palaeoecological sequence from the western Iberian Central Range significantly contributes to the knowledge on the Holocene vegetation dynamics in central Iberia. This sequence supports the existence of time-transgressive changes in the vegetation cover during the beginning of the Holocene over these central Iberian mountains, specifically the replacement of boreal birch-pine forests with Mediterranean communities. Anthracological analyses also indicate the replacement of boreal pines (Pinus sylvestris) with Mediterranean ones (Pinus pinaster) during the early Holocene. The observed vegetation changes were generally synchronous with climatic phases previously reconstructed for the western Mediterranean region, and they suggest that the climatic trends were most similar to those recorded in the northern Mediterranean region and central Europe. Several cycles of secondary succession after fire ending with the recovery of mature forest have been identified, which demonstrates that the vegetation of western Iberia was highly resilient to fire disturbance. However, when the recurrence of fire crossed a certain threshold, the original forests were not able to completely recover and shrublands and grasslands became dominant; this occurred approximately 5800-5400 cal yr BP. Afterwards, heathlands established as the dominant vegetation, which were maintained by frequent and severe wildfires most likely associated with human activities in a climatic framework that was less suitable for temperate trees. Finally, our palaeoecological record provides guidelines on how to manage protected areas in Mediterranean mountains of southwestern Europe, especially regarding the conservation and restoration of temperate communities that are threatened there such as birch stands.

Impact of a drier Early-Mid-Holocene climate upon Amazonian forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayle, Francis E; Power, Mitchell J

2008-05-27

This paper uses a palaeoecological approach to examine the impact of drier climatic conditions of the Early-Mid-Holocene (ca 8000-4000 years ago) upon Amazonia's forests and their fire regimes. Palaeovegetation (pollen data) and palaeofire (charcoal) records are synthesized from 20 sites within the present tropical forest biome, and the underlying causes of any emergent patterns or changes are explored by reference to independent palaeoclimate data and present-day patterns of precipitation, forest cover and fire activity across Amazonia. During the Early-Mid-Holocene, Andean cloud forest taxa were replaced by lowland tree taxa as the cloud base rose while lowland ecotonal areas, which are presently covered by evergreen rainforest, were instead dominated by savannahs and/or semi-deciduous dry forests. Elsewhere in the Amazon Basin there is considerable spatial and temporal variation in patterns of vegetation disturbance and fire, which probably reflects the complex heterogeneous patterns in precipitation and seasonality across the basin, and the interactions between climate change, drought- and fire susceptibility of the forests, and Palaeo-Indian land use. Our analysis shows that the forest biome in most parts of Amazonia appears to have been remarkably resilient to climatic conditions significantly drier than those of today, despite widespread evidence of forest burning. Only in ecotonal areas is there evidence of biome replacement in the Holocene. From this palaeoecological perspective, we argue against the Amazon forest 'dieback' scenario simulated for the future.

Microsatellite markers for the palaeo-temperature indicator Pentapharsodinium dalei (Dinophyceae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundholm, Nina; Nielsen, Lene Rostgaard; Ribeiro, Sofia

2014-01-01

Pentapharsodinium dalei is a widely distributed cold-water dinoflagellate, which is used in palaeoecology as an indicator of relatively warmer conditions in polar and subpolar regions. This species has been proposed to be one of the first indicators of global warming at high latitudes.We developed...... dinucleotide polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed as multiplex polymerase chain reactions and were genotyped in 32 strains. The number of alleles per locus varied between 4 and 12, and the estimated gene diversity varied from 0.588 to 0.891. The haploid state of the vegetative cells was confirmed...

Palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological implications of the Eocene Northern Hemisphere Azolla phenomenon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barke, J.

2010-01-01

The high abundances and cyclic distribution of remains of the freshwater fern Azolla in early middle Eocene sediments from the Arctic Ocean have previously been related to episodic surface water freshening, which was speculated to be orbitally modulated. Our integrated palynological and

Palaeoecology of Holocene peat deposits from Nordvestø, north-west Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Ole; Goodsite, Michael Evan; Heinemeier, Jan

2008-01-01

Two extensive peat deposits on Nordvestø, between Greenland and Canada, were examined for macroscopic remains of plants and animals. One of the peat deposits accumulated during the period from c. 7,100 to 5,100 cal. years BP. This peat is guanogenic and completely dominated by the coprophilous...... bryophyte Aplodon wormskioldii, and also contains frequent remains of feathers. The peat formed close to a large former sea bird colony, probably a puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony. Puffins are now rare in the region, but the population may have been larger during the mid Holocene, when the sea was ice......-free for a longer period than at present. The other peat deposit is dated to c. 9,300-7,400 cal. years BP, it is minerogenic and the macrofossils reflect deposition in a shallow, richly vegetated pond. This peat formed during warmer summers than at present....

Late Quaternary palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological reconstruction in the Gutaiului Mountains, northwest Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Feurdean, Angelica; Bennike, Ole

2004-12-01

Macrofossil, pollen, lithostratigraphy, mineral magnetic measurements (SIRM and magnetic susceptibility), loss-on-ignition, and AMS radiocarbon dating on sediments from two former crater lakes, situated at moderate altitudes in the Gutaiului Mountains of northwest Romania, allow reconstruction of Late Quaternary climate and environment. Shrubs and herbs with steppe and montane affinities along with stands of Betula and Pinus, colonised the surroundings of the sites prior to 14 700 cal. yr BP and the inferred climatic conditions were cold and dry. The gradual transition to open Pinus-Betula forests, slightly higher lake water temperatures, and higher lake productivity, indicate more stable environmental conditions between 14 700 and 14 100 cal. yr BP. This development was interrupted by cooler and drier climatic conditions between 14 100 and 13 800 cal. yr BP, as inferred from a reduction of open forests to patches, or stands, of Pinus, Betula, Larix, Salix and Populus. The expansion of a denser boreal forest, dominated by Picea, but including Pinus, Larix, Betula, Salix, and Ulmus started at 13 800 cal. yr BP, although the forest density seems to have been reduced between 13400 and 13200cal.yrBP. Air temperature and moisture availability gradually increased, but a change towards drier conditions is seen at 13400cal.yrBP. A distinct decrease in temperature and humidity between 12900 and 11500cal.yrBP led to a return of open vegetation, with patches of Betula, Larix, Salix, Pinus and Alnus and individuals of Picea. Macrofossils and pollen of aquatic plants indicate rising lake water temperatures and increased aquatic productivity already by ca. 11800cal.yrBP, 300 years earlier than documented by the terrestrial plant communities. At the onset of the Holocene, 11500cal.yrBP, forests dominated by Betula, Pinus and Larix expanded and were followed by dense Ulmus forests with Picea, Betula and Pinus at 11250cal.yrBP. Larix pollen was not found, but macrofossil evidence indicates that Larix was an important forest constituent at the onset of the Holocene. Moister conditions were followed by a dry period starting about 10600cal.yrBP, which was more pronounced between 8600 and 8200cal.yrBP, as inferred from aquatic macrofossils. The maximum expansion of Tilia, Quercus, Fraxinus and Acer between 10700 and 8600cal.yrBP may reflect a more continental climate. A drier and/or cooler climate could have been responsible for the late expansion (10300cal.yrBP) and late maximum (9300cal.yrBP) of Corylus. Increased water stress, and possibly cooler conditions around 8600cal.yrBP, may have caused a reduction of Ulmus, Tilia, Quercus and Fraxinus. After 8200cal.yrBP moisture increased and the forests included Picea, Tilia, Quercus and Fraxinus. Copyright

Coniacian flora of the Sudetes (south-western Poland): Palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic interpretations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kvaček, J.; Halamski, A. T.; Svobodová, Marcela; Durska, E.

2015-01-01

Roč. 436, 15 October (2015), s. 178-187 ISSN 0031-0182 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Late Cretaceous * fossil plants * palynomorphs * palaeofloristics * palaeoclimatology * CLAMP Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 2.525, year: 2015

Long-term forest-savannah dynamics in the Bolivian Amazon: implications for conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayle, Francis E; Langstroth, Robert P; Fisher, Rosie A; Meir, Patrick

2007-02-28

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the respective roles of past changes in climate, geomorphology and human activities in shaping the present-day forest-savannah mosaic of the Bolivian Amazon, and consider how this palaeoecological perspective may help inform conservation strategies for the future. To this end, we review a suite of palaeoecological and archaeological data from two distinct forest-savannah environments in lowland Bolivia: Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NKMNP) on the Precambrian Shield and the 'Llanos de Moxos' in the Beni basin. We show that they contain markedly contrasting legacies of past climatic, geomorphic and anthropogenic influences between the last glacial period and the Spanish Conquest. In NKMNP, increasing precipitation caused evergreen rainforest expansion, at the expense of semi-deciduous dry forest and savannahs, over the last three millennia. In contrast, pre-Hispanic indigenous cultures were instrumental in facilitating recent forest expansion in the Llanos de Moxos by building a vast network of earthworks. Insights from Mid-Holocene palaeodata, together with ecological observations and modelling studies, suggest that there will be progressive replacement of rainforest by dry forest and savannah in NKMNP over the twenty-first century in response to the increased drought predicted by general circulation models. Protection of the latitudinal landscape corridors may be needed to facilitate these future species reassortments. However, devising appropriate conservation strategies for the Llanos de Moxos will be more difficult due to its complex legacy of Palaeo-Indian impact. Without fully understanding the degree to which its current biota has been influenced by past native cultures, the type and intensity of human land use appropriate for this landscape in the future will be difficult to ascertain.

Acidification in Three Lake District Tarns: Historical Iong term trends and modelled future behaviour under changing sulphate and nitrate deposition

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P. G. Whitchead

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Three upland Lake District Tarns, Scoat, Greendale and Burnmoor, have been evaluated using MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater In Catchments to reconstruct past, present and future chemical behaviour. The modelled historical changes in acidity are compared with palaeoecological estimation of pH to demonstrate model validity. Chemistry as simulated for all anions and cations and two of the three lakes are shown to have undergone significant acidification. The effects of changing atmospheric pollution levels on lake chemistry is evaluated and 80-90% sulphur reduction levels are required to achieve zero alkalinity. The impacts of increased nitrogen deposition are assessed and are shown to further delay reversibility.

Calcareous nannofossil events in the pre-evaporitic Messinian

Science.gov (United States)

Negri, Alessandra; Lozar, Francesca

2017-04-01

During the Messinian (7.2 to 5.3 Ma) the Mediterranean area experienced fast and deep climatic and eustatic structural changes. The stratigraphic framework for this interval is relatively well constrained and the beginning of the Messinian salinity crisis dated at 5.97 Ma determine a duration of at least 1.2 Ma for the pre-evaporitic Messinian that is object of this study. Several sites (Faneromeni, Pissouri, Polemi Fanantello borehole, Lemme, Pollenzo, Govone, Moncalvo; Wade and Bown, 2006; Kouwenhoven et al 2006, Morigi et al 2007, Lozar et al 2010, Dela Pierre et al 2011) show similar calcareous nannofossil record behavior, with several Sphenolithus spp. peaks recognised at different quotes in each of the sections. Aim of the present work is to compare the calcareous nannofossil data achieved in the above mentioned sections: interestingly, the occurrence of strongly oligotypic assemblages related to high salinity and unstable environments, appear to correlate precisely among the investigated sites and occur immediately before the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis, then offering the possibility to use them as bioevents for regional correlation. References Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Gennari, R., Irace, A., Lozar, F., Lugli, S., Manzi, V., Natalicchio, M., Roveri, M., Violanti, D., 2011. The record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (NW Italy): The Alba section revisited. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 310, 238-255. Kouwenhoven, T.J., Morigi, C., Negri, A., Giunta, S., Krijgsman, W., Rouchy, J.M., 2006 Paleoenvironmental evolution of the eastern Mediterranean during the Messinian: Constraints from integrated microfossil data of the Pissouri Basin (Cyprus). Marine Micropaleontology 60, 17-44. Lozar, F., Violanti, D., Dela Pierre, F., Bernardi, E., Cavagna, S., Clari, P., Irace, A., Martinetto, E., Trenkwalder, S., 2010. Calcareous nannofossils and foraminifers herald the Messinian

The influence of historical climate changes on Southern Ocean marine predator populations: a comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Younger, Jane L; Emmerson, Louise M; Miller, Karen J

2016-02-01

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is undergoing rapid physical and biological changes that are likely to have profound implications for higher-order predators. Here, we compare the long-term, historical responses of Southern Ocean predators to climate change. We examine palaeoecological evidence for changes in the abundance and distribution of seabirds and marine mammals, and place these into context with palaeoclimate records in order to identify key environmental drivers associated with population changes. Our synthesis revealed two key factors underlying Southern Ocean predator population changes; (i) the availability of ice-free ground for breeding and (ii) access to productive foraging grounds. The processes of glaciation and sea ice fluctuation were key; the distributions and abundances of elephant seals, snow petrels, gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins all responded strongly to the emergence of new breeding habitat coincident with deglaciation and reductions in sea ice. Access to productive foraging grounds was another limiting factor, with snow petrels, king and emperor penguins all affected by reduced prey availability in the past. Several species were isolated in glacial refugia and there is evidence that refuge populations were supported by polynyas. While the underlying drivers of population change were similar across most Southern Ocean predators, the individual responses of species to environmental change varied because of species specific factors such as dispersal ability and environmental sensitivity. Such interspecific differences are likely to affect the future climate change responses of Southern Ocean marine predators and should be considered in conservation plans. Comparative palaeoecological studies are a valuable source of long-term data on species' responses to environmental change that can provide important insights into future climate change responses. This synthesis highlights the importance of protecting productive foraging grounds

Forest conservation in a changing world: natural or cultural? Example from the Western Carpathians forests, Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelica Feurdean

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In order to plan for the future management of some of the most biodiverse forests of Europe, it is essential that we understand under which condition they arose and the time and processes responsible for their variability. Here, I highlight the main findings from the palaeoecological (pollen and charcoal, archaeological and historical investigation comprising the last 6000 years, in the Apuseni Natural Park, NW Romania and discuss the effect of the past land use and forest management on these forests. I then ask what does it mean in term of conservation values if these forests are not natural but a human product and bring up the relevance of cultural landscape for conservation.

Tracking Lateglacial and early Holocene environmental change: a palaeolimnological study of sediment at Preluca Tiganului, NW Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelica Feurdean

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Palaeoecological, palaeohydrological, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Late Glacial and the early Holocene have been performed from sediment accumulated in a small former crater lake, in the GutâI Mountains, NW Romania. Pollen, lithology, mineral magnetic, and loss-on-ignition analyses in conjunction to radiocarbon dating have been use for this purpose. The data indicates that during the Late Glacial period, vegetation dynamics were likely driven by climatic fluctuations. The climate events during the Late Glacial are well mirrored in local vegetation assemblage development, and past lake level fluctuations. These climatic events recorded in south-eastern Europe, are well correlated with the climate events from the North Western Europe and Greenland ice core stratigraphy.

Palaeoecology of fossil diatoms (the thermometers of salinity) of lake Bonneville, Utah, USA

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Setty, M.G.A.P.

and is presently the Great Salt Lake of Utah, having a salinity of 276 ppt. It is estimated that the saline content changed at the rate of 1 ppt per foot in stages, which is due to variation in the balance between precipitation and inflow evaporation and outflow...

New evidence for the age and palaeoecology of the Knysna formation, South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carr, A.S.; Boom, A.; Dunajko, A.; Bateman, M.D.; Holmes, P.J.; Berrio, J.C. [University of Leicester, Leicester (United Kingdom). Dept. of Geology

2010-09-15

The existence of lignitic deposits (Knysna Formation) on the South African south coast, near to the town of Knysna has been recognised for more than a century. We present a new suite of chronological, geochemical and palynological data obtained from a recently identified lignite exposure in this area. The lignite pollen assemblage is dominated by palms (Arecaceae), which are now locally extinct, and contains additional palynomorphs of tropical affinity, along with (moist-temperate) Podocarpus-type pollen, grasses, and herbaceous pollen types (e.g. Cliffortia-type, Asteraceae). Overall, the assemblage shows some commonalities with the Miocene Elandsfontein Formation in the Western Cape. The lignites are dominated by a diverse range of higher plant biomarkers, including abundant leaf wax lipids, as well as lignin monomers and leaf cuticle-derived macromolecular organic matter. All strongly indicate a terrestrial depositional setting, perhaps akin to contemporary palm swamps. A number of sesquiterpenoids imply the presence of gymnosperms, supporting observations from the pollen data and previously reported macro-fossil finds. The application of isothermal thermoluminescence techniques to coversands overlying the lignite produced a minimum age of similar to 1.7 Ma. Additional clues as to the likely age of the lignite are provided by compound-specific stable carbon isotope analyses of the leaf wax lipids. From this, an age post-dating the Oligocene may be inferred, and in conjunction with the site's geomorphic setting, an age post dating the middle Miocene is considered plausible. This is markedly younger than previous (Eocene) age estimates for the Knynsa Formation.

A review of the use of nonpollen palynomorphs in palaeoecology with examples from Australia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cook, E.J.; van Geel, B.; van der Kaars, S.; van Arkel, J.

2011-01-01

Records of the past climate and vegetation of Australia are frequently constructed using data generated from the analysis of pollen and pteridophyte spores alone, or in association with sedimentology. We demonstrate that theorganic residue prepared for pollen analysis yields other organic-walled

A humid early Holocene in Yemen interpreted from palaeoecology and taxonomy of freshwater ostracods

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Munef; Frenzel, Peter; Keyser, Dietmar; Hussain, Fadhl; Abood, Abdulkareem; Sha'af, Abdulmajed; Alzara'e, Sadham; Alammari, Sakher

2018-01-01

Lake or marsh sediments in the Qa'a Jahran-Dhamār area indicate a period of higher moisture availability in the early Holocene of the highlands of Yemen. Forty-two marl-peat sediment samples from eight stratigraphic sections of that area have been collected and are examined for the first time for their ostracod associations. Eight species belonging to seven genera and four families are reported. Their ecological tolerances and preferences are used to investigate the climatic and environmental changes in the early to mid-Holocene. Our data are compared and correlated with previous archaeological results, particularly from the region of Qa'a Jahran (Dhamār) in the vicinity of the village of Beyt Nahmi. We conclude that the wettest period of the Holocene was from about 7900 to 7400 cal yr BP, when northwards incursion of the Indian Ocean Monsoon caused intensified monsoon precipitation over southern Arabia.

Palaeoecology of a 3-kyr biosedimentary record of a coral reef-supporting carbonate shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Carine M.; Barbosa, Catia Fernandes; Cordeiro, Renato C.; Seoane, José Carlos S.; Fermino, Gerson M.; Silva, Patricia O.; Turcq, Bruno J.

2013-11-01

This study assesses the 3-kyr paleoecology and sedimentary evolution of the Abrolhos carbonate shelf, Bahia, Brazil, using a two-meter-long core collected in a carbonate muddy sediment. The paleoecology was based on the distribution of benthic foraminifer functional groups associated with grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N and δ13C. The results identified three biosedimentary units showing that symbiont-bearing foraminifers (Peneroplis and Archaias) decrease in abundance. However, other small taxa (Miliolinella and Cornuspira) and stress-tolerant genera (Bolivina, Elphidium and Ammonia) increase in abundance toward the core top. Grain size decreases toward the top of the core, suggesting a weakening of hydrodynamic winnowing toward recent time. The TOC and TN concentrations increase, and the C/N ratios decrease, suggesting an increase of marine productivity from nearby goblet-shaped structures called "chapeirões". Changes in the benthic foraminifer community can be linked to the sedimentological and organic matter input, which are the result of climatic and oceanographic variations at different spatial and time scales, thus illustrating reduced potential to support symbiont-bearing foraminifer communities to the end of the Holocene.

The impacts of past climate change on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradshaw, R.H.W.; Anderson, N.J.

2001-01-01

The last two million years of global history have been dominated by the impacts of rapid climate change. This influence is not immediately obvious to most biologists whose observations rarely extend beyond a period of a few years, but becomes apparent when interpreting long-term data sets whether they be population studies or palaeoecological data. It is appropriate therefore to consider how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have responded to climate change during the Quaternary when speculating about response to future climatic developments. In this chapter we discuss and illustrate the complex interactions between climate and anthropogenic influence on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems during the Holocene. Climate influences ecosystems both directly (e.g. physiological responses or lake thermal stratification) and indirectly (e.g. via fire frequency or catchment hydrology). Lake sediments can be used to study both past climatic change directly and the effects of past climatic variability. In this chapter we present summary examples of the influence of past climate change on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well showing how lake sediment records can provide proxy records of past climate change. The geological record from the last 18 000 years documents large changes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that are primarily driven by climatic change, but are modified by internal ecosystem processes. These changes are comparable in magnitude and rapidity to those predicted for the near future. Species at their distributional limits are particularly sensitive to climate change and contractions of range can be sudden in response to extreme climatic events such as the storm of December 1999 that damaged Picea trees far more than tree species that lay within their natural range limits. Palaeoecological records provide compelling evidence for direct climate forcing of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems but importantly also permit comparative analyses of impacts

Region-specific sensitivity of anemophilous pollen deposition to temperature and precipitation.

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Timme H Donders

Full Text Available Understanding relations between climate and pollen production is important for several societal and ecological challenges, importantly pollen forecasting for pollinosis treatment, forensic studies, global change biology, and high-resolution palaeoecological studies of past vegetation and climate fluctuations. For these purposes, we investigate the role of climate variables on annual-scale variations in pollen influx, test the regional consistency of observed patterns, and evaluate the potential to reconstruct high-frequency signals from sediment archives. A 43-year pollen-trap record from the Netherlands is used to investigate relations between annual pollen influx, climate variables (monthly and seasonal temperature and precipitation values, and the North Atlantic Oscillation climate index. Spearman rank correlation analysis shows that specifically in Alnus, Betula, Corylus, Fraxinus, Quercus and Plantago both temperature in the year prior to (T-1, as well as in the growing season (T, are highly significant factors (TApril rs between 0.30 [P<0.05[ and 0.58 [P<0.0001]; TJuli-1 rs between 0.32 [P<0.05[ and 0.56 [P<0.0001] in the annual pollen influx of wind-pollinated plants. Total annual pollen prediction models based on multiple climate variables yield R2 between 0.38 and 0.62 (P<0.0001. The effect of precipitation is minimal. A second trapping station in the SE Netherlands, shows consistent trends and annual variability, suggesting the climate factors are regionally relevant. Summer temperature is thought to influence the formation of reproductive structures, while temperature during the flowering season influences pollen release. This study provides a first predictive model for seasonal pollen forecasting, and also aides forensic studies. Furthermore, variations in pollen accumulation rates from a sub-fossil peat deposit are comparable with the pollen trap data. This suggests that high frequency variability pollen records from natural

Ecosystem resilience and threshold response in the Galápagos coastal zone.

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Alistair W R Seddon

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC provides a conservative estimate on rates of sea-level rise of 3.8 mm yr(-1 at the end of the 21(st century, which may have a detrimental effect on ecologically important mangrove ecosystems. Understanding factors influencing the long-term resilience of these communities is critical but poorly understood. We investigate ecological resilience in a coastal mangrove community from the Galápagos Islands over the last 2700 years using three research questions: What are the 'fast and slow' processes operating in the coastal zone? Is there evidence for a threshold response? How can the past inform us about the resilience of the modern system? METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Palaeoecological methods (AMS radiocarbon dating, stable carbon isotopes (δ(13C were used to reconstruct sedimentation rates and ecological change over the past 2,700 years at Diablas lagoon, Isabela, Galápagos. Bulk geochemical analysis was also used to determine local environmental changes, and salinity was reconstructed using a diatom transfer function. Changes in relative sea level (RSL were estimated using a glacio-isostatic adjustment model. Non-linear behaviour was observed in the Diablas mangrove ecosystem as it responded to increased salinities following exposure to tidal inundations. A negative feedback was observed which enabled the mangrove canopy to accrete vertically, but disturbances may have opened up the canopy and contributed to an erosion of resilience over time. A combination of drier climatic conditions and a slight fall in RSL then resulted in a threshold response, from a mangrove community to a microbial mat. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Palaeoecological records can provide important information on the nature of non-linear behaviour by identifying thresholds within ecological systems, and in outlining responses to 'fast' and 'slow' environmental change between alternative stable states. This study

Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree.

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Wilmshurst, Janet M; McGlone, Matt S; Turney, Chris S M

2015-08-26

Alien plants are a pervasive environmental problem, particularly on islands where they can rapidly transform unique indigenous ecosystems. However, often it is difficult to confidently determine whether a species is native or alien, especially if establishment occurred before historical records. This can present a management challenge: for example, should such taxa be eradicated or left alone until their region of origin and status are clarified? Here we show how combining palaeoecological and historical records can help resolve such dilemmas, using the tree daisy Olearia lyallii on the remote New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands as a case study. The status of this tree as native or introduced has remained uncertain for the 175 years since it was first discovered on the Auckland Islands, and its appropriate management is debated. Elsewhere, O. lyallii has a highly restricted distribution on small sea bird-rich islands within a 2° latitudinal band south of mainland New Zealand. Analysis of palaeoecological and historical records from the Auckland Islands suggest that O. lyallii established there c. 1807 when these islands were first exploited by European sealers. Establishment was facilitated by anthropogenic burning and clearing and its subsequent spread has been slow, limited in distribution and probably human-assisted. Olearia lyallii has succeeded mostly in highly disturbed sites which are also nutrient enriched from nesting sea birds, seals and sea spray. This marine subsidy has fuelled the rapid growth of O. lyallii and allowed this tree to be competitive against the maritime communities it has replaced. Although endemic to the New Zealand region, our evidence suggests that O. lyallii is alien to the Auckland Islands. Although such 'native' aliens can pose unique management challenges on islands, in this instance we suggest that ongoing monitoring with no control is an appropriate management action, as O. lyallii appears to pose minimal risk to

‘Do larger molars and robust jaws in early hominins represent dietary adaptation?’ A New Study in Tooth Wear

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Anna Frances Clement

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Diet imposes significant constraints on the biology and behaviour of animals. The fossil record suggests that key changes in diet have taken place throughout the course of human evolution. Defining these changes enables us to understand the behaviour of our extinct fossil ancestors. Several lines of evidence are available for studying the diet of early hominins, including craniodental morphology, palaeoecology, dental microwear and stable isotopes. They do, however, often provide conflicting results. Using dental macrowear analysis, this new UCL Institute of Archaeology project will provide an alternative source of information on early hominin diet. Dental macrowear has often been used to analyse diet in archaeological populations, but this will be the first time that this type of detailed study has been applied to the early hominin fossil record.

The long-term fate of permafrost peatlands under rapid climate warming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Swindles, Graeme T.; Morris, Paul J.; Mullan, Donal

2015-01-01

Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon, owing to cold conditions which suppress anaerobic decomposition. However, climate warming and permafrost thaw threaten the stability of this carbon store. The ultimate fate of permafrost peatlands and their carbon...... stores is unclear because of complex feedbacks between peat accumulation, hydrology and vegetation. Field monitoring campaigns only span the last few decades and therefore provide an incomplete picture of permafrost peatland response to recent rapid warming. Here we use a high-resolution palaeoecological...... approach to understand the longer-term response of peatlands in contrasting states of permafrost degradation to recent rapid warming. At all sites we identify a drying trend until the late-twentieth century; however, two sites subsequently experienced a rapid shift to wetter conditions as permafrost thawed...

A review of the use of non-pollen palynomorphs in palaeoecology with examples from Australia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cook, E.J.; van Geel, B.; van der Kaars, S.; van Arkel, J.

2011-01-01

Records of the past climate and vegetation of Australia are frequently constructed using data generated from the analysis of pollen and pteridophyte spores alone, or in association with sedimentology. We demonstrate that the organic residue prepared for pollen analysis yields other organic-walled

Mass concentration of Hirnantian cephalopods from the Siljan District, Sweden; taxonomy, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeographic relationships

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B. Kröger

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The Hirnantian Glisstjärn Formation (Normalograptus persculptus graptolite Biozone is a succession of limestones and shales onlapping the Katian Boda Limestone in the Siljan District, Sweden. It contains a conspicuous, up to several decimeter thick bed densely packed with bipolarly oriented, orthoconic cephalopod conchs that can reach lengths of more than 120 cm. Conch fragmentation, bioereosion and the generally poor preservation of the conchs indicate time averaging and the conchs are tentatively interpreted as beached, and a result of winnowing. Ten nautiloid species were collected from the Glisstjärn Formation of which five are new: Dawsonoceras gregarium n. sp., Discoceras siljanense n. sp., Isorthoceras dalecarlense n. sp., Retizitteloceras rarum gen. et sp. n., and Transorthoceras osmundsbergense gen. et sp. n. The non-endemic taxa in most cases are known from elsewhere in Baltoscandia, except one species which is known from Siberia, and North America respectively. Proteocerid orthoceridans dominate the association, of which T. osmundsbergense is the predominant species. Oncocerids are diverse but together with tarphycerids very rare. Notable is the lack of many higher taxa, that are typical for other Late Ordovician shallow water depositional settings. Based on the taxonomical composition of the cephalopod mass occurrence it is interpreted as an indicator of eutrophication of the water masses in the area. doi:10.1002/mmng.201000014

Cultural Landscapes and Neolithisation Processes: Outline of a model for the Scheldt basin (Belgium

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Erick N. Robinson

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Recent research has indicated the continuation of a hunting-fishing-gathering way of life in the lower Scheldt basin (Belgium for over a millennium after the first arrival of agriculture in the middle Scheldt. Current evidence suggests multiple hiatuses in cultural change from the late 6th-late 5th millennium BC. This article provides the outline of a model that seeks to explain these hiatuses from the perspective of indigenous hunter-fisher-gatherer cultural landscapes. The outline investigates the significance of palaeoecological and social contexts in relation to contact and cultural transmission processes during the transition to agriculture. Recent ethnoarchaeological research from hunter-fisher-gatherers in temperate and boreal environments is referenced as a structural analogy for illuminating the important relationship between territoriality and social mediation within hunter-gatherer groups at the Mesolithic-Neolithic interface.

Long-term disturbance dynamics and resilience of tropical peat swamp forests.

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Cole, Lydia E S; Bhagwat, Shonil A; Willis, Katherine J

2015-01-01

1. The coastal peat swamp forests of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, are undergoing rapid conversion, predominantly into oil palm plantations. This wetland ecosystem is assumed to have experienced insignificant disturbance in the past, persisting under a single ecologically-stable regime. However, there is limited knowledge of the past disturbance regime, long-term functioning and fundamentally the resilience of this ecosystem to changing natural and anthropogenic perturbations through time. 2. In this study, long-term ecological data sets from three degraded peatlands in Sarawak were collected to shed light on peat swamp forest dynamics. Fossil pollen and charcoal were counted in each sedimentary sequence to reconstruct vegetation and investigate responses to past environmental disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic. 3. Results demonstrate that peat swamp forest taxa have dominated these vegetation profiles throughout the last c . 2000-year period despite the presence of various drivers of disturbance. Evidence for episodes of climatic variability, predominantly linked to ENSO events, and wildfires is present throughout. However, in the last c . 500 years, burning and indicators of human disturbance have elevated beyond past levels at these sites, concurrent with a reduction in peat swamp forest pollen. 4. Two key insights have been gained through this palaeoecological analysis: (i) peat swamp forest vegetation has demonstrated resilience to disturbance caused by burning and climatic variability in Sarawak in the late Holocene, however (ii) coincident with increased fire combined with human impact c . 500 years ago, these communities started to decline. 5. Synthesis . Sarawak's coastal peat swamps have demonstrated resilience to past natural disturbances, with forest vegetation persisting through episodes of fire and climatic variability. However, palaeoecological data presented here suggest that recent, anthropogenic disturbances are of a greater magnitude

Landscape planning for the future: using fossil records to independently validate potential threats, opportunities and likely future range-shifts for socio-economically valuable plant species in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa

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Macias Fauria, M.; Willis, K. J.

2011-12-01

Bioclimatic Envelope Models (BEMs) for a set of socio-economically important tree species in Europe were independently validated using a hindcasting approach and fossil pollen records spanning the last 1000 years, including the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the 20th Century warming (PRES). The aim was to determine the accuracy of combining BEMs and palaeoecological data to predict continental-scale changes in distribution, and the availability of fossil data to hindcast economically important species. Eight types of BEMs were implemented in this study, covering most state-of-the-art modelling techniques. Present and palaeoclimatic data were obtained from the Atmosphere-Ocean Global Circulation Model ECHO-G. Last millenium was divided into three climatically distinct periods: MWP (AD 900-1300), LIA (AD 1600-1850) and PRES (AD 1900-2000). Models were calibrated for each period and validated with climatic and pollen data from the remaining periods. Successfully validated models were projected onto a 1-degree European grid, allowing the reconstruction of past modelled species distributions. BEMs were successfully validated with independent data. Strong model performance suggested high potential for BEMs to be used to model future species distributions, and highlighted the importance of palaeoecological data to independently validate these models, taking into account the scales at which this data operates. Although valid, BEMs showed poorer performance with species heavily managed and/or growing in heterogeneous terrain or with discontinuous distributions. Last millennium in Europe was characterized by an increase of crop woody species and a decline of forest species, suggesting an increasing land use by humans. The same approach was then implemented to a set of sub-Saharan plant species of high importance as a source of food, wood, and other ecosystem services such as carbon storage or erosion protection. The African study covered most of the

Mesozoic authigenic carbonate deposition in the Arctic: Do glendonites record gas hydrate destabilization during the Jurassic?

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Morales, Chloe; Suan, Guillaume; Wierzbowski, Hubert; Rogov, Mikhail; Teichert, Barbara; Kienhuis, Michiel V. M.; Polerecky, Lubos; Middelburg, Jack B. M.; Reichart, Gert-Jan; van de Schootbrugge, Bas

2015-04-01

considered. These results however caution the use of glendonites as a proxy for near-freezing conditions. References: Spielhagen, R.F., Tripati, A., 2009. Evidence from Svalbard for near-freezing temperatures and climate oscillations in the Arctic during the Paleocene and Eocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 278, 48-56. Teichert, B.M.A., Luppold, F.W., 2013. Glendonites from an Early Jurassic methane seep'Climate or methane indicators? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 390, 81-93.

The skull of the giant predatory pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni: implications for plesiosaur phylogenetics

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Adam S.; Dyke, Gareth J.

2008-10-01

The predatory pliosaurs were among the largest creatures ever to inhabit the oceans, some reaching gigantic proportions greater than 15 m in length. Fossils of this subclade of plesiosaurs are known from sediments all over the world, ranging in age from the Hettangian (approximately 198 Myr) to the Turonian (approximately 92 Myr). However, due to a lack of detailed studies and because only incomplete specimens are usually reported, pliosaur evolution remains poorly understood. In this paper, we describe the three dimensionally preserved skull of the giant Jurassic pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni. The first phylogenetic analysis dedicated to in-group relationships of pliosaurs allows us to hypothesise a number of well-supported lineages that correlate with marine biogeography and the palaeoecology of these reptiles. Rhomaleosaurids comprised a short-lived and early diverging lineage within pliosaurs, whose open-water top-predator niche was filled by other pliosaur taxa by the mid-late Jurassic.

NON-GENICULATE CORALLINE ALGAE (CORALLINALES, RHODOPHYTA FROM THE LOWER OLIGOCENE OF POLJŠICA PRI PODNARTU (NORTHERN SLOVENIA

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LUKA GALE

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Despite their increasing importance in sedimentology and palaeoecology, non-geniculate coralline algae remain virtually overlooked in Slovenia. Though these plants are present or even abundant in the Cretaceous and Cainozoic strata, they have never been studied in detail with notable exception of corallines from the Lower Oligocene beds in the area of Gornji Grad. Poljšica pri Podnartu is another locality where Lower Oligocene beds are exposed, considered as equivalent to the former. The studied profile consists of pebbly limestone, mudstone, sandstone and limestone. Limestones contain abundant non-geniculate coralline algae. Nine species from six genera of these corallines have been identified: Lithoporella melobesioides (Foslie Foslie, 1909, Neogoniolithon contii (Mastrorilli Quaranta et al., 2007, Spongites sp., Lithothamnion sp. 1, Lithothamnion sp. 2, Mesophyllum sp. 1, Mesophyllum sp. 2, Mesophyllum sp. 3 and Sporolithon sp. Some of these species are described from Slovenia for the first time. 

LATE PLEISTOCENE RODENTS (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA FROM THE BARANICA CAVE NEAR KNJAZEVAC (EASTERN SERBIA: SYSTEMATICS AND PALAEOECOLOGY

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KATARINA BOGICEVIC

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Baranica is a cave in the Balkan mountain range in the eastern part of Serbia. It contains four layers of sediments of Quaternary age. The Upper Pleistocene deposits (layers 2-4 have yielded a rich and diverse assemblage of vertebrate fauna, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. In this work, preliminary results of a study of the rodent fauna from the Upper Pleistocene deposits of the Baranica Cave (Knjazevac, eastern Serbia are presented. The fossil material comes from the 1995 archaeological excavation. The remains of 10 rodent species are described herein: Spermophilus cf. citelloides, Castor fiber, Sicista subtilis, Cricetulus migratorius, Cricetus cricetus, Mesocricetus newtoni, Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus-flavicollis, Spalax leucodon, Dryomys nitedula, and Muscardinus avellanarius. Along with eight vole species, this makes altogether 18 species of rodents found in this locality. Both layers 2 and 4 (layer 3 is very poor in fossils have yielded a rodent fauna typical for the cold periods of the Late Pleistocene on the Balkan Peninsula, with a prevalence of open and steppe inhabitants, but some forest dwellers were also present. The assemblages from these layers are similar, but there are some differences in the composition of the fauna, which may indicate a slight shift towards drier conditions. They have also been compared to rodent associations from some Serbian and Bulgarian localities of the same age and their similarities and differences are discussed. SHORT NOTE-NOTA BREVE

The avian fossil record in Insular Southeast Asia and its implications for avian biogeography and palaeoecology

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Hanneke J.M. Meijer

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Excavations and studies of existing collections during the last decades have significantly increased the abundance as well as the diversity of the avian fossil record for Insular Southeast Asia. The avian fossil record covers the Eocene through the Holocene, with the majority of bird fossils Pleistocene in age. Fossil bird skeletal remains represent at least 63 species in 54 genera and 27 families, and two ichnospecies are represented by fossil footprints. Birds of prey, owls and swiftlets are common elements. Extinctions seem to have been few, suggesting continuity of avian lineages since at least the Late Pleistocene, although some shifts in species ranges have occurred in response to climatic change. Similarities between the Late Pleistocene avifaunas of Flores and Java suggest a dispersal route across southern Sundaland. Late Pleistocene assemblages of Niah Cave (Borneo and Liang Bua (Flores support the rainforest refugium hypothesis in Southeast Asia as they indicate the persistence of forest cover, at least locally, throughout the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Late-Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact; Palaeoecological Evidence From Peat Deposits in Sweden and Germany

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, M.; van Geel, B.

2006-12-01

With the aim of investigating the effects of climate change and human impact on vegetation and carbon accumulation, we took peat cores of ca. 1 meter depth from four raised bogs situated on a North-South transect, at intervals of c. 500 km, Umeå in Sweden to Angermünde in northern Germany. A number of analyses were conducted (plant macrofossils, pollen/non-pollen microfossils, colorimetric humification, carbon/nitrogen ratios, bulk densities, loss on ignition), and 14C wiggle-match dating was applied to obtain a fine-resolution chronology. The cores from the northern and southern site encompass ca. 1000 years of vegetation history, showing evidence for the end of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the twentieth century warming. The middle Swedish and German sites are high resolution records of the last 400 years. The end of the MWP and the cooling at the start of the LIA are reflected by a decline in thermophilous tree species. Changes in the macrofossil composition may also represent changes in climate. Shifts in Sphagnum composition, the dominant peat former, reflect changes in precipitation. Evidence for wet conditions and increased carbon accumulation is found during the Little Ice Age. Human activities affected the peat bog and the surrounding vegetation. Sweden suffered many wars during the 16^{th} and 17^{th} century, which caused a decline in population density. Diseases such as the plague and famines caused by crop failures fastened the population decrease. As a consequence, agricultural land was abandoned, resulting in reforestation by Betula. Later, in the modern part of the records, land-use change and planting of trees comprised the major regional vegetation changes. In the southern site, human activities (drainage to facilitate peat cutting) affected the raised bog itself. A part of the peat archive was lost owing to secondary decomposition which resulted in very low carbon accumulation.

Aquatic community response to volcanic eruptions on the Ecuadorian Andean flank: evidence from the palaeoecological record

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Matthews-Bird, F.; Brooks, S.J.; Gosling, W.D.; Gulliver, P.; Mothes, P.; Montoya, E.

2017-01-01

Aquatic ecosystems in the tropical Andes are under increasing pressure from human modification of the landscape (deforestation and dams) and climatic change (increase of extreme events and 1.5 °C on average temperatures are projected for AD 2100). However, the resilience of these ecosystems to

The highest-latitude Foliomena Fauna (Upper Ordovician, Portugal) and its palaeogeographical and palaeoecological significance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colmenar Lallena, Jorge; Pereira, Sofia; Sá, Artur Abreu

2017-01-01

of the Portuguese Buçaco-Penacova region (Central Iberian Zone). The three studied localities have yielded different associations, composed of 15 species of brachiopods and two trilobites, including both key elements of the deep water Foliomena Fauna and taxa typically from shallower benthic biotas, e...

Methodological validation of the isotopic analysis of fossil bones and contributions to the paleo-ecological reconstitutions of the Upper Paleolithic of south-west France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drucker, D.

2001-04-01

A methodology for investigating fossil bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures has been established in order to obtain palaeo-ecological informations. The archaeological, biochemical and geochemical reliability has been estimated. Almost 500 animal and human specimens from southwestern France upper Palaeolithic sites ranging in age from 36,000 to 9,000 years BP have been treated. It has been demonstrated that different dietary resources were isotopically distinct, with a resolution better than the expectations. Small mammals have been distinguished from ungulates, and Reindeer, Horse and Bovines presented specific isotopic signatures. Moreover, isotopic differences have been evidenced between gregarious and solitary species. Time changes of ecological patterns have been described using the isotopic signatures of some mammal species. Biomass fluctuation and exploitation have been demonstrated during upper Palaeolithic. The methodology allowed to use the isotopic signatures of animal predators as a proxy for meat resources availability in the environment. This approach allows to investigate environmental global factors as well as human behaviour with a common tool. (author)

Methodological validation of the isotopic analysis of fossil bones and contributions to the paleo-ecological reconstitutions of the Upper Paleolithic of south-west France; Validation methodologique de l'analyse isotopique d'ossements fossiles et apports aux reconstitutions paleoecologiques du paleolithique superieur du sud-ouest de la France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drucker, D

2001-04-01

A methodology for investigating fossil bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures has been established in order to obtain palaeo-ecological informations. The archaeological, biochemical and geochemical reliability has been estimated. Almost 500 animal and human specimens from southwestern France upper Palaeolithic sites ranging in age from 36,000 to 9,000 years BP have been treated. It has been demonstrated that different dietary resources were isotopically distinct, with a resolution better than the expectations. Small mammals have been distinguished from ungulates, and Reindeer, Horse and Bovines presented specific isotopic signatures. Moreover, isotopic differences have been evidenced between gregarious and solitary species. Time changes of ecological patterns have been described using the isotopic signatures of some mammal species. Biomass fluctuation and exploitation have been demonstrated during upper Palaeolithic. The methodology allowed to use the isotopic signatures of animal predators as a proxy for meat resources availability in the environment. This approach allows to investigate environmental global factors as well as human behaviour with a common tool. (author)

Petroleum potential of dysaerobic carbonate source rocks in an intra-shelf basin: the Lower Cretaceous of Provence, France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machhour, L.; Oudin, J.-L.; Lambert, B.; Lapointe, P. [TOTAL, Centre Scientifique et Technique, Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse, 78 (France); Masse, J.-P. [Universite de Provence, Centre de Sedimentologie-Paleontologie, Marseille, 13 (France)

1998-05-01

Barremian-Aptian Carbonate sediments in southern Provence belong to a drowning sequence within an intra-shelf basin and display organic-carbon-rich horizons corresponding to the demise of a rudists platform system and the onset of dysaerobic conditions. These horizons depart from the classical anoxic model accepted for most marine organic-carbon-rich deposits. They have a rich and diverse fauna documenting nutrient-rich waters with low oxygen content - an environment in which organic matter is preserved from both biological and chemical degradation. Sedimentological, geochemical and palaeoecological investigations suggest that the organic-carbon-rich carbonates reflect dysaerobic conditions favourable for organic matter preservation, the amount of dissolved oxygen being lower than the geochemical threshold for organic matter decay. These organic-carbon-rich sediments are the result of high sea surface productivity and sea bottom conditions favouring preservation. The kerogen is mainly amorphous sapropelic organic matter, essentially algal, with a high hydrogen index and is of marine origin, deposited during high sea-level. (Author)

The ammonoids from the Three Forks Shale (Late Devonian of Montana

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D. Korn

2006-08-01

Full Text Available The ammonoid fauna from the Late Devonian Three Forks Shale of Montana is revised. Six taxa were recognised, which belong to the genera Tornoceras, Pernoceras, Raymondiceras, Platyclymenia, Pleuroclymenia, and Carinoclymenia. The ammonoid assemblage suggests a stratigraphic position within the middle Famennian, most probably the Platyclymenia annulata Zone. The ammonoids display extreme septal crowding in intermediate as well as adult growth stages, which can be regarded as evidence for instable palaeoecological conditions during lifetime of the animals. Die Ammonoideenfauna aus dem oberdevonischen Three Forks Shale von Montana wird revidiert. Sechs Taxa werden unterschieden; sie gehören zu den Gattungen Tornoceras, Pernoceras, Raymondiceras, Platyclymenia, Pleuroclymenia und Carinoclymenia. Die Ammonoideen-Vergesellschaftung spricht für eine stratigraphische Position im mittleren Famennium, wahrscheinlich in der Platyclymenia annulata Zone. Die Ammonoideen zeigen auffällige Drängung der Septen in intermediären und adulten Wachstumsstadien, die als Hinweis auf instabile Lebensbedingungen für die Tiere gewertet werden kann. doi:10.1002/mmng.200600008

Non-Pollen Palynomorphs Characteristic for the Dystrophic Stage of Humic Lakes in the Wigry National Park, Ne Poland

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Fiłoc Magdalena

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The numerous dystrophic (humic lakes are a very important feature of Wigry National Park, NE Poland. As the most recent palaeoecological data indicate, at the beginning of its development (in the Late Glacial and Early and Middle Holocene these water bodies functioned as harmonious lakes, and their transformation into dystrophic lakes and the stabilization of the trophic state took place at the beginning of the Subboreal. Palynological analysis of sediments from two such lakes (Lake Ślepe and Lake Suchar II, with special emphasis on non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs, was aimed at a detailed biological characterization of dystrophic lakes during their long-lasting existence. The obtained results allowed for the designation of organisms characteristic for dystrophic lakes, of which representatives appeared with the decreasing pH of the water and the formation of Sphagnum peat around lakes. These organisms were divided into four groups: algae, fungi, testate amoebas, and animals. Their representatives appear invarious developmental stages of dystrophic lakes.

PALAEOECOLOGICAL CHANGES AFTER THE END-PERMIAN MASS EXTINCTION: EARLY TRIASSIC OSTRACODS FROM NORTHWESTERN GUANGXI PROVINCE,SOUTH CHINA

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SYLVIE CRASQUIN-SOLEAU

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Early Triassic (Griesbachian to Spathian ostracod faunas are here first discovered and described form the Guangxi Province, South China. Thirty-seven species belonging to fourteen genera are recognized. Seven species are new: Bairdia fengshanensis n.sp., Bairdia wailiensis n.sp., Liuzhinia guangxiensis n.sp., Ptychobairdia luciaae n.sp., Ptychobairdia aldaae n.sp., Paracypris jinyaensis n.sp. and Paracypris gaetanii n.sp. The Griesbachian assemblage from the basal microbial limestone is well diversified and does not suggest any abnormal palaeoenvironmental conditions in terms of salinity, temperature or oxygen content. Particularly, the ostracods are typical of well oxygenated water and do not reflect any anoxia. Dienerian and Smithian ostracods are evidenced for the first time and the assemblages suggest less favourable palaeoenviromental conditions. Diversity and abundance of ostracod assemblages recovered from the Spathian on. The main taxonomic turnover among ostracod assemblages occurred seemingly between the Griesbachian and the Spathian.

Coral reefs of the turbid inner-shelf of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: An environmental and geomorphic perspective on their occurrence, composition and growth

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, N. K.; Smithers, S. G.; Perry, C. T.

2012-10-01

Investigations of the geomorphic and sedimentary context in which turbid zone reefs exist, both in the modern and fossil reef record, can inform key ecological debates regarding species tolerances and adaptability to elevated turbidity and sedimentation. Furthermore, these investigations can address critical geological and palaeoecological questions surrounding longer-term coral-sediment interactions and reef growth histories. Here we review current knowledge about turbid zone reefs from the inner-shelf regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia to consider these issues and to evaluate reef growth in the period prior to and post European settlement. We also consider the future prospects of these reefs under reported changing water quality regimes. Turbid zone reefs on the GBR are relatively well known compared to those in other reef regions. They occur within 20 km of the mainland coast where reef development may be influenced by continual or episodic terrigenous sediment inputs, fluctuating salinities (24-36 ppt), and reduced water quality through increased nutrient and pollutant delivery from urban and agricultural runoff. Individually, and in synergy, these environmental conditions are widely viewed as unfavourable for sustained and vigorous coral reef growth, and thus these reefs are widely perceived as marginal compared to clear water reef systems. However, recent research has revealed that this view is misleading, and that in fact many turbid zone reefs in this region are resilient, exhibit relatively high live coral cover (> 30%) and have distinctive community assemblages dominated by fast growing (Acropora, Montipora) and/or sediment tolerant species (Turbinaria, Goniopora, Galaxea, Porites). Palaeoecological reconstructions based on the analysis of reef cores show that community assemblages are relatively stable at millennial timescales, and that many reefs are actively accreting (average 2-7 mm/year) where accommodation space is available

Anthropogenic transformations of Rzecin peatland recorded on aerial photographs. (Polish Title: Przekształcenia antropogeniczne torfowiska Rzecin zaobserwowane na zdjęciach lotniczych)

Science.gov (United States)

Barabach, J.; Milecka, K.

2013-12-01

Due to floristic richness, plant communities diversity and good condition of wetland ecosystem in 2008 Rzecin Peatland (PLH3 00019) have been joined into Natura 2000 network of protected sites. In previous investigations several glacial relicts have been detected within the site and what is mo re nearly half of identified plant communities has been defined as perdochoric. That can suggest that human impact on the wetland ecosystem was quite small and its present state is quasi - natural. However, according to palaeoecological research conducted at this wetland, much of the wetland was formed during last couple of centuries , and because of that is much younger than previously thought . Moreover, these results suggests that both the beginnings of the peatland and its development could be under strong influence of human, who was affecting the ecosystem mainly by melioration works. The main aim of this paper is to determine those parts of the peatland which are the most and least affected by human activity by analyzing airborne imagery. Moreover changes in anthropopressure degree during last 50 years are analyzed. The comparison of multi temporal images allowed also to distinguish areas with intensive drainage system, those used for agriculture, and those on which human influence was quite weak, and because of that fact, which are the most suitable for most of palaeoecological researches. The greatest number of artificial object s has been noticed in the pictures from 1964. However it seems that many of them are artifacts from previous periods. In subsequent years this number significantly decrease. 106 artificial linear objects (ditches, field boundar ies, etc.) with a total length of more than 6.6 km have been identified in the pictures from that year, when in the last picture (from 2011) only 40 objects with the total length of 3.5 km. Also, the decline in percentage of human - transformed areas can be observed; in 1964 they covered 6.3 % of the peatland, while in

The functional significance of the spinose keel structure of benthic foraminifera: inferences from Miliolina cristata Millett, 1898 (Miliolida) from northeast Romania

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Dumitriţa Dumitriu, Simina; Dubicka, Zofia; Ionesi, Viorel

2018-01-01

The paper presents Miocene (lower Sarmatian) benthic foraminifera from the FH3P1 Rădăuţi Core section from the northwestern part of the Moldavian Platform, Romania. Based on foraminiferal assemblages we infer sediments were deposited in shallow-water, including marine-marginal environments, of varying salinities from brackish to normal marine with some short and rather small sea-level changes. Moreover, we describe for the first time in the Moldavian Platform a very rare species, Miliolina cristata Millett, which presents a characteristic spinose keel. Based on a detailed study of the test morphology and its variability, observed in picked material as well as in thin sections, we discuss some palaeoecological aspects of these foraminifera. M. cristata probably does not constitute a distinctive species, but it is more probable that some miliolid taxa developed such an exoskeletal feature in response to new environmental conditions, such as more turbulent water. Accordingly, our study would support the thesis that one of the functions of the benthic foraminiferal spines is to stabilize foraminiferal tests found in sandy substrates from high-energy environments.

Isotopes in the earth sciences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowen, Robert

1988-01-01

This book examines significant aspects of isotope applications in geology and geochemistry commencing with basic matters, such as atomic structure, stable nuclides and their fractionation, as well as the various decay modes of unstable nuclides. Modern mass spectrometry techniques including electrostatic tandem accelerators are followed by a review of radioisotope dating technology. The relatively new method using the rare earth elements samarium and neodymium are covered. Other geochronometers, applicable to both rocks and minerals not dateable otherwise, are included. A review is given of isotopes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere of the Earth. Those of oxygen and hydrogen together with the cosmogenic radionuclides tritium and radiocarbon are discussed in relation to the biosphere. The role of isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur is described and extended to fossil fuels and rocks as well as meteorites. Related themes such as Phanerozoic oceans, oceanic palaeothermometry, snow and ice stratigraphy and geothermal waters are covered. The field of isotopic palaeoecology is discussed. Radioactive wastes, their accumulation, dangers and disposal are investigated with especial reference to their environmental impacts.

Late glacial vegetation and climate changes in the high mountains of Bulgaria (Southeast Europe)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozilova, E.D.; Tonkov, S.B.

2005-01-01

Full text: The Late glacial vegetation history in the high mountains of Southern Bulgaria (Rila, Pirin, Western Rhodopes) is reconstructed by means of pollen analysis, plant macrofossils and radiocarbon dating of sediments from lakes and peat-bogs located between 1300 and 2200 m a.s.l. The vegetation response to the climate fluctuations after 13000 14 C yrs. BP in the Rila Mountains is bound for the first time to a detailed chronological framework. Two stadial and one interstadial phases are delimited analogous with the Oldest Dryas-Bolling/Allerod-Younger Dryas cycle for Western Europe. During the stadials mountain-steppe vegetation composed of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae and other cold-resistant herbs dominated at high elevation with sparse stands of Pinus, Betula, and shrubland of Juniperus and Ephedra. The climate improvement in the interstadial resulted in the initial spread of deciduous and coniferous trees (Quercus, Tilia, Corylus, Carpinus, Abies, Picea) from their local refugia below 1000 m. The palaeoecological record from the climate deterioration during the Younger Dryas is documented in thin sections of the cores investigated. (author)

Bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope variability in modern South Australian mammals: A baseline for palaeoecological inferences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pate, F.D.; Anson, T.J.; Noble, A.H.; Schoeninger, M.J.

1997-01-01

Cortical bone samples were collected from a range of modern mammals at four field sites along a 1225 km north-south transect from temperate coastal to arid interior South Australia in order to address variability in stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition. Collection sites were located along the eastern border of the state and included Mount Gambier, Karte, Plumbago and Innamincka. Mean annual rainfall along the transect ranges from 700-800 mm at Mount Gambier to 150-200 mm at Innamincka. Bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope values become more positive toward the arid north in relation to increasing quantities of C-4 plants and decreasing amounts of rainfall. respectively. In addition, carnivores and herbivores can be differentiated by stable nitrogen isotope values. On average, carnivore bone collagen is approximately 6 per mil more positive than that of rabbits at Mount Gambier but only 2.6 - 3.4 per mil more positive at the three arid collection sites. In general, the large eutherian herbivores have mean bone collagen δ15N values that are 1.4 - 2.3 per mil more positive than those of the marsupial herbivores. Eutherian and marsupial bone collagen δ15N differences only disappear at the most arid collection site, Innamincka

Palaeoecological study of a Weichselian wetland site in the Netherlands suggests a link with Dansgaard-Oeschger climate oscillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Geel, B.; Bos, J. A. A.; van Huissteden, J.; Pals, J. P.; Schatz, H.; van Mourik, J. M.; van Reenen, G. B. A.; Wallinga, J.; van der Plicht, J.

2010-01-01

Botanical microfossils, macroremains and oribatid mites of a Weichselian interstadial deposit in the central Netherlands point to a temporary, sub-arctic wetland in a treeless landscape. Radiocarbon dates and OSL dates show an age between ca. 54.6 and 46.6 ka cal BP. The vegetation succession,

Palaeoecological study of a Weichselian wetland site in the Netherlands suggests a link with Dansgaard-Oeschger climate oscillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geel, B. van; Bos, J.A.A.; Huissteden, J. van; Pals, J.P.; Schatz, H.; Mourik, J.M. van; Reenen, G.B.A. van; Wallinga, J.; Plicht, J. van der

Botanical microfossils, macroremains and oribatid mites of a Weichselian interstadial deposit in the central Netherlands point to a temporary, sub-arctic wetland in a treeless landscape. Radiocarbon dates and OSL dates show an age between ca. 54.6 and 46.6 ka cal BP. The vegetation succession,

Bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope variability in modern South Australian mammals: A baseline for palaeoecological inferences.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pate, F.D.; Anson, T.J.; Noble, A.H. [Flinders Univ. of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA (Australia). Department of Archaeology; Schoeninger, M.J. [Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (United States). Department of Anthropology

1997-12-31

Cortical bone samples were collected from a range of modern mammals at four field sites along a 1225 km north-south transect from temperate coastal to arid interior South Australia in order to address variability in stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition. Collection sites were located along the eastern border of the state and included Mount Gambier, Karte, Plumbago and Innamincka. Mean annual rainfall along the transect ranges from 700-800 mm at Mount Gambier to 150-200 mm at Innamincka. Bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope values become more positive toward the arid north in relation to increasing quantities of C-4 plants and decreasing amounts of rainfall. respectively. In addition, carnivores and herbivores can be differentiated by stable nitrogen isotope values. On average, carnivore bone collagen is approximately 6 per mil more positive than that of rabbits at Mount Gambier but only 2.6 - 3.4 per mil more positive at the three arid collection sites. In general, the large eutherian herbivores have mean bone collagen {delta}15N values that are 1.4 - 2.3 per mil more positive than those of the marsupial herbivores. Eutherian and marsupial bone collagen {delta}15N differences only disappear at the most arid collection site, Innamincka.

Holocene history of Cladium mariscus (L.) Pohl in the Czech Republic. Implications for species population dynamics and palaeoecology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokorný, Petr; Sádlo, Jiří; Bernardová, A.

2010-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 1 (2010), s. 65-76 ISSN 0001-6594 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAAX00020701; GA AV ČR IAAX00050801 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z80020508; CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : pollen analysis * plant macrofossils * extinctions Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour http://www.botany.pl/pubs-pdf/Acta%20Palaeobotanica/2010/Ac501_s65-76.pdf

Stable carbon isotope fractionation in pollen of Atlas cedar: first steps towards a new palaeoecological proxy for Northwest Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Benjamin; Fletcher, William; Ryan, Peter; Grant, Helen; Ilmen, Rachid

2016-04-01

Analysis of stable carbon isotopes can provide information on climate and the environmental conditions at different growth stages of the plant, both past and present. Carbon isotope discrimination in plant tissue is already well understood, and can be used as a drought stress indicator for semi-arid regions. Stable carbon isotope ratios measured directly on pollen provides the potential for the development of long-term environmental proxies (spanning thousands of years), as pollen is well preserved in the environment. Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica Endl. Manetti ex Carrière), is an ideal test case to develop a pollen stable carbon isotope proxy. The tree grows across a wide altitudinal and climatic range and is extremely sensitive to moisture availability. The pollen is abundant, and easily identifiable to the species level in pollen analysis because different cedar species are geographically confined to different regions of the world. In 2015 we sampled 76 individual cedar trees across latitudinal, altitudinal and environmental gradients, highly focused on the Middle Atlas region of Morocco, with 25 additional samples from botanical gardens across Europe and the US to extend these gradients. Here, we report new stable carbon isotope data from pollen, leaf and stem wood from these samples with a view to assessing and quantifying species-specific fractionation effects associated with pollen production. The isotopic response of individual trees at local and wider geographical scales to altitude and climatic conditions is presented. This research forms part of an ongoing PhD project working to develop and calibrate a modern carbon isotope proxy in Atlas cedar pollen, which can ultimately be applied to fossil sequences and complement existing multi-proxy records (e.g. pollen analysis in lake sediments, tree-rings).

Tomographic reconstruction of neopterous carboniferous insect nymphs.

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Russell Garwood

Full Text Available Two new polyneopteran insect nymphs from the Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte of France are presented. Both are preserved in three dimensions, and are imaged with the aid of X-ray micro-tomography, allowing their morphology to be recovered in unprecedented detail. One-Anebos phrixos gen. et sp. nov.-is of uncertain affinities, and preserves portions of the antennae and eyes, coupled with a heavily spined habitus. The other is a roachoid with long antennae and chewing mouthparts very similar in form to the most generalized mandibulate mouthparts of extant orthopteroid insects. Computer reconstructions reveal limbs in both specimens, allowing identification of the segments and annulation in the tarsus, while poorly developed thoracic wing pads suggest both are young instars. This work describes the morphologically best-known Palaeozoic insect nymphs, allowing a better understanding of the juveniles' palaeobiology and palaeoecology. We also consider the validity of evidence from Palaeozoic juvenile insects in wing origin theories. The study of juvenile Palaeozoic insects is currently a neglected field, yet these fossils provide direct evidence on the evolution of insect development. It is hoped this study will stimulate a renewed interest in such work.

'Tales of Symphonia': extinction dynamics in response to past climate change in Madagascan rainforests.

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Virah-Sawmy, Malika; Bonsall, Michael B; Willis, Katherine J

2009-12-23

Madagascar's rainforests are among the most biodiverse in the world. Understanding the population dynamics of important species within these forests in response to past climatic variability provides valuable insight into current and future species composition. Here, we use a population-level approach to analyse palaeoecological records over the last 5300 years to understand how populations of Symphonia cf. verrucosa became locally extinct in some rainforest fragments along the southeast coast of Madagascar in response to rapid climate change, yet persisted in others. Our results indicate that regional (climate) variability contributed to synchronous decline of S. cf. verrucosa populations in these forests. Superimposed on regional fluctuations were local processes that could have contributed or mitigated extinction. Specifically, in the forest with low soil nutrients, population model predictions indicated that there was coexistence between S. cf. verrucosa and Erica spp., but in the nutrient-rich forest, interspecific effects between Symphonia and Erica spp. may have pushed Symphonia to extinction at the peak of climatic change. We also demonstrate that Symphonia is a good indicator of a threshold event, exhibiting erratic fluctuations prior to and long after the critical climatic point has passed.

Connecting with tephras: principles, functioning, and applications of tephrochronology in Quaternary science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.J.

2014-01-01

Tephrochronology is a unique method for linking and dating geological, palaeoecological, palaeoclimatic or archaeological sequences or events. The method relies firstly and fundamentally on stratigraphy and the law of superposition, which apply in any study that connects or correlates deposits from one place to another. Secondly, it relies on characterising and hence identifying or 'fingerprinting' tephra layers using either physical properties evident in the field or those obtained from laboratory analysis, including mineralogical examination by optical microscopy or geochemical analysis of glass shards or crystals (e.g. Fe-Ti oxides, ferromagnesian minerals) using the electron microprobe and other tools. Thirdly, the method is enhanced when a numerical age is obtained for a tephra layer by (1) radiometric methods such as radiocarbon, fission-track, U-series, or Ar/Ar dating, (2) incremental dating methods including dendrochronology or varved sediments or layering in ice cores, or (3) age-equivalent methods such as palaeomagnetism or correlation with marine oxygen isotope stages or palynostratigraphy. Once known, that age can be transferred from one site to the next using stratigraphic methods and by matching compositional characteristics, i.e. comparing 'fingerprints' from each layer. Used this way, tephrochronology is an age-equivalent dating method. (author)

Dwarfism and feeding behaviours in Oligo–Miocene crocodiles from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia

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Michael Stein

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Instances of dwarfism in the fossil record are of interest to palaeontologists because they often provide insight into aspects of palaeoecology. Fossil species of Australian-Pacific mekosuchine genus Mekosuchus have been described as dwarf, primarily terrestrial crocodiles, in contrast with the nearly ubiquitous semi-aquatic habitus of extant crocodilians (Willis 1997. This hypothesis has been difficult to test because of limited knowledge of the cranial and postcranial skeleton of extinct taxa and the continuous nature of crocodilian growth. New crocodilian vertebral material from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, tentatively referred to Mekosuchus whitehunterensis Willis, 1997, displays morphological maturity indicative of adult snout-vent length little over a half-meter, proportionally smaller than extant dwarf taxa. Further, this material displays morphology that indicates a relatively large epaxial neck musculature for its body-size. These attributes suggest this dwarf mekosuchine employed unusual feeding behaviours. The ability to perform normal death-roll, de-fleshing behaviours would be limited in a mekosuchine of such small size. Given the powerful neck muscles and other anatomical features, it is more likely that this mekosuchine killed and/or dismembered its prey using a relatively forceful lifting and shaking of the head.

Early to mid-Holocene spatiotemporal vegetation changes and tsunami impact in a paradigmatic coastal transitional system (Doñana National Park, southwestern Europe)

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Saúl; Carrión, José S.; López-Merino, Lourdes; Ochando, Juan; Munuera, Manuel; Fernández, Santiago; González-Sampériz, Penélope

2018-02-01

The southern European Doñana wetlands host a highly biodiverse landscape mosaic of complex transitional ecosystems. It is one of the largest protected natural sites in Europe, nowadays endangered by intensive agricultural practices, and more recently tourism and human-induced fires. Its present-day spatial heterogeneity has been deeply investigated for the last three decades. However, a long-term perspective has not been applied systematically to this unique landscape. In this new study, a palaeoecological approach was selected in order to unravel patterns of landscape dynamism comparing dry upland and aquatic ecosystems. A 709 cm-long sediment core was retrieved and a multi-proxy approach applied (palynological, microcharcoal, grain size, magnetic susceptibility, loss-on-ignition and multivariate statistical analyses). Pollen signatures show how sensitive aquatic wetland vegetation was to environmental changes while terrestrial vegetation was stable at millennial scale. The impact of several high energy events punctuates the Early and Middle Holocene sequence, two of which relate to the local tsunami record ( 6.6 and 9.1 cal. kyr BP). Contrasting impacts of these two events in the aquatic and upland ecosystems show the importance of landscape configuration and the contingent history as key elements for coastal protection.

Breeding Young as a Survival Strategy during Earth’s Greatest Mass Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Botha-Brink, Jennifer; Codron, Daryl; Huttenlocker, Adam K.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Ruta, Marcello

2016-04-01

Studies of the effects of mass extinctions on ancient ecosystems have focused on changes in taxic diversity, morphological disparity, abundance, behaviour and resource availability as key determinants of group survival. Crucially, the contribution of life history traits to survival during terrestrial mass extinctions has not been investigated, despite the critical role of such traits for population viability. We use bone microstructure and body size data to investigate the palaeoecological implications of changes in life history strategies in the therapsid forerunners of mammals before and after the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME), the most catastrophic crisis in Phanerozoic history. Our results are consistent with truncated development, shortened life expectancies, elevated mortality rates and higher extinction risks amongst post-extinction species. Various simulations of ecological dynamics indicate that an earlier onset of reproduction leading to shortened generation times could explain the persistence of therapsids in the unpredictable, resource-limited Early Triassic environments, and help explain observed body size distributions of some disaster taxa (e.g., Lystrosaurus). Our study accounts for differential survival in mammal ancestors after the PTME and provides a methodological framework for quantifying survival strategies in other vertebrates during major biotic crises.

Project CLIMPEAT - Influence of global warming and drought on the carbon sequestration and biodiversity of Sphagnum peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Lamentowicz, M.; Buttler, A.; Mitchell, E. A. D.; Chojnicki, B.; Słowińska, S.; Słowiński, M.

2012-04-01

Northern peatlands represent a globally significant pool of carbon and are subject to the highest rates of climate warming, and most of these peatlands are in continental settings. However, it is unclear if how fast peatlands respond to past and present changes in temperature and surface moisture in continental vs. oceanic climate settings. The CLIMPEAT project brings together scientists from Poland and Switzerland. Our goal is to assess the past and present vulnerability to climate change of Sphagnum peatland plant and microbial communities, peat organic matter transformations and carbon sequestration using a combination of field and mesocosm experiments simulating warming and water table changes and palaeoecological studies. Warming will be achieved using ITEX-type "Open-Top Chambers". The field studies are conducted in Poland, at the limit between oceanic and continental climates, and are part of a network of projects also including field experiments in the French Jura (sub-oceanic) and in Siberia (continental). We will calibrate the response of key biological (plants, testate amoebae) and geochemical (isotopic composition of organic compounds, organic matter changes) proxies to warming and water table changes and use these proxies to reconstruct climate changes during the last 1000 years.

Connecting, synchronising, and dating with tephras : principles and applications of tephrochronology in Quaternary research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.J.

2017-01-01

Tephrochronology is a unique method for linking and dating geological, palaeoecological, palaeoclimatic or archaeological sequences or events. The method relies firstly and fundamentally on stratigraphy and the law of superposition, which apply in any study that connects or correlates deposits from one place to another. Secondly, it relies on characterising and hence identifying or 'fingerprinting' tephra layers using either physical properties evident in the field or those obtained from laboratory analysis, including mineralogical examination by optical microscopy or geochemical analysis of glass shards or crystals (e.g. Fe-Ti oxides, ferromagnesian minerals) using the electron microprobe and other tools. Thirdly, the method is enhanced when a numerical age is obtained for a tephra layer by (1) radiometric methods such as radiocarbon, fission-track, U-series, or Ar/Ar dating, (2) incremental dating methods including dendrochronology or varved sediments or layering in ice cores, or (3) age-equivalent methods such as palaeomagnetism or correlation with marine oxygen isotope stages or palynostratigraphy. Once known, that age can be transferred from one site to the next using stratigraphic methods and by matching compositional characteristics, i.e. comparing 'fingerprints' from each layer. Used this way, tephrochronology is an age-equivalent dating method. (author).

Charcoal anatomy of Brazilian species. I. Anacardiaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Thaís A P; Scheel-Ybert, Rita

2016-01-01

Anthracological studies are firmly advancing in the tropics during the last decades. The theoretical and methodological bases of the discipline are well established. Yet, there is a strong demand for comparative reference material, seeking for an improvement in the precision of taxonomic determination, both in palaeoecological and palaeoethnobotanical studies and to help preventing illegal charcoal production. This work presents descriptions of charcoal anatomy of eleven Anacardiaceae species from six genera native to Brazil (Anacardium occidentale, Anacardium parvifolium, Astronium graveolens, Astronium lecointei, Lithrea molleoides, Schinus terebenthifolius, Spondias mombin, Spondias purpurea, Spondias tuberosa, Tapirira guianensis, and Tapirira obtusa). They are characterized by diffuse-porous wood, vessels solitary and in multiples, tyloses and spiral thickenings sometimes present; simple perforation plates, alternate intervessel pits, rounded vessel-ray pits with much reduced borders to apparently simple; parenchyma paratracheal scanty to vasicentric; heterocellular rays, some with radial canals and crystals; septate fibres with simple pits. These results are quite similar to previous wood anatomical descriptions of the same species or genera. Yet, charcoal identification is more effective when unknown samples are compared to charred extant equivalents, instead of to wood slides.

Charcoal anatomy of Brazilian species. I. Anacardiaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

THAÍS A.P. GONÇALVES

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Anthracological studies are firmly advancing in the tropics during the last decades. The theoretical and methodological bases of the discipline are well established. Yet, there is a strong demand for comparative reference material, seeking for an improvement in the precision of taxonomic determination, both in palaeoecological and palaeoethnobotanical studies and to help preventing illegal charcoal production. This work presents descriptions of charcoal anatomy of eleven Anacardiaceae species from six genera native to Brazil (Anacardium occidentale, Anacardium parvifolium, Astronium graveolens, Astronium lecointei, Lithrea molleoides, Schinus terebenthifolius, Spondias mombin, Spondias purpurea, Spondias tuberosa, Tapirira guianensis, and Tapirira obtusa. They are characterized by diffuse-porous wood, vessels solitary and in multiples, tyloses and spiral thickenings sometimes present; simple perforation plates, alternate intervessel pits, rounded vessel-ray pits with much reduced borders to apparently simple; parenchyma paratracheal scanty to vasicentric; heterocellular rays, some with radial canals and crystals; septate fibres with simple pits. These results are quite similar to previous wood anatomical descriptions of the same species or genera. Yet, charcoal identification is more effective when unknown samples are compared to charred extant equivalents, instead of to wood slides.

Genetic data from algae sedimentary DNA reflect the influence of environment over geography.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R; Herzschuh, Ulrike; Pestryakova, Luidmila A; Klemm, Juliane; Epp, Laura S; Tiedemann, Ralph

2015-08-11

Genetic investigations on eukaryotic plankton confirmed the existence of modern biogeographic patterns, but analyses of palaeoecological data exploring the temporal variability of these patterns have rarely been presented. Ancient sedimentary DNA proved suitable for investigations of past assemblage turnover in the course of environmental change, but genetic relatedness of the identified lineages has not yet been undertaken. Here, we investigate the relatedness of diatom lineages in Siberian lakes along environmental gradients (i.e. across treeline transects), over geographic distance and through time (i.e. the last 7000 years) using modern and ancient sedimentary DNA. Our results indicate that closely-related Staurosira lineages occur in similar environments and less-related lineages in dissimilar environments, in our case different vegetation and co-varying climatic and limnic variables across treeline transects. Thus our study reveals that environmental conditions rather than geographic distance is reflected by diatom-relatedness patterns in space and time. We tentatively speculate that the detected relatedness pattern in Staurosira across the treeline could be a result of adaptation to diverse environmental conditions across the arctic boreal treeline, however, a geographically-driven divergence and subsequent repopulation of ecologically different habitats might also be a potential explanation for the observed pattern.

Holocene distribution of woody taxa at the westernmost limit of the Circumboreal/Mediterranean boundary: Evidence from wood remains

Science.gov (United States)

Rubiales, Juan M.; Ezquerra, Javier; Muñoz Sobrino, Castor; Génova, María M.; Gil, Luis; Ramil-Rego, Pablo; Gómez Manzaneque, Fernando

2012-02-01

Macrofossils and megafossils of different genera, which were found in twelve localities in the mountains of northwest Iberia, provide spatially precise evidence of their distribution in the region during the Holocene. Macrofossils were recovered from mires, eroded peat bogs and lakes, identified by their wood anatomy and dated using radiocarbon methods. Conifers (Pinus), deciduous trees (Betula, Salix, Quercus) and shrubs (Erica, Fabaceae) were identified. The findings of Pinus gr. sylvestris/nigra have special biogeographical significance. The available palaeoecological data from the Cantabrian Range and nearby mountains (Ancares and Courel) indicate that pines have grown during the Holocene over the highlands of the western part of the Cantabrian Range area as a natural vegetation element. Nevertheless, Pinus sylvestris is the only pine species that is currently present in the Cantabrian Mountains, and its natural distribution area is now limited to a few enclaves. In this study, we provide a number of conclusive findings demonstrating that the past distribution of Pinus gr. sylvestris/nigra in this region suffered an important range contraction during the last two millennia. Historical data also support this idea, as they strongly suggest that this species survived well into the historical period.

Lower limits of ornithischian dinosaur body size inferred from a new Upper Jurassic heterodontosaurid from North America

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Richard J.; Galton, Peter M.; Porro, Laura B.; Chiappe, Luis M.; Henderson, Donald M.; Erickson, Gregory M.

2010-01-01

The extremes of dinosaur body size have long fascinated scientists. The smallest (dinosaurs are carnivorous saurischian theropods, and similarly diminutive herbivorous or omnivorous ornithischians (the other major group of dinosaurs) are unknown. We report a new ornithischian dinosaur, Fruitadens haagarorum, from the Late Jurassic of western North America that rivals the smallest theropods in size. The largest specimens of Fruitadens represent young adults in their fifth year of development and are estimated at just 65–75 cm in total body length and 0.5–0.75 kg body mass. They are thus the smallest known ornithischians. Fruitadens is a late-surviving member of the basal dinosaur clade Heterodontosauridae, and is the first member of this clade to be described from North America. The craniodental anatomy and diminutive body size of Fruitadens suggest that this taxon was an ecological generalist with an omnivorous diet, thus providing new insights into morphological and palaeoecological diversity within Dinosauria. Late-surviving (Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous) heterodontosaurids are smaller and less ecologically specialized than Early (Late Triassic and Early Jurassic) heterodontosaurids, and this ecological generalization may account in part for the remarkable 100-million-year-long longevity of the clade. PMID:19846460

Environmental change during the Late Berriasian - Early Valanginian: a prelude to the late Early Valanginian carbon-isotope event?

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Chloé; Schnyder, Johann; Spangenberg, Jorge; Adatte, Thierry; Westermann, Stephane; Föllmi, Karl

2010-05-01

European basins show that the climate became more humid during the Late Berriasian (Hallam et al., 1991, Schnyder et al., 2009). The aim of this project is to precisely characterize and date paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change during the latest Berriasian-Early Valanginian time interval in order to decipher if they can be viewed as precursor events, linked with the late Early Valanginian δ13C event. Three key sections have been studied: Capriolo (N Italy), Montclus (SE France) and Musfallen (E Switzerland) located in the Lombardian and Vocontian basins and on the Helvetic platform, respectively. Phosphorus and stable-isotope analyses have been performed, in addition to clay-mineralogy and facies determinations. The three sections show similar and comparable trends: The phosphorus content (in ppm) is higher in Late Berriasian sediments (compared to Early Berriasian and Valanginian deposits) and this period is also characterised by a decrease in δ13C values. This is interpreted as the result of enhanced continental weathering, which would be coeval with a change to a more humid climate during the Late Berriasian (Schnyder et al., 2009). References: Bornemann, A. and Mutterlose, J. (2008). "Calcareous nannofossil and d13C records from the Early Cretaceous of the Western Atlantic ocean: evidence of enhanced fertilization accross the Berriasian-Valanginian transition." palaios 23: 821-832. Duchamp-Alphonse, S., Gardin, S., Fiet, N., Bartolini, A., Blamart, D. and Pagel, M. (2007). "Fertilization of the northwestern Tethys (Vocontian basin, SE France) during the Valanginian carbon isotope perturbation: Evidence from calcareous nannofossils and trace element data." Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 243(1-2): 132-151. Föllmi, K.B., Weissert, H., Bisping, M. & Funk, H. 1994: Phosphogenesis, carbon-isotope stratigraphy, and carbonate-platform evolution along the Lower Cretaceous northern tethyan margin. Geological Society of America, Bulletin 106, 729

Pliocene paleoenvironment evolution as interpreted from 3D-seismic data in the southern North Sea, Dutch offshore sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhlmann, Gesa [Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht (Netherlands); Wong, Theo E. [Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht (Netherlands); TNO-NITG, National Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht (Netherlands)

2008-02-15

A high-resolution 3D-seismic survey from the Dutch offshore sector has been interpreted and subsequently correlated with existing regional seismo-stratigraphic concepts derived from conventional 2D-seismic data sets. The interpreted 13 seismic units have been related to a newly established chrono-stratigraphic framework [Kuhlmann et al., 2006a, b. Chronostratigraphy of Late Neogene sediments in the southern North Sea Basin and paleoenvironmental interpretations. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 239, 426-455; Integrated chronostratigraphy of the Pliocene-Pleistocene interval and its relation to the regional stratigraphical stages in the southern North Sea region. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences-Geologie en Mijnbouw, 85(1), 19-35] resulting in up-dated age control for the seismic units. The generation of amplitude maps, time slices and isopach maps from the 3D-seismic data enabled detailed spatial and temporal reconstruction regarding the paleoenvironmental and climatological development as depicted by Kuhlmann et al. [2006a. Chronostratigraphy of Late Neogene sediments in the southern North Sea Basin and paleoenvironmental interpretations. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 239, 426-455]. The lowermost seismic units S1-S4 comprise condensed Middle Miocene to Piacencian sediments, deposited under warm open marine conditions. These sediments show a uniform seismic facies of low-amplitude reflectors. The boundary of seismic unit S4-S5 (around 2.6 Ma) delineates a shift towards generally colder climate conditions that are connected to the onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation. Seismic unit S5 includes alternations of warmer and colder periods. During warmer periods, bottom currents generated elongated structures (2.5-4 km long, 300-500 m wide) on the horizon display. These layers show as well shallow gas accumulations with a more regional extent and are related to coarser-grained sediments sealed by clayey sediments of the cold

Palaeoenvironmental drivers of vertebrate community composition in the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada, with implications for dinosaur biogeography.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, Thomas M; Evans, David C

2016-11-15

The Belly River Group of southern Alberta is one of the best-sampled Late Cretaceous terrestrial faunal assemblages in the world. This system provides a high-resolution biostratigraphic record of terrestrial vertebrate diversity and faunal turnover, and it has considerable potential to be a model system for testing hypotheses of dinosaur palaeoecological dynamics, including important aspects of palaeoecommunity structure, trophic interactions, and responses to environmental change. Vertebrate fossil microsites (assemblages of small bones and teeth concentrated together over a relatively short time and thought to be representative of community composition) offer an unparalleled dataset to better test these hypotheses by ameliorating problems of sample size, geography, and chronostratigraphic control that hamper other palaeoecological analyses. Here, we assembled a comprehensive relative abundance dataset of microsites sampled from the entire Belly River Group and performed a series of analyses to test the influence of environmental factors on site and taxon clustering, and assess the stability of faunal assemblages both temporally and spatially. We also test the long-held idea that populations of large dinosaur taxa were particularly sensitive to small-scale environmental gradients, such as the paralic (coastal) to alluvial (inland) regimes present within the time-equivalent depositional basin of the upper Oldman and lower Dinosaur Park Formations. Palaeoenvironment (i.e. reconstructed environmental conditions, related to relative amount of alluvial, fluvial, and coastal influence in associated sedimentary strata) was found to be strongly associated with clustering of sites by relative-abundance faunal assemblages, particularly in relation to changes in faunal assemblage composition and marine-terrestrial environmental transitions. Palaeogeography/palaeolandscape were moderately associated to site relative abundance assemblage clustering, with depositional setting

Using multi-proxy palaeoecology to test a relict status of refugial populations of calcareous-fen species in the Western Carpathians

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájková, Petra; Horsák, M.; Hájek, Michal; Jankovská, Vlasta; Jamrichová, Eva; Moutelíková, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 4 (2015), s. 702-715 ISSN 0959-6836 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : biodiversity * calcareous fen * fossil record * Holocene extinction * Western Carpathians Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 2.135, year: 2015

Silicified sea life - Macrofauna and palaeoecology of the Neuburg Kieselerde Member (Cenomanian to Lower Turonian Wellheim Formation, Bavaria, southern Germany)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schneider, S.; Jäger, M.; Kroh, A.; Mitterer, A.; Niebuhr, B.; Vodrážka, Radek; Wilmsen, M.

2013-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 4 (2013), s. 555-610 ISSN 0001-5709 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Late Cretaceous * Danubian Cretaceous Group * Macro-invertebrates * Facies Silica diagenesis * stratigraphy Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 0.804, year: 2013

Palaeogeographical type of the geological heritage of Egypt: A new evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Sallam, Emad S.; Ruban, Dmitry A.

2017-05-01

The geoconservation and geotourism potential of Northeast Africa and, particularly, Egypt is big, but the knowledge of geosites of this territory remains limited. Another urgent task is establishment of the geological heritage of different types. The literature review and the personal field experience permit to propose several geosites that reflect the geological history of Egypt. These include El-Goza El-Hamra, Gebel Qatrani and Birqash, Khashm El-Galala, Wadi El-Hitan, Kom El-Shelul, Wadi Araba, Gebel Umm Bisilla, Maadi Petrified Forest, Dababiya Quarry, and Atud. The noted geosites represent all six main subtypes (facies, palaeoecological, ichnological, taphonomic, event, and geoarchaeological) of the palaeogeographical type of the geological heritage. Their rank varies between local and global. The entire palaeogeographical heritage of Egypt is of international importance. It is argued that three kinds of geodiversity are linked to this heritage. These are determined by the number of subtypes in the country, the co-occurrence of subtypes in the geosites, and the combination of the palaeogeographical and other geological heritage types. The proposed palaeogeographical geosites can be employed successfully for the purposes of geoconservation and geotourism. Presumably, the importance of archaeological objects for tourism activities in Egypt may facilitate attractiveness of the palaeogeographical heritage.

Origins and ecological consequences of pollen specialization among desert bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Minckley, R L; Cane, J H; Kervin, L

2000-02-07

An understanding of the evolutionary origins of insect foraging specialization is often hindered by a poor biogeographical and palaeoecological record. The historical biogeography (20,000 years before present to the present) of the desert-limited plant, creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), is remarkably complete. This history coupled with the distribution pattern of its bee fauna suggests pollen specialization for creosote bush pollen has evolved repeatedly among bees in the Lower Sonoran and Mojave deserts. In these highly xeric, floristically depauperate environments, species of specialist bees surpass generalist bees in diversity, biomass and abundance. The ability of specialist bees to facultatively remain in diapause through resource-poor years and to emerge synchronously with host plant bloom in resource-rich years probably explains their ecological dominance and persistence in these areas. Repeated origins of pollen specialization to one host plant where bloom occurs least predictably is a counter-example to prevailing theories that postulate such traits originate where the plant grows best and blooms most reliably Host-plant synchronization, a paucity of alternative floral hosts, or flowering attributes of creosote bush alone or in concert may account for the diversity of bee specialists that depend on this plant instead of nutritional factors or chemical coevolution between floral rewards and the pollinators they have evolved to attract.

What is the optimum sample size for the study of peatland testate amoeba assemblages?

Science.gov (United States)

Mazei, Yuri A; Tsyganov, Andrey N; Esaulov, Anton S; Tychkov, Alexander Yu; Payne, Richard J

2017-10-01

Testate amoebae are widely used in ecological and palaeoecological studies of peatlands, particularly as indicators of surface wetness. To ensure data are robust and comparable it is important to consider methodological factors which may affect results. One significant question which has not been directly addressed in previous studies is how sample size (expressed here as number of Sphagnum stems) affects data quality. In three contrasting locations in a Russian peatland we extracted samples of differing size, analysed testate amoebae and calculated a number of widely-used indices: species richness, Simpson diversity, compositional dissimilarity from the largest sample and transfer function predictions of water table depth. We found that there was a trend for larger samples to contain more species across the range of commonly-used sample sizes in ecological studies. Smaller samples sometimes failed to produce counts of testate amoebae often considered minimally adequate. It seems likely that analyses based on samples of different sizes may not produce consistent data. Decisions about sample size need to reflect trade-offs between logistics, data quality, spatial resolution and the disturbance involved in sample extraction. For most common ecological applications we suggest that samples of more than eight Sphagnum stems are likely to be desirable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Connecting, synchronising, and dating with tephras : principles and applications of tephrochronology in Quaternary research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.J.

2016-01-01

Tephrochronology is a unique method for linking and dating geological, palaeoecological, palaeoclimatic or archaeological sequences or events. The method relies firstly and fundamentally on stratigraphy and the law of superposition, which apply in any study that connects or correlates deposits from one place to another. Secondly, it relies on characterising and hence identifying or 'fingerprinting' tephra layers using either physical properties evident in the field or those obtained from laboratory analysis, including mineralogical examination by optical microscopy or geochemical analysis of glass shards or crystals (e.g. Fe-Ti oxides, ferromagnesian minerals) using the electron microprobe and other tools. Thirdly, the method is enhanced when a numerical age is obtained for a tephra layer by (1) radiometric methods such as radiocarbon, fission-track, U-series, or Ar/Ar dating, (2) incremental dating methods including dendrochronology or varved sediments or layering in ice cores, or (3) age-equivalent methods such as palaeomagnetism or correlation with marine oxygen isotope stages or palynostratigraphy. Once known, that age can be transferred from one site to the next using stratigraphic methods and by matching compositional characteristics, i.e. comparing 'fingerprints' from each layer. Used this way, tephrochronology is an age-equivalent dating method. (author).

Connecting with tephras : principles, functioning, and applications of tephrochronology in Quaternary science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.J.

2013-01-01

Tephrochronology is a unique method for linking and dating geological, palaeoecological, palaeoclimatic or archaeological sequences or events. The method relies firstly and fundamentally on stratigraphy and the law of superposition, which apply in any study that connects or correlates deposits from one place to another. Secondly, it relies on characterising and hence identifying or 'fingerprinting' tephra layers using either physical properties evident in the field or those obtained from laboratory analysis, including mineralogical examination by optical microscopy or geochemical analysis of glass shards or crystals (e.g. Fe-Ti oxides, ferromagnesian minerals) using the electron microprobe and other tools. Thirdly, the method is enhanced when a numerical age is obtained for a tephra layer by (1) radiometric methods such as radiocarbon, fission-track, U-series, or Ar/Ar dating, (2) incremental dating methods including dendrochronology or varved sediments or layering in ice cores, or (3) age-equivalent methods such as palaeomagnetism or correlation with marine oxygen isotope stages or palynostratigraphy. Once known, that age can be transferred from one site to the next using stratigraphic methods and by matching compositional characteristics, i.e. comparing 'fingerprints' from each layer. Used this way, tephrochronology is an age-equivalent dating method. (author). 150 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs.

2 H-fractionations during the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and lipids imprint a metabolic signal on the δ2 H values of plant organic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Cormier, Marc-André; Werner, Roland A; Sauer, Peter E; Gröcke, Darren R; Leuenberger, Markus C; Wieloch, Thomas; Schleucher, Jürgen; Kahmen, Ansgar

2018-04-01

Hydrogen (H) isotope ratio (δ 2 H) analyses of plant organic compounds have been applied to assess ecohydrological processes in the environment despite a large part of the δ 2 H variability observed in plant compounds not being fully elucidated. We present a conceptual biochemical model based on empirical H isotope data that we generated in two complementary experiments that clarifies a large part of the unexplained variability in the δ 2 H values of plant organic compounds. The experiments demonstrate that information recorded in the δ 2 H values of plant organic compounds goes beyond hydrological signals and can also contain important information on the carbon and energy metabolism of plants. Our model explains where 2 H-fractionations occur in the biosynthesis of plant organic compounds and how these 2 H-fractionations are tightly coupled to a plant's carbon and energy metabolism. Our model also provides a mechanistic basis to introduce H isotopes in plant organic compounds as a new metabolic proxy for the carbon and energy metabolism of plants and ecosystems. Such a new metabolic proxy has the potential to be applied in a broad range of disciplines, including plant and ecosystem physiology, biogeochemistry and palaeoecology. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

The long-term fate of permafrost peatlands under rapid climate warming

Science.gov (United States)

Swindles, Graeme T.; Morris, Paul J.; Mullan, Donal; Watson, Elizabeth J.; Turner, T. Edward; Roland, Thomas P.; Amesbury, Matthew J.; Kokfelt, Ulla; Schoning, Kristian; Pratte, Steve; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Charman, Dan J.; Sanderson, Nicole; Garneau, Michelle; Carrivick, Jonathan L.; Woulds, Clare; Holden, Joseph; Parry, Lauren; Galloway, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon, owing to cold conditions which suppress anaerobic decomposition. However, climate warming and permafrost thaw threaten the stability of this carbon store. The ultimate fate of permafrost peatlands and their carbon stores is unclear because of complex feedbacks between peat accumulation, hydrology and vegetation. Field monitoring campaigns only span the last few decades and therefore provide an incomplete picture of permafrost peatland response to recent rapid warming. Here we use a high-resolution palaeoecological approach to understand the longer-term response of peatlands in contrasting states of permafrost degradation to recent rapid warming. At all sites we identify a drying trend until the late-twentieth century; however, two sites subsequently experienced a rapid shift to wetter conditions as permafrost thawed in response to climatic warming, culminating in collapse of the peat domes. Commonalities between study sites lead us to propose a five-phase model for permafrost peatland response to climatic warming. This model suggests a shared ecohydrological trajectory towards a common end point: inundated Arctic fen. Although carbon accumulation is rapid in such sites, saturated soil conditions are likely to cause elevated methane emissions that have implications for climate-feedback mechanisms. PMID:26647837

The origins of intensive marine fishing in medieval Europe: the English evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, James H.; Locker, Alison M.; Roberts, Callum M.

2004-01-01

The catastrophic impact of fishing pressure on species such as cod and herring is well documented. However, the antiquity of their intensive exploitation has not been established. Systematic catch statistics are only available for ca.100 years, but large-scale fishing industries existed in medieval Europe and the expansion of cod fishing from the fourteenth century (first in Iceland, then in Newfoundland) played an important role in the European colonization of the Northwest Atlantic. History has demonstrated the scale of these late medieval and post-medieval fisheries, but only archaeology can illuminate earlier practices. Zooarchaeological evidence shows that the clearest changes in marine fishing in England between AD 600 and 1600 occurred rapidly around AD 1000 and involved large increases in catches of herring and cod. Surprisingly, this revolution predated the documented post-medieval expansion of England's sea fisheries and coincided with the Medieval Warm Period--when natural herring and cod productivity was probably low in the North Sea. This counterintuitive discovery can be explained by the concurrent rise of urbanism and human impacts on freshwater ecosystems. The search for 'pristine' baselines regarding marine ecosystems will thus need to employ medieval palaeoecological proxies in addition to recent fisheries data and early modern historical records. PMID:15590590

Pleistocene megafaunal interaction networks became more vulnerable after human arrival.

Science.gov (United States)

Pires, Mathias M; Koch, Paul L; Fariña, Richard A; de Aguiar, Marcus A M; dos Reis, Sérgio F; Guimarães, Paulo R

2015-09-07

The end of the Pleistocene was marked by the extinction of almost all large land mammals worldwide except in Africa. Although the debate on Pleistocene extinctions has focused on the roles of climate change and humans, the impact of perturbations depends on properties of ecological communities, such as species composition and the organization of ecological interactions. Here, we combined palaeoecological and ecological data, food-web models and community stability analysis to investigate if differences between Pleistocene and modern mammalian assemblages help us understand why the megafauna died out in the Americas while persisting in Africa. We show Pleistocene and modern assemblages share similar network topology, but differences in richness and body size distributions made Pleistocene communities significantly more vulnerable to the effects of human arrival. The structural changes promoted by humans in Pleistocene networks would have increased the likelihood of unstable dynamics, which may favour extinction cascades in communities facing extrinsic perturbations. Our findings suggest that the basic aspects of the organization of ecological communities may have played an important role in major extinction events in the past. Knowledge of community-level properties and their consequences to dynamics may be critical to understand past and future extinctions. © 2015 The Author(s).

Variation in sclerophylly among Iberian populations of Quercus coccifera L. is associated with genetic differentiation across contrasting environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio de Casas, R; Vargas, P; Pérez-Corona, E; Cano, E; Manrique, E; García-Verdugo, C; Balaguer, L

2009-05-01

Evergreen oaks are an emblematic element of the Mediterranean vegetation and have a leaf phenotype that seems to have remained unchanged since the Miocene. We hypothesise that variation of the sclerophyll phenotype among Iberian populations of Quercus coccifera is partly due to an ulterior process of ecotypic differentiation. We analysed the genetic structure of nine Iberian populations using ISSR fingerprints, and their leaf phenotypes using mean and intracanopy plasticity values of eight morphological (leaf angle, area, spinescence, lobation and specific area) and biochemical traits (VAZ pool, chlorophyll and beta-carotene content). Climate and soil were also characterised at the population sites. Significant genetic and phenotypic differences were found among populations and between NE Iberia and the rest of the populations of the peninsula. Mean phenotypes showed a strong and independent correlation with both genetic and geographic distances. Northeastern plants were smaller, less plastic, with smaller, spinier and thicker leaves, a phenotype consistent with the stressful conditions that prevailed in the steppe environments of the refugia within this geographic area during glaciations. These genetic, phenotypic, geographic and environmental patterns are consistent with previously reported palaeoecological and common evidence. Such consistency leads us to conclude that there has been a Quaternary divergence within the sclerophyllous syndrome that was at least partially driven by ecological factors.

Unusual Deep Water sponge assemblage in South China—Witness of the end-Ordovician mass extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lixia; Feng, Hongzhen; Janussen, Dorte; Reitner, Joachim

2015-11-01

There are few sponges known from the end-Ordovician to early-Silurian strata all over the world, and no records of sponge fossils have been found yet in China during this interval. Here we report a unique sponge assemblage spanning the interval of the end-Ordovician mass extinction from the Kaochiapien Formation (Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian) in South China. This assemblage contains a variety of well-preserved siliceous sponges, including both Burgess Shale-type and modern type taxa. It is clear that this assemblage developed in deep water, low energy ecosystem with less competitors and more vacant niches. Its explosion may be related to the euxinic and anoxic condition as well as the noticeable transgression during the end-Ordovician mass extinction. The excellent preservation of this assemblage is probably due to the rapid burial by mud turbidites. This unusual sponge assemblage provides a link between the Burgess Shale-type deep water sponges and the modern forms. It gives an excellent insight into the deep sea palaeoecology and the macroevolution of Phanerozoic sponges, and opens a new window to investigate the marine ecosystem before and after the end-Ordovician mass extinction. It also offers potential to search for exceptional fossil biota across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary interval in China.

Unusual Deep Water sponge assemblage in South China-Witness of the end-Ordovician mass extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lixia; Feng, Hongzhen; Janussen, Dorte; Reitner, Joachim

2015-11-05

There are few sponges known from the end-Ordovician to early-Silurian strata all over the world, and no records of sponge fossils have been found yet in China during this interval. Here we report a unique sponge assemblage spanning the interval of the end-Ordovician mass extinction from the Kaochiapien Formation (Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian) in South China. This assemblage contains a variety of well-preserved siliceous sponges, including both Burgess Shale-type and modern type taxa. It is clear that this assemblage developed in deep water, low energy ecosystem with less competitors and more vacant niches. Its explosion may be related to the euxinic and anoxic condition as well as the noticeable transgression during the end-Ordovician mass extinction. The excellent preservation of this assemblage is probably due to the rapid burial by mud turbidites. This unusual sponge assemblage provides a link between the Burgess Shale-type deep water sponges and the modern forms. It gives an excellent insight into the deep sea palaeoecology and the macroevolution of Phanerozoic sponges, and opens a new window to investigate the marine ecosystem before and after the end-Ordovician mass extinction. It also offers potential to search for exceptional fossil biota across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary interval in China.

Taphonomic interpretations of a new Plio-Pleistocene hominin-bearing assemblage at Kromdraai (Gauteng, South Africa)

Science.gov (United States)

Fourvel, Jean-Baptiste; Thackeray, John Francis; Brink, James S.; O'Regan, Hannah; Braga, José

2018-06-01

Within the past 80 years, the Kromdraai site in South Africa has provided a diverse Early Pleistocene fauna (notably bovids, carnivores, primates, large rodents, birds, proboscidea). Since 2014, the Kromdraai bone accumulation has been the focus of intensive fieldwork that demonstrated that the site is much larger than previously recognised. In the present taphonomic study of a new and large faunal sample including more than 2400 remains, stratigraphically controlled, we aim to test previous interpretations of the Kromdraai assemblage as representing a death trap or a carnivore lair. In particular, we aim to discuss the relationships between faunal communities in the context of carnivores, either predator-prey or predator-predator interactions. We investigate the relative abundance of anatomical elements and their fragmentation, the mortality profiles and tooth-mark frequency. We conclude that carnivores (particularly felids and hyenids) played a major role in the accumulation of fauna from Member 2, which (thus far) is the oldest depositional period investigated at Kromdraai. However, the high species diversity suggests that the secondary predators (scavengers) could have modified the bone deposit produced by the primary predators. The presence of hominin remains is also questioned. Our results shed new light on the palaeoecology of the Kromdraai Member 2 hominins, in terms of opportunistic predators and/or prey of large carnivores.

Arcellaceans and pollen/spores of a late Harappan settlement near Porbandar, west coast of India: Implications for palaeoecology and environmental monitoring

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Farooqui, A.; Gaur, A.S.

. Vucetich, M. C., Nuevos aportes al conocimiento de los tecameb i- anos del dominio subtropical. Neotropica , 1978, 24 , 79 ? 90. 10. Velho, L. F. M. and La n sac - T?ha, F. A., Testate amo ebae (Rhizopodes, Sarcodina) from zooplankton of the high...

Evolutionary processes involved in the diversification of chelonian and mammal polystomatid parasites (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) revealed by palaeoecology of their hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Héritier, Laurent; Badets, Mathieu; Du Preez, Louis H; Aisien, Martins S O; Lixian, Fan; Combes, Claude; Verneau, Olivier

2015-11-01

Polystomatid flatworms (Platyhelminthes) are monogenean parasites that infect exclusively aquatic or semi-aquatic sarcopterygians such as the Australian lungfish, amphibians, freshwater turtles and the African common hippopotamus. Previous studies on the phylogenetic relationships of these parasites, excluding Oculotrema hippopotami infecting common hippos, showed a global coevolution between hosts and their parasites at a macroevolutionary scale. These studies also demonstrated a strong correlation between the diversification of early neobatrachian polystomes and Gondwana breakup in the Mesozoic period. However the origin of chelonian polystomes is still in question as a switch from presumably primitive aquatic amniotes to turtles at the time of their first appearance, or soon after during their radiation, was assumed. In order to resolve this sticking point, we extended the phylogeny of polystomes with broader parasite sampling, i.e. 55 polystome species including Nanopolystoma tinsleyi a polystome infecting caecilians and O. hippopotami, and larger set of sequence data covering two nuclear and two mitochondrial genes coding for the ribosomal RNA 18S and 28S, the Cytochrome c Oxidase I and the ribosomal RNA 12S, respectively. The secondary structure of nuclear rRNAs genes (stems and loops) was taken into account for sequence alignments and Bayesian analyses were performed based on the appropriate models of evolution selected independently for the four designed partitions. Molecular calibrations were also conducted for dating the main speciation events in the polystome tree. The phylogenetic position of chelonian parasites that are phylogenetically closer to N. tinsleyi than all other amphibian polystomes and molecular time estimates suggest that these parasites originated following a switch from caecilians, at a geological period when primitive turtles may already have adapted to an aquatic life style, i.e. at about 178Million years ago, or a little later when the crown group of extant turtles have already diversified, i.e. at about 152Mya. Similarly, because O. hippopotami constitutes the sister group of chelonian parasites, proposing that an African caecilian could be the ancestral host for this polystome species seems at this stage the most likely hypothesis to explain its occurrence within the common hippo. Regardless of the scenario that may be predicted to explain the origin of polystomes within aquatic or semi-aquatic amniotes, their presence and evolution are indicative of early aquatic ecological habits within ancestral lineages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D modelling of the Carnian Crisis in a new FWF Project (P22109-B17) - Ammonite mass mortality (200 000 000 !!! specimens) as proxy for the Carnian Crisis (Taurus, Turkey)

Science.gov (United States)

Mayrhofer, Susanne; Lukeneder, Alexander

2010-05-01

The Upper Triassic in general, and the Carnian stage in detail was devastated by one of the most severe ecological crisis of the Mesozoic Era, the Carnian Crisis (= Carnian Pluvial Event), when the carbonate platforms demised and with them most of the reef-builders disappeared. The Orthoceltites assemblage (ammonoids, cephalopods) was formed in the Carnian Crisis, now located at the boundary from Kartoz and Kasimlar Formation (Anatolia, Turkey), can act as proxy for the environmental activities and biotic crisis in the Carnian time. It has to be noted that the ultimate cause of this drastic Mesozoic crisis is still under comprehensive discussion. The main investigation topics of the project are the palaeoecologic, palaeobiogeographic, litho-, cyclo- and magnetostratigraphic development of the Upper Triassic (Carnian) ammonoid mass-occurrence at the Asagiyaylabel section in Anatolia (Turkey), formed during the Carnian Crisis. This area is a key section within the Taurids and has a connecting and intermediate position. Situated on the western end of the Cimmerian System at that time it shows connection to both, the Neo-Tethys and the Palaeo-Tethys Oceans. New insights into the taxonomy and the palaeoecology of the investigated ammonoids and associated macro- and microfossils are expected. The abundant ammonoid Orthoceltites, at least 200 000 000 !!! specimens, is assumed to be a new species. Further topics of investigation are the original position and environmental conditions of the sedimentation area at the Asagiyaylabel section, located in the Taurids. The formation of the ammonoid beds is either autochthonous or allochthonous (transported). Expected 3D modelling results will be essential to reach geodynamic, palaeooceanographic and palaeobiological conclusions. This further leads to the question of the original water depths during the formation of ammonoid mass occurrences. As a multitasking project, one aim is to underline a crucial fact in working within

Stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology of the Loch Humphrey Burn lagerst?tte and other Mississippian palaeobotanical localities of the Kilpatrick Hills, southwest Scotland

OpenAIRE

Bateman, Richard M.; Stevens, Liadan G.; Hilton, Jason

2016-01-01

Background and Aims. The largely Mississippian strata of the Kilpatrick Hills, located at the western end of the Scottish Midland Valley, enclose several macrofossil floras that together contain ca 21 organ-species of permineralised plants and ca 44 organ-species of compressed plants, here estimated to represent 25 whole-plant species (Glenarbuck = nine, Loch Humphrey Burn Lower = 11, Upper = seven). The most significant locality is the internationally important volcanigenic sequence that is ...

Givetian ostracods of the Candás Formation (Asturias, North-western Spain): taxonomy, stratigraphy, palaeoecology, relationship to global events and palaeogeographical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Maillet, Sebastien; Milhau, Bruno; Vreulx, Michel; Posada, Luis-Carlos Sánchez De

2016-01-27

Asturian ostracods of the Givetian carbonate Candás Formation are documented for the first time from the Peran-Perlora and Carranques reference sections. More than 1,200 specimens were extracted from 44 samples by means of the hot acetolysis method. In all, 75 taxa are described herein, of which 21 are formally described and one, Evlanella peranensis Maillet n. sp., is new. All the taxa are marine benthic and belong to the Eifelian Mega-Assemblage. The assemblages recognized are representative of semi-restricted to shallow open-marine palaeoenvironments above the storm wave base. The stratigraphical distribution of the taxa shows a strong faunal renewal in the top of the Candás Formation. Long-ranging taxa found at the base of the formation, of which many are known from the base of the Middle Devonian, disappear within the base of the member C and are replaced above, around the Middle/Upper Givetian boundary, by more cosmopolitan taxa characteristic of the Frasnian. The lower half of the member C is also characterized both by unstable environments and occurrence of some short-ranging opportunistic ostracod taxa. This renewal within shallow water ostracod communities is probably a consequence of the global Taghanic Biocrisis, leading world-widely to extinctions in several faunal groups. Faunal affinities with Givetian ostracod taxa reported in other areas of the world reflect the commonly accepted palaeogeographical patterns. Close relations between the Cantabrian Zone (NW-Spain), the Armorican Massif (W-France), the Mouthoumet Massif (S-France) and North Africa (Morocco and Algeria) suggest a narrow oceanic space between the western European terranes and the northern Gondwanan margin that involves an advanced phase of closure of the Medio-European Ocean.

Biodiversity hotspots through time: an introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Katherine J; Gillson, Lindsey; Knapp, Sandra

2007-02-28

International targets set for reducing the rate of biodiversity loss--the 2010 target--and ensuring environmental stability (Millennium Development Goals) have helped to focus the efforts of the scientific community on providing the data necessary for their implementation. The urgency of these goals, coupled with the increased rate of habitat alteration worldwide, has meant that actions have largely not taken into account the increasing body of data about the biodiversity change in the past. We know a lot about how our planet has been altered and recovered in the past, both in deep time and through prehistory. Linking this knowledge to conservation action has not been widely practised, by either the palaeoecology or the conservation communities. Long-term data, however, have much to offer current conservation practice, and in the papers for this volume we have tried to bring together a variety of different perspectives as to how this might happen in the most effective way. We also identify areas for productive collaboration and some key synergies for work in the near future to enable our knowledge of the past to be used for conservation action in the here and now. Lateral thinking, across knowledge systems and with open-mindness about bridging data gaps, will be necessary for our accumulating knowledge about our planet's past to be brought to bear on our attempts to conserve it in the future.

Holocene climate variability revealed by oxygen isotope analysis of Sphagnum cellulose from Walton Moss, northern England

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, T. J.; Barber, K. E.; Street-Perrott, F. A.; Loader, N. J.; Marshall, J. D.; Crowley, S. F.; Fisher, E. H.

2010-07-01

Stable isotope analyses of Sphagnum alpha-cellulose, precipitation and bog water from three sites across northwestern Europe (Raheenmore, Ireland, Walton Moss, northern England and Dosenmoor, northern Germany) over a total period of 26 months were used to investigate the nature of the climatic signal recorded by Sphagnum moss. The δ18O values of modern alpha-cellulose tracked precipitation more closely than bog water, with a mean isotopic fractionation factor αcellulose-precipitation of 1.0274 ± 0.001 (1 σ) (≈27‰). Sub-samples of isolated Sphagnum alpha-cellulose were subsequently analysed from core WLM22, Walton Moss, northern England yielding a Sphagnum-specific isotope record spanning the last 4300 years. The palaeo-record, calibrated using the modern data, provides evidence for large amplitude variations in the estimated oxygen isotope composition of precipitation during the mid- to late Holocene. Estimates of palaeotemperature change derived from statistical relationships between modern surface air temperatures and δ18O precipitation values for the British Isles give unrealistically large variation in comparison to proxies from other archives. We conclude that use of such relationships to calibrate mid-latitude palaeo-data must be undertaken with caution. The δ18O record from Sphagnum cellulose was highly correlated with a palaeoecologically-derived index of bog surface wetness (BSW), suggesting a common climatic driver.

Body size distributions signal a regime shift in a lake ...

Science.gov (United States)

Communities of organisms, from mammals to microorganisms, have discontinuous distributions of body size. This pattern of size structuring is a conservative trait of community organization and is a product of processes that occur at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we assessed whether body size patterns serve as an indicator of a threshold between alternative regimes. Over the past 7000 years, the biological communities of Foy Lake (Montana,USA) have undergone a major regime shift owing to climate change. We used a palaeoecological record of diatom communities to estimate diatom sizes, and then analysed the discontinuous distribution of organism sizes over time. We used Bayesian classification and regression tree models to determine that all time intervals exhibited aggregations of sizes separated by gaps in the distribution and found a significant change in diatom body size distributions approximately 150 years before the identified ecosystem regime shift. We suggest that discontinuity analysis is a useful addition to the suite of tools for the detection of early warning signals of regime shifts. Communities of organisms from mammals to microorganisms have discontinuous distributions of body size. This pattern of size structuring is a conservative trait of community organization and is a product of processes that occur at discrete spatial and temporal scales within ecosystems. Here, a paleoecological record of diatom community change is use

Ecomorphological and taphonomic gradients in clypeasteroid-dominated echinoid assemblages along a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate shelf from the early Miocene of northern Sardinia, Italy

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Andrea Mancosu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Clypeasteroid echinoids are widespread and abundant within Miocene sedimentary sequences of the Mediterranean area within both siliciclastic and carbonate deposits. Herein, three clypeasteroid-dominated echinoid assemblages from the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate succession of the Mores Formation (lower Miocene cropping out within the Porto Torres Basin (northern Sardinia are described. These assemblages were compared to previously described clypeasteroid-bearing deposits from the Miocene of northern Sardinia with the purpose of investigating their palaeoecology and taphonomy along a shelf gradient. These goals are accomplished by various methods including (i logging sedimentary facies, (ii analysing the functional morphology of sea urchin skeletons, (iii comparing the relative abundance of taxa and taphonomic features, and (iv studying associated fauna, flora, and trace fossils. The clypeasteroid-bearing deposits differ greatly with respect to echinoid diversity, accompanying fauna and flora, sedimentological signatures, and taphonomic features. They also show variations in depositional environments and the mechanism of formation of the deposits. Three different shelf settings are distinguished: littoral, inner sublittoral, and outer sublittoral environments. Furthermore, an ecomorphological gradient along the shelf is recognized with respect to echinoid taxa and their morphologies. This gradient ranges from shallow water to a moderately deep shelf and is interpreted with respect to both abiotic and biotic factors as well as the taphonomy of the echinoid tests.

Geology and taphonomy of the L'Espinau dinosaur bonebed, a singular lagoonal site from the Maastrichtian of South-Central Pyrenees

Science.gov (United States)

Fondevilla, V.; Vicente, A.; Battista, F.; Sellés, A. G.; Dinarès-Turell, J.; Martín-Closas, C.; Anadón, P.; Vila, B.; Razzolini, N. L.; Galobart, À.; Oms, O.

2017-06-01

The L'Espinau site is a dinosaur bonebed from the Upper Cretaceous of the South-Central Pyrenees (north-eastern Spain) that have provided hundreds of bone remains attributed to hadrosauroids, together with a rich assemblage of herpetofauna, fish and microflora. Magnetostratigraphy calibrated the site with the early late Maastrichtian, and the combined sedimentology, stable isotope geochemistry and palaeoecology revealed that this fossil site formed in a lagoon, in which a mixed freshwater-brackish palaeoenvironment was developed. This setting displays a south-north charophyte zonation from freshwater (Clavator brachycerus-dominated assemblage) to brackish or eurihaline conditions (Feistiella malladae-dominated assemblage), revealing a palaeoenvironment change towards the coast. Sedimentology and taphonomy (bidirectional arrangement of long bones, abrasion and disarticulation) indicate that the L'Espinau site is the result of a cohesive mass flow event originated very close to the sea. This process entrained and mixed fauna from both the terrestrial and the brackish/marine environment of a lagoon. An increasing of the water runoff (e.g. by intense rainfall) reworking poorly consolidated sediments is considered here as the most probable triggering mechanism. Mass flow-hosted bonebeds are commonly linked to fluvial palaeoenvironments, so our study case is a rare example of bones accumulating near the sea. This study adds evidence that hadrosauroids inhabited littoral environments during the Maastrichtian in the southern Pyrenean area.

Nuevas interpretaciones del Paleolítico Superior Final de la Cataluña meridional: el yacimiento de L’ Hort de la Boquera (Priorat, Tarragona

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Garcia-Argüelles Andreu, Pilar

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper publishes for the first time the results of the excavations conducted at L’Hort de la Boquera site (Margalef de Montsant, Tarragona. This site is included in the research project we began in 1979 on the prehistoric settlement of the middle course of the Montsant River. We present the results obtained with respect to the lithic industries, palaeoecology, palaeeconomy, radiocarbon dates, and the latest discovery, an item of mobiliary art. These make it clear that the site belongs to the final Upper Palaeolithic, with specific features that partly distinguish it from the classic Magdalenian.En este trabajo ofrecemos, por primera vez, los resultados obtenidos hasta el momento en las excavaciones en L’Hort de la Boquera, situado en Margalef de Montsant (Tarragona. El yacimiento forma parte del proyecto de investigación que llevamos a cabo sobre el poblamiento prehistórico del curso medio del río Montsant desde 1979. Los avances se centran en el estudio industrial, de paleoecología, de paleoeconomía, en las dataciones radiocarbónicas y, lo más novedoso, en el del arte mueble, así como en su adscripción a un Paleolítico superior final cuyas características particulares le diferencian del Magdaleniense clásico.

The potential of pollen-based quantitative vegetation reconstructions in studies of past human settlements and use of resources - examples from Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Gaillard, Marie-Jose; Cui, Qiao-Yu; Lemdahl, Geoffrey; Trondman, Anna-Kari

2015-04-01

There is a long tradition of collaboration between palaeoecologists and archaeologists in many parts of the world with the purpose of reconstructing the environment of humans through time and the study of the interactions between humans and their environment. Vegetation (i.e. vegetated landscapes and plants) has long been one of the most important parts of the environment for humans' resources. Thanks to the interpretation of palaeoecological data such as pollen and plant macrofossils, it is well known that humans have used plants for their subsistence and formed many landscapes of the Earth through their activities over many millennia. Pollen analysis in particular has been used to reconstruct the landscapes of humans in order i) to learn something on their use of the landscape for building material, grazing and food (e.g. woods, grazed land, cultivated fields), and ii) to understand their influence on the landscape through deforestation in particular. Pollen data as proxy records of vegetation have been very useful to provide qualitative descriptions of cultural landscapes through time in terms of the presence of major tree, shrub and herb species, and the character of the landscape, wooded, "half-wooded" (or partly wooded), and primarily open (poorly wooded) (1). Efforts to calibrate pollen onto land-use in the 1990ies has made possible to provide more precise and detailed interpretation of pollen records in terms of land-use type (2). However, when it came to questions related to the size of cultivated land or grazed land in relation to wooded land, interpretation of pollen records has been problematic until recently. The non-linear relationship between pollen and vegetation due to inter-taxonomic differences in pollen productivity and pollen dispersion and deposition characteristics of plant taxa has long hampered estimation of the percentage cover of plant taxa or landscape units in the past. Thanks to recent developments in pollen-vegetation modelling, a new

The last 1.2 Myr of the Cretaceous in the southwestern Tethys (Elles, Tunisia): orbital calibration, climate change and calcareous nannofossil palaeoecological changes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thibault, Nicolas Rudolph; Galbrun, Bruno; Gardin, Silvia

2014-01-01

An integrated study of magnetic mass susceptibility (MS), bulk stable isotopes and nannofossil paleoecological changes has been performed on the late Maastrichtian of the Elles section, central Tunisia, spanning the last 1.2 Myr of the Cretaceous. A cyclostratigraphic analysis of MS variations re...

New data on Paleocene-Eocene fauna (gastropods, ostracods, fishes) and palynoflora of the Boltysh impact structure (Ukraine) with reference to palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dykan, N.; Kovalchuk, O.; Dykan, K.; Gurov, E.; Dašková, Jiřina; Přikryl, Tomáš

2018-01-01

Roč. 287, č. 2 (2018), s. 213-239 ISSN 0077-7749 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : pollen * gastropods * ostracods * fishes * Boltysh * Paleogene * Eastern Eurpúe Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 0.777, year: 2016

Biostratigraphy, palaeoecology and palaeogeography of the mainly marine Ager Formation (Upper Paleocene — Lower Eocene) in the Tremp Basin, Central-South Pyrenees, Spain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaemers, Pieter A.M.

1978-01-01

During the greater part of the Palaeogene the Tremp Basin was an area which underwent rapid subsidence as compared with the axial zone of the Pyrenees to the north, and the Ebro Massif to the south. As a result the sea occupied this area for a long time and deposition of the Ager Formation took

An Ornithopod-Dominated Tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation (Barremian–Albian) of Qijiang, South-Central China: New Discoveries, Ichnotaxonomy, Preservation and Palaeoecology

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Lida; Lockley, Martin G.; Marty, Daniel; Zhang, Jianping; Wang, Yan; Klein, Hendrik; McCrea, Richard T.; Buckley, Lisa G.; Belvedere, Matteo; Mateus, Octávio; Gierliński, Gerard D.; Piñuela, Laura; Persons, W. Scott; Wang, Fengping; Ran, Hao; Dai, Hui; Xie, Xianming

2015-01-01

The historically-famous Lotus Fortress site, a deep 1.5–3.0-meter-high, 200-meter-long horizonal notch high up in near-vertical sandstone cliffs comprising the Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation, has been known since the 13th Century as an impregnable defensive position. The site is also extraordinary for having multiple tetrapod track-bearing levels, of which the lower two form the floor of part of the notch, and yield very well preserved asseamblages of ornithopod, bird (avian theropod) and pterosaur tracks. Trackway counts indicate that ornithopods dominate (69%) accounting for at least 165 trackmakers, followed by bird (18%), sauropod (10%), and pterosaur (3%). Previous studies designated Lotus Fortress as the type locality of Caririchnium lotus and Wupus agilis both of which are recognized here as valid ichnotaxa. On the basis of multiple parallel trackways both are interpreted as representing the trackways of gregarious species. C. lotus is redescribed here in detail and interpreted to indicate two age cohorts representing subadults that were sometimes bipedal and larger quadrupedal adults. Two other previously described dinosaurian ichnospecies, are here reinterpreted as underprints and considered nomina dubia. Like a growing number of significant tetrapod tracksites in China the Lotus Fortress site reveals new information about the composition of tetrapod faunas from formations in which the skeletal record is sparse. In particular, the site shows the relatively high abundance of Caririchium in a region where saurischian ichnofaunas are often dominant. It is also the only site known to have yielded Wupus agilis. In combination with information from other tracksites from the Jiaguan formation and other Cretaceous formations in the region, the track record is proving increasingly impotant as a major source of information on the vertebrate faunas of the region. The Lotus Fortress site has been developed as a spectacular, geologically-, paleontologically- and a culturally-significant destination within Qijiang National Geological Park. PMID:26492525

An Ornithopod-Dominated Tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation (Barremian-Albian) of Qijiang, South-Central China: New Discoveries, Ichnotaxonomy, Preservation and Palaeoecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Lida; Lockley, Martin G; Marty, Daniel; Zhang, Jianping; Wang, Yan; Klein, Hendrik; McCrea, Richard T; Buckley, Lisa G; Belvedere, Matteo; Mateus, Octávio; Gierliński, Gerard D; Piñuela, Laura; Persons, W Scott; Wang, Fengping; Ran, Hao; Dai, Hui; Xie, Xianming

2015-01-01

The historically-famous Lotus Fortress site, a deep 1.5-3.0-meter-high, 200-meter-long horizonal notch high up in near-vertical sandstone cliffs comprising the Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation, has been known since the 13th Century as an impregnable defensive position. The site is also extraordinary for having multiple tetrapod track-bearing levels, of which the lower two form the floor of part of the notch, and yield very well preserved asseamblages of ornithopod, bird (avian theropod) and pterosaur tracks. Trackway counts indicate that ornithopods dominate (69%) accounting for at least 165 trackmakers, followed by bird (18%), sauropod (10%), and pterosaur (3%). Previous studies designated Lotus Fortress as the type locality of Caririchnium lotus and Wupus agilis both of which are recognized here as valid ichnotaxa. On the basis of multiple parallel trackways both are interpreted as representing the trackways of gregarious species. C. lotus is redescribed here in detail and interpreted to indicate two age cohorts representing subadults that were sometimes bipedal and larger quadrupedal adults. Two other previously described dinosaurian ichnospecies, are here reinterpreted as underprints and considered nomina dubia. Like a growing number of significant tetrapod tracksites in China the Lotus Fortress site reveals new information about the composition of tetrapod faunas from formations in which the skeletal record is sparse. In particular, the site shows the relatively high abundance of Caririchium in a region where saurischian ichnofaunas are often dominant. It is also the only site known to have yielded Wupus agilis. In combination with information from other tracksites from the Jiaguan formation and other Cretaceous formations in the region, the track record is proving increasingly impotant as a major source of information on the vertebrate faunas of the region. The Lotus Fortress site has been developed as a spectacular, geologically-, paleontologically- and a culturally-significant destination within Qijiang National Geological Park.

An Ornithopod-Dominated Tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation (Barremian-Albian of Qijiang, South-Central China: New Discoveries, Ichnotaxonomy, Preservation and Palaeoecology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lida Xing

Full Text Available The historically-famous Lotus Fortress site, a deep 1.5-3.0-meter-high, 200-meter-long horizonal notch high up in near-vertical sandstone cliffs comprising the Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation, has been known since the 13th Century as an impregnable defensive position. The site is also extraordinary for having multiple tetrapod track-bearing levels, of which the lower two form the floor of part of the notch, and yield very well preserved asseamblages of ornithopod, bird (avian theropod and pterosaur tracks. Trackway counts indicate that ornithopods dominate (69% accounting for at least 165 trackmakers, followed by bird (18%, sauropod (10%, and pterosaur (3%. Previous studies designated Lotus Fortress as the type locality of Caririchnium lotus and Wupus agilis both of which are recognized here as valid ichnotaxa. On the basis of multiple parallel trackways both are interpreted as representing the trackways of gregarious species. C. lotus is redescribed here in detail and interpreted to indicate two age cohorts representing subadults that were sometimes bipedal and larger quadrupedal adults. Two other previously described dinosaurian ichnospecies, are here reinterpreted as underprints and considered nomina dubia. Like a growing number of significant tetrapod tracksites in China the Lotus Fortress site reveals new information about the composition of tetrapod faunas from formations in which the skeletal record is sparse. In particular, the site shows the relatively high abundance of Caririchium in a region where saurischian ichnofaunas are often dominant. It is also the only site known to have yielded Wupus agilis. In combination with information from other tracksites from the Jiaguan formation and other Cretaceous formations in the region, the track record is proving increasingly impotant as a major source of information on the vertebrate faunas of the region. The Lotus Fortress site has been developed as a spectacular, geologically-, paleontologically- and a culturally-significant destination within Qijiang National Geological Park.

An Ornithopod-Dominated Tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation (Barremian?Albian) of Qijiang, South-Central China: New Discoveries, Ichnotaxonomy, Preservation and Palaeoecology

OpenAIRE

Xing, Lida; Lockley, Martin G.; Marty, Daniel; Zhang, Jianping; Wang, Yan; Klein, Hendrik; McCrea, Richard T.; Buckley, Lisa G.; Belvedere, Matteo; Mateus, Oct?vio; Gierli?ski, Gerard D.; Pi?uela, Laura; Persons, W. Scott; Wang, Fengping; Ran, Hao

2015-01-01

This research was supported by a special project grant of the Qijiang District Bureau of Land Resources, Chongqing (No. QDBLR-2007-2015) (LX); the Research of Paleoenvironment in Early Cretaceous Qijiang Dinosaur Assemblage (No. CQGT-KJ-2014057) (HD, LX) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41402017) (YW). The historically-famous Lotus Fortress site, a deep 1.5-3.0-meter-high, 200-meter-long horizonal notch high up in near-vertical sandstone cliffs comprising the Creta...

An evaluation of palaeogeography and palaeoecology in the Most Basin (Czech Republic) and Saxony (Germany) from the late Oligocene to the early Miocene

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mach, K.; Teodoridis, V.; Matys Grygar, Tomáš; Kvaček, Z.; Suhr, P.; Standke, G.

2014-01-01

Roč. 272, č. 1 (2014), s. 13-45 ISSN 0077-7749 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP210/11/1357 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : palaeogeography * geochemistry * floras * Most Basin Subject RIV: DD - Geochemistry Impact factor: 0.519, year: 2014

Ecomorphology of radii in Canidae: Application to fragmentary fossils from Plio-Pleistocene hominin assemblages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Meloro

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fragmentary long bone material from fossil Carnivora is rarely considered to support palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Here, we use morphometry of the radius in extant carnivorans of the dog family (Canidae to reconstruct the palaeobiology of extinct canids from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (Bed I and II and Koobi Fora, Kenya. We use radius morphometrics to predict adaptation to prey size and introduce a new method for quantifying canid habitat adaptations based on the geographic distributions of the extant species sampled. Linear Discriminant Function Analyses (DFA and cluster neighbour-joining algorithms are employed to investigate radial morphometrics as described by 29 linear measurements. Results of our analyses suggest that a phylogenetic signal is present in radial morphometrics, even if it does not allow us to accurately discriminate among genera. A binary prey size categorisation of “small-medium” versus “large” prey can be more accurately predicted than a habitat categorisation scheme (Open, Mixed, Closed. The East African fossil specimens examined show morphometric affinities with the golden jackal (Canis aureus and coyote (Canis latrans and are likely attributable to the genus Canis. Fragmentary fossil specimens from Olduvai Gorge are predicted as habitat generalists (Open for Bed I and Mixed for Bed II adapted for hunting small-medium prey, whereas the specimen from Koobi Fora was predicted as inhabiting mixed habitats and adapted for killing large prey. This study supports the inclusion of fossil Canidae in palaeoecological analyses attempting to clarify the palaeoenvironment of early hominin fossil sites.

The Palaeoenvironmental Impact of Prehistoric Settlement and Proto-Historic Urbanism: Tracing the Emergence of the Oppidum of Corent, Auvergne, France

Science.gov (United States)

Ledger, Paul M.; Miras, Yannick; Poux, Matthieu; Milcent, Pierre Yves

2015-01-01

Early human societies and their interactions with the natural world have been extensively explored in palaeoenvironmental studies across Central and Western Europe. Yet, despite an extensive body of scholarship, there is little consideration of the environmental impacts of proto-historic urbanisation. Typically palaeoenvironmental studies of Bronze and Iron Age societies discuss human impact in terms of woodland clearance, landscape openness and evidence for agriculture. Although these features are clearly key indicators of human settlement, and characterise Neolithic and early to Middle Bronze Age impacts at Corent, they do not appear to represent defining features of a protohistoric urban environment. The Late Iron Age Gallic Oppidum of Corent is remarkable for the paucity of evidence for agriculture and strong representation of apophytes associated with disturbance. Increased floristic diversity – a phenomenon also observed in more recent urban environments – was also noted. The same, although somewhat more pronounced, patterns are noted for the Late Bronze Age and hint at the possibility of a nascent urban area. High percentages of pollen from non-native trees such as Platanus, Castanea and Juglans in the late Bronze Age and Gallic period also suggest trade and cultural exchange, notably with the Mediterranean world. Indeed, these findings question the validity of applying Castanea and Juglans as absolute chronological markers of Romanisation. These results clearly indicate the value of local-scale palaeoecological studies and their potential for tracing the phases in the emergence of a proto-historic urban environment. PMID:25853251

Ecohydrology of a Sphagnum peatland in transitional climate - an interdysciplinary study

Science.gov (United States)

Słowińska, S.; Słowiński, M.; Lamentowicz, M.; Skrzypek, G.

2012-04-01

Sphagnum peatlands of the Central Europe are regarded as the valuable and endangered habitats. Their existence depends on the complex climatic, hydrological, topographical and botanical conditions. Good understanding of peatlands' ecohydrology is crucial for the appropriate environmental management. Our long-term ecological study is focused on a poor fen located in Northern Poland - a unique floristic nature reserve and Nature 2000 area. Main aims of the research were to: a) understand an influence of the temperature and precipitation on the ground water, b) explain an impact of the local climate and the groundwater table level on testate amoebae communities, Sphagnum mosses growth and stable carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotope compositions, c) use the neo- ecological data for the quantitative palaeoecological reconstructions. We have been conducting the monitoring of the growth of Sphagnum mosses in five plots. Vegetation was sampled three times during the growing season for the stable isotope and testate amoebae analyses (July, September and December 2009). Temperature of the air and acrotelm, air humidity, precipitation and groundwater table were recorded using automatic data loggers. Our research confirmed that even small fluctuation of temperature, precipitation and annual distribution of precipitation have a very strong impact on the hydrology of the peatland. Testate amoeba communities and stable isotopes from Sphagnum clearly indicated the hydrological response of the mire in the different parts of the peatland. The next step is a detailed seasonal study supported by the manipulative warming experiment.

Late Pleistocene songbirds of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia); the first fossil passerine fauna described from Wallacea

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Sutikna, Thomas; Saptomo, Wahyu; Jatmiko; Wasisto, Sri; Tocheri, Matthew W.; Mayr, Gerald

2017-01-01

Background Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) dominate modern terrestrial bird communities yet their fossil record is limited. Liang Bua is a large cave on the Indonesian island of Flores that preserves Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits (∼190 ka to present day). Birds are the most diverse faunal group at Liang Bua and are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence. Methods We examined avian remains from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Sector XII, a 2 × 2 m area excavated to about 8.5 m depth. Although postcranial passerine remains are typically challenging to identify, we found several humeral characters particularly useful in discriminating between groups, and identified 89 skeletal elements of passerines. Results At least eight species from eight families are represented, including the Large-billed Crow (Corvus cf. macrorhynchos), the Australasian Bushlark (Mirafra javanica), a friarbird (Philemon sp.), and the Pechora Pipit (Anthus cf. gustavi). Discussion These remains constitute the first sample of fossil passerines described in Wallacea. Two of the taxa no longer occur on Flores today; a large sturnid (cf. Acridotheres) and a grassbird (Megalurus sp.). Palaeoecologically, the songbird assemblage suggests open grassland and tall forests, which is consistent with conditions inferred from the non-passerine fauna at the site. Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, found in the Homo floresiensis-bearing layers, was likely part of a scavenging guild that fed on carcasses of Stegodon florensis insularis alongside vultures (Trigonoceps sp.), giant storks (Leptoptilos robustus), komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), and probably H. floresiensis as well. PMID:28828271

Late Pleistocene songbirds of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia; the first fossil passerine fauna described from Wallacea

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Hanneke J.M. Meijer

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes dominate modern terrestrial bird communities yet their fossil record is limited. Liang Bua is a large cave on the Indonesian island of Flores that preserves Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits (∼190 ka to present day. Birds are the most diverse faunal group at Liang Bua and are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence. Methods We examined avian remains from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Sector XII, a 2 × 2 m area excavated to about 8.5 m depth. Although postcranial passerine remains are typically challenging to identify, we found several humeral characters particularly useful in discriminating between groups, and identified 89 skeletal elements of passerines. Results At least eight species from eight families are represented, including the Large-billed Crow (Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, the Australasian Bushlark (Mirafra javanica, a friarbird (Philemon sp., and the Pechora Pipit (Anthus cf. gustavi. Discussion These remains constitute the first sample of fossil passerines described in Wallacea. Two of the taxa no longer occur on Flores today; a large sturnid (cf. Acridotheres and a grassbird (Megalurus sp.. Palaeoecologically, the songbird assemblage suggests open grassland and tall forests, which is consistent with conditions inferred from the non-passerine fauna at the site. Corvus cf. macrorhynchos, found in the Homo floresiensis-bearing layers, was likely part of a scavenging guild that fed on carcasses of Stegodon florensis insularis alongside vultures (Trigonoceps sp., giant storks (Leptoptilos robustus, komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis, and probably H. floresiensis as well.

El paisaje de una comunidad agraria en el borde de la Cuenca del Duero: análisis paleopalinológico del yacimiento Prorocogotas de la Gravera de Puente Viejo (Mingorría, Ávila, España

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José Antonio LÓPEZ-SÁEZ

2009-12-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN: Este trabajo presenta los resultados del análisis palinológico sobre el relleno de cinco fosas en un campo de hoyos adscrito a Protocogotas. Se discuten los problemas que presenta la interpretación de los espectros paleopalinológicos obtenidos en este tipo de yacimientos. A partir de unos resultados paleopolínicos homogéneos obtenidos de las muesttas, se propone una interpretación del paleopaisaje regional. Se detecta cerealicultura inmediata al poblado y una actividad pastoril en un paisaje deforestado de pradera, dominado por herbazales xéricos y nitrófilos, y melojares en las zonas de piedemonte, sin registro alguno de la vegetación autóctona (encinar, bajo un clima térmico y seco. La integración de los registros arqueobotánico y arqueológico permite atisbar un paisaje agrario, de génesis antropozoógena.ABSTRACT: This paper provides a palaeopalynological interpretation from five holes in a so named "campo de hoyos" belonging to Cogotas I culture. Problems about the interpretation of this kind of deposits are discussed. Cerealia pollen is the clearest indicator of culture in the pollen diagram to be interpreted. In this way, palaeoecological indicators show a cereal agricultural economy near the site as well as a pastoral activity in a deforested context with xerophytic and nitrophilous communities. Archaeological and archaeobotanical sequences let us define an anthropogenic agrarian landscape.

Direct evidence of megamammal-carnivore interaction decoded from bone marks in historical fossil collections from the Pampean region

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Karina Vanesa Chichkoyan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Pleistocene South American megafauna has traditionally attracted the interest of scientists and the popular media alike. However, ecological interactions between the species that inhabited these ecosystems, such as predator-prey relationships or interspecific competition, are poorly known. To this regard, carnivore marks imprinted on the fossil bones of megamammal remains are very useful for deciphering biological activity and, hence, potential interspecific relationships among taxa. In this article, we study historical fossil collections housed in different European and Argentinean museums that were excavated during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Pampean region, Argentina, in order to detect carnivore marks on bones of megamammals and provide crucial information on the ecological relationships between South American taxa during the Pleistocene. Our results indicate that the long bones of megafauna from the Pampean region (e.g., the Mylodontidae and Toxodontidae families exhibit carnivore marks. Furthermore, long bones of medium-sized species and indeterminate bones also present punctures, pits, scores and fractures. Members of the large-carnivore guild, such as ursids, canids and even felids, are recognised as the main agents that inflicted the marks. We hypothesize that the analysed carnivore marks represent the last stages of megaherbivore carcass exploitation, suggesting full consumption of these animals by the same or multiple taxa in a hunting and/or scavenging scenario. Moreover, our observations provide novel insights that help further our understanding of the palaeoecological relationships of these unique communities of megamammals.

The palaeoenvironmental impact of prehistoric settlement and proto-historic urbanism: tracing the emergence of the Oppidum of Corent, Auvergne, France.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledger, Paul M; Miras, Yannick; Poux, Matthieu; Milcent, Pierre Yves

2015-01-01

Early human societies and their interactions with the natural world have been extensively explored in palaeoenvironmental studies across Central and Western Europe. Yet, despite an extensive body of scholarship, there is little consideration of the environmental impacts of proto-historic urbanisation. Typically palaeoenvironmental studies of Bronze and Iron Age societies discuss human impact in terms of woodland clearance, landscape openness and evidence for agriculture. Although these features are clearly key indicators of human settlement, and characterise Neolithic and early to Middle Bronze Age impacts at Corent, they do not appear to represent defining features of a protohistoric urban environment. The Late Iron Age Gallic Oppidum of Corent is remarkable for the paucity of evidence for agriculture and strong representation of apophytes associated with disturbance. Increased floristic diversity - a phenomenon also observed in more recent urban environments - was also noted. The same, although somewhat more pronounced, patterns are noted for the Late Bronze Age and hint at the possibility of a nascent urban area. High percentages of pollen from non-native trees such as Platanus, Castanea and Juglans in the late Bronze Age and Gallic period also suggest trade and cultural exchange, notably with the Mediterranean world. Indeed, these findings question the validity of applying Castanea and Juglans as absolute chronological markers of Romanisation. These results clearly indicate the value of local-scale palaeoecological studies and their potential for tracing the phases in the emergence of a proto-historic urban environment.

The palaeoenvironmental impact of prehistoric settlement and proto-historic urbanism: tracing the emergence of the Oppidum of Corent, Auvergne, France.

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Paul M Ledger

Full Text Available Early human societies and their interactions with the natural world have been extensively explored in palaeoenvironmental studies across Central and Western Europe. Yet, despite an extensive body of scholarship, there is little consideration of the environmental impacts of proto-historic urbanisation. Typically palaeoenvironmental studies of Bronze and Iron Age societies discuss human impact in terms of woodland clearance, landscape openness and evidence for agriculture. Although these features are clearly key indicators of human settlement, and characterise Neolithic and early to Middle Bronze Age impacts at Corent, they do not appear to represent defining features of a protohistoric urban environment. The Late Iron Age Gallic Oppidum of Corent is remarkable for the paucity of evidence for agriculture and strong representation of apophytes associated with disturbance. Increased floristic diversity - a phenomenon also observed in more recent urban environments - was also noted. The same, although somewhat more pronounced, patterns are noted for the Late Bronze Age and hint at the possibility of a nascent urban area. High percentages of pollen from non-native trees such as Platanus, Castanea and Juglans in the late Bronze Age and Gallic period also suggest trade and cultural exchange, notably with the Mediterranean world. Indeed, these findings question the validity of applying Castanea and Juglans as absolute chronological markers of Romanisation. These results clearly indicate the value of local-scale palaeoecological studies and their potential for tracing the phases in the emergence of a proto-historic urban environment.

Study of fossil wood from the Middle-Late Miocene sediments of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam, India and its palaeoecological and palaeophytogeographical implications

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Mehrotra, R. C.; Bera, S. K.; Basumatary, S. K.; Srivastava, G.

2011-08-01

In order to reconstruct the palaeoclimate, a number of fossil wood pieces were collected and investigated from two new fossil localities situated in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam. They belong to the Tipam Group considered to be of Middle-Late Miocene in age and show affinities with Gluta (Anacardiaceae), Bischofia (Euphorbiaceae), Bauhinia, Cynometra, Copaifera-Detarium-Sindora, Millettia-Pongamia, and Afzelia-Intsia (Fabaceae). The flora also records a new species of Bauhinia named Bauhinia miocenica sp. nov. The assemblage indicates a warm and humid climate in the region during the deposition of the sediments. The occurrence of some southeast Asian elements in the fossil flora indicates that an exchange of floral elements took place between India and southeast Asia during the Miocene.

The functional and palaeoecological implications of tooth morphology and wear for the megaherbivorous dinosaurs from the Dinosaur Park Formation (upper Campanian of Alberta, Canada.

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Jordan C Mallon

Full Text Available Megaherbivorous dinosaurs were exceptionally diverse on the Late Cretaceous island continent of Laramidia, and a growing body of evidence suggests that this diversity was facilitated by dietary niche partitioning. We test this hypothesis using the fossil megaherbivore assemblage from the Dinosaur Park Formation (upper Campanian of Alberta as a model. Comparative tooth morphology and wear, including the first use of quantitative dental microwear analysis in the context of Cretaceous palaeosynecology, are used to infer the mechanical properties of the foods these dinosaurs consumed. The phylliform teeth of ankylosaurs were poorly adapted for habitually processing high-fibre plant matter. Nevertheless, ankylosaur diets were likely more varied than traditionally assumed: the relatively large, bladed teeth of nodosaurids would have been better adapted to processing a tougher, more fibrous diet than the smaller, cusp-like teeth of ankylosaurids. Ankylosaur microwear is characterized by a preponderance of pits and scratches, akin to modern mixed feeders, but offers no support for interspecific dietary differences. The shearing tooth batteries of ceratopsids are much better adapted to high-fibre herbivory, attested by their scratch-dominated microwear signature. There is tentative microwear evidence to suggest differences in the feeding habits of centrosaurines and chasmosaurines, but statistical support is not significant. The tooth batteries of hadrosaurids were capable of both shearing and crushing functions, suggestive of a broad dietary range. Their microwear signal overlaps broadly with that of ankylosaurs, and suggests possible dietary differences between hadrosaurines and lambeosaurines. Tooth wear evidence further indicates that all forms considered here exhibited some degree of masticatory propaliny. Our findings reveal that tooth morphology and wear exhibit different, but complimentary, dietary signals that combine to support the hypothesis of dietary niche partitioning. The inferred mechanical and dietary patterns appear constant over the 1.5 Myr timespan of the Dinosaur Park Formation megaherbivore chronofauna, despite continual species turnover.

Ecology and hydrology of early rice farming: geoarchaeological and palaeo-ecological evidence from the Late Holocene paddy field site at Maoshan, the Lower Yangtze

OpenAIRE

Jin, Y.; Mo, D.; Li, Y.; Ding, P.; Zong, Y.; Zhuang, Y.

2018-01-01

The well-preserved Maoshan paddy fields (4700–4300 bp) were built on an intermediate landscape between the foothills and alluvial plain of the Lower Yangtze River. Despite several interdisciplinary research, there has been a lack of detailed environmental and ecological data to contextualise the reconstructed rice farming practices within a wider paleo-environmental background. Our research provides key information on the chronology, vegetation, and long-term hydrological fluctuations at and ...

Fish fauna of the Camp dels Ninots locality (Pliocene; Caldes de Malavella, province of Girona, Spain) - first results with notes on palaeoecology and taphonomy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Přikryl, Tomáš; Gómez de Soler, B.; Oms, O.; Roubach, S.; Blain, H-A.; Agustí, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 28, č. 3 (2016), s. 347-357 ISSN 0891-2963 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Camp dels Ninots * Cyprinidae * maar lake * NE Spain * Pliocene * Teleostei Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.556, year: 2016

The functional and palaeoecological implications of tooth morphology and wear for the megaherbivorous dinosaurs from the Dinosaur Park Formation (upper Campanian) of Alberta, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallon, Jordan C; Anderson, Jason S

2014-01-01

Megaherbivorous dinosaurs were exceptionally diverse on the Late Cretaceous island continent of Laramidia, and a growing body of evidence suggests that this diversity was facilitated by dietary niche partitioning. We test this hypothesis using the fossil megaherbivore assemblage from the Dinosaur Park Formation (upper Campanian) of Alberta as a model. Comparative tooth morphology and wear, including the first use of quantitative dental microwear analysis in the context of Cretaceous palaeosynecology, are used to infer the mechanical properties of the foods these dinosaurs consumed. The phylliform teeth of ankylosaurs were poorly adapted for habitually processing high-fibre plant matter. Nevertheless, ankylosaur diets were likely more varied than traditionally assumed: the relatively large, bladed teeth of nodosaurids would have been better adapted to processing a tougher, more fibrous diet than the smaller, cusp-like teeth of ankylosaurids. Ankylosaur microwear is characterized by a preponderance of pits and scratches, akin to modern mixed feeders, but offers no support for interspecific dietary differences. The shearing tooth batteries of ceratopsids are much better adapted to high-fibre herbivory, attested by their scratch-dominated microwear signature. There is tentative microwear evidence to suggest differences in the feeding habits of centrosaurines and chasmosaurines, but statistical support is not significant. The tooth batteries of hadrosaurids were capable of both shearing and crushing functions, suggestive of a broad dietary range. Their microwear signal overlaps broadly with that of ankylosaurs, and suggests possible dietary differences between hadrosaurines and lambeosaurines. Tooth wear evidence further indicates that all forms considered here exhibited some degree of masticatory propaliny. Our findings reveal that tooth morphology and wear exhibit different, but complimentary, dietary signals that combine to support the hypothesis of dietary niche partitioning. The inferred mechanical and dietary patterns appear constant over the 1.5 Myr timespan of the Dinosaur Park Formation megaherbivore chronofauna, despite continual species turnover.

Allodaposuchus palustris sp. nov. from the upper cretaceous of Fumanya (South-Eastern Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula: systematics, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of the enigmatic allodaposuchian crocodylians.

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Alejandro Blanco

Full Text Available The controversial European genus Allodaposuchus is currently composed of two species (A. precedens, A. subjuniperus and it has been traditionally considered a basal eusuchian clade of crocodylomorphs. In the present work, the new species A. palustris is erected on the base of cranial and postcranial remains from the lower Maastrichtian of the southern Pyrenees. Phylogenetic analyses here including both cranial and postcranial data support the hypothesis that Allodaposuchus is included within Crocodylia. The studied specimen suggests little change in postcranial skeleton along the evolutionary history of crocodylians, except for some bone elements such as the axis, the first caudal vertebra and the ilium. The specimen was found in an organic mudstone corresponding to a coastal wetland environment. Thus, A. palustris from Fumanya is the first Allodaposuchus reported in lacustrine-palustrine settings that expand the ecological range for this genus. The S-DIVA palaeobiogeographic reconstruction of ancestral area suggests that early members of Crocodylia rapidly widespread for the Northern Hemisphere landmasses no later than the Campanian, leading the apparition of endemic groups. In that way "Allodaposuchia" represents an endemic European clade probably originated in the Ibero-Armorican domain in the late Campanian and dispersed by the Southern European archipelago prior to the early Maastrichtian.

The Small Mammal Sequence from the c. 76 - 72 ka Still Bay Levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa - Taphonomic and Palaeoecological Implications for Human Behaviour.

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Turid Hillestad Nel

Full Text Available The Still Bay, c. 76-72 ka, a prominent techno-tradition during the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa, has yielded innovative technologies, symbolic material culture, and shows evidence of expansion of hunting techniques and subsistence strategies. In this paper we present the results of the first systematic, taphonomic and palaeoenvironmental study of micromammals from the Still Bay levels at Blombos Cave. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the micromammals were accumulated by avian predators occupying the cave. Post-depositional processes affecting the micromammal assemblage include organic waste decomposition and conditions associated with a limestone cave environment. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction shows that Marine Isotope Stage (MIS 5a at Blombos Cave had diverse micromammal communities occupying a variety of habitats and with rainfall pattern equal to present. The transition from MIS 5a to 4 is indicated by less diverse micromammal assemblages, increase in grassland and scrub vegetation, shifts in seasonal precipitation, and a decline in shrubs associated with fynbos. The onset of the glacial conditions associated with MIS 4 is visible in the micromammal assemblage. However humans occupying Blombos Cave during this c. 5 ka period showed an ability to cope with changing environmental conditions and were able to adapt and utilise a variety of available resources.

The Small Mammal Sequence from the c. 76 - 72 ka Still Bay Levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa - Taphonomic and Palaeoecological Implications for Human Behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Nel, Turid Hillestad; Henshilwood, Christopher Stuart

2016-01-01

The Still Bay, c. 76-72 ka, a prominent techno-tradition during the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa, has yielded innovative technologies, symbolic material culture, and shows evidence of expansion of hunting techniques and subsistence strategies. In this paper we present the results of the first systematic, taphonomic and palaeoenvironmental study of micromammals from the Still Bay levels at Blombos Cave. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the micromammals were accumulated by avian predators occupying the cave. Post-depositional processes affecting the micromammal assemblage include organic waste decomposition and conditions associated with a limestone cave environment. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction shows that Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a at Blombos Cave had diverse micromammal communities occupying a variety of habitats and with rainfall pattern equal to present. The transition from MIS 5a to 4 is indicated by less diverse micromammal assemblages, increase in grassland and scrub vegetation, shifts in seasonal precipitation, and a decline in shrubs associated with fynbos. The onset of the glacial conditions associated with MIS 4 is visible in the micromammal assemblage. However humans occupying Blombos Cave during this c. 5 ka period showed an ability to cope with changing environmental conditions and were able to adapt and utilise a variety of available resources.

Alluvial systems as archives for environmental change at a Hominid site with Oldowan archaeological occurrences: the Homa Peninsula, southwestern Kenya

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Vincent, Thomas; Whitfield, Elizabeth; Kirby, Jason; Hunt, Christopher; Bishop, Laura; Plummer, Thomas; Ditchfield, Peter

2016-04-01

The Homa Peninsula, southwestern Kenya, preserves fossiliferous sedimentary sequences dating to the Plio-Pleistocene. Evidence of hominids inhabiting an open grassland setting and utilising Oldowan tools has been reported here, as well as some of the oldest known traces of hominin activity. Reconstructions of the palaeoenvironment have suggested that alluvial and lake marginal environments on a grassy plain, between wooded slopes and a permanent water body might be plausible. However, these interpretations are based only on field sedimentological analyses and stable isotope analysis at a single site on the peninsula (Kanjera South). It is the aim of this study to utilise a multiproxy approach to develop our understanding of the palaeoenvironmental characteristics here. Sediments will also be characterized at a new site (Nyayanga) through field analyses, as well as through analyses of particle size, siliceous microfossils (diatoms, phytoliths and sponge spicules), pollen and stable isotopes. By utilizing this approach, new insights into the palaeoecology, palaeohydromorphology and palaeoclimate of the locale may be revealed, expanding the limited data available to palaeoanthropological studies of Oldowan occurrences in east Africa. Efforts to refine palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of Kanjera South through particle size analysis have shown that sediments in the lower beds of the sequence are characterised by poor sorting, a bimodal distribution and sand/silty-sand grade material. This suggests rapid deposition and/or a variable hydrological regime and may represent the role of relatively unconfined ephemeral channels in the transportation and deposition of sediments. Fluvial reworking of aeolian sediments, most likely during unconfined flood events may also have occurred.

Testing a new multigroup inference approach to reconstructing past environmental conditions

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Maria RIERADEVALL

2008-08-01

Full Text Available A new, quantitative, inference model for environmental reconstruction (transfer function, based for the first time on the simultaneous analysis of multigroup species, has been developed. Quantitative reconstructions based on palaeoecological transfer functions provide a powerful tool for addressing questions of environmental change in a wide range of environments, from oceans to mountain lakes, and over a range of timescales, from decades to millions of years. Much progress has been made in the development of inferences based on multiple proxies but usually these have been considered separately, and the different numeric reconstructions compared and reconciled post-hoc. This paper presents a new method to combine information from multiple biological groups at the reconstruction stage. The aim of the multigroup work was to test the potential of the new approach to making improved inferences of past environmental change by improving upon current reconstruction methodologies. The taxonomic groups analysed include diatoms, chironomids and chrysophyte cysts. We test the new methodology using two cold-environment training-sets, namely mountain lakes from the Pyrenees and the Alps. The use of multiple groups, as opposed to single groupings, was only found to increase the reconstruction skill slightly, as measured by the root mean square error of prediction (leave-one-out cross-validation, in the case of alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon and altitude (a surrogate for air-temperature, but not for pH or dissolved CO2. Reasons why the improvement was less than might have been anticipated are discussed. These can include the different life-forms, environmental responses and reaction times of the groups under study.

Editors' overview for the Alan Turner Memorial volume

Science.gov (United States)

O'Regan, Hannah J.; Elton, Sarah; Schreve, Danielle

2014-07-01

The papers presented here, in this special volume dedicated to the memory of Alan Turner (1947-2012), provide a glimpse of the multi-faceted ways in which the mammalian fossil record can be investigated. The authors of contributions in this Special Issue are by no means an exhaustive list of his international collaborators and colleagues, and indeed, many are not represented here, but the contents cover many of the topics and issues that were of central archaeological and wider Quaternary mammalian interest to Alan. Although the papers are not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of all techniques that can be applied, the set nevertheless reveals a snapshot of the state-of-the-art and of some of the methods that have the potential to bring much more of the past to life. Alan always sought to move beyond the 'stamp-collecting' approach of simply listing which taxa were present at a site, attempting to elucidate what the presence of those animals might mean in terms of palaeoecology. In particular, the span of Alan's career has seen major advances in our understanding of Quaternary mammalian biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography, the widespread application of novel techniques such as ancient DNA, the development of high-precision geochronology and the discovery of new hominin species. The papers presented here reflect those developments and highlight interdisciplinary approaches, from examination of sediments to careful measurements of the fossils themselves, from modelling the presence of taxa at particular points in the Quaternary to examination of the similarities and differences in fauna within and between sites.

Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region, China

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He Youbin

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Based on the petrological study, according to single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping method, the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage of the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied. The Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks; in addition, clastic and siliceous rocks occur with rare coals and pyroclastic rocks. Lithofacies can be divided into five types, including clastic rock assemblage, clastic rock–limestone assemblage, limestone assemblage, limestone–siliceous rock assemblage, and siliceous rock–clastic rock assemblage. Four fundamental ecological types and five fossil assemblages were recognized in the Changxing Stage. On the basis of the petrological and palaeoecological study, eight single factors were chosen including thickness, content of marine rocks, content of shallow water carbonate rocks, content of bioclasts with limemud matrix, content of bioclasts with sparry cement, distribution of reefs, content of thin bedded siliceous rocks and content of deep water sedimentary rocks. And eight single factor maps and one lithofacies paleogeographic map of the Changxing Stage were compiled. Paleoenvironments from west to east include an erosional area, fluvial plain, clastic platform, carbonate platform and reefs that developed there, slope and basin, low energy organic banks, and high energy organic banks. Sedimentary environments have an obvious control on the development of the source rocks, and the excellent source rocks are developed in the Dalong Formation. Changxing Stage reservoirs should be dominated by the reef and platform surrounding the Guangyuan–Liangping Basin rim area, and is the most favorable exploration area of the reef petroleum reservoirs of the Changxing Formation.

How can we conserve intact tropical peatlands?

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, Ian; Roucoux, Katherine

2017-04-01

The scientific community has, for more than three decades, been expressing increasing alarm about the fate of peatlands in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive land-use conversion and drainage for rice and oil palm have greatly compromised peatland hydrology, ecology, biological richness, and carbon storage. The discourse in the literature on these peatlands is now moving on from attempts to preserve the last remaining fragments of peat-swamp forest, towards discussion of how best to restore damaged ecosystems, and whether it is possible to manage plantations more 'sustainably'. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that peatlands occur quite widely in other parts of the lowland tropics, including parts of Amazonia and the Congo Basin, and many of these peatlands can reasonably be described as 'intact': although few if any parts of the tropics are totally unaffected by human actions, the hydrology and functional ecology of these systems appear to be close to a 'natural' state. The question then arises as to what should be done with the knowledge of their existence. Here we analyse the arguments in favour of protecting intact peatlands, and the potential conflicts with other priorities such as economic development and social justice. We evaluate alternative mechanisms for protecting intact peatlands, focusing on the particular issues raised by peatlands as opposed to other kinds of tropical ecosystem. We identify ways in which natural science agendas can help to inform these arguments, using our own contributions in palaeoecology and carbon mapping as examples. Finally, we argue for a radical reconsideration of research agendas in tropical peatlands, highlighting the potential contribution of methodologies borrowed from the social sciences and humanities.

Colluvial and alluvial response to land use change in Midland England: An integrated geoarchaeological approach

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Brown, Antony G.

2009-07-01

This paper presents geomorphic, soils and palaeoecological data from a small sub-catchment in the English Midlands in an attempt to provide an integrated picture of Holocene landscape change. The area used has also been the focus of a multi-disciplinary and long-term archaeological survey (Raunds Area Project) and so has a wealth of archaeological and historical data which can be related to the environmental record. The paper combines these data, much of which are only published in the archaeological literature with new interpretations based upon unpublished data and new data particularly from the hillslopes and new radiocarbon dating from the valley floor. It is inferred that despite a long history of pastoral and arable agriculture (since the Neolithic/Bronze Age), colluviation on lower slopes, significant soil redistribution and overbank alluviation only began to a measurable extent in the Late Saxon-Medieval period (9th Century AD onwards). It is suggested that this is due to a combination of land-use factors, principally the laying out of an intensive open field system and the establishment of villages combined with a period of extremes in climate well known throughout Europe. Indeed the critical element appears to have been the social changes in this period that created this regionally distinctive landscape which happened to have a high spatial connectivity and facilitated intensive arable production with high tillage rates. Intense rainfall events during this period could therefore detach and mobilize high volumes of soil and the open field system facilitated transport to slope bases and valley floors. The need for detailed and spatially precise land-use data in order to interpret accelerated landscape change is stressed.

Benthic foraminifera baseline assemblages from a coastal nearshore reef complex on the central Great Barrier Reef

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Johnson, Jamie; Perry, Chris; Smithers, Scott; Morgan, Kyle

2016-04-01

Declining water quality due to river catchment modification since European settlement (c. 1850 A.D.) represents a major threat to the health of coral reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR), particularly for those located in the coastal waters of the GBR's inner-shelf. These nearshore reefs are widely perceived to be most susceptible to declining water quality owing to their close proximity to river point sources. Despite this, nearshore reefs have been relatively poorly studied with the impacts and magnitudes of environmental degradation still remaining unclear. This is largely due to ongoing debates concerning the significance of increased sediment yields against naturally high background sedimentary regimes. Benthic foraminifera are increasingly used as tools for monitoring environmental and ecological change on coral reefs. On the GBR, the majority of studies have focussed on the spatial distributions of contemporary benthic foraminiferal assemblages. While baseline assemblages from other environments (e.g. inshore reefs and mangroves) have been described, very few records exist for nearshore reefs. Here, we present preliminary results from the first palaeoecological study of foraminiferal assemblages of nearshore reefs on the central GBR. Cores were recovered from the nearshore reef complex at Paluma Shoals using percussion techniques. Recovery was 100%, capturing the entire Holocene reef sequence of the selected reef structures. Radiocarbon dating and subsequent age-depth modelling techniques were used to identify reef sequences pre-dating European settlement. Benthic foraminifera assemblages were reconstructed from the identified sequences to establish pre-European ecological baselines with the aim of providing a record of foraminiferal distribution during vertical reef accretion and against which contemporary ecological change may be assessed.

Vegetation changes and human impact inferred from an oxbow lake in southwestern Amazonia, Brazil since the 19th century

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Rodríguez-Zorro, Paula A.; Enters, Dirk; Hermanowski, Barbara; da Costa, Marcondes Lima; Behling, Hermann

2015-10-01

Pollen and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analyses from a 272 cm-long sediment core of Lago Amapá, an oxbow lake in western Amazonia, reveal the first palaeoecological investigation of late Holocene sediments in Acre state, Brazil. Radiocarbon dating of older sediments failed due to re-deposition of organic material but a historical map suggests that lacustrine deposition started at 1900 AD. We detected two periods of changes in sediment and vegetation, dominated by pioneer taxa especially Cecropia. The first period around 1900 AD is documenting an initial oxbow lake, with regular fluvial input (high Ti) and low accumulation of organic matter (low inc/coh ratio). During that period Andean pollen taxa originating from Peruvian Andean headwaters were deposited. A fully lacustrine phase started about 1950 AD and is characterized by prolonged periods of stagnant water (low Fe/Mn ratio). The increase of pioneer taxa, sedimentation rates and a reduction of most of the XRF element counts point to a period during which Lago Amapá was a more isolated lake which was flooded only during exceptional severe flood events and is catching mainly anthropogenic disturbances. The extensive human influence during this period was assumed by 1) the high occurrence of pioneer taxa and the absence of charcoal which could indicate changes in vegetation possibly as a result of logging, 2) the Ca and Ti/K ratio which reflect changes to a local sediment source, and 3) comparison of Landsat images from the last 30 years which shows broad changes in vegetation cover and land transformation in the peripheral areas of the oxbow lake.

Unveiling exceptional Baltic bog ecohydrology, autogenic succession and climate change during the last 2000 years in CE Europe using replicate cores, multi-proxy data and functional traits of testate amoebae

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Gałka, Mariusz; Tobolski, Kazimierz; Lamentowicz, Łukasz; Ersek, Vasile; Jassey, Vincent E. J.; van der Knaap, Willem O.; Lamentowicz, Mariusz

2017-01-01

We present the results of high-resolution, multi-proxy palaeoecological investigations of two parallel peat cores from the Baltic raised bog Mechacz Wielki in NE Poland. We aim to evaluate the role of regional climate and autogenic processes of the raised bog itself in driving the vegetation and hydrology dynamics. Based on partly synchronous changes in Sphagnum communities in the two study cores we suggest that extrinsic factors (climate) played an important role as a driver in mire development during the bog stage (500-2012 CE). Using a testate amoebae transfer function, we found exceptionally stable hydrological conditions during the last 2000 years with a relatively high water table and lack of local fire events that allowed for rapid peat accumulation (2.75 mm/year) in the bog. Further, the strong correlation between pH and community-weighted mean of testate amoeba traits suggests that other variables than water-table depth play a role in driving microbial properties under stable hydrological conditions. There is a difference in hydrological dynamics in bogs between NW and NE Poland until ca 1500 CE, after which the water table reconstructions show more similarities. Our results illustrate how various functional traits relate to different environmental variables in a range of trophic and hydrological scenarios on long time scales. Moreover, our data suggest a common regional climatic forcing in Mechacz Wielki, Gązwa and Kontolanrahka. Though it may still be too early to attempt a regional summary of wetness change in the southern Baltic region, this study is a next step to better understand the long-term peatland palaeohydrology in NE Europe.

Ceratopetalum (Cunoniaceae) fruits of Australasian affinity from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora, Patagonia, Argentina.

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Gandolfo, María A; Hermsen, Elizabeth J

2017-03-01

Radially symmetrical, five-winged fossil fruits from the highly diverse early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora of Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina, are named, described and illustrated. The main goals are to assess the affinities of the fossils and to place them in an evolutionary, palaeoecological and biogeographic context. Specimens of fossil fruits were collected from the Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco. They were prepared, photographed and compared with similar extant and fossil fruits using published literature. Their structure was also evaluated by comparing them with that of modern Ceratopetalum (Cunoniaceae) fruits through examination of herbarium specimens. The Laguna del Hunco fossil fruits share the diagnostic features that characterize modern and fossil Ceratopetalum (symmetry, number of fruit wings, presence of a conspicuous floral nectary and overall venation pattern). The pattern of the minor wing (sepal) veins observed in the Patagonian fossil fruits is different from that of modern and previously described fossil Ceratopetalum fruits; therefore, a new fossil species is recognized. An apomorphy (absence of petals) suggests that the fossils belong within crown-group Ceratopetalum . The Patagonian fossil fruits are the oldest known record for Ceratopetalum . Because the affinities, provenance and age of the fossils are so well established, this new Ceratopetalum fossil species is an excellent candidate for use as a calibration point in divergence dating studies of the family Cunoniaceae. It represents the only record of Ceratopetalum outside Australasia, and further corroborates the biogeographic connection between the Laguna del Hunco flora and ancient and modern floras of the Australasian region. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

Palaeoecological data as a tool to predict possible future vegetation changes in the boreal forest zone of European Russia: a case study from the Central Forest Biosphere Reserve

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Novenko, E. Yu; Tsyganov, A. N.; Olchev, A. V.

2018-01-01

New multi-proxy records (pollen, testate amoebae, and charcoal) were applied to reconstruct the vegetation dynamics in the boreal forest area of the southern part of Valdai Hills (the Central Forest Biosphere Reserve) during the Holocene. The reconstructions of the mean annual temperature and precipitation, the climate moisture index (CMI), peatland surface moisture, and fire activity have shown that climate change has a significant impact on the boreal forests of European Russia. Temperature growth and decreased moistening during the warmest phases of the Holocene Thermal Maximum in 7.0-6.2 ka BP and 6.0-5.5 ka BP and in the relatively warm phase in 3.4-2.5 ka BP led to structural changes in plant communities, specifically an increase in the abundance of broadleaf tree species in forest stands and the suppression of Picea. The frequency of forest fires was higher in that period, and it resulted in the replacement of spruce forests by secondary stands with Betula and Pinus. Despite significant changes in the climatic parameters projected for the 21st century using even the optimistic RCP2.6 scenario, the time lag between climate changes and vegetation responses makes any catastrophic vegetation disturbances (due to natural reasons) in the area in the 21st century unlikely.

Out of Africa, but how and when? The case of hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas).

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Kopp, Gisela H; Roos, Christian; Butynski, Thomas M; Wildman, Derek E; Alagaili, Abdulaziz N; Groeneveld, Linn F; Zinner, Dietmar

2014-11-01

Many species of Arabian mammals are considered to be of Afrotropical origin and for most of them the Red Sea has constituted an obstacle for dispersal since the Miocene-Pliocene transition. There are two possible routes, the 'northern' and the 'southern', for terrestrial mammals (including humans) to move between Africa and Arabia. The 'northern route', crossing the Sinai Peninsula, is confirmed for several taxa by an extensive fossil record, especially from northern Egypt and the Levant, whereas the 'southern route', across the Bab-el-Mandab Strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is more controversial, although post-Pliocene terrestrial crossings of the Red Sea might have been possible during glacial maxima when sea levels were low. Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) are the only baboon taxon to disperse out of Africa and still inhabit Arabia. In this study, we investigate the origin of Arabian hamadryas baboons using mitochondrial sequence data from 294 samples collected in Arabia and Northeast Africa. Through the analysis of the geographic distribution of genetic diversity, the timing of population expansions, and divergence time estimates combined with palaeoecological data, we test: (i) if Arabian and African hamadryas baboons are genetically distinct; (ii) if Arabian baboons exhibit population substructure; and (iii) when, and via which route, baboons colonized Arabia. Our results suggest that hamadryas baboons colonized Arabia during the Late Pleistocene (130-12 kya [thousands of years ago]) and also moved back to Africa. We reject the hypothesis that hamadryas baboons were introduced to Arabia by humans, because the initial colonization considerably predates the earliest records of human seafaring in this region. Our results strongly suggest that the 'southern route' from Africa to Arabia could have been used by hamadryas baboons during the same time period as proposed for modern humans. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier

Ecology of testate amoebae in an Amazonian peatland and development of a transfer function for palaeohydrological reconstruction.

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Swindles, Graeme T; Reczuga, Monika; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Raby, Cassandra L; Turner, T Edward; Charman, Dan J; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Valderrama, Elvis; Williams, Christopher; Draper, Frederick; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N; Roucoux, Katherine H; Baker, Tim; Mullan, Donal J

2014-08-01

Tropical peatlands represent globally important carbon sinks with a unique biodiversity and are currently threatened by climate change and human activities. It is now imperative that proxy methods are developed to understand the ecohydrological dynamics of these systems and for testing peatland development models. Testate amoebae have been used as environmental indicators in ecological and palaeoecological studies of peatlands, primarily in ombrotrophic Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in the mid- and high-latitudes. We present the first ecological analysis of testate amoebae in a tropical peatland, a nutrient-poor domed bog in western (Peruvian) Amazonia. Litter samples were collected from different hydrological microforms (hummock to pool) along a transect from the edge to the interior of the peatland. We recorded 47 taxa from 21 genera. The most common taxa are Cryptodifflugia oviformis, Euglypha rotunda type, Phryganella acropodia, Pseudodifflugia fulva type and Trinema lineare. One species found only in the southern hemisphere, Argynnia spicata, is present. Arcella spp., Centropyxis aculeata and Lesqueresia spiralis are indicators of pools containing standing water. Canonical correspondence analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling illustrate that water table depth is a significant control on the distribution of testate amoebae, similar to the results from mid- and high-latitude peatlands. A transfer function model for water table based on weighted averaging partial least-squares (WAPLS) regression is presented and performs well under cross-validation (r(2)(apparent)= 0.76, RMSE = 4.29; r(2)(jack)= 0.68, RMSEP =5.18). The transfer function was applied to a 1-m peat core, and sample-specific reconstruction errors were generated using bootstrapping. The reconstruction generally suggests near-surface water tables over the last 3,000 years, with a shift to drier conditions at c. cal. 1218-1273 AD.

The onset of alpine pastoral systems in the Eastern Alps

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Oeggl, Klaus; Festi, Daniela; Putzer, Andreas

2015-04-01

Since the discovery of the Neolithic glacier mummy "Ötzi" in the nival belt of the main Alpine ridge, the onset of alpine pasture is matter of a highly controversial debate both in archaeology and in palaeo-ecology of the Eastern Alps. The implication is that his sojourn in the high-altitudes of the Alps is considered to be connected with pastoral nomadism. Regrettably any archaeological evidence for the existence of such Neolithic alpine pastoral systems is missing up to now and the assumption is based on palynological data only. However, also the palynological record is ambiguous, because pasture indicators in the alpine regions react positive on grazing as well as on fertilization induced by a higher runoff of precipitation. Thus alpine pasture indicators reflect both grazing pressure and climatic change. Anyhow, alpine pastoral systems are a common practice in Alpine animal husbandry, but from an economic point of view such a seasonal vertical transhumance is costly. There are three main reasons for its practice: i) climatic, ii) economic (mainly in connection with population pressure or mining activities), and iii) cultural ideology. In this study we tested the above mentioned reasons in an interdisciplinary study on the beginning of pastoral activities in high altitudes in the central part of the Eastern Alps. This is conducted by palynological analyses of peat deposits situated in the vicinity of the timberline (1600 - 2400 m a.s.l.) combined with archaeological surveys. The investigated sites are located in traditional Alpine transhumance regions and aligned on a transect through the central part of the Eastern Alps. The studies reveal that grazing pressure is reflected since the Bronze Age, which is corroborated by archaeological findings in the vicinity of the investigated sites.

Calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Nazare Canyon (Portuguese continental margin): Preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerreiro, C; Oliveira, A; Rodrigues, A; Rosa, F; Cachao, M; Fatela, F

2009-01-01

Submarine canyons are assumed to play an important role in oceanic/neritic circulation, marine productivity and sedimentary processes, acting as preferential conduits between the littoral and deep oceanic domain. Here we present first results of a comparative micropalaeontological study on calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminifera from surface sediments from the surroundings of the upper Nazare Canyon (Portuguese continental margin) and from the shelf north of the canyon. Regardless of the difficulty to distinguish taphonomical from (palaeo)ecological effects in such a complex and still poorly known marine system, the first results suggest that the canyon's hydro-sedimentary dynamic regime act as a prolongation of the shore/inner shelf hydrodynamic conditions towards west, preventing deposition and/or preservation of the smaller and fragile species of calcareous nannoplankton (e.g. E. huxleyi and G. ericsonii) and enhancing the record of the larger and more opportunistic ones (e.g. G. oceanica); and disturbing benthic foraminiferal productivity and/or diversity, or their preservation in the fossil record. Both calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminifera are more abundant off the canyon's domain, suggesting that its highly energetic thalweg conditions are probably filtering the fossil record in the sediment. Still, preliminary results suggest that the occurrence of persistent physical phenomena related with the canyon's morphology and proximity to the coast (e.g. solitary internal waves) may be locally promoting favourable conditions for calcareous nannoplankton, as shown by high values of nannoliths, chlorophyll a and 19' hexanoyloxyfucoxantine (unpublished data) north of the canyon's head. It is our goal to test this hypothesis in the near future by (a) studying multicore and surficial sediments from more recent surveys, and (b) calibrating the sediment results with water column data presently in process at the Institute of Oceanography (IO).

Calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Nazare Canyon (Portuguese continental margin): Preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerreiro, C; Oliveira, A; Rodrigues, A [Division of Marine Geology, Portuguese Hydrographic Institute (IH), Rua das Trinas 49, 1249-093 Lisboa (Portugal); Rosa, F [CIACOMAR, Algarve University, Av. 16 de Julho s/n 8700-311 Olhao (Portugal); Cachao, M; Fatela, F [Geology Center and Geology Department, FCUL, Bloco C6, 3o Piso, sala 6.3.57 Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal)], E-mail: catarina.guerreiro@hidrografico.pt

2009-01-01

Submarine canyons are assumed to play an important role in oceanic/neritic circulation, marine productivity and sedimentary processes, acting as preferential conduits between the littoral and deep oceanic domain. Here we present first results of a comparative micropalaeontological study on calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminifera from surface sediments from the surroundings of the upper Nazare Canyon (Portuguese continental margin) and from the shelf north of the canyon. Regardless of the difficulty to distinguish taphonomical from (palaeo)ecological effects in such a complex and still poorly known marine system, the first results suggest that the canyon's hydro-sedimentary dynamic regime act as a prolongation of the shore/inner shelf hydrodynamic conditions towards west, preventing deposition and/or preservation of the smaller and fragile species of calcareous nannoplankton (e.g. E. huxleyi and G. ericsonii) and enhancing the record of the larger and more opportunistic ones (e.g. G. oceanica); and disturbing benthic foraminiferal productivity and/or diversity, or their preservation in the fossil record. Both calcareous nannoplankton and benthic foraminifera are more abundant off the canyon's domain, suggesting that its highly energetic thalweg conditions are probably filtering the fossil record in the sediment. Still, preliminary results suggest that the occurrence of persistent physical phenomena related with the canyon's morphology and proximity to the coast (e.g. solitary internal waves) may be locally promoting favourable conditions for calcareous nannoplankton, as shown by high values of nannoliths, chlorophyll a and 19' hexanoyloxyfucoxantine (unpublished data) north of the canyon's head. It is our goal to test this hypothesis in the near future by (a) studying multicore and surficial sediments from more recent surveys, and (b) calibrating the sediment results with water column data presently in process at the Institute of

Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region, China

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Jin-Xiong Luo

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied based on petrography and the “single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping” method. The Upper Permian Wujiaping Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks and clastic rocks, with lesser amounts of siliceous rocks, pyroclastic rocks, volcanic rocks and coal. The rocks can be divided into three types, including clastic rock, clastic rock–limestone and limestone–siliceous rock, and four fundamental ecological types and four fossil assemblages are recognized in the Wujiaping Stage. Based on a petrological and palaeoecological study, six single factors were selected, namely, thickness (m, content (% of marine rocks, content (% of shallow water carbonate rocks, content (% of biograins with limemud, content (% of thin-bedded siliceous rocks and content (% of deep water sedimentary rocks. Six single factors maps of the Wujiaping Stage and one lithofacies palaeogeography map of the Wujiaping Age were composed. Palaeogeographic units from west to east include an eroded area, an alluvial plain, a clastic rock platform, a carbonate rock platform where biocrowds developed, a slope and a basin. In addition, a clastic rock platform exists in the southeast of the study area. Hydrocarbon source rock and reservoir conditions were preliminarily analyzed based on lithofacies palaeogeography. Sedimentary environments have obvious controls over the development of the resource rocks. With regard to the abundance of organic matter, the hydrocarbon potential of the coastal swamp environment is the best, followed by the basin environment and the carbonate rock platform. The gas reservoir types of the Wujiaping Stage can be classified as conventional and unconventional gas reservoirs, like coal bed gas and shale gas; all of them have well exploration prospects.

Widespread exploitation of the honeybee by early Neolithic farmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Roffet-Salque, Mélanie; Regert, Martine; Evershed, Richard P; Outram, Alan K; Cramp, Lucy J E; Decavallas, Orestes; Dunne, Julie; Gerbault, Pascale; Mileto, Simona; Mirabaud, Sigrid; Pääkkönen, Mirva; Smyth, Jessica; Šoberl, Lucija; Whelton, Helen L; Alday-Ruiz, Alfonso; Asplund, Henrik; Bartkowiak, Marta; Bayer-Niemeier, Eva; Belhouchet, Lotfi; Bernardini, Federico; Budja, Mihael; Cooney, Gabriel; Cubas, Miriam; Danaher, Ed M; Diniz, Mariana; Domboróczki, László; Fabbri, Cristina; González-Urquijo, Jesus E; Guilaine, Jean; Hachi, Slimane; Hartwell, Barrie N; Hofmann, Daniela; Hohle, Isabel; Ibáñez, Juan J; Karul, Necmi; Kherbouche, Farid; Kiely, Jacinta; Kotsakis, Kostas; Lueth, Friedrich; Mallory, James P; Manen, Claire; Marciniak, Arkadiusz; Maurice-Chabard, Brigitte; Mc Gonigle, Martin A; Mulazzani, Simone; Özdoğan, Mehmet; Perić, Olga S; Perić, Slaviša R; Petrasch, Jörg; Pétrequin, Anne-Marie; Pétrequin, Pierre; Poensgen, Ulrike; Pollard, C Joshua; Poplin, François; Radi, Giovanna; Stadler, Peter; Stäuble, Harald; Tasić, Nenad; Urem-Kotsou, Dushka; Vuković, Jasna B; Walsh, Fintan; Whittle, Alasdair; Wolfram, Sabine; Zapata-Peña, Lydia; Zoughlami, Jamel

2015-11-12

The pressures on honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations, resulting from threats by modern pesticides, parasites, predators and diseases, have raised awareness of the economic importance and critical role this insect plays in agricultural societies across the globe. However, the association of humans with A. mellifera predates post-industrial-revolution agriculture, as evidenced by the widespread presence of ancient Egyptian bee iconography dating to the Old Kingdom (approximately 2400 BC). There are also indications of Stone Age people harvesting bee products; for example, honey hunting is interpreted from rock art in a prehistoric Holocene context and a beeswax find in a pre-agriculturalist site. However, when and where the regular association of A. mellifera with agriculturalists emerged is unknown. One of the major products of A. mellifera is beeswax, which is composed of a complex suite of lipids including n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and fatty acyl wax esters. The composition is highly constant as it is determined genetically through the insect's biochemistry. Thus, the chemical 'fingerprint' of beeswax provides a reliable basis for detecting this commodity in organic residues preserved at archaeological sites, which we now use to trace the exploitation by humans of A. mellifera temporally and spatially. Here we present secure identifications of beeswax in lipid residues preserved in pottery vessels of Neolithic Old World farmers. The geographical range of bee product exploitation is traced in Neolithic Europe, the Near East and North Africa, providing the palaeoecological range of honeybees during prehistory. Temporally, we demonstrate that bee products were exploited continuously, and probably extensively in some regions, at least from the seventh millennium cal BC, likely fulfilling a variety of technological and cultural functions. The close association of A. mellifera with Neolithic farming communities dates to the early onset of agriculture and may provide

Peatlands as a unique climatic hotspots

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Slowinska, S.; Marcisz, K.; Slowinski, M. M.; Blazejczyk, K.; Lamentowicz, M.

2017-12-01

in palaeoecological investigations.

Long-term deforestation in NW Spain: linking the Holocene fire history to vegetation change and human activities

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Kaal, Joeri; Carrión Marco, Yolanda; Asouti, Eleni; Martín Seijo, Maria; Martínez Cortizas, Antonio; Costa Casáis, Manuela; Criado Boado, Felipe

2011-01-01

The Holocene fire regime is thought to have had a key role in deforestation and shrubland expansion in Galicia (NW Spain) but the contribution of past societies to vegetation burning remains poorly understood. This may be, in part, due to the fact that detailed fire records from areas in close proximity to archaeological sites are scarce. To fill this gap, we performed charcoal analysis in five colluvial soils from an archaeological area (Campo Lameiro) and compared the results to earlier studies from this area and palaeo-ecological literature from NW Spain. This analysis allowed for the reconstruction of the vegetation and fire dynamics in the area during the last ca 11 000 yrs. In the Early Holocene, Fabaceae and Betula sp. were dominant in the charcoal record. Quercus sp. started to replace these species around 10 000 cal BP, forming a deciduous forest that prevailed during the Holocene Thermal Maximum until ˜5500 cal BP. Following that, several cycles of potentially fire-induced forest regression with subsequent incomplete recovery eventually led to the formation of an open landscape dominated by shrubs (Erica sp. and Fabaceae). Major episodes of forest regression were (1) ˜5500-5000 cal BP, which marks the mid-Holocene cooling after the Holocene Thermal Maximum, but also the period during which agropastoral activities in NW Spain became widespread, and (2) ˜2000-1500 cal BP, which corresponds roughly to the end of the Roman Warm Period and the transition from the Roman to the Germanic period. The low degree of chronological precision, which is inherent in fire history reconstructions from colluvial soils, made it impossible to distinguish climatic from human-induced fires. Nonetheless, the abundance of synanthropic pollen indicators (e.g. Plantago lanceolata and Urtica dioica) since at least ˜6000 cal BP strongly suggests that humans used fire to generate and maintain pasture.

Phytochemistry of the fossilized-cuticle frond Macroneuropteris macrophylla (Pennsylvanian seed fern, Canada)

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Zodrow, Erwin L. [Palaeobotanical Laboratory, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2 (Canada); D' Angelo, Jose A. [IANIGLA, CCT-CONICET-Mendoza, Avda. Ruiz Leal s/n Parque Gral. San Martin (5500) Mendoza (Argentina); Mastalerz, Maria [Indiana Geological Survey, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-2208 (United States); Cleal, Christopher J. [Department of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP (United Kingdom); Keefe, Dale [Molecular Spectroscopy Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia (Canada)

2010-11-01

In Canada's Sydney Coalfield, specimens of the extinct Carboniferous seed fern Macroneuropteris macrophylla (Brongniart) invariably show preservation stages intermediate between compression and fossilized-cuticle, even concerning a single pinnule. In this interdisciplinary approach, we study a ca. 300 to 350 mm long fossilized-cuticle-preserved frond section of M. macrophylla (Brongniart) that represents about one third of the length of a frond that was originally 1 m long. Size and preservation allow us to study the phytochemistry of the cuticle biomacropolymers over the length of the frond to assess what impact, if any, results would have on Carboniferous palaeophytochemotaxonomy. For comparison, the phytochemistry of compressions with their extracted cuticles from the same species and the same sample locality is also investigated. We use solid- and liquid-state, semi-quantitative Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the chemical characterization of the frond. Based on our results, we infer an essentially uniform phytochemistry over the fossilized-cuticle frond, suggesting that only a single pinnule needs to be analyzed to get an overall phytochemical picture of the frond, which has been our long-time working hypothesis. We distinguish between phytochemistry and cutinization. The latter is much less pronounced above than below the frond dichotomy, and we suggest a palaeoecological cause, rather than differing pathways of organic matter transformation. Moreover, cuticles below and above the frond dichotomy have essentially the same epidermal pattern, but those from below have features that may have been an adaptation to prevent stomatal flooding during the tropical, rainy season. This study suggests that chemically the fossilized-cuticle is more similar to the compression than to the cuticle obtained from that compression of the same species which invites reevaluation of the classical compression concept. (author)

Phytochemistry of the fossilized-cuticle frond Macroneuropteris macrophylla (Pennsylvanian seed fern, Canada)

Science.gov (United States)

Zodrow, E.L.; D'Angelo, J. A.; Mastalerz, Maria; Cleal, C.J.; Keefe, D.

2010-01-01

In Canada's Sydney Coalfield, specimens of the extinct Carboniferous seed fern Macroneuropteris macrophylla (Brongniart) invariably show preservation stages intermediate between compression and fossilized-cuticle, even concerning a single pinnule. In this interdisciplinary approach, we study a ca. 300 to 350 mm long fossilized-cuticle-preserved frond section of M. macrophylla (Brongniart) that represents about one third of the length of a frond that was originally 1 m long. Size and preservation allow us to study the phytochemistry of the cuticle biomacropolymers over the length of the frond to assess what impact, if any, results would have on Carboniferous palaeophytochemotaxonomy. For comparison, the phytochemistry of compressions with their extracted cuticles from the same species and the same sample locality is also investigated. We use solid- and liquid-state, semi-quantitative Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the chemical characterization of the frond.Based on our results, we infer an essentially uniform phytochemistry over the fossilized-cuticle frond, suggesting that only a single pinnule needs to be analyzed to get an overall phytochemical picture of the frond, which has been our long-time working hypothesis. We distinguish between phytochemistry and cutinization. The latter is much less pronounced above than below the frond dichotomy, and we suggest a palaeoecological cause, rather than differing pathways of organic matter transformation. Moreover, cuticles below and above the frond dichotomy have essentially the same epidermal pattern, but those from below have features that may have been an adaptation to prevent stomatal flooding during the tropical, rainy season.This study suggests that chemically the fossilized-cuticle is more similar to the compression than to the cuticle obtained from that compression of the same species which invites reevaluation of the classical compression concept. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Past and future evolution of Abies alba forests in Europe - comparison of a dynamic vegetation model with palaeo data and observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruosch, Melanie; Spahni, Renato; Joos, Fortunat; Henne, Paul D; van der Knaap, Willem O; Tinner, Willy

2016-02-01

Information on how species distributions and ecosystem services are impacted by anthropogenic climate change is important for adaptation planning. Palaeo data suggest that Abies alba formed forests under significantly warmer-than-present conditions in Europe and might be a native substitute for widespread drought-sensitive temperate and boreal tree species such as beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) under future global warming conditions. Here, we combine pollen and macrofossil data, modern observations, and results from transient simulations with the LPX-Bern dynamic global vegetation model to assess past and future distributions of A. alba in Europe. LPX-Bern is forced with climate anomalies from a run over the past 21 000 years with the Community Earth System Model, modern climatology, and with 21st-century multimodel ensemble results for the high-emission RCP8.5 and the stringent mitigation RCP2.6 pathway. The simulated distribution for present climate encompasses the modern range of A. alba, with the model exceeding the present distribution in north-western and southern Europe. Mid-Holocene pollen data and model results agree for southern Europe, suggesting that at present, human impacts suppress the distribution in southern Europe. Pollen and model results both show range expansion starting during the Bølling-Allerød warm period, interrupted by the Younger Dryas cold, and resuming during the Holocene. The distribution of A. alba expands to the north-east in all future scenarios, whereas the potential (currently unrealized) range would be substantially reduced in southern Europe under RCP8.5. A. alba maintains its current range in central Europe despite competition by other thermophilous tree species. Our combined palaeoecological and model evidence suggest that A. alba may ensure important ecosystem services including stand and slope stability, infrastructure protection, and carbon sequestration under significantly warmer

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Responses to Environmental Change: Insights from Terrestrial Paleoecological Archives

Science.gov (United States)

Seddon, A. W. R.; Mackay, A. W.

2015-12-01

Current understanding of ecological behaviour indicates that systems can experience sudden and abrupt changes in state, driven either by a large external change in environmental conditions (extrinsically forced), or the result of a set local feedbacks and site-specific interactions (intrinsically mediated responses). Responses mediated by intrinsic processes are notoriously diffi- cult to predict, they can occur as slow environmental variables gradually erode the resilience of the system eventually resulting in threshold transitions between alternative stable states. Finding ways to identify, model and predict such complex ecosystem behavior has been identified as a priority research challenge for both ecology and paleoecology. The paleoecological record can play a role in understanding the processes behind abrupt ecological change because it enables the reconstruction of processes occurring over decadal-centennial timescales or longer. Therefore, paleoecological data can be used to identify the existence of ecological thresholds and to investigate the environmental processes that can lead to loss of resilience and abrupt transitions between alternate states. In addition, incidences of abrupt vegetation changes in the past can serve as palaeoecological model systems; analogues of abrupt dynamics which can be used to test theories surrounding ecological responses to climate change. Here, I present examples from a range of terrestrial ecosystems (Holocene environmental changes from a coastal lagoon in the Galapagos Islands; Northern European vegetation changes since the last deglaciation; the North American hemlock decline) demonstrating evidence of abrupt ecosystem change. For each system I present a set of statistical techniques tailored to distin- guish between extrinsic versus intrinsically mediated ecological responses. Examples are provided from both single sites (i.e. landscape scale) and multiple sites (regional-continental scale). These techniques provide a

Architecture of Maastrichtian carbonate deposits of the United Arab Emirates and Oman Sultanate border region; Architecture des corps carbonates du Maastrichtien de la zone frontaliere Emirats Arabes Unis - Sultanat d'Oman

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vennin, E. [Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, 75 - Paris (France); Barrier, P. [Institut Geologique Alber-de-Lapparent (France); Soudet, H.J. [Societe ELF, 75 - Paris (France); Bideau, T.; Proudhon, B. [Elf Exploration Production, 64 - Pau (France); Cogema, 78 - Velizy-Villacoublay (France)

1999-09-01

This paper discusses the sedimentary model, sequence framework and geometry quantification of sedimentary bodies in an Upper Cretaceous carbonate platform, abounding in oil reservoirs. The outcrops are located along the western margin of the northern Oman Mountains in the border region of the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman. The Maastrichtian Simsima Formation outcrops on several N-S-trending jebels, situated between the localities of Al Dhaid and Al Ain. Jebel Rawdah was studied in detail, whereas Jebel Faiyah is documented as another reference section for correlation purposes. A sedimentary reconstruction of the latest Campanian - Late Maastrichtian interval displays a gradual change from tidal flat and fore-shore to outer platform settings. This evolution shows the flooding of the study area after Late Campanian times. Two third-order sequences were identified on the Maastrichtian intra-platform ramps. Both of them can be subdivided into a complex arrangement of 4. and 5. order sequences. Third-order sequences exhibit composite features and contain aggradational/retro-gradational and pro-gradational trends. A direct relationship was identified between the sequence framework and the palaeo-ecological distribution of reef builder and free organisms. The former developed essentially in retro-gradational trends whereas the benthic foraminifera Loftusia commonly appears in platform flooding intervals, and orbitoids mainly occur within pro-gradational trends. Widespread sedimentary tectonic activity is documented in the palaeo-geographic reconstruction of the Simsima Formation. Several palaeo-highs and grabens, related to the general foreland basin context of the UAE platform, are recognised in the Jebel Rawdah. Finally, the sequence framework of the Simsima Formation in the Jebel Falyah is similar to that of the Jebel Rawdah and makes it possible to propose an accurate sequence framework correlation. (authors)

Holocene coastal paleoenvironmental record, Bay of Brest

Science.gov (United States)

Fernane, Assia; Gandouin, Emmanuel; Goslin, Jérôme; Penaud, Aurélie; Van Vliet lanoë, Brigitte

2013-04-01

Coastal areas are sensitive environments regarding the risk of submersion and the impact on biodiversity induced by salinity changes. These areas thus provide good palaeocecological archives to monitor palaeo sea level changes and the associated adaptation of different biological communities. The north-western coast of France has poorly been investigated regarding its Holocene palaeoecological signatures (Morzadec-Kerfourn, 1974; Naughton et al., 2007). Chironomids have been recognized to be an efficient tool for palaeoclimate and palaeosalinity reconstructions in lakes (Brooks, 2006), and more recently in river floodplains (Gandouin et al, 2006). In this study, environmental changes related to both climate processes and human disturbances, were reconstructed over the last 5000 years, based on pollen and chironomid assemblages from two coastal cores retrieved at Pors Milin (Brittany, NW France). The sedimentary sequences consist of terrestrial peaty layers interdigited with marine clastic deposits. The study area is composed by a sandy beach, truncating the peat, limited by a high sandy bar, and a back marsh developed at + 4 m NGF. Pollen and chironomid results reveal that anthropogenic factors would mainly control environmental changes that occurred in this sector. The disappearance of many chironomid taxa (inhabitants of main river channel) and the dramatic fall in diversity may have been induced by the development of the Merovingian forest clearance at Pors Milin. Indeed, we suggest that the development of agriculture, the river embankment and the draining of wetlands may explain the chironomid habitat loss and the subsequent fall of biodiversity. This change in faunal assemblages occurred synchronously with a decrease in the "arborean / non arborean" pollen ratio reflecting the land opening of the watershed. Several nitrophilous and anthropogenic pollen taxa reinforce our hypothesis concerning the development of agricultural and livestock farming activities at

Shallow water carbonate platforms (Late Aptian–Early Albian, Southern Apennines in the context of supraregional to global changes: re-appraisal of palaeoecological events as reflectors of carbonate factory response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Raspini

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the palaeoenvironmental significance of the "Orbitolina Level", the microbial carbonates and the Salpingoporella dinarica-rich deposits encased in the Aptian/Albian shallow water carbonate platform strata of Monte Tobenna and Monte Faito (Southern Italy. These facies show a peculiar field appearance due to their color and/or fossil content. In the shallow water carbonate strata, the Late Aptian "Orbitolina Level" was formed during a period of decreasing accommodation space. Microbial carbonates occur in different levels in the composite section. They reach their maximum thickness around the sequence boundaries just above the "Orbitolina Level" and close to the Aptian–Albian transition, and were not deposited during maximum flooding. S. dinarica-rich deposits occur in the lower part of the Monte Tobenna-Monte Faito composite section, in both restricted and more open lagoonal sediments. S. dinarica has its maximum abundance below the "Orbitolina Level" and disappears 11 m above this layer.

On the basis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values recorded at Tobenna-Faito, the succession has been correlated to global sea-level changes and to the main volcanic and climatic events during the Aptian. Deterioration of the inner lagoon environmental conditions was related to high trophic levels triggered by volcano-tectonic activity. Microbial carbonates were deposited especially in periods of third-order sea level lowering. In such a scenario, periods of increased precipitation during the Gargasian induced the mobilization of clay during flooding of the exposed platform due to high-frequency sea-level changes, with consequent terrigenous input to the lagoon. This and the high nutrient levels made the conditions unsuitable for the principle carbonate producers, and an opportunistic biota rich in orbitolinids (Mesorbitolina texana and M. parva populated the platform. In the more open marine domain, the increased nutrient input enhanced the production of organic matter and locally led to the formation of black shales (e.g. the Niveau Fallot in the Vocontian Basin.

It is argued that the concomitant low Mg/Ca molar ratio and high concentration of calcium in seawater could have favoured the development of the low-Mg calcite skeleton of the S. dinarica green algae.

During third-order sea-level rise, no or minor microbial carbonates formed in the shallowlagoonal settings and S. dinarica disappeared. Carbonate neritic ecosystems were not influenced by the environmental changes inferred to have been induced by the mid-Cretaceous volcanism.

The "Orbitolina Level", the microbial carbonates and the Salpingoporella dinarica-rich deposits in the studied Aptian/Albian shallow water carbonate strata are interpreted to be the response to environmental and oceanographic changes in shallow-water and deeper-marine ecosystems.

Shallow water carbonate platforms (Late Aptian-Early Albian, Southern Apennines) in the context of supraregional to global changes: re-appraisal of palaeoecological events as reflectors of carbonate factory response

Science.gov (United States)

Raspini, A.

2012-08-01

This paper discusses the palaeoenvironmental significance of the "Orbitolina Level", the microbial carbonates and the Salpingoporella dinarica-rich deposits encased in the Aptian/Albian shallow water carbonate platform strata of Monte Tobenna and Monte Faito (Southern Italy). These facies show a peculiar field appearance due to their color and/or fossil content. In the shallow water carbonate strata, the Late Aptian "Orbitolina Level" was formed during a period of decreasing accommodation space. Microbial carbonates occur in different levels in the composite section. They reach their maximum thickness around the sequence boundaries just above the "Orbitolina Level" and close to the Aptian-Albian transition, and were not deposited during maximum flooding. S. dinarica-rich deposits occur in the lower part of the Monte Tobenna-Monte Faito composite section, in both restricted and more open lagoonal sediments. S. dinarica has its maximum abundance below the "Orbitolina Level" and disappears 11 m above this layer. On the basis of δ13C and δ18O values recorded at Tobenna-Faito, the succession has been correlated to global sea-level changes and to the main volcanic and climatic events during the Aptian. Deterioration of the inner lagoon environmental conditions was related to high trophic levels triggered by volcano-tectonic activity. Microbial carbonates were deposited especially in periods of third-order sea level lowering. In such a scenario, periods of increased precipitation during the Gargasian induced the mobilization of clay during flooding of the exposed platform due to high-frequency sea-level changes, with consequent terrigenous input to the lagoon. This and the high nutrient levels made the conditions unsuitable for the principle carbonate producers, and an opportunistic biota rich in orbitolinids (Mesorbitolina texana and M. parva) populated the platform. In the more open marine domain, the increased nutrient input enhanced the production of organic matter and locally led to the formation of black shales (e.g. the Niveau Fallot in the Vocontian Basin). It is argued that the concomitant low Mg/Ca molar ratio and high concentration of calcium in seawater could have favoured the development of the low-Mg calcite skeleton of the S. dinarica green algae. During third-order sea-level rise, no or minor microbial carbonates formed in the shallowlagoonal settings and S. dinarica disappeared. Carbonate neritic ecosystems were not influenced by the environmental changes inferred to have been induced by the mid-Cretaceous volcanism. The "Orbitolina Level", the microbial carbonates and the Salpingoporella dinarica-rich deposits in the studied Aptian/Albian shallow water carbonate strata are interpreted to be the response to environmental and oceanographic changes in shallow-water and deeper-marine ecosystems.

Climatic change and contemporaneous land-use phases north and south of the Alps 2300 BC to 800 AD

Science.gov (United States)

Tinner, Willy; Lotter, André F.; Ammann, Brigitta; Conedera, Marco; Hubschmid, Priska; van Leeuwen, Jacqueline F. N.; Wehrli, Michael

2003-06-01

Fluctuations in the Δ 14C curve and subsequent gaps of archaeological findings at 800-650 and 400-100 BC in western and central Europe may indicate major climate-driven land-abandonment phases. To address this hypothesis radiocarbon-dated sediments from four lakes in Switzerland were studied palynologically. Pollen analysis indicates contemporaneous phases of forest clearances and of intensified land-use at 1450-1250 BC, 650-450 BC, 50 BC-100 AD and around 700 AD. These land-use expansions coincided with periods of warm climate as recorded by the Alpine dendroclimatic and Greenland oxygen isotope records. Our results suggest that harvest yields would have increased synchronously over wide areas of central and southern Europe during periods of warm and dry climate. Combined interpretation of palaeoecological and archaeological findings suggests that higher food production led to increased human populations. Positive long-term trends in pollen values of Cerealia and Plantago lanceolata indicate that technical innovations during the Bronze and Iron Age (e.g. metal ploughs, scythes, hay production, fertilising methods) gradually increased agricultural productivity. The successful adoption of yield-increasing advances cannot be explained by climatic determinism alone. Combined with archaeological evidence, our results suggest that despite considerable cycles of spatial and demographic reorganisation (repeated land abandonments and expansions, as well as large-scale migrations and population decreases), human societies were able to shift to lower subsistence levels without dramatic ruptures in material culture. However, our data imply that human societies were not able to compensate rapidly for harvest failures when climate deteriorated. Agriculture in marginal areas was abandoned, and spontaneous reforestations took place on abandoned land south and north of the Alps. Only when the climate changed again to drier and warmer conditions did a new wide-spread phase of

Digesting the data - Effects of predator ingestion on the oxygen isotopic signature of micro-mammal teeth

Science.gov (United States)

Barham, Milo; Blyth, Alison J.; Wallwork, Melinda D.; Joachimski, Michael M.; Martin, Laure; Evans, Noreen J.; Laming, Belinda; McDonald, Bradley J.

2017-11-01

Biogenic minerals such as dental apatite have become commonly analysed archives preserving geochemical indicators of past environmental conditions and palaeoecologies. However, post-mortem, biogenic minerals are modified due to the alteration/replacement of labile components, and recent moves to utilise micro-mammal tooth δ18O signatures for refined Cenozoic terrestrial palaeoclimate reconstructions has lacked consideration of the chemical effects of predator digestion. Here, the physical and chemical condition of laboratory-raised mouse (Mus musculus) teeth have been investigated in conjunction with their bulk phosphate and tissue-specific δ18O values prior, and subsequent, to ingestion and excretion by various predator species (owls, mammals and a reptile). Substantial variability (up to 2‰) in the δ18O values of both undigested teeth and those ingested by specific predators suggests significant natural heterogeneity of individual prey δ18O. Statistically distinct, lower δ18O values (∼0.7‰) are apparent in teeth ingested by barn owls compared to undigested controls as a result of the chemically and enzymatically active digestive and waste-pellet environments. Overall, dentine tissues preserve lower δ18O values than enamel, while the greatest modification of oxygen isotope signals is exhibited in the basal enamel of ingested teeth as a result of its incompletely mineralised state. However, recognition of 18O-depletion in chemically purified phosphate analyses demonstrates that modification of original δ18O values is not restricted to labile oxygen-bearing carbonate and organic phases. The style and magnitude of digestive-alteration varies with predator species and no correlation was identified between specific physical or minor/trace-element (patterns or concentrations) modification of ingested teeth and disruption of their primary oxygen isotope values. Therefore, there is a current lack of any screening tool for oxygen isotope disruption as a result

An impact of deforestation by extreme weather events on Sphagnum peatland ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Slowinski, M. M.; Łuców, D.; Kołaczek, P.; Tjallingii, R.; Lane, C. S.; Slowinska, S.; Tyszkowski, S.; Łokas, E.; Theuerkauf, M.; Brauer, A.; Lamentowicz, M.

2017-12-01

An increase in extreme weather phenomena has been observed over the last decades as a result of global climate warming. Terrestrial ecosystems are influenced by different types of disturbances such as e.g. deforestation, land-use, fragmentation, fire, floods or storms. Disturbance triggers may be natural or anthropogenic, but usually we observe negative feedback loops and interconnected causal factors. Here we investigate the effects of a tornado event on the peatland ecosystem of the Tuchola Pinewoods, Northern Poland. Deforestation by tornado events can cause severe perturbations of the hydrology and erosion that, in turn, affects adjacent lakes and peatlands. Martwe peatland provide an exceptional opportunity to study the impact of such extreme events, as it was struck by a tornado in 2012. Our research is focused on lake-peatland ecosystems that were directly affected by this tornado, and we consider the general transformation of the vegetation (mainly forests) over the last 150 years. Extensive clearing of the forest occurred in the nineteenth century due to human activity, and we compare this with the impact of the 2012 tornado. Accurate reconstructions will rely on a broad range of palaeoecological techniques such as pollen, macro-remains and testate amoebae, but also on geochemistry, i.e. μXRF scanning. The chronology of the records is based on 210Pb and radiocarbon dating and will incorporate correlations using (crypto)tephra markers of the Eyjafjöll (2010) and Askja (1875) eruptions. We expect to observe that disturbance (tornado-induced deforestation) affects the short-term changes in peatland productivity and biodiversity, through a cascading "top-down" effect. This research addresses the emerging issue of the impact of extreme phenomena and more general climate changes on peatland ecosystems, which will potentially help to inform adaptations to the environmental consequences of extreme events in the future. This project is funded by the Polish

Taxonomic and numerical sufficiency in a Lower and Middle Miocene molluscan metacommunity of the Central Paratethys

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Zuschin, Martin; Nawrot, Rafal; Harzhauser, Mathias; Mandic, Oleg

2015-04-01

Among the most important questions in quantitative palaeoecology is how taxonomic and numerical resolution affect the analysis of community and metacommunity patterns. A species-abundance data set (10 localities, 213 bulk samples, 478 species, > 49,000 shells) from Burdigalian, Langhian and Serravallian benthic marine molluscan assemblages of the Central Paratethys was studied for this purpose. Assemblages are from two nearshore habitats (estuarine and marine intertidal) and three subtidal habitats (estuarine, fully marine sandy, and fully marine pelitic), which represent four biozones and four 3rd order depositional sequences over more than three million years, and are developed along the same depth-related environmental gradient. Double-standardized data subsampled to 19 samples per habitat, each with a minimum of 50 specimens, were used to calculate R²-values from PERMANOVA as a measure of differences between habitats at three taxonomic levels (species, genera and families) and at five levels of data transformation (raw abundances, percentages, square-root transformed percentages, fourth-root transformed percentages, presence-absence data). Species discriminate better between habitats than genera and families, but the differences between taxonomic levels are much stronger in the subtidal, where genera and families have more species than than in the intertidal. When all habitats are compared percentages and square-root transformed percentages discriminate equally well and perform better than higher levels of data transformation. Among nearshore and among subtidal habitats, however, the ability to discriminate between habitats increases with the level of data transformation (i.e., it is best for fourth-root transformed percentages and presence-absence data). The impact of decreasing taxonomic resolution is of minor importance in nearshore habitats, which are characterized by similar assemblages showing strong dominance of few widely distributed species, and many

Gratkorn - A new late Middle Miocene vertebrate fauna from Styria (Late Sarmatian, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, M.; Böhme, M.; Prieto, J.

2009-04-01

Paratethys (Late Middle Miocene/Early Late Miocene; Styrian Basin; Austria).- Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 264/3-4: 263-276. Harzhauser, M., Gross, M. & Binder, H., 2008. Biostratigraphy of Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) wetland systems in an Eastern Alpine intramontane basin (Gratkorn Basin, Austria): the terrestrial gastropod approach.- Geologica Carpathica, 59/1: 45-58.

How do climate and human impact affect Sphagnum peatlands under oceanic-continental climatic conditions? 2000 years of fire and hydrological history of a bog in Northern Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Marcisz, Katarzyna; Tinner, Willy; Colombaroli, Daniele; Kołaczek, Piotr; Słowiński, Michał; Fiałkiewicz-Kozieł, Barbara; Lamentowicz, Mariusz

2014-05-01

Climate change affects many natural processes and the same applies to human impact For instance climate change and anthropogenic activities may cause increased fire activity or change peatland dynamics. Currently it is still unknown how Sphagnum peatlands in the oceanic-continental transition zone of Poland may respond to combined effects of heat waves, drought and fire. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the last 2000 years palaeohydrology and fire history at Linje bog in Northern Poland. The main task was to determine the drivers of fire episodes, particularly to identify climatic and anthropogenic forcing. A two-meter peat core was extracted and subsampled with a high resolution. Micro- and macroscopic charcoal analyses were applied to determine past fire activity and the results compared with palaeohydrological reconstructions based on testate amoeba analysis. Palynological human indicators were used to reconstruct human activity. A depth-age model including 20 14C dates was constructed to calculate peat accumulation rates and charcoal influx. We hypothesised that: 1) fire frequency in Northern Poland was determined by climatic conditions (combination of low precipitation and heat waves), as reflected in peatland water table, and that 2) past fire episodes in the last millennium were intensified by human activity. Furthermore climate may have influenced human activity over harvest success and the carrying capacity. Our study shows that fire was important for the studied ecosystem, however, its frequency has increased in the last millennium in concomitance with land use activities. Landscape humanization and vegetation opening were followed by a peatland drying during the Little Ice Age (from ca. AD 1380). Similarly to other palaeoecological studies from Poland, Linje peatland possessed an unstable hydrology during the Little Ice Age. Increased fire episodes appeared shortly before the Little Ice Age and most severe fires were present in the time when

Charred wood remains in the natufian sequence of el-Wad terrace (Israel): New insights into the climatic, environmental and cultural changes at the end of the Pleistocene

Science.gov (United States)

Caracuta, Valentina; Weinstein-Evron, Mina; Yeshurun, Reuven; Kaufman, Daniel; Tsatskin, Alexander; Boaretto, Elisabetta

2016-01-01

The major social and economic changes associated with the rise of a sedentary lifestyle and the gradual transition to food production in the southern Levant are often considered to have been triggered by climate changes at the end of the Pleistocene (∼20,000-11,000 years BP). This explanation, however, is biased by the scarcity of high-resolution climate records directly associated with human activity and the lack of refined palaeoecological studies from multi-stratified sites in the area. Here, we present the results of an anthracological analysis, carried out on charcoals collected along a continuous column of archaeological sediments in the Natufian site of el-Wad Terrace (Mount Carmel, Israel). We also present the carbon isotopes analysis of 14C-dated archaeological remains of Amygdalus sp. The analyses of charcoal shows the predominance of an oak forest including Quercus calliprinos and ithaburensis around the site during the Early Natufian building phase (∼14,600-13,700 cal BP), and the values of Δ13C point to a high rainfall rate. This period is followed by a marked decrease in the local rainfall between ∼13,700 and 12,000 cal BP). The reduction, culturally associated with the latest Early Natufian and the Late Natufian, is independently recorded by the speleothems of the region: Soreq Cave and Jerusalem Cave. This period incorporates an increase in drought tolerant species such as Amygdalus sp. Thermo-Mediterranean species, such as Olea europaea and Ceratonia siliqua, as well as Pistacia palaestina, which dominate the modern landscape, become established in the Holocene. We conclude that the Natufian settlement at el-Wad Terrace flourished in the context of oak forests, and subsequently occupation intensity decreased in concurrence to the drying trend. This shift does not correspond to the cultural typology (i.e. Early Natufian vs. Late Natufian). Human response to climate change at the terminal Pleistocene Levant was multifaceted and localized. Its

Early Human Evolution in the Western Palaearctic: Ecological Scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Carrión, José S.; Rose, James; Stringer, Chris

2011-06-01

This review presents the themes of a special issue dealing with environmental scenarios of human evolution during the Early Pleistocene (2.6-0.78 Ma; MIS 103-MIS 19) and early Middle Pleistocene (0.78-0.47 Ma; MIS 19-base of MIS 12) within the western Palaearctic. This period is one of dramatic changes in the climates and the distribution of Palaearctic biota. These changes have played their role in generating adaptive and phyletic patterns within the human ancestry, involving several species such as Homo habilis, "Homo georgicus", Homo erectus, Homo antecessor and Homo heidelbergensis. In the archaeological record, these species include the Oldowan (Mode 1) and Acheulian (Mode 2) lithic technologies. Taphonomic considerations of palaeoecological research in hominin-bearing sites are provided and evaluated. Syntheses are provided for north Africa, western Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, Britain, and continental Europe. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based on multidisciplinary data are given for Ain Boucherit, Ain Hanech and El-Kherba in Algeria, Dmanisi in Georgia, Atapuerca, Cueva Negra, and the Orce Basin in Spain, Monte Poggiolo and Pirro Nord in Italy, Pont-de-Lavaud in France, and Mauer in Germany. The state of the art with the Out of Africa 1 dispersal model is reviewed. A source-sink dynamics model for Palaeolithic Europe is described to explain the morphological disparity of H. heidelbergensis (we will sometimes use the informal name "Heidelbergs") and early Neanderthals. Other aspects debated here are the selective value of habitat mosaics including reconstructions based on mammal and avian databases, and the role of geological instability combined with topographic complexity. This review is completed by addressing the question of whether the appearance of evolutionary trends within hominins is concentrated in regions of highest worldwide biological diversity (biodiversity hotspots). It is concluded that the keys for the activation of evolutionary

PaleoGeo: a Web based GIS database for paleoenvironmental studies

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Wonsuh; Kondo, Yasuhisa; Oguchi, Takashi

2014-05-01

Paleoenvironmental studies cover various fields such as paleohydrology, geomorphology, paleooceanology, paleobiology, paleoclimatology, and chronology. It is difficult for an individual researcher to collect and compile enormous data regarding these fields. We have been compiling portal data and presenting them using a web-based geographical information system (Web-GIS) called PaleoGeo for the multidisciplinary project 'Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans'. The aim of the project is to reconstruct the distribution of Neanderthals and modern humans in time and space in relation to past climate change. We have been collecting information from almost three thousand articles of 13 journals regarding paleoenvironmental research (i.e., Boreas, Catena, Climatic Change, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Geomorphology, Journal of Quaternary Science, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, and Palaeoecology, Quaternary International, Quaternary Research, Quaternary Science Reviews, The Holocene, and The Journal of Geology). The topics of the articles were classified into six themes (paleohydrology, earth surface processes and materials, paleooceanology, paleobiology, palaeoclimatology, and chronology) and 19 subthemes (hydrology, flood, fluvial, glacier, fluvial/glacier, sedimentology, soil, slope process, periglacial, peat land, eolian, sea-level, biology, vegetation, zoology, vegetation/zoology, archaeology, climate, atmosphere, and chronology). The collected data consist of the journal name, information about each paper (authors, title, volume, year, and page numbers), site location (country name, longitude, and latitude), theme, subtheme, keywords, DOI (Digital Object Identifier), and period (era). Location data are indispensable for paleoenvironmental studies. The PaleoGeo shows information with a map, which is an advantage of this database system. However, the number of the paleoenvironmental studies is growing rapidly and we have to effectively cover them as

A multidisciplinary approach to digital mapping of dinosaurian tracksites in the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian Broome Sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia

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Anthony Romilio

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The abundant dinosaurian tracksites of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian Broome Sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, form an important part of the West Kimberley National Heritage Place. Previous attempts to document these tracksites using traditional mapping techniques (e.g., surface overlays, transects and gridlines combined with conventional photography have been hindered by the non-trivial challenges associated with working in this area, including, but not limited to: (1 the remoteness of many of the tracksites; (2 the occurrence of the majority of the tracksites in the intertidal zone; (3 the size and complexity of many of the tracksites, with some extending over several square kilometres. Using the historically significant and well-known dinosaurian tracksites at Minyirr (Gantheaume Point, we show how these issues can be overcome through the use of an integrated array of remote sensing tools. A combination of high-resolution aerial photography with both manned and unmanned aircraft, airborne and handheld high-resolution lidar imaging and handheld photography enabled the collection of large amounts of digital data from which 3D models of the tracksites at varying resolutions were constructed. The acquired data encompasses a very broad scale, from the sub-millimetre level that details individual tracks, to the multiple-kilometre level, which encompasses discontinuous tracksite exposures and large swathes of coastline. The former are useful for detailed ichnological work, while the latter are being employed to better understand the stratigraphic and temporal relationship between tracksites in a broader geological and palaeoecological context. These approaches and the data they can generate now provide a means through which digital conservation and temporal monitoring of the Dampier Peninsula’s dinosaurian tracksites can occur. As plans for the on-going management of the tracks in this area progress, analysis of

Plant molecular phylogeography in China and adjacent regions: Tracing the genetic imprints of Quaternary climate and environmental change in the world's most diverse temperate flora.

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Qiu, Ying-Xiong; Fu, Cheng-Xing; Comes, Hans Peter

2011-04-01

The Sino-Japanese Floristic Region (SJFR) of East Asia harbors the most diverse of the world's temperate flora, and was the most important glacial refuge for its Tertiary representatives ('relics') throughout Quaternary ice-age cycles. A steadily increasing number of phylogeographic studies in the SJFR of mainland China and adjacent areas, including the Qinghai-Tibetan-Plateau (QTP) and Sino-Himalayan region, have documented the population histories of temperate plant species in these regions. Here we review this current literature that challenges the oft-stated view of the SJFR as a glacial sanctuary for temperate plants, instead revealing profound effects of Quaternary changes in climate, topography, and/or sea level on the current genetic structure of such organisms. There are three recurrent phylogeographic scenarios identified by different case studies that broadly agree with longstanding biogeographic or palaeo-ecological hypotheses: (i) postglacial re-colonization of the QTP from (south-)eastern glacial refugia; (ii) population isolation and endemic species formation in Southwest China due to tectonic shifts and river course dynamics; and (iii) long-term isolation and species survival in multiple localized refugia of (warm-)temperate deciduous forest habitats in subtropical (Central/East/South) China. However, in four additional instances, phylogeographic findings seem to conflict with a priori predictions raised by palaeo-data, suggesting instead: (iv) glacial in situ survival of some hardy alpine herbs and forest trees on the QTP platform itself; (v) long-term refugial isolation of (warm-)temperate evergreen taxa in subtropical China; (vi) 'cryptic' glacial survival of (cool-)temperate deciduous forest trees in North China; and (vii) unexpectedly deep (Late Tertiary/early-to-mid Pleistocene) allopatric-vicariant differentiation of disjunct lineages in the East China-Japan-Korea region due to past sea transgressions. We discuss these and other consequences

Barriers to seed and seedling survival of once-common Hawaiian palms: the role of invasive rats and ungulates.

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Shiels, Aaron B; Drake, Donald R

2015-05-27

Mammalian herbivores can limit plant recruitment and affect forest composition. Loulu palms (Pritchardia spp.) once dominated many lowland ecosystems in Hawai'i, and non-native rats (Rattus spp.), ungulates (e.g. pigs Sus scrofa, goats Capra hircus) and humans have been proposed as major causes of their decline. In lowland wet forest, we experimentally determined the vulnerability of seeds and seedlings of two species of Pritchardia, P. maideniana and P. hillebrandii, by measuring their removal by introduced vertebrates; we also used motion-sensing cameras to identify the animals responsible for Pritchardia removal. We assessed potential seed dispersal of P. maideniana by spool-and-line tracking, and conducted captive-feeding trials with R. rattus and seeds and seedlings of both Pritchardia species. Seed removal from the forest floor occurred rapidly for both species: >50 % of Pritchardia seeds were removed from the vertebrate-accessible stations within 6 days and >80 % were removed within 22 days. Although rats and pigs were both common to the study area, motion-sensing cameras detected only rats (probably R. rattus) removing Pritchardia seeds from the forest floor. Captive-feeding trials and spool-and-line tracking revealed that vertebrate seed dispersal is rare; rats moved seeds up to 8 m upon collection and subsequently destroyed them (100 % mortality in 24-48 h in captivity). Surprisingly, seedlings did not suffer vertebrate damage in field trials, and although rats damaged seedlings in captivity, they rarely consumed them. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis generated from palaeoecological studies, indicating that introduced rats may have assisted in the demise of native insular palm forests. These findings also imply that the seed stage of species in this Pacific genus is particularly vulnerable to rats; therefore, future conservation efforts involving Pritchardia should prioritize the reduction of rat predation on the plant recruitment stages

The development of the Middle Triassic tectonical controlled Germanic Basin of Central Europe and the palaeoenvironmental related distribution of marine and terrestrial reptiles

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Diedrich, Cajus G.

2010-05-01

-Italy). Bolletino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 41 (1), 37-40. Bachmann, G.H. and Aref, M.A.M., 2005. A seismite in Triassic gypsum deposits (Grabfeld Formation, Ladinian), Southwest Germany. Sedimentary Geology 180, 75-89. De Zanche, V. and Farabegoli, E. 1988. Anisian paleogeographic evolution in the Central-Western Southern Alps. Memoirs Scientifique Geologique 40, 399-411. Demathieu, G.R. 1985. Trace fossil assemblages in Middle Triassic marginal marine deposits, eastern border of the Massif Central, France. Societe Economie Paléontologie et Mineralogie, Special Publications, 35, 53-66. Diedrich, C. 2005. Actuopalaeontological trackway experiments with Iguana on intertidal flat carbonates of the Arabian Gulf - a comparison to fossil Rhynchosauroides tracks of Triassic carbonate tidal flat megatracksites in the European Germanic Basin. Senckenbergiana maritime, 35 (2), 203-220. Diedrich, C. 2008a. Millions of reptile tracks - Early to Middle Triassic carbonate tidal flat migration bridges of Central Europe. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 259, 410-423. Diedrich, C. 2008b. Palaeogeographic evolution of the marine Middle Triassic marine Germanic Basin changements - with emphasis on the carbonate tidal flat and shallow marine habitats of reptiles in Central Pangaea. Global and Planetary Change, 65 (2009), 27-55. Diedrich, C. 2009a. The vertebrates of the Anisian/Ladinian boundary (Middle Triassic) from Bissendorf (NW Germany) and their contribution to the anatomy, palaeoecology, and palaeobiogeography of the Germanic Basin reptiles. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 273 (2009), 1-16. Diedrich, C. 2009b. Die Saurierspuren-Grabung im basalen Mittleren Muschelkalk (Anis, Mitteltrias) von Bernburg (Sachsen-Anhalt). Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderband 2009, 1-62. Diedrich, 2010a. Palaeoecology of Placodus gigas (Reptilia) and other placodontids - macroalgae feeder of the Middle Triassic in the Germanic Basin of Central Europe and

Exploring Early Angiosperm Fire Feedbacks using Coupled Experiments and Modelling Approaches to Estimate Cretaceous Palaeofire Behaviour

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Belcher, Claire; Hudpsith, Victoria

2016-04-01

Using the fossil record we are typically limited to exploring linkages between palaeoecological changes and palaeofire activity by assessing the abundance of charcoals preserved in sediments. However, it is the behaviour of fires that primarily governs their ecological effects. Therefore, the ability to estimate variations in aspects of palaeofire behaviour such as palaeofire intensity and rate of spread would be of key benefit toward understanding the coupled evolutionary history of ecosystems and fire. The Cretaceous Period saw major diversification in land plants. Previously, conifers (gymnosperms) and ferns (pteridophytes) dominated Earth's ecosystems until flowering plants (angiosperms) appear in the fossil record of the Early Cretaceous (~135Ma). We have created surface fire behaviour estimates for a variety of angiosperm invasion scenarios and explored the influence of Cretaceous superambient atmospheric oxygen levels on the fire behaviour occurring in these new Cretaceous ecosystems. These estimates are then used to explore the hypothesis that the early spread of the angiosperms was promoted by the novel fire regimes that they created. In order to achieve this we tested the flammability of Mesozoic analogue fuel types in controlled laboratory experiments using an iCone calorimeter, which measured the ignitability as well as the effective heat of combustion of the fuels. We then used the BehavePlus fire behaviour modelling system to scale up our laboratory results to the ecosystem scale. Our results suggest that fire-angiosperm feedbacks may have occurred in two phases: The first phase being a result of weedy angiosperms providing an additional easily ignitable fuel that enhanced both the seasonality and frequency of surface fires. In the second phase, the addition of shrubby understory fuels likely expanded the number of ecosystems experiencing more intense surface fires, resulting in enhanced mortality and suppressed post-fire recruitment of gymnosperms

A new age model for the Late Ordovician bentonites in Oslo, Norway

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Gottschalk Ballo, Eirik; Eivind Augland, Lars; Hammer, Øyvind; Svensen, Henrik

2017-04-01

-bentonites) from the Oslo-Asker district". In: Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift 35, pp. 29-52. Svensen, H. H., Hammer, Ø., and Corfu, F. (2015). "Astronomically forced cyclicity in the Upper Ordovician and U-Pb ages of interlayered tephra, Oslo Region, Norway". In: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 418, pp. 150-159.

Two hundred years of palaeontological discovery: Review of research on the Early to Middle Devonian Bokkeveld Group (Cape Supergroup) of South Africa

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Penn-Clarke, C. R.; Rubidge, B. S.; Jinnah, Z. A.

2018-01-01

Documentation of the palaeontological heritage of the Early to Middle Devonian Bokkeveld Group of South Africa has been recorded as far back as the early nineteenth century with the arrival of the first European settlers, merchants and explorers to the Cape region. Anecdotal evidence suggests that indigenous peoples had knowledge of fossils in the Bokkeveld Group from as early as the Middle-to-Late Stone Age. Within the first hundred years of the expansion of the Cape Colony the first geological maps of the Bokkeveld Group were produced alongside the first description of fossils as well as their Devonian age and marine origin. These early investigations provided a foundation for establishing faunal endemism common to South Africa, South America and the Falkland Islands. During the early twentieth century considerable progress was made in the description of fossil fauna of the Bokkeveld Group, most notably of invertebrates and plants. This research demonstrated that invertebrate fossils from the Bokkeveld Group, as well as those from time equivalents in South America and the Falkland Islands, were distinct from the Devonian Period elsewhere (e.g. Europe and North America). The role of fossils from the Bokkeveld Group proved critical in the formal designation and delineation of a broad region of endemism, the Malvinokaffric Realm that persisted at high subpolar-to-polar palaeolatitudes in southwestern Gondwana and extended from South Africa, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands with possible elements in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Ghana during the Emsian-Eifelian Stages. In the latter half of the twentieth century developments in understanding the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Bokkeveld Group lead to the premise that the succession accumulated in a storm-and-wave dominated deltaic palaeoenvironment, and enabled inferences on the palaeoecology of the fossil taxa. During this period detailed revisions of numerous invertebrate and plant

Sequence stratigraphy and environmental background of the late Pleistocene and Holocene occupation in the Southeast Primor'ye (the Russian Far East)

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Chlachula, Jiri; Krupyanko, Alexander A.

2016-06-01

The paper presents the results of Quaternary palaeoecology and geoarchaeology studies in the Zerkal'naya Basin, with new insights about sequenced natural shifts during the prehistoric occupation of this marginally explored NE Asian maritime territory. The Basin is part of the continental drainage system and the main physiographic and biotic corridor for peopling of the transitive coastal interior SE Primor'ye Region. The Final Pleistocene and Holocene environmental (biotic and abiotic) proxy records from the Upper/Final Palaeolithic to early historical sites document a dynamic climate change with vegetation cover transformations within riverine and mountain valley ecosystems of the Russian Far East. Most of the archaeological sites located on the low terraces and bedrock promontories along the main river channel and its tributary streams suggest traditional hunter gathered lifestyles based on seasonal salmon-fishing supplemented by pastoral economy. Tundra-forests with larch trees, dwarf birch thickets and polypod ferns from the basal stratigraphic units of the late Last Glacial occupation sites associated with the Upper Palaeolithic micro-blade and bifacial stone tool traditions (14C-dated to 19,000-12,000 cal yrs BP) indicate rather pronounced conditions and much lower MAT comparing today. Following a final Pleistocene cooling event, a major climate warming marked the onset of Holocene accompanied by a regional humidity increase promoting the formation of a mixed broadleaved-coniferous oak-dominant taiga, and culminating in the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum. The appearance of mosaic parklands ca. 5,000-4,000 cal yrs BP. may be partly attributed to the expansion of the Far Eastern Neolithic cultures practicing forest clearance for pastures and dwellings. A progressing landscape opening indicated by the spread of light-demanding thickets and birch-dominated riverine biotopes with Artemisia suggests a further vegetation cover transformation during the late Neolithic

The evolution of fishes and corals on reefs: form, function and interdependence.

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Bellwood, David R; Goatley, Christopher H R; Bellwood, Orpha

2017-05-01

Coral reefs are renowned for their spectacular biodiversity and the close links between fishes and corals. Despite extensive fossil records and common biogeographic histories, the evolution of these two key groups has rarely been considered together. We therefore examine recent advances in molecular phylogenetics and palaeoecology, and place the evolution of fishes and corals in a functional context. In critically reviewing the available fossil and phylogenetic evidence, we reveal a marked congruence in the evolution of the two groups. Despite one group consisting of swimming vertebrates and the other colonial symbiotic invertebrates, fishes and corals have remarkably similar evolutionary histories. In the Paleocene and Eocene [66-34 million years ago (Ma)] most modern fish and coral families were present, and both were represented by a wide range of functional morphotypes. However, there is little evidence of diversification at this time. By contrast, in the Oligocene and Miocene (34-5.3 Ma), both groups exhibited rapid lineage diversification. There is also evidence of increasing reef area, occupation of new habitats, increasing coral cover, and potentially, increasing fish abundance. Functionally, the Oligocene-Miocene is marked by the appearance of new fish and coral taxa associated with high-turnover fast-growth ecosystems and the colonization of reef flats. It is in this period that the functional characteristics of modern coral reefs were established. Most species, however, only arose in the last 5.3 million years (Myr; Plio-Pleistocene), with the average age of fish species being 5.3 Myr, and corals just 1.9 Myr. While these species are genetically distinct, phenotypic differences are often limited to variation in colour or minor morphological features. This suggests that the rapid increase in biodiversity during the last 5.3 Myr was not matched by changes in ecosystem function. For reef fishes, colour appears to be central to recent

The role of biotic interactions in shaping distributions and realised assemblages of species: implications for species distribution modelling.

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Wisz, Mary Susanne; Pottier, Julien; Kissling, W Daniel; Pellissier, Loïc; Lenoir, Jonathan; Damgaard, Christian F; Dormann, Carsten F; Forchhammer, Mads C; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Guisan, Antoine; Heikkinen, Risto K; Høye, Toke T; Kühn, Ingolf; Luoto, Miska; Maiorano, Luigi; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Normand, Signe; Öckinger, Erik; Schmidt, Niels M; Termansen, Mette; Timmermann, Allan; Wardle, David A; Aastrup, Peter; Svenning, Jens-Christian

2013-02-01

Predicting which species will occur together in the future, and where, remains one of the greatest challenges in ecology, and requires a sound understanding of how the abiotic and biotic environments interact with dispersal processes and history across scales. Biotic interactions and their dynamics influence species' relationships to climate, and this also has important implications for predicting future distributions of species. It is already well accepted that biotic interactions shape species' spatial distributions at local spatial extents, but the role of these interactions beyond local extents (e.g. 10 km(2) to global extents) are usually dismissed as unimportant. In this review we consolidate evidence for how biotic interactions shape species distributions beyond local extents and review methods for integrating biotic interactions into species distribution modelling tools. Drawing upon evidence from contemporary and palaeoecological studies of individual species ranges, functional groups, and species richness patterns, we show that biotic interactions have clearly left their mark on species distributions and realised assemblages of species across all spatial extents. We demonstrate this with examples from within and across trophic groups. A range of species distribution modelling tools is available to quantify species environmental relationships and predict species occurrence, such as: (i) integrating pairwise dependencies, (ii) using integrative predictors, and (iii) hybridising species distribution models (SDMs) with dynamic models. These methods have typically only been applied to interacting pairs of species at a single time, require a priori ecological knowledge about which species interact, and due to data paucity must assume that biotic interactions are constant in space and time. To better inform the future development of these models across spatial scales, we call for accelerated collection of spatially and temporally explicit species data. Ideally

Using extant taxa to inform studies of fossil footprints

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Falkingham, Peter; Gatesy, Stephen

2016-04-01

Attempting to use the fossilized footprints of extinct animals to study their palaeobiology and palaeoecology is notoriously difficult. The inconvenient extinction of the trackmaker makes direct correlation between footprints and foot far from straightforward. However, footprints are the only direct evidence of vertebrate motion recorded in the fossil record, and are potentially a source of data on palaeobiology that cannot be obtained from osteological remains alone. Our interests lie in recovering information about the movements of dinosaurs from their tracks. In particular, the Hitchcock collection of early Jurassic tracks held at the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst, provide a rare look into the 3D form of tracks at and below the surface the animal walked on. Breaking naturally along laminations into 'track books', the specimens present sediment deformation at multiple levels, and in doing so record more of the foot's motion than a single surface might. In order to utilize this rich information source to study the now extinct trackmakers, the process of track formation must be understood at a fundamental level; the interaction of the moving foot and compliant substrate. We used bi-planar X-ray techniques (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology) to record the limb and foot motions of a Guineafowl traversing both granular and cohesive substrates. This data was supplemented with photogrammetric records of the resultant track surfaces, as well as the motion of metal beads within the sediment, to provide a full experimental dataset of foot and footprint formation. The physical experimental data was used to generate computer simulations of the process using high performance computing and the Discrete Element Method. The resultant simulations showed excellent congruence with reality, and enabled visualization within the sediment volume, and throughout the track-forming process. This physical and virtual experimental set-up has provided major insight into

The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones

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D. Harms

2017-08-01

bark, whereas those from litter habitats are underrepresented. We also discuss challenges in interpreting fossils: their cryptic morphology warranting novel techniques of morphological reconstruction, the massive gap in the fossil record between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic, and problems with the classification of (historically old amber material. Finally, we discuss aspects of the palaeoecology and biology of the fossils compared with the Recent fauna, such as phoresy.

Reply to: Terry, J. and Goff, J. comment on “Late Cenozoic sea level and the rise of modern rimmed atolls” by Toomey et al. (2016), Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 4 51: 73–83.

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Toomey, Michael; Ashton, Andrew; Raymo, Maureen E.; Perron, J. Taylor

2017-01-01

We appreciate Terry and Goff's thoughtful comment in response to our proposed atoll development model. Flank collapse of reef-built slopes likely does affect plan-form atoll morphology in some locations and potentially poses a tsunami hazard to low-lying Pacific islands (Terry and Goff, 2013). However, given the often rapid rates of lagoon infill (> 1 mm/yr; Montaggioni, 2005), such failure events would likely need to be frequent and widespread in order to leave a morphologic imprint on modern western Pacific atoll lagoon depths. Few atoll flank collapse features have been dated but many of the arcuate bight-like structures (ABLS) identified could be inherited from scars incised into the initial volcanic edifice (e.g. Terry and Goff, 2013 and refs. therein) — submarine mass wasting has been extensively documented on young hotspot islands (e.g. Hawaiian Islands: Moore et al., 1989; Reunion: Oehler et al., 2008). Atolls in the Marshall Islands, where our main study site Enewetak Atoll is located, are likely ~ 50–100 million years old (Larson et al., 1995) and dating of adjacent deep-water turbidite aprons in the Nauru Basin (DSDP Site 462; Schlanger and Silva, 1986) suggests that large atoll flank collapse events have been relatively infrequent there since the mid-Miocene (wasting events, will be essential for exploring the plan-form and 3D shapes of atolls. To our knowledge, no quantitative model of long-term atoll development has explicitly linked lagoon restriction/sedimentation to episodic flank collapse events (e.g. Montaggioni et al., 2015; Paterson et al., 2006; Quinn, 1991; Warrlich et al., 2002). Testing Terry and Goff's proposed conceptual model for how rim failure processes affect atoll morphology in a numerical context will require deep drilling along arcuate bight-like structures, as well as adjacent, unaffected, rim and lagoon areas, in order quantify how often failures occur and how quickly the rim/lagoon is rebuilt afterwards. The model we present here provides a general framework capable of integrating atoll flank collapse processes once they are sufficiently constrained by such observational datasets.

Presencia de Stegomastodon (Gomphotheriidae, Proboscidea en el Pleistoceno Superior de la zona costera de Santa Clara del Mar (Argentina

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Alberdi, M. T.

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Gomphotheriidae fossil remains from shore level of Santa Clara del Mar (Mar del Plata, Argentina are described. The comparative morphological and multivariate analysis of the m3 with other South American gomphotheres remains, mainly from Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, allow their identification as Stegomastodon platensis. This species seems better adapted to live on the middle latitudes and warm climatic conditions. The possible movement routes from north to the most austral zones or areas are discussed. Stegomastodon from South America is a big-size form which is present along the East route and in several shore areas of Ecuador and Peru. In the present work some palaeoecological and palaeogeographical considerations are included. From a radiometric AMS datum, the remains of Santa Clara del Mar are dated in the late Pleistocene (17,880 ± 60 AP.Se describen restos bien conservados de gonfoterios (Mammalia, Proboscidea encontrados en los niveles pleistocenos que afloran en los acantilados costeros de Santa Clara del Mar (Mar del Plata, Argentina. Se analizan algunos de sus caracteres más importantes y se compara con otros gonfoterios provenientes de distintas localidades de Argentina, Brasil y Bolivia. El estudio comparativo, mediante análisis multivariante del m3, permitió su identificación como Stegomastodon platensis. Nosotros consideramos que todos los Gomphotheriidae del territorio actual de Argentina deberían incluirse en un único género y una única especie: Stegomastodon platensis. Esta especie parece estar mejor adaptada a vivir en latitudes medias, y en condiciones climáticas templadas. Se discuten sus posibles vías de desplazamiento desde el norte hacia zonas o áreas más australes. Stegomastodon de América del Sur es una forma de gran tamaño, que se encuentra a lo largo de la ruta del este y en algunas áreas costeras de Ecuador y Perú. En el presente artículo se incluyen algunas consideraciones paleoecológicas y

Detailed Sea Level Record from Barbados Spanning 13,000 to 11,000 Years Before Present

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Abdul, N. A.; Mortlock, R. A.; Wright, J. D.; Fairbanks, R. G.

2013-12-01

,000 years BP provided abundant moisture for waning ice sheets causing regional advances in some ice sheets such as the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet during the broad-scale Northern Hemisphere deglaciation (Ruddiman and McIntyre, 1981). Ruddiman, W., and McIntyre, A., 1981, The North Atlantic Ocean during the last deglaciation: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 35, p. 145-214.

Fire in Fennoscandia: A palaeo-perspective of spatial and temporal variability in fire frequency and vegetation dynamics

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Clear, Jennifer; Bradshaw, Richard; Seppä, Heikki

2014-05-01

Active fire suppression in Fennoscandia has created a boreal forest ecosystem that is almost free of fire. Absence of fire is thought to have contributed to the widespread dominance of Picea abies (Norway spruce), though the character and structure of spruce forests operates as a positive feedback retarding fire frequency. This lack of fire and dominance by Picea abies may have assisted declines in deciduous tree species, with a concomitant loss of floristic diversity. Forest fires are driven by a complex interplay between natural (climate, vegetation and topography) and anthropogenic disturbance and through palaeoecology we are able to explore spatio-temporal variability in the drivers of fire, changing fire dynamics and the subsequent consequences for forest succession, development and floristic diversity over long timescales. High resolution analysis of palaeoenvironmental proxies (pollen and macroscopic charcoal) allows Holocene vegetation and fire dynamics to be reconstructed at the local forest-stand scale. Comparisons of fire histories with pollen-derived quantitative reconstruction of vegetation at local- and regional-scales identify large-scale ecosystem responses and local-scale disturbance. Spatio-temporal heterogeneity and variability in biomass burning is explored to identify the drivers of fire and palaeovegetation reconstructions are compared to process-based, climate-driven dynamic vegetation model output to test the significance of fire frequency as a driver of vegetation composition and dynamics. Fire was not always so infrequent in the northern European forest with early-Holocene fire regimes driven by natural climate variations and fuel availability. The establishment and spread of Picea abies was probably driven by an increase in continentality of climate, but local natural and anthropogenic ecosystem disturbance may have aided this spread. Picea expansion led to a step-wise reduction in regional biomass burning and here we show the now

Post-fire regeneration in a Mediterranean pine forest with historically low fire frequency

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Buhk, Constanze; Götzenberger, Lars; Wesche, Karsten; Gómez, Pedro Sánchez; Hensen, Isabell

2006-11-01

Species of Mediterranean vegetation are known to regenerate directly after fire. The phenomenon of autosuccession (direct regeneration) has been found to be often combined with an increase of species richness during the first years after fire due to the high abundance of short-lived herbaceous plants facilitated by plentiful nutrients and light. The high degree of vegetation resilience, which is expressed in terms of autosuccession, has been explained by the selective pressure of fire in historic times. According to existing palaeoecological data, however, the Pinus halepensis forests in the Ricote Mountains (Province of Murcia, SE Spain) did not experience substantial fire impact before the presence of man nor are they especially fire-prone today. Therefore, we studied post-fire regeneration to find out if direct succession is present or if species from pre-fire vegetation are absent during the post-fire regeneration stages. Patterns of succession were deduced from observations made in sample plots on sites of a known regeneration age as well as in adjacent unburnt areas. The results of the vegetation analyses, including a Detrended Correspondence Analysis, indicate that Pinus halepensis forest regeneration after fire resembles autosuccession. As regards the presence of woody species, there is a high percentage similarity on north (83%) and south (70%) facing slopes during the first year after fire vs. reference areas which is due, for example, to direct regeneration of the resprouting Quercus coccifera or seeders like Pinus halepensis or Fumana laevipes. However, if herbaceous species are included in the comparison, the similarity on north-facing sites decreases (to 53%) with the presence of additional species, mainly ruderals like Anagallis arvensis or Reseda phyteuma, and even woody species on the burnt plots. This effect indicates "enhanced autosuccession", which was not found on south-facing sites where overall species richness was very high irrespective of

Microfossils' diversity from the Proterozoic Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania

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Beghin, Jérémie; Houzay, Jean-Pierre; Blanpied, Christian; Javaux, Emmanuelle

2014-05-01

palaeoecology (habitat diversity) of early eukaryotes, we are combining morphological, microchemical and ultrastructural studies of microfossils, with high-resolution palaeoenvironmental and palaeoredox characterization. References: Amard B. (1986) Microfossiles (Acritarches) du Protérozoïque supérieur dans les shales de la formation d'Atar (Mauritanie). Precambrian Research 31: 69-95. Blumenberg M, Thiel V, Riegel W, et al. (2012) Biomarkers of black shales formed by microbial mats, Late Mesoproterozoic (1.1 Ga) Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania. Precambrian Research 196-197: 113-127. Javaux EJ. (2011) Early eukaryotes in Precambrian oceans. Origins and Evolution of Life. An Astrobiological Perspective. Cambridge University Press, 414-449. Knoll AH, Javaux EJ, Hewitt D, et al. (2006) Eukaryotic organisms in Proterozoic oceans. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 361: 1023-1038.

Miocene oceanographic changes of the western equatorial Atlantic (Ceara Rise) based on calcareous dinoflagellate cysts

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrich, S.; Zonneveld, K. A. F.; Willems, H.

2010-09-01

, Palaeoecology 77, 203-234. Figueiredo, J., Hoorn, C., van der Veen, P., Soares, E. (2009): Late Miocene onset of the Amazon River and the Amazon deep-sea fan: Evidence from the Foz do Amazonas Basin. Geology; v. 37, no. 7; p. 619-622. Lear, C.H., Rosenthal, Y., Wright, J.D. (2003): The closing of a seaway: ocean water masses and global climate change. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 210, 425-436. Wright, J.D., Miller, K.G., Fairbanks, R.G. (1992): Early and middle Miocene stable isotopes: implications for deepwater circulation and climate. Paloceanography 7(3): 357-398.

Diatom community response to climate variability over the past 37,000 years in the sub-tropics of the Southern Hemisphere

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Hembrow, Sarah C., E-mail: sarah.hembrow@scu.edu.au [School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480 (Australia); Taffs, Kathryn H. [School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480 (Australia); Atahan, Pia [Institute for Environmental Research, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee, NSW 2232 (Australia); Parr, Jeff [School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480 (Australia); Zawadzki, Atun; Heijnis, Henk [Institute for Environmental Research, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee, NSW 2232 (Australia)

2014-01-01

Climate change is impacting global surface water resources, increasing the need for a deeper understanding of the interaction between climate and biological diversity. This is particularly the case in the Southern Hemisphere sub-tropics, where little information exists on the aquatic biota response to climate variations. Palaeolimnological techniques, in particular the use of diatoms, are well established and can significantly contribute to the understanding of climatic variability and the impacts that change in climate have on aquatic ecosystems. A sediment core from Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island (Australia), was used to investigate interactions between climate influences and aquatic ecosystems. This study utilises a combination of proxies including biological (diatom), geochemical and chronological techniques to investigate long-term aquatic changes within the perched-dune lake. A combination of {sup 210}Pb and AMS {sup 14}C dates showed that the retrieved sediment represented a history of ca. 37,000 cal. yBP. The sedimentation rate in Lake McKenzie is very low, ranging on average from 0.11 mm to 0.26 mm per year. A sediment hiatus was observed between ca. 18,300 and 14,000 cal. yBP suggesting a period of dry conditions at the site. The diatom record shows little variability over the period of record, with benthic, freshwater acidic tolerant species dominating. Relative abundance of planktonic species and geochemical results indicates a period of increased water depth and lake productivity in the early Holocene and a gradual decrease in effective precipitation throughout the Holocene. Results from this study not only support earlier work conducted on Fraser Island using pollen reconstructions but also demonstrate that diatom community diversity has been relatively consistent throughout the Holocene and late Pleistocene with only minor cyclical fluctuation evident. This record is consistent with the few other aquatic palaeoecological records from the Southern

Diatom community response to climate variability over the past 37,000 years in the sub-tropics of the Southern Hemisphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hembrow, Sarah C.; Taffs, Kathryn H.; Atahan, Pia; Parr, Jeff; Zawadzki, Atun; Heijnis, Henk

2014-01-01

Climate change is impacting global surface water resources, increasing the need for a deeper understanding of the interaction between climate and biological diversity. This is particularly the case in the Southern Hemisphere sub-tropics, where little information exists on the aquatic biota response to climate variations. Palaeolimnological techniques, in particular the use of diatoms, are well established and can significantly contribute to the understanding of climatic variability and the impacts that change in climate have on aquatic ecosystems. A sediment core from Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island (Australia), was used to investigate interactions between climate influences and aquatic ecosystems. This study utilises a combination of proxies including biological (diatom), geochemical and chronological techniques to investigate long-term aquatic changes within the perched-dune lake. A combination of 210 Pb and AMS 14 C dates showed that the retrieved sediment represented a history of ca. 37,000 cal. yBP. The sedimentation rate in Lake McKenzie is very low, ranging on average from 0.11 mm to 0.26 mm per year. A sediment hiatus was observed between ca. 18,300 and 14,000 cal. yBP suggesting a period of dry conditions at the site. The diatom record shows little variability over the period of record, with benthic, freshwater acidic tolerant species dominating. Relative abundance of planktonic species and geochemical results indicates a period of increased water depth and lake productivity in the early Holocene and a gradual decrease in effective precipitation throughout the Holocene. Results from this study not only support earlier work conducted on Fraser Island using pollen reconstructions but also demonstrate that diatom community diversity has been relatively consistent throughout the Holocene and late Pleistocene with only minor cyclical fluctuation evident. This record is consistent with the few other aquatic palaeoecological records from the Southern Hemisphere sub

Holocene fire dynamics in Fennoscandia

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Clear, Jennifer; Seppa, Heikki; Kuosmanen, Niina; Molinari, Chiara; Lehsten, Veiko; Allen, Katherine; Bradshaw, Richard

2015-04-01

Prescribed burning is advocated in Fennoscandia to promote regeneration and to encourage biodiversity. This method of forest management is based on the perception that fire was much more frequent in the recent past and over a century of active fire suppression has created a boreal forest ecosystem almost free of natural fire. The absence of fire is thought to have contributed to the widespread dominance of Picea abies (Norway spruce) with the successive spruce dominated forest further reducing fire ignition potential. However, humans have altered the natural fire dynamics of Fennoscandia since the early- to mid-Holocene and disentangling the anthropogenic driven fire dynamics from the natural fire dynamics is challenging. Through palaeoecology and sedimentary charcoal deposits we are able to explore the Holocene spatial and temporal variability and changing drivers of fire and vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia. At the local-scale, two forest hollow environments (history are compared to identify unique and mutual changes in disturbance history. Pollen derived quantitative reconstruction of vegetation at both the local- and regional-scale identifies local-scale disturbance dynamics and large-scale ecosystem response. Spatio-temporal heterogeneity and variability in biomass burning is explored throughout Fennoscandia and Denmark to identify the changing drives of fire dynamics throughout the Holocene. Palaeo-vegetation reconstructions are compared to process-based, climate driven dynamic vegetation model output to test the significance of fire frequency as a driver of vegetation composition and dynamics. Early-Holocene fire regimes in Fennoscandia are driven by natural climate variations and fuel availability. The establishment and spread of Norway spruce is driven by an increase in continentality of climate, but local natural and anthropogenic ecosystem disturbance may have aided this spread. The expansion of spruce led to a step-wise reduction in regional biomass

The Top Chron C27n Event in the Western Atlantic: Evidence for a transient perturbation of the carbon cycle in the Late Danian?

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Peter; Bornemann, André; Speijer, Robert P.

2010-05-01

excursion is very similar to the results for the LDE in the Tethys and at Zumaia. In conclusion, our results demonstrate a supra-regional transient perturbation of the carbon cycle during the LDE in the Tethyan realm, the Atlantic, and possibly the Pacific Ocean. Arenillas, I. et al., 2008, Terra Nova v. 20, p. 38-44. Bornemann, A. et al., 2009, Journal of the Geological Society, London v. 166, p. 1135-1142. Speijer, R.P., 2003, GSA Special Paper v. 369, p. 275-290. Westerhold, T. et al., 2007, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology v. 257, p. 377-403.

Holocene Millennial Time Scale Hydrological Changes In Central-east Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Jolly, D.; Bonnefille, R.; Beaufort, L.

(Sirocko et al., 1996) and the Holocene. References Bond et al., Science,278, 1257 (1997) Bond et al., Science,294, 2130 (2001) Bonnefille &Umer, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 109, 331 (1994) Gillespie et al., Nature, 306, 680 (1983) Schulz et al., Geophysical Research Letters, 26, 3385 (1999) Sirocko et al., Nature, 364, 322 (1993) Sirocko et al., Science, 272, 526 (1996) Wijmstra et al., Acta Botanica Neerlandica, 33, 547 (1984)

Cretaceous Vertebrate Tracksites - Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast World Heritage Nomination Site

Science.gov (United States)

Huh, M.; Woo, K. S.; Lim, J. D.; Paik, I. S.

2009-04-01

at least three other unnamed morphotypes are known . A total of 52 clutches containing 390 dinosaur eggs occur in several stratigraphic formations including seven dinosaur egg localities. The other fossils including turtles, crocodiles, fishes, wood fossil, plants, trace fossils and microfossils have also been discovered. The occurrences of Korean dinosaurs in diverse stratigraphic formations and sedimentological setting and in diverse sizes and morphotypes provide an opportunity to study the palaeoecologic and palaeoenvironmental conditions of the sites of the Late Cretaceous dinosaurs. Korea could serve as a global vertebrate ichnological standard for Cretaceous terrestrial sequences, and allow correlation with Japanese marine sequences to the east and classic Chinese sites to the west. The region plays a pivotal role in helping us understand vertebrate evolution and paleoecology on the margins of the Asian continent during the Cretaceous.

OSTEOMETRÍA DE VICUGNA VICUGNA MOLINA, 1782 EN EL PLEISTOCENO FINAL DE PATAGONIA MERIDIONAL CHILENA: IMPLICANCIAS PALEOECOLÓGICAS Y BIOGEOGRÁFICAS / Osteometry of Vicugna vicugna Molina, 1782 in the late Pleistocene of southern chilean Patagonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Labarca Encina

2009-12-01

Full Text Available  Se presenta un análisis osteométrico uni y multivariado con los materiales fósiles -principalmente huesos cortos y falanges- de Vicugna sp. del yacimiento Cueva Lago Sofía 4 (13500 – 11000 AP, ubicado en la provincia de Última Esperanza (Región de Magallanes, Chile. Los resultados indican que los elementos analizados poseen un tamaño compatible con los registrados para Vicugna vicugna, no superando en ningún caso a los especímenes conocidos para Vicugna gracilis del Pleistoceno de la región Pampeana. Esto confirma la información morfológica y de ADN antiguo que indicaba la presencia de Vicugna vicugna en la Patagonia meridional chilena. Se discuten los resultados en términos taxonómicos, biogeográficos y paleoecológicos sugiriendo que la presencia de este taxón fuera de su rango actual de distribución se debió a las condiciones ambientales compartidas entre la Puna y Patagonia austral durante la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno. La extinción de V. vicugna se habría debido al impacto de los cambios climáticos ocurridos al inicio del Holoceno producto de su dieta pastadora y etología no migratoria y territorial, a lo que se habría sumado una caza por parte de depredadores humanos y no humanos.Palabras clave: género Vicugna, osteometría, Pleistoceno, Patagonia AbstractThis contribution presents the results of single and multi-variable osteometric analyses performed on a sample of short bones and phalanxes assigned to Vicugna sp. from Lago Sofía Cave 4 site (13500 – 11000 BP, Región de Magallanes, Chile. The elements analyzed show a similar size to the reference collections for Vicugna vicugna, and do not exceed the metrics for the pampean pleistocenic specimens of Vicugna gracilis. This confirms the morphological and ancient DNA data that indicated the presence of vicuña in southern Chilean Patagonia. The taxonomic, biogeographic and palaeoecologic discussion of these results, suggests that the presence of this

Permian and Triassic microfloral assemblages from the Blue Nile Basin, central Ethiopia

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Dawit, Enkurie L.

2014-11-01

adapted to coastal plain wetland environments with the return of humid conditions in the Middle to early Late Triassic. The present data constitute the first paleontologically substantiated record for the existence of Permian strata in the Blue Nile Basin. The new results allow for the first time a reliable biostratigraphic subdivision of the central Ethiopia Karoo and its correlation with coeval strata of adjacent regions in Gondwana. From a phytogeographic point of view, the overall microfloral evidence is in support of the position of central Ethiopia occupying the northern part of the southern Gondwana palynofloral province. In view of palaeoecological and paleoclimatic conditions, the microfloral change from the base to the top of the studied section may indicate a response to shifting climatic belts from warm- and cool-temparate climate in the earliest Permian to progressively drier seasonal conditions at successively higher palaeolatitudes during the Late Permian to Middle Triassic.

Retarded deglaciation of north-Spitsbergen fjords during the last glacial - an example of bathymetric controls on the dynamics of retreating glaciers

Science.gov (United States)

Forwick, M.; Vorren, T. O.; Hass, H.; Vogt, C. M.

2012-12-01

Billefjorden, Svalbard. In: Howe, J.A., Austin, W.E.N, Forwick, M. & Paetzel, M. (eds.): Fjord Systems and Archives. Geological Society, London, Special Publication, 344, 207-223. Forwick, M. & Vorren, T.O., 2009. Late Weichselian and Holocene sedimentary environments and ice rafting in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 280, 258-274. Forwick, M. & Vorren, T.O., 2011. Stratigraphy and deglaciation of the Isfjorden area, Spitsbergen. Norwegian Journal of Geology 90, 163-179. Ottesen, D., Dowdeswell, J.A., Rise, L., 2005. Submarine landforms and the reconstruction of fast-flowing ice streams within a large Quaternary ice sheet: The 2500-km-long Norwegian-Svalbard margin (57°-80°N). Geological Society of America Bulletin 117, 1033-1050.

Microfacies analysis of foraminifera rich sedimentary rocks from the Desert Plateau, central Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnitschar, C.; Briguglio, A.; Hohenegger, J.

2012-04-01

Microfacies analysis on some samples from the Thebes Group have been carried on by means of thin sections. The study area is included in the Libyan Desert Plateau (central Egypt) at following coordinates N27° 36'30.58" E29° 44'58.34", near the biggest dune of Egypt, the Ghard Abu Muharik. Because of the round shape of the rocks and the desert patina on the surface they could easily be classified as the so called "Melonstones", which are located more southwards and mainly composed by stromatolites. On the contrary, the investigated samples show a completely different fauna and therefore have been separated from the "Melonstones". Even if shape and size are very similar and the desert patina covers all surfaces the same way the differences are impressive. To investigate the samples, two thin-sections have been prepared and analyzed at the microscope. The observed fauna is composed by: agglutinated benthic foraminifera (e.g., Dictyoconus egypticus), complex larger miliolids (e.g., Pseudolacazina cf. danatae, Fabularia sp.), alveolinids (Alveolina vredenburgi), green algae (Dasycladaceae), echinoids and corals. Because of the presence of symbionts bearing larger benthic foraminifera, which need light to feed photosymbionts, the rock was formed in a shallow water environment. With the abundant rock-building benthic foraminifera and calcareous algae the limestone shows a tendency to the packstone/wackestone facies. Based on the presence of Alveolina vredenburgi, the age of the samples can be estimate as lowermost Eocene belonging to the shallow benthic zone 5 (sensu Serra-Kiel et al., 1998). According the obtained data on stratigraphy and palaeoecology, a partial palaeoenvironmental reconstruction is possible for the Libyan Desert Plateau where outcrops are largely missing. Because of the round shape of the samples and the patina which covers them all around it can be assumed that they have been transported from longer distance. According to the geological map of the

Sodium storage in deep paleoweathering profiles beneath the Paleozoic-Triassic unconformity

Science.gov (United States)

Thiry, M.; Parcerisa, D.; Ricordel-Prognon, C.; Schmitt, J.-M.

2009-04-01

in potassium. The Na+ enrichment is most likely linked with the peculiar geochemical setting of the Triassic environment where for instance halite moulds are very common in transgressive epicontinental deposits. The leaching of such salts, the role of salty marine aerosols, or a periodic/episodic contribution of seawater or evaporative solutions may be equally invoked. Mass balance Taking into account the surpergene origin of albitization and its widespread development on the Paleozoic basement rocks (from Morocco to Scandinavia) means that high amounts of Na+ have been stored in the deep paleoweathering profiles of the Triassic continents. This sodium storage in weathering profiles has to be taken in consideration in addition to the major sodium chloride accumulation in the basins during the Permo-Triassic times. Further investigations are needed to demonstrate the extent of these paleoweathering profiles and then to estimate the amount of this continental sodium storage. References Cathelineau M (1986) The hydrothermal alkali metasomatism effects on granitic rocks: Quartz dissolution and related sub-solidus changes. Jour. Petrol., 27: 945-965. Hay, W.W.; Migdisov, A.; Balukhovsky, A.N.; Wold, C.N.; Flogel, S., Soding, E. (2006) Evaporites and the salinity of the ocean during the Phanerozoic: Implications for climate, ocean circulation and life. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 240/1-2: 3-46. Parcerisa D., Thiry M., Schmitt J.-M. (2009) Albitisation related to the Triassic unconformity in igneous rocks of the Morvan Massif (France), International Journal of Earth Sciences, DOI: 10.1007/s00531-008-0405-1. Petersson J, Eliasson T (1997) Mineral evolution and element mobility during episyenitization (dequartzification) and albitization in the postkinematic Bohus granite, southwest Sweden. Lithos, 42: 123-146. Ricordel C, Parcerisa D, Thiry M, Moreau M-G, Gómez-Gras D (2007) Triassic magnetic overprints related to albitization in granites from the

Reply to the comment on "Geochemistry of buried river sediments from Ghaggar Plains, NW India: Multi-proxy records of variations in provenance, paleoclimate, and paleovegetation patterns in the Late Quaternary" by Singh et al. (2016), Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 449 (2016) 85-100

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Ajit; Paul, Debajyoti; Sinha, Rajiv

2016-01-01

of these sediments. Moreover, we note that whereas our paper considers a similar to 75 ka fluvial depositional record, their comment is only based on the post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) record. When considering the longer record, their arguments do not negate the main conclusions of our original paper. (c) 2016...

Reply to the comment on "Geochemistry of buried river sediments from Ghaggar Plains, NW India: Multi-proxy records of variations in provenance, paleoclimate, and paleovegetation patterns in the Late Quaternary" by Singh et al. (2016), Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 449 (2016) 85-100

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Ajit; Paul, Debajyoti; Sinha, Rajiv

2016-01-01

In the comment on our paper (this issue), Clift et al. (2016) compared our recently reported radiogenic Nd-isotopic record in two drill cores (Singh et al., 2016) with those from the Hakra floodplain sediments and Indus Delta sediments. While they agree with the concept of erosion patterns...... of these sediments. Moreover, we note that whereas our paper considers a similar to 75 ka fluvial depositional record, their comment is only based on the post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) record. When considering the longer record, their arguments do not negate the main conclusions of our original paper. (c) 2016...

Palaeotsunamis and their significance for prehistoric coastal communities

Science.gov (United States)

Goff, J. R.

2011-12-01

The damage caused by large tsunamis to human populations at the coast has been all too evident over the past few years. However, while we have seen the immediate after-effects of such events, we are less familiar with the longer term changes associated with them. Using prehistoric New Zealand as a case study, the talk first addresses the wider geological context associated with a tsunami - what caused it and what were the consequences for the physical environment? Prehistoric Maori lived predominantly in coastal settlements, particularly during their early settlement period. They had far ranging canoe trade routes and made widespread use of intertidal and coastal resources. As such it is possible to determine much of the ecological and societal ramifications of a 15th century tsunami inundation. The 15th century tsunami is recorded in numerous purakau or oral recordings. These form part of Maori Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK), but the event can also be identified through archaeological, geological and palaeo-ecological indicators. One of several purakau from the 15th century refers to the "Coming of the Sand". This centres on a place called Potiki-taua, where Potiki and his group settled. Mango-huruhuru, the old priest, built a large house on low land near the sea while Potiki-roa and his wife put theirs on higher ground further inland. Mango-huruhuru's house had a rocky beach in front of it that was unsuitable for landing canoes and so he decided to use his powers to bring sand from Hawaiki. After sunset he sat on his roof and recited a karakia (prayer/chant). On conclusion a dark cloud with its burden of sand reached the shore. The women called out "A! The sea rises; the waves and the sand will overwhelm us". The people fell where they stood and were buried in the sand along with the house and cultivations and all the surrounding country, and with them, the old priest and his youngest daughter (memorialised and turned into a rock which stands there

Differential Responses of Neotropical Mountain Forests to Climate Change during the Last Millenium

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa-Rangel, B. L.; Olvera Vargas, M.

2013-05-01

The long-term perspective in the conservation of mountain ecosystems using palaeoecological and paleoclimatological techniques are providing with crucial information for the understanding of the temporal range and variability of ecological pattern and processes. This perception is contributing with means to anticipate future conditions of these ecosystems, especially their response to climate change. Neotropical mountain forests, created by a particular geological and climatic history in the Americas, represent one of the most distinctive ecosystems in the tropics which are constantly subject to disturbances included climate change. Mexico due to its geographical location between the convergence of temperate and tropical elements, its diverse physiography and climatic heterogeneity, contains neotropical ecosystems with high biodiversity and endemicity whose structure and taxonomical composition have changed along centurial to millennial scales. Different neotropical forests expand along the mountain chains of Mexico with particular responses along spatial and temporal scales. Therefore in order to capture these scales at fine resolution, sedimentary sequences from forest hollows were retrieved from three forest at different altitudes within 10 km; Pine forest (PF), Transitional forest (TF) and Cloud forest (CF). Ordination techniques were used to relate changes in vegetation with the environment every ~60 years. The three forests experience the effect of the dry stage ~AD 800-1200 related to the Medieval Warm Period reported for several regions of the world. CF contracted, PF expanded while the TF evolved from CF to a community dominated by dry-resistant epiphytes. Dry periods in PF and TF overlapped with the increase in fire occurrences while a dissimilar pattern took place in CF. Maize, Asteraceae and Poaceae were higher during dry intervals while epiphytes decreased. A humid period ~1200-1450 AD was associated with an expansion and a high taxa turnover in CF

Towards a Global High Resolution Peatland Map in 2020

Science.gov (United States)

Barthelmes, Alexandra; Barthelmes, Karen-Doreen; Joosten, Hans; Dommain, Rene; Margalef, Olga

2015-04-01

Some 3% of land area on planet Earth (approx. 4 million km2) is covered by peatlands. About 10% (~ 0.3 % of the land area) are drained and responsible for a disproportional 5 % of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions (Victoria et al., 2012). Additionally, peatland drainage and degradation lead to land subsidence, soil degradation, water pollution, and enhanced susceptibility to fire (Holden et al., 2004; Joosten et al., 2012). The global importance of peatlands for carbon storage and climate change mitigation has currently been recognized in international policy - since 2008 organic soils are subject of discussion in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Joosten, 2011). In May 2013 the European Parliament decided that the global post 2020 climate agreement should include the obligation to report emissions and removals from peatland drainage and rewetting. Implementation of such program, however, necessitates the rapid availability of reliable, comprehensive, high resolution, spatially explicit data on the extent and status of peatlands. For many reporting countries this requires an innovation in peatland mapping, i.e. the better and integrative use of novel, but already available methods and technologies. We developed an approach that links various science networks, methodologies and data bases, including those of peatland/landscape ecology for understanding where and how peatlands may occur, those of remote sensing for identifying possible locations, and those of pedology (legacy soil maps) and (palaeo-)ecology for ground truthing. Such integration of old field data, specialized knowledge, and modern RS and GIS technologies enables acquiring a rapid, comprehensive, detailed and rather reliable overview, even on a continental scale. We illustrate this approach with a high resolution overview of peatland distribution, area, status and greenhouse gas fluxes e.g. for the East African countries Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Zambia. Furthermore, we

Numerical analysis of palynological data from Neogene fluvial sediments as evidence for rainforest dynamics in western Amazonia

Science.gov (United States)

Salamanca, Sonia; van Manen, Milan; Hoorn, Carina

2014-05-01

associations, and b) estimate the palynological diversity along the sampled interval. Together these data suggest that the marine incursion altered the vegetation composition, but did not dramatically alter the diversity. After the marine incursion the vegetation returned to a modified version of the former floodplain forest. As yet no clear analogue has been found for this ancestral forest, but the palynological composition suggests a tropical rain forest to woody savanna. References Friendly, M., 2002. Correlograms: Exploratory Displays for Correlation Matrices. The American Statistician, 56, 316-324. Hoorn, 1994. Hoorn, C. (1994). Fluvial palaeoenvironments in the intracratonic Amazonas Basin (Early Miocene-early Middle Miocene, Colomnbian). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , vol 109, 1-54. Oksanen, J., Blanchet, F.G., Kindt, R., Legendre, P., Minchin, P.R., O'Hara, R. B., Simpson, G.L., Solymos, P., Henry, M. Stevensand, H., Wagner, H., 2013. Vegan: Community Ecology Package. R package version 2.0-8., J. 2012. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2013

Holocene environmental changes and climate development in Greenland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engels, Stefan; Helmens, Karin

2010-12-01

The primary aim of this report is to give an overview of the Holocene environmental and climatic changes in Greenland and to describe the development of the periglacial environment during the Holocene. Special emphasis is given to the influence of the ice sheet on its surroundings, both in terms of time (with respect to the response of the biosphere to deglaciation or ice sheet proximity) and in space (through the influence of the ice sheet on the regional climate, more specifically on temperature and aridity). Published records are reviewed, and regional trends are summarized. A range of different natural archives is available for such studies, including ice-core data, marine records, and continental sources of information, including peat profiles and lacustrine records. Because of the high number of lakes in all ice-free areas of Greenland, the lacustrine records offer the opportunity to get a spatial overview of past changes in environment and climate as well. This report focuses on (palaeo-) ecological studies, as it is intended to assemble basic information for future studies on adaptation of the biosphere to changes in climate. There is a bias towards pollen- and macro-remain-based reconstructions of past changes, as these dominate performed palaeoecological studies in Greenland; unfortunately, only a limited number of studies exist that include more modern proxies such as diatoms or chironomids (climate-indicators), but where available in the literature, these have been included. The report starts with an introduction where the current climatic and biological zonation of Greenland is discussed together with an overview of the geology of Greenland (on the full geological timescale) in order to put the following sections in perspective. Chapter 2 discusses the ice sheet history of Greenland from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) onward where special emphasis is given to the spatial variability of deglaciation at the onset of the Holocene. To enhance the

Spatial variations in snowpack chemistry, isotopic composition of NO3- and nitrogen deposition from the ice sheet margin to the coast of western Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Chris J.; Kaiser, Jan; Marca, Alina; Anderson, N. John; Simpson, Gavin; Jones, Vivienne; Whiteford, Erika

2018-01-01

The relative roles of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change in causing ecological change in remote Arctic ecosystems, especially lakes, have been the subject of debate over the last decade. Some palaeoecological studies have cited isotopic signals (δ(15N)) preserved in lake sediments as evidence linking N deposition with ecological change, but a key limitation has been the lack of co-located data on both deposition input fluxes and isotopic composition of deposited nitrate (NO3-). In Arctic lakes, including those in western Greenland, previous palaeolimnological studies have indicated a spatial variation in δ(15N) trends in lake sediments but data are lacking for deposition chemistry, input fluxes and stable isotope composition of NO3-. In the present study, snowpack chemistry, NO3- stable isotopes and net deposition fluxes for the largest ice-free region in Greenland were investigated to determine whether there are spatial gradients from the ice sheet margin to the coast linked to a gradient in precipitation. Late-season snowpack was sampled in March 2011 at eight locations within three lake catchments in each of three regions (ice sheet margin in the east, the central area near Kelly Ville and the coastal zone to the west). At the coast, snowpack accumulation averaged 181 mm snow water equivalent (SWE) compared with 36 mm SWE by the ice sheet. Coastal snowpack showed significantly greater concentrations of marine salts (Na+, Cl-, other major cations), ammonium (NH4+; regional means 1.4-2.7 µmol L-1), total and non-sea-salt sulfate (SO42-; total 1.8-7.7, non-sea-salt 1.0-1.8 µmol L-1) than the two inland regions. Nitrate (1.5-2.4 µmol L-1) showed significantly lower concentrations at the coast. Despite lower concentrations, higher precipitation at the coast results in greater net deposition for NO3- as well as NH4+ and non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO42-) relative to the inland regions (lowest at Kelly Ville 6, 4 and 3; highest at coast 9, 17

Holocene environmental changes and climate development in Greenland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engels, Stefan; Helmens, Karin (Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden))

2010-12-15

The primary aim of this report is to give an overview of the Holocene environmental and climatic changes in Greenland and to describe the development of the periglacial environment during the Holocene. Special emphasis is given to the influence of the ice sheet on its surroundings, both in terms of time (with respect to the response of the biosphere to deglaciation or ice sheet proximity) and in space (through the influence of the ice sheet on the regional climate, more specifically on temperature and aridity). Published records are reviewed, and regional trends are summarized. A range of different natural archives is available for such studies, including ice-core data, marine records, and continental sources of information, including peat profiles and lacustrine records. Because of the high number of lakes in all ice-free areas of Greenland, the lacustrine records offer the opportunity to get a spatial overview of past changes in environment and climate as well. This report focuses on (palaeo-) ecological studies, as it is intended to assemble basic information for future studies on adaptation of the biosphere to changes in climate. There is a bias towards pollen- and macro-remain-based reconstructions of past changes, as these dominate performed palaeoecological studies in Greenland; unfortunately, only a limited number of studies exist that include more modern proxies such as diatoms or chironomids (climate-indicators), but where available in the literature, these have been included. The report starts with an introduction where the current climatic and biological zonation of Greenland is discussed together with an overview of the geology of Greenland (on the full geological timescale) in order to put the following sections in perspective. Chapter 2 discusses the ice sheet history of Greenland from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) onward where special emphasis is given to the spatial variability of deglaciation at the onset of the Holocene. To enhance the

A micropalaeontological and palynological insight into Early Carboniferous floodplain environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Carys; Kearsey, Timothy; Davies, Sarah; Millward, David; Marshall, John; Reeves, Emma

2016-04-01

Romer's Gap, the interval following the end Devonian mass extinction, is traditionally considered to be depauperate in tetrapod and fish fossils. A major research project (TW:eed -Tetrapod World: early evolution and diversification) focusing on the Tournaisian Ballagan Formation of Scotland is investigating how early Carboniferous ecosystems rebuilt following the extinction. A multi-proxy approach, combining sedimentology, micropalaeontology and palynology, is used to investigate the different floodplain environments in which tetrapods, fish, arthropods and molluscs lived. The formation is characterised by an overbank facies association of siltstone, sandstone and palaeosols, interbedded with dolostone and evaporite units, and cut by fluvial sandstone facies associations of fining-upwards conglomerate lags, cross-bedded sandstone and rippled siltstone. Macrofossils are identified from 326 horizons within a 520 metre thick Ballagan Formation field section at Burnmouth, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scottish Borders. Common fauna are ostracods, bivalves, arthropods, sarcopterygians, dipnoans, acanthodians, tetrapods and chondrichthyans. Quantitative microfossil picking of the three sedimentary rock types in which tetrapods occur was undertaken to gain further insight into the palaeoecology. The sediments are; 1) laminated grey siltstones, deposited in floodplain lakes; 2) sandy siltstones, grey siltstones with millimetre size clasts. 71% of these beds overlie palaeosols or desiccated surfaces and are formed in small-scale flooding events; 3) conglomerates, mostly lags at the base of thick sandstones, with centimetre sized siltstone, sandstone and dolostone clasts. Grey siltstones contain a microfauna of common plant fragments, megaspores and sparse actinopterygian and rhizodont fragments. Sandy siltstones have the highest fossil diversity and contain microfossil fragments of plants, megaspores, charcoal, ostracods, actinopterygians, rhizodonts, eurypterids and rarer non

Main dynamics and drivers of boreal forests fire regimes during the Holocene

Science.gov (United States)

Molinari, Chiara; Lehsten, Veiko; Blarquez, Olivier; Clear, Jennifer; Carcaillet, Christopher; Bradshaw, Richard HW

2015-04-01

Forest fire is one of the most critical ecosystem processes in the boreal megabiome, and it is likely that its frequency, size and severity have had a primary role in vegetation dynamics since the Last Ice Age (Kasischke & Stocks 2000). Fire not only organizes the physical and biological attributes of boreal forests, but also affects biogeochemical cycling, particularly the carbon balance (Balshi et al. 2007). Due to their location at climatically sensitive northern latitudes, boreal forests are likely to be significantly affected by global warming with a consequent increase in biomass burning (Soja et al. 2007), a variation in vegetation structure and composition (Johnstone et al. 2004) and a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (Bond-Lamberty et al. 2007). Even if the ecological role of wildfire in boreal forest is widely recognized, a clearer understanding of the environmental factors controlling fire dynamics and how variations in fire regimes impact forest ecosystems is essential in order to place modern fire processes in a meaningful context for projecting ecosystem behaviour in a changing environment (Kelly et al. 2013). Because fire return intervals and successional cycles in boreal forests occur over decadal to centennial timescales (Hu et al. 2006), palaeoecological research seems to be one of the most promising tool for elucidating ecosystem changes over a broad range of environmental conditions and temporal scales. Within this context, our first aim is to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of boreal forests fire dynamics during the Holocene based on sedimentary charcoal records. As a second step, trends in biomass burning will be statistically analysed in order to disentangle between regional and local drivers. The use of European and north-American sites will give us the unique possibility to perform a large scale analysis on one of the broadest biome in the world and to underline the different patterns of fire in these two

Spatial variations in snowpack chemistry, isotopic composition of NO3− and nitrogen deposition from the ice sheet margin to the coast of western Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. J. Curtis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The relative roles of anthropogenic nitrogen (N deposition and climate change in causing ecological change in remote Arctic ecosystems, especially lakes, have been the subject of debate over the last decade. Some palaeoecological studies have cited isotopic signals (δ(15N preserved in lake sediments as evidence linking N deposition with ecological change, but a key limitation has been the lack of co-located data on both deposition input fluxes and isotopic composition of deposited nitrate (NO3−. In Arctic lakes, including those in western Greenland, previous palaeolimnological studies have indicated a spatial variation in δ(15N trends in lake sediments but data are lacking for deposition chemistry, input fluxes and stable isotope composition of NO3−. In the present study, snowpack chemistry, NO3− stable isotopes and net deposition fluxes for the largest ice-free region in Greenland were investigated to determine whether there are spatial gradients from the ice sheet margin to the coast linked to a gradient in precipitation. Late-season snowpack was sampled in March 2011 at eight locations within three lake catchments in each of three regions (ice sheet margin in the east, the central area near Kelly Ville and the coastal zone to the west. At the coast, snowpack accumulation averaged 181 mm snow water equivalent (SWE compared with 36 mm SWE by the ice sheet. Coastal snowpack showed significantly greater concentrations of marine salts (Na+, Cl−, other major cations, ammonium (NH4+; regional means 1.4–2.7 µmol L−1, total and non-sea-salt sulfate (SO42−; total 1.8–7.7, non-sea-salt 1.0–1.8 µmol L−1 than the two inland regions. Nitrate (1.5–2.4 µmol L−1 showed significantly lower concentrations at the coast. Despite lower concentrations, higher precipitation at the coast results in greater net deposition for NO3− as well as NH4+ and non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO42− relative to the inland regions

Record of palaeoenvironmental changes in the Mid-Polish Basin during the Valanginian Event

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Chloé; Kujau, Ariane; Heimhofer, Ulrich; Mutterlose, Joerg; Spangenberg, Jorge; Adatte, Thierry; Ploch, Isabela; Föllmi, Karl B.

2013-04-01

closed to the early-late Valanginian boundary. This is associated to a decoupling of the δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg, which is interpreted as a change in atmospheric pCO2. References Erba, E., Bartolini, A. and Larson, L.R. (2004) Valanginian Weissert oceanic anoxic event. Geology, 32, 149-152. Föllmi, K.B., Bodin, S., Godet, A., Linder, P. and van de Schootbrugge, B. (2007) Unlocking paleo-environmental information from Early Cretaceous shelf sediments in the Helvetic Alps: stratigraphy is the key! Swiss journal of geosciences, 100, 349-369. Kujau, A., Heimhofer, U., Ostertag-Henning, C., Gréselle, B. and Mutterlose, J. (2012) No evidence for anoxia during the Valanginian carbon isotope event - an organic-geochemical study from the Vocontian Basin, SE France. Global and Planetary Change, doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.04.007. Weissert, H., Lini, A., Föllmi, K.B. and Kuhn, O. (1998) Correlation of Early Cretaceous carbon isotope stratigraphy and platform drowning events: a possible link? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 137, 189-203. Westermann, S., Caron, M., Fiet, N., Fleitmann, D., Matera, V., Adatte, T. and Föllmi, K.B. (2010) Evidence for oxic conditions during oceanic anoxic event 2 in the northern Tethyan pelagic realm. Cretaceous Research.

Pleistocene and Holocene Iberian flora: a complete picture and review

Science.gov (United States)

González Sampériz, Penélope

2010-05-01

A detailed analysis of the location and composition of Iberian vegetation types during the whole Pleistocene and Holocene periods shows a complex patched landscape with persistence of different types of ecosystems, even during glacial times. In addition, recent, high-resolution palaeoecological records are changing the traditional picture of post-glacial vegetation succession in the Iberian Peninsula. The main available charcoal and pollen sequences include, coniferous and deciduous forest, steppes, shrublands, savannahs and glacial refugia during the Pleistocene for Meso-thermophytes (phytodiversity reservoirs), in different proportions. This panorama suggests an environmental complexity that relates biotic responses to climate changes forced by Milankovitch cycles, suborbital forcings and by the latitudinal and physiographic particularities of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, many factors are critical in the course of vegetational developments and strong regional differences are observed since the Early Pleistocene. Currently, the flora of Iberia is located in two biogeographical/climatic regions: the Eurosiberian and the Mediterranean. The first one includes northern and northwestern areas of the peninsula, where post-glacial responses of vegetation are very similar to Central Europe, although with some particularities due to its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean region. The second one comprises the main territory of Iberia and shows more complex patterns and singularities, now and in the past. Steppe landscapes dominated extensive areas over all the territory during the cold spells of the Quaternary, especially during the Late Pleistocene up to the Last Glacial Maximum, but differences in composition of the dominant taxa (Compositae versus Artemisia) are observed since the Early Pleistocene, probably related to moisture regional gradients. Coastal shelves and intramountainous valleys, even in continental areas, are spots of floristic

Climate, people, fire and vegetation: new insights into vegetation dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean since the 1st century AD

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J. Bakker

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Anatolia forms a bridge between Europe, Africa and Asia and is influenced by all three continents in terms of climate, vegetation and human civilisation. Unfortunately, well-dated palynological records focussing on the period from the end of the classical Roman period until subrecent times are rare for Anatolia and completely absent for southwest Turkey, resulting in a lacuna in knowledge concerning the interactions of climatic change, human impact, and environmental change in this important region. Two well-dated palaeoecological records from the Western Taurus Mountains, Turkey, provide a first relatively detailed record of vegetation dynamics from late Roman times until the present in SW Turkey. Combining pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal, sedimentological, archaeological data, and newly developed multivariate numerical analyses allows for the disentangling of climatic and anthropogenic influences on vegetation change. Results show changes in both the regional pollen signal as well as local soil sediment characteristics match shifts in regional climatic conditions. Both climatic as well as anthropogenic change had a strong influence on vegetation dynamics and land use. A moist environmental trend during the late-3rd century caused an increase in marshes and wetlands in the moister valley floors, limiting possibilities for intensive crop cultivation at such locations. A mid-7th century shift to pastoralism coincided with a climatic deterioration as well as the start of Arab incursions into the region, the former driving the way in which the vegetation developed afterwards. Resurgence in agriculture was observed in the study during the mid-10th century AD, coinciding with the Medieval Climate Anomaly. An abrupt mid-12th century decrease in agriculture is linked to socio-political change, rather than the onset of the Little Ice Age. Similarly, gradual deforestation occurring from the 16th century onwards has been linked to changes in

Spatial variability of initial 230Th/ 232Th in modern Porites from the inshore region of the Great Barrier Reef

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Tara R.; Zhao, Jian-xin; Feng, Yue-xing; Done, Terry J.; Jupiter, Stacy; Lough, Janice; Pandolfi, John M.

2012-02-01

The main limiting factor in obtaining precise and accurate uranium-series (U-series) ages of corals that lived during the last few hundred years is the ability to constrain and correct for initial thorium-230 ( 230Th 0), which is proportionally much higher in younger samples. This is becoming particularly important in palaeoecological research where accurate chronologies, based on the 230Th chronometer, are required to pinpoint changes in coral community structure and the timing of mortality events in recent time (e.g. since European settlement of northern Australia in the 1850s). In this study, thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) U-series dating of 43 samples of known ages collected from living Porites spp. from the far northern, central and southern inshore regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was performed to spatially constrain initial 230Th/ 232Th ( 230Th/ 232Th 0) variability. In these living Porites corals, the majority of 230Th/ 232Th 0 values fell within error of the conservative bulk Earth 230Th/ 232Th atomic value of 4.3 ± 4.3 × 10 -6 (2 σ) generally assumed for 230Th 0 corrections where the primary source is terrestrially derived. However, the results of this study demonstrate that the accuracy of 230Th ages can be further improved by using locally determined 230Th/ 232Th 0 values for correction, supporting the conclusion made by Shen et al. (2008) for the Western Pacific. Despite samples being taken from regions adjacent to contrasting levels of land modification, no significant differences were found in 230Th/ 232Th 0 between regions exposed to varying levels of sediment during river runoff events. Overall, 39 of the total 43 230Th/ 232Th 0 atomic values measured in samples from inshore reefs across the entire region show a normal distribution ranging from 3.5 ± 1.1 to 8.1 ± 1.1 × 10 -6, with a weighted mean of 5.76 ± 0.34 × 10 -6 (2 σ, MSWD = 8.1). Considering the scatter of the data, the weighted mean value with a more

Fluvial depositional environment evolving into deltaic setting with marine influences in the buntsandstein of northern vosges (France)

Science.gov (United States)

Gall, Jean-Claude

supersaturation of stagnant waters with time. The fluvial environment persists up to the lower part of the Grès à Voltzia where the progression of the sea towards the west gives rise to a close intertonguing of fluvial and marine influences in a deltaic setting. Lenticular sandstone bodies are laid down as stream mouth bars at the end of the distributary channels and as river bars in the watercourses during both normal and flood discharge. Silty-clayey sediments settle out in stagnant water in restricted ponds, pools and puddles as well as in extensive veneers of shallow water in the overbank plain between the streams. Carbonate-bearing deposits originate in the coastal littoral mud flat, marsh seam, beach belt and tidal flat. The Grès à Voltzia has the greatest palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological significance in the Buntsandstein of the Northern Vosges due to the occurrence of a wealth of extraordinarily well-preserved plant and animal fossils (having been recovered by Louis Grauvogel during almost 50 years and since abt. 25 years by Jean-Claude Gall). The rich suite of faunal and floral elements includes aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial animals and continental plants. The aquatic invertebrate fauna lives in fresh lakes and brackish ponds in the overbank plain and in brackish lagoons in the coastal seam as well as in hypersaline and euhaline marginal marine waters. The terrestrial plants colonize both dry and wet substrates, and the continental fauna consists of mainly arthropods, amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the levee zones of standing and flowing waters and strolling across the desiccated flats. The marine euryhaline association of invertebrates is with time replaced by a stenohaline community, and the deltaic plain of the Grès à Voltzia is finally inundated by a pellicular transgression representing the first stage of the Muschelkalk sea setting an end to Buntsandstein continental deposition.

Model of wetland development of the Amapá coast during the late Holocene

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José T.F. Guimarães

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The modern vegetation types, sedimentary sequences, pollen records and radiocarbon dating obtained from three sediment cores from Calçoene Coastal Plain were used to provide a palaeoecological history during the late Holocene of Amapá coastal wetland according to flood regime, sea-level and climatic changes. Based on these records, four phases of vegetation development are presented and they probably reflect the interaction between the flow energy to the sediment accumulation and the brackish/freshwater influence in the vegetation. This work suggests interchanges among time periods characterized by marine and fluvial influence. The longitudinal profile did not reveal the occurrence of mangrove in the sediment deposited around 2100 yr B.P. During the second phase, the mud progressively filled the depressions and tidal channels. The mangrove probably started its development on the channel edge, and the herbaceous field on the elevated sectors. The third phase is characterized by the interruption of mangrove development and the increase of "várzea" vegetation that may be due to the decrease in porewater salinity related to a decrease in marine water influence. The last phase is represented by the mangrove and "várzea" increase. The correlation between current patterns of geobotanical unit distribution and palaeovegetation indicates that mangrove and "várzea" forests are migrating over the herbaceous field on the topographically highest part of the studied coast, which can be related to a relative sea-level rise.Os tipos de vegetação atual, sequências sedimentares, dados de pólen e datações por radiocarbono obtidas em três testemunhos de sedimento da planície costeira de Calçoene foram utilizados para estabelecer uma história paleoecológica durante o Holoceno superior das zonas úmidas costeiras do Amapá conforme as mudanças no regime de inundação, nível do mar e clima. Baseado nestes três registros, quatro fases de

Clear cutting (10-13th century) and deep stable economy (18-19th century) as responsible interventions for sand drifting and plaggic deposition in cultural landscapes on aeolian sands (SE-Netherlands).

Science.gov (United States)

van Mourik, Jan; Vera, Hein; Wallinga, Jakob

2013-04-01

landscapes, characterized by deflation plains (gleyic arenosols) and complexes of inland dunes (haplic arenosols). Clear cutting was responsible for the mediaeval first large scale expansion of drift sand landscapes. In such driftsand landscapes, the majority of the podzolic soils in coversand has been truncated by aeolian erosion. Only on scattered sheltered sites in the landscape, palaeopodzols were buried under mono or polycyclic driftsand deposits. They are now the valuable soil archives for palaeoecological research. During the 18th century, the population growth and regional economic activity stimulated the agricultural productivity. Farmers introduced the innovative 'deep stable' technique to increase the production of fertilizers. Farmers started sod digging, including the top of the Ah horizon of the humus forms. This consequently promoted heath degradation and sand drifting, resulting in the extension of driftsand landscapes. Deep stable economy and sod digging was responsible for the 18th century second large scale expansion of drift sand landscapes. During the 19th century, farmers tried to find alternative fertilizers and authorities initiated reforestation projects. The invention of chemical fertilizers at the end of the 19th century marked the end of the period of heath management and plaggic agriculture. The heath was no longer used for the harvesting of plaggic matter and new land management practices were introduced. Heath was reclaimed to new arable land or reforested with Scotch pine. Geomorphological features as inland dunes and plaggic covers survived in the landscape and are now included in the geological inheritance.

Léonard Ginsburg et la Paléontologie Portugaise. Hommage amical

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Telles Antunes, M.

2011-12-01

palaeoecologic and stratigraphic consequences. Some new taxa were described. Studies on taphonomic matters were produced. New interpretations taking profit of the very favourable conditions presented by the Tagus basin in Portugal were most useful for marine-continental correlations. Results may in part be recognised through the list of briefly commented papers given in the French text. It comprises both the papers signed by him as co-author and other ones where smaller contributions are recorded. The two ones dated 2006 are perhaps his last papers. As Ginsburg was compelled to quit the Muséum, he lost indispensable means of work. Research had to cease. This undoubtedly accelerated his physical decadence. In my albeit modest opinion, Ginsburg largely deserves the recognition from the Institution that he served for so long in such a remarkable way and from all those with which he collaborated, or that profited from his help. Otherwise, we clearly can conclude that he gave (among many others a most valuable contribution to the Palaeontology and Stratigraphy of the Portuguese Tertiary. This justified his election as a Foreign Corresponding Member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. As a memory of his work, his collaboration and friendship, I want to express here my deep gratitude and sympathy towards my dear Friend, Léonard. Our common Friend, Philippe Taquet, had the touching courtesy of communicating me the death of Ginsburg and to put a flower on my intention on his grave at burial. REQUIESCAT IN PACE!

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Factors controlling carbon isotopic composition of land snail shells estimated from lab culturing experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Naizhong; Yamada, Keita; Yoshida, Naohiro

2014-05-01

contribution of different carbon sources for each snail individual: to cabbage (C3 plant) fed groups, the contributions of diet, atmospheric CO2 and ingested limestone vary in a range of 66~80%, 16~24% and 0~13%, respectively. And to corn (C4 plant) fed groups, because of the possible food stress (lower consumption ability of C4 plant), they vary in 56~64%, 18~20% and 16~26%, respectively. We will discuss how these results could be consistent to the observations, which suggests our calculations are suitable and believable. In addition, we will discuss the carbon isotope fractionation during egg laying and hatching of land snails, too. [1] Goodfriend, 1992, Quaternary Sciences Reviews. 11, 665-685 [2] Yanes et al. 2009. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, 4077-4099 [3] Yanes et al., 2013. Palaeogeography, Plaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 378, 91-102 [4] Goodfriend and Hood, 1983. Radiocarbon, 25, 810-830 [5] Goodfriend and Stipp, 1983. Geology, 11, 575-577 [6] Stott, 2002. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 195, 249-259 [7] Metref et al., 2003. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 211, 381-393 [8] Romaniello et al., 2008. Quaternary Geochronology, 3, 68-75

Integrated orbital time scale of the Valanginian-Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous): Chronological relationships between Paraná-Etendeka LIP, Weissert and Faraoni events

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Mathieu; Deconinck, Jean-François; Pellenard, Pierre; Riquier, Laurent; Company, Miguel; Moiroud, Mathieu; Reboulet, Stéphane

2014-05-01

Event started at -138.3 ± 1.5 Ma and lasted for 5.8 myr. The Faraoni Event started at -129.8 ± 1.5 Ma and lasted for 0.1 myr. The activity of the Paraná-Etendeka LIP activity started at -134.6 ± 0.6 Ma, and lasted for 1 myr (Thiede and Vasconcelos, 2010). Thus, the Paraná-Etendeka LIP activity could not be responsible for the onset of the Weissert and the Faraoni events. The Paraná-Etendeka activity only coincides with the smooth decreasing trend of the δ13C values and with the end of the cooling phase observed at the end of the Valanginian Stage. References: Aguirre-Urreta, M.B., Pazos, P.J., Lazo, D.G., Fanning, C.M., Litvak, V.D., 2008. First U-Pb SHRIMP age of the Hauterivian stage, Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 26, 91-99. Martinez, M., Deconinck, J.-F., Pellenard, P., Reboulet, S., Riquier, L., 2013. Astrochronology of the Valanginian Stage from reference sections (Vocontian Basin, France) and palaeoenvironmental implications for the Weissert Event. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 376, 91-102. Thiede, D.S., Vasconcelos, P.M., 2010. Paraná flood basalts: Rapid extrusion hypothesis confirmed by new 40Ar/39Ar results. Geology 38, 747-750.

Early Cretaceous climate change (Hauterivian - Early Aptian): Learning from the past to prevent modern reefs decline

Science.gov (United States)

Godet, Alexis; Bodin, Stéphane; Adatte, Thierry; Föllmi, Karl B.

2010-05-01

Kieselkalk Formation (Fm), is dated as Hauterivian; it consists of a quartz-bearing crinoidal limestone with bryozoans (Föllmi et al., 2007). The Lidernen Member (Mb; glauconitic and phosphatic interval) splits the Kieselkalk Fm into a lower and an upper part. Following on top of the Kieselkalk Fm, the Altmann Mb represents a second phase of slow-down or even cessation in the platform ecosystem activity, when the PAR values are the highest in basinal sections. This suggests that high trophic levels control the disappearance of healthy carbonate ecosystems; this hypothesis is testified by the rise of Urgonian-type carbonates during time of low nutrient input in the Late Barremian (Schrattenkalk Fm from the Gerhardtia sartousiana ammonozone upward). Interestingly, the same evolutionary pattern is recovered in the western Swiss Jura, where heterozoan association characterizes the Pierre Jaune de Neuchâtel (Hauterivian), whereas the Urgonien Blanc (Late Barremian - earliest Aptian), corresponds to photozoan carbonates deposited under oligotrophic conditions, as is suggested by the presence of rudists and corals. References Bodin et al., 2006. "The late Hauterivian Faraoni oceanic anoxic event in the western Tethys: Evidence from phosphorus burial rates." Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 235: 245-264. Bryant et al., 1998. Reefs at Risk: A Map-Based Indicator of Potential Threats to the World's Coral Reefs. Washington D.C. Föllmi et al., 2007. "Unlocking paleo-environmental interaction from Early Cretceous shelf sediments in the Helvetic Alps: stratigraphy is the key!" Swiss Journal of Geosciences 100: 349-369. Godet et al., 2008. "Platform-induced clay-mineral fractionation along a northern Tethyan basin-platform transect: implications for the interpretation of Early Cretaceous climate change (Late Hauterivian-Early Aptian)." Cretaceous Research 29: 830-847.

Lower Cretaceous Puez key-section in the Dolomites - towards the mid-Cretaceous super-greenhouse

Science.gov (United States)

Lukeneder, A.; Halásová, E.; Rehákova, D.; Józsa, Š.; Soták, J.; Kroh, A.; Jovane, L.; Florindo, F.; Sprovieri, M.; Giorgioni, M.; Lukeneder, S.

2012-04-01

Investigations on different fossil groups in addition to isotopic, paleomagnetic and geochemical analysis are combined to extract the Early Cretaceous history of environmental changes, as displayed by the sea level and climate changes. Results on biostratigraphy are integrated with other dating methods as magnetostraigraphy, correlation and cyclostratigraphy. The main investigation topics of the submitted project within the above-described framework are the biostratigraphic (Lukeneder and Aspmair, 2006, 2012), palaeoecological (Lukeneder, 2008, 2012), palaeobiogeographic, lithostratigraphic (Lukeneder, 2010, 2011), cyclostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic development of the Early Cretaceous in the Puez area. The main sections occur in expanded outcrops located on the southern margin of the Puez Plateau, within the area of the Puez-Geisler Natural Park, in the northern part of the Dolomites (South Tyrol, North Italy). The cephalopod, microfossil and nannofossil faunas and floras from the marly limestones to marls here indicates Hauterivian to Albian/Cenomanian age. Oxygen isotope values from the Lower Cretaceous Puez Formation show a decreasing trend throughout the log, from -1.5‰ in the Hauterivian to -4.5‰ in the Albian/Cenomanian. The decreasing values mirror an increasing trend in palaeotemperatures from ~ 15-18°C in the Hauterivian up to ~25-30 °C in the Albian/Cenomanian. The trend probably indicates the positive shift in temperature induced by the well known Mid Cretaceous Ocean warming (e.g., Super-Greenhouse). The cooperative project (FWF project P20018-N10; 22 international scientists): An integrative high resolution project. Macro- and microfossils, isotopes, litho-, cyclo-, magneto-and biostratigraphy as tools for investigating the Lower Cretaceous within the Dolomites (Southern Alps, Northern Italy) -The Puez area as a new key region of the Tethyan Realm), is on the way since 2008 by the Natural History Museum in Vienna and the 'Naturmuseum S�

Jurassic onychites (arm hooks) from squid-like cephalopods from the Wessex Basin, southern England

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Malcolm; Hughes, Zoe; Page, Kevin; Price, Gregory; Smart, Christopher

2017-04-01

of hook that are often arranged in pairs. Using the abundance of material available to us from the Wessex Basin, we are attempting to identify the host animals wherever this is possible. If this can be established then it may be possible, using micropalaeontological samples, to determine the stratigraphical and palaeoecological ranges of some of the host macro-fossils, many of which are otherwise rarely preserved outside known lagerstätte. A recently described specimen (Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, BRMSG Ce12385) of only the hooks associated with 4 arms can, therefore, be attributed to the Clarkeiteuthis lineage. Coming from the Lower Pliensbachian of the Dorset Coast this occurrence falls in the stratigraphical 'gap' between the known taxa of the Sinemurian (Clarkeiteuthis montefiore) and the Toarcian (Clarkeiteuthis conocauda). This specimen does, however, show paired hooks of different types, similar to another specimen in Manchester University Museum: this is not seen in C. conocauda and places the specimen in C. montefiore or a yet undescribed species of Clarkeiteuthis. Engeser, T.S. & Clarke, M.R. 1988. Cephalopod hooks, both recent and fossil. In: Clarke, M.R. & Trueman, E.R. (eds), Palaeontology and Neontology of Cephalopods, vol. 12,; Wilbur, K.M. (Ed.), The Mollusca, Academic press Inc., London, 133-151. Hart, M.B. & Hutchinson, D. in press. A newly described 'clarkeiteuthid' from the Lias Group of Dorset. Geoscience in South-West England. Hart, M.B., De Jonghe, A., Page, K.N., Price, G.D. & Smart, C.W. 2016. Exceptional accumulations of statoliths in association with the Christian Malford lagerstätte (Callovian, Jurassic) in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. Palaios, 31, 203-220. Kulicki, C. & Szaniawski, H. 1972. Cephalopod arm hooks from the Jurassic of Poland. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 17, 379-419. Wilby, P.R., Hudson, J.D., Clements, R.G. & Hollingworth, N.T.J. 2004. Taphonomy and origin of an accumulate of soft-bodied cephalopods in the Oxford Clay

Past and present vegetation ecology of Laetoli, Tanzania.

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Andrews, Peter; Bamford, Marion

2008-01-01

We are attempting to set up a new protocol for palaeoecological reconstruction in relation to the fossil hominin site Laetoli, Tanzania. This is based on the premise that habitat variability in the past was at least as great as at present; that this variability at the landscape level is a function of variations in geology, soils, and topography rather than climate; and that vegetation type at the landscape level can be reconstructed from these environmental variables. Measurable variation in climate in tropical Africa today occurs over distances of at least 100 km, so that ranges of habitat variation within the limited area of Laetoli today can be reconstructed in relation to soils and topography, and the effects of climate changes are then estimated in relation to these other factors. In order to document the modern vegetation, we have made voucher collections of plants in the Laetoli region, recorded distributions of plants by habitat, climate, soil, and topography, and mapped the vegetation distributions. Results show that areas of low relief have soils with impeded drainage and dense Acacia drepanolobium woodland, having low canopies when disturbed by human action, higher when not; shallow brown soils on volcanic lavas have four woodland associations, two dominated by Acacia species, two by Combretum-Albizia species; shallow volcanic soils to the east have a woodland association with Croton-Dombeya-Albizia species; elevated land to the east on volcanic soils has two associations of montane-edge species, one with Croton-Celtis-Lepidotrichilia, and the other with Acacia lahai; the eastern highlands above 2,750 m have montane forest; seasonal water channels flowing from east to west have three Acacia riverine woodland associations; three deep valleys to the north of the area have dense riverine woodland with Celtis, Albizia, Euclea, Combretum, Acacia spp.; emergence of springs at Endulen feed a perennial stream with closed gallery forest with Ficus

U-Pbdating on detrital zircon and Nd and Hf isotopes related to the provenance of siliciclastic rocks of the Amazon Basin: Implications for the origin of Proto-Amazonas River

Science.gov (United States)

Dantas, Elton Luiz; Silva Souza, Valmir; Nogueira, Afonso C. R.; Ventura Santos, Roberto; Poitrasson, Franck; Vieira Cruz, Lucieth; Mendes Conceição, Anderson

2014-05-01

provenance dominated by Mesoproterozoic sources (1.0, 1.2 Ga) and subordinate Neoproterozoic(550-800 Ma) and Archean derivation (2.67 Ga). On the other hand, detrital zircon and Hf and NdTDM model ages for the Cretaceous Alter do Chão Formation yielded a unique Paleoproterozoicages between 2.0 and 2.3 Ga that can be correlated to sources derived from Maroni-Itacaiúnas and Central Amazonian basement provinces. The contribution of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks exposed during the installationof the Amazonas drainage were probably significant .Such a large contribution from Neoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic sources are not common in the proximal Amazon Craton basement .This new proposal open new perspectives to understand better the initial history of Amazon River with indication of the probable source areas during Late Cenozoic. Campbell Jr.; Frailey,C.D.; Romero-Pittman, G. 2006. The Pan-Amazonian UcayliPeneplain, late Neogenesedimentacion in Amazonia, and the Birth on the Modern Amazon River system.Palaeogeography,Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 239 (2006) 166-219 Figueiredo, J.,Hoorn, C., Van der Vem, P., Soares, E. 2009. Late Miocene onset of the Amazon River and the Amazon deep-sea fan: Evidence from the Fozdo Amazonas Basin. Geology, 37(7):619-622. Hoorn,C.; Guerrero, J.; Sarmiento, G. 1995. Andean tectonics as a cause for changing drainage patterns in Miocene Northern South America. Geology, v.23, p-237-240. Nogueira, A.C.R.; Silveira, R.R.; Guimarães, J.T.F. 2013. Neogene-Quaternary sedimentary and paleovegetation history of the eastern Solimões Basin, central Amazon region.Journal of South American Earth Sciences , v. 46, p. 89-99, 2013. Potter, P.E. 1997. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic paleodrainage of South America: a natural history. Journal of South American Earth Science.v.10. p.331-344 Wesselingh, F. P., et al., 2002. Lake-Pebas: a palaeocological reconstruction of a Miocene long-lived lake comples in Western Amazônia. Cainozoic Research 1 (1-2), 35-81.

Disappearance of the last lions and hyenas of Europe in the Late Quaternary - a chain reaction of large mammal prey migration, extinction and human antagonism

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Diedrich, Cajus G.

2010-05-01

. in prep. Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach 1799) hunters and scavengers - the Late Pleistocene spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss 1823) and its feeding strategy on its most important prey in Europe. Diedrich, C. in review a. A diseased Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) lioness from a forest elephant graveyard in the Late Pleistocene (Eemian) interglacial lake at Neumark-Nord, Central Germany. Quaternary International. Diedrich, C. in review b. Late Pleistocene steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) remains from the open air hyena den Emscher River terrace site Bottrop and other sites of northern Germany - new proves for hyena-lion antagonism. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. DIEDRICH, C. in review c. The Crocuta crocuta spelaea (GOLDFUSS 1823) population and its prey from the Upper Pleistocene Teufelskammer Cave hyena den site in the Neandertal (NRW, NW Germany). Annales de Paléontologie. Diedrich, C. in review d. The Late Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) population from the Late Pleistocene hyena open air Emscher River terrace den near Bottrop (NWGermany) and other sites in the Westphalian Bay and its mammoth and woolly rhinoceros prey. Quaternary International. Diedrich, C. and Rathgeber, T. in review. Late Pleistocene steppe lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) skeleton remains of the Upper Rhine valley (SW Germany) and contribution to their palaeobiogeography, sexual dimorphism and palaeoecology. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. Diedrich, C. AND Žák, K. 2006. Prey deposits and den sites of the Upper Pleistocene hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) in horizontal and vertical caves of the Bohemian Karst (Czech Republic). Bulletin of Geosciences, 81 (4), 237-276. Günther, K. 1964. Die altsteinzeitlichen Funde der Balve Höhle. Bodenaltertümer Westfalens, 8, 1-165. Günther, K. 1988. Alt- und Mittelsteinzeitliche Fundplätze in Westfalen. Teil 2. Einführung in

Petrological, geochemical and isotopic characteristics of lignite and calcified lignite from mining area Pesje, Velenje Basin, Slovenia

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Vrabec, Mirijam; Markič, Miloš; Vrabec, Marko; Jaćimović, Radojko; Kanduč, Tjaša

2014-05-01

energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy at the Department of Ceramics at the Jožef Stefan Institute. Geochemical characteristics of major and trace elements indicate that the values of major and trace elements are comparable to world average coal (Zhang et al., 2004). Isotopic composition of carbon and isotopic composition of nitrogen of investigated samples indicate values from to -29.4o to -23.7o and 1.8o to 5.9o respectively. Lower value of isotopic composition of carbon indicates higher gelification (values up to -29.4) and higher value of isotopic composition of nitrogen (values up to 5.9) indicate higher mineralization. The results of SEM/EDXS microscopy revealed that in calcified lignite chemical composition of calcite prevails. Traces of diagenetic pyrite were also found, indicating localized anoxic conditions during sedimentation. Values of isotopic composition of CCaCO3 range from -2 to +13 and indicate temperature of precipitation from 17.3 to 35 deg C, which is similar to results obtained in previous studies (Kanduč et al., 2012). References Krantz, D.E., Williams, D.F., Jones, D.S., 1987: Ecological and paleoenvironmental information using stable isotope profiles from living and fossil mollusks. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 58, 249-266. Kanduč T., Markič M., Zavšek S., McIntosh J. 2012: carbon cycling in the Pliocene Velenje Coal Basin, Slovenia, inferred from stable carbon isotopes. International Journal of Coal Geology 89, 70-83. Jaćimović, R., Lazaru, A., Mihajlović, D., Ilić, R., Stafilov, T., 2002: Determination of major and trace elements in some minerals by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical Nuclear Chemistry, 253, 427-434. McCrea, JM., 1950. On the isotopic chemistry of carbonates and a paleotemperature scale. Journal of Chemical Physics 18, 849. Ward C.R. (Ed.), 1984: Coal Geology and Coal Technology. Black-well, Oxford, 345 pp. Zhang J.Y., Zheng C.G., Ren D.Y., Chou C.L., Zheng R

Diplodon shells from Northwest Patagonia as continental proxy archives: Oxygen isotopic results and sclerochronological analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Soldati, A. L.; Beierlein, L.; Jacob, D. E.

2009-04-01

precipitation records in the region (from the NOAA database, station: airport of S.C. de Bariloche: 41°S-71°W). D. ch. patagonicus exhibit very well developed annual growth lines, which allow calibrating a precise temporal scale with calendar years in the shell (Soldati et al., 2008). Extremely wide increments (e.g. years 2000-2001 and 1978-1979), related to distinct periods (so-called benchmark increments) are present in all specimens and can be used to anchor the growth curves in order to create a master curve for the lake. ^18Oshell varies seasonally, presenting minima during the warm season (November/March) and maxima in the austral autumn/winter (April/October), reproducing the temperature fluctuations in the region. The resolution of the ^18Oshell measurement varies for each year: samples obtained from larger annual increments (>1 mm, generally mussels younger than 10 years old) allow a resolution of ca. 2 months (5-7 samples per year), and sometimes even give a 5 weeks resolution, while thinner annual increments (between 1 and 0.1 mm, generally older than 10 years) allow only a 4-6 month resolution (2-3 points per sampled year). Because of their long live span of ca. 100 years, Diplodon shells are useful to construct an accurate climatological archive for Patagonia with time windows of around a century, resolving the environmental signal annually and even seasonally. References: CASTELLANOS Z.A. (1960). Almejas nacaríferas de la República Argentina. Género Diplodon. Secretaría de Agricultura, Publicación Miscelánea, 421: 1-40. KAANDORP R.J.G., VONHOF H.B., WESSELINGH F.P., PITTMAN L.R., KROON D. & HINTE J.E.V. (2005). Seasonal Amazonian rainfall variation in the Miocene Climate Optimum. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 221: 1-6. SOLDATI A.L., JACOB D.E., SCHÖNE B.R., BIANCHI M.M., HAJDUK A. (2008). Seasonal periodicity of growth and composition in valves of Diplodon chilensis patagonicus (D'Orbigny, 1835). Journal of Molluscan Studies, doi:10

Benthic faunal assemblages from the Holocene middle shelf of the South Evoikos Gulf, central Greece, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

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Asimina Louvari, Markella; Tsourou, Theodora; Drinia, Hara; Anastasakis, George

2013-04-01

sedimentary history of the Bounty Trough, east of New Zealand. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 211(1-2), 59-93, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2004.04.007 Sgarrella, F. & Moncharmon-Zei, M. 1993. Benthic foraminifera in the Gulf of Naples (Italy): systematic and autoecology, Boll. Soc. Palaeont. Ital. 32, 145-264. This research has been co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund - ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) - Research Funding Program: THALIS -UOA-70/3/11669.

Bioclim Deliverable D2: consolidation of needs of the European waste management agencies and the regulator of the consortium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The nature of long-lived radioactive wastes is that they present a radiological hazard over a period of time that is extremely long compared with the timescale over which the engineered protection systems and institutional management of a disposal, or long-term storage, facility can be guaranteed. On such timescales, it is generally assumed that radionuclides may be slowly released from the containment system, migrating via geosphere pathways until they reach the accessible environment. Hence, there is a need to study the evolution of the environment external to the disposal system and the ways in which this might impact on its long-term radiological safety performance, for example in terms of influences on the migration and accumulation of radionuclides. One method that can contribute to understanding of how the biosphere might change in the future is to develop an awareness of how the characteristics of the region of interest have changed up to the present day as a result of the influences of past climate and environmental changes. It may then be possible to justify the use of environmental conditions that have occurred in the past as indicators of characteristics in the future, according to scientific understanding of the main influences on projected future change over the timescales relevant to the assessment. An important part of the basic understanding that underpins long-term radiological safety assessments is therefore information collected from site characterisation surveys; such data, coupled with palaeo-climate and palaeo-ecological records at regional and global scales, can then be used to reconstruct the progression of past environmental change over periods of time comparable with those of interest to the assessment. This report summarises work undertaken by national agencies from four European countries (France, Spain, United Kingdom and Czech Republic) to develop site and region-specific descriptions of environmental change during the Quaternary

A reevaluation of the lineage development of Pararotalia and Praepararotalia including new material from the Rupelian of the southern Upper Rhine Graben

Science.gov (United States)

Pirkenseer, C.; Spezzaferri, S.

2009-04-01

in Brazilian coastal and paralic environments. - Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 31, 2: 152-163. HOTTINGER, L., HALICZ, E. & REISS, Z. (1991): The foraminiferal genera Pararotalia, Neorotalia, and Calcarina: taxonomic revision. - Journal of Paleontology, 65, 1: 18-33. LIU, C., OLSSON, R. K. & HUBERT, B. T. (1998): A benthic paleohabitat for Praepararotalia gen. nov. and Antarcticella Loeblich and Tappan. - Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 28, 1: 3-18. MANCIN, N., PIRINI, C. & LANFRANCHINI, P.L. (2000): New species of Pararotalia LE CALVEZ, in Pliocene sediments of the Lower Valsesia and Western Liguria. - Bollettina della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 39, 3: 341-350. PIRKENSEER, C. (2007): Foraminifera, Ostracoda and other microfossils of the Southern Upper Rhine Graben - Palaeoecology, biostratigraphy, palaeogeography and geodynamic implications. - PhD thesis: 340p, Fribourg.

High resolution record of the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Petherick, Lynda; Moss, Patrick; McGowan, Hamish

2010-05-01

history and palaeoecology of Puritjarra rock shelter. Journal of Quaternary Science 24(7): 747-760. Suggate, R. P. and P. C. Almond (2003). The LGM in western South Island, New Zealand. Australasian Quaternary Association Biennial Conference. Westport, New Zealand. Sweller, S. and H. A. Martin (2001). A 40,000 year vegetation history and climatic interpretations of Burraga Swamp, Barrington Tops, New South Wales. Quaternary International 83-85: 233-244. Williams, N. J., K. J. Harle, S. J. Gale and H. Heijnis (2006). The vegetation history of the last glacial-interglacial cycle in eastern New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Quaternary Science 21(7): 735-750.

Timing of Early Aptian demise of northern Tethyan carbonate platforms - chemostratigraphic versus biostratigraphic evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Huck, Stefan; Immenhauser, Adrian; Heimhofer, Ulrich; Rameil, Niels

2010-05-01

platform related to the unfolding oceanic anoxic event 1a (« Selli event »). Revue de Paléobiologie, 27, 461-468. Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Smith, A.G., Bleeker, W. and Lourens, L.J. (2004) A new Geologic Time Scale, with special reference to Precambrian and Neogene. Episodes, 27, 83-100. Huck, S., Rameil, N., Korbar, T., Heimhofer, U., Wieczorek, T.D. and Immenhauser, A. (2010) Latitudinally different responses of Tethyan shoal-water carbonate systems to the Early Aptian oceanic anoxic event (OAE 1a). Sedimentology (pending acceptance of revised version). Moreno-Bedmar, J.A., Company, M., Bover-Arnal, T., Salas, R., Delanoy, G., Martinez, R. and Grauges, A. (2009) Biostratigraphic characterization by means of ammonoids of the lower Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1a) in the eastern Iberian Chain (Maestrat Basin, eastern Spain). Cretaceous Research, 30, 864-872. Rameil, N., Immenhauser, A., Warrlich, G.M.D., Vahrenkamp, V.C., Hillgärtner, H., Droste, H.J., Al-Mahruqi, I., Buhl, D., Schulte, U. and Kunkel, C. (2009) Chemostratigraphy-based correlation of Lower Shu'aiba Formation platform sections (Early Aptian, Sultanate of Oman). In: Aptian Stratigraphy and Petroleum Habitat of the Eastern Arabian Plate (Eds F.S.P. van Buchem, M.I. Al-Husseini, F. Maurer and H.J. Droste), 4. GeoArabia Special Publication (in press), Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain. Weissert, H., Lini, A., Föllmi, K.B. and Kuhn, O. (1998) Correlation of Early Cretaceous carbon isotope stratigraphy and platform drowning events: a possible link? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 137, 189-203.

Calcareous nannofossil evidence for Marine Isotope Stage 31 (1 Ma) in the AND-1B Core, ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project (Antarctica).

Science.gov (United States)

Villa, G.; Persico, D.; Wise, S. W.; Gadaleta, A.

2009-04-01

calcareous nannofossils to the margins of Antarctica. The warm interval during the Jaramillo Subchron shows that these areas were more climatically dynamic than previously thought and calls into questions the notion that the EAIS has remained in a stable polar condition since the late Neogene. The warm surface water event reported here is especially significant given its proximal position to the Antarctic ice sheet. References Naish, T., Powell, R., Levy R., Henrys S., Krissek L., Niessen F., Pompilio M., Scherer R., Wilson G. & the ANDRIL-MIS Science Team, 2007. - Synthesis of the Initial Scientific Results of the MIS Project (AND-1B Core), Victoria Land Basin, antartica. Terra Antartica, 14(3), 317-327. Scherer, R., Bohaty, S., Dunbar, R.B., Esper, O., Flores, J.A., Gersonde, R., Harwood, D.M., Roberts, A.P., Taviani, M., 2008. Antarctic records of precession-paced insolation-driven warming during early Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stage 31. Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 35, L03505, doi: 10.1029/2007GL032254. Villa G. and Wise S.W., 1998 - Quaternary calcareous nannofossils from the Antarctic region. Terra Antartica, 5(3), 479-484. Villa G., Lupi, C., Cobianchi, M., Florindo, F., Pekar, S.F., 2008. A Pleistocene warming event at 1 Ma in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica: evidence from ODP Site 1165. Palaeogeography, Palaoeclimatology, Palaeoecology, doi:10.1016/J.palaeo.2007.08.017. Wilson G., Levy R., Browne G., Dunbar, N., Florindo F., Henrys S., Graham I., McIntosh W., McKay R., Naish T., Ohneiser C., Powell R., Ross J., Sagnotti L., Scherer R., Sjunneskog C., Strong C.P. Taviani M., Winter D., & the ANDRILL MIS-Science Team, 2007. Preliminary Integrated Chronostratigraphy of AND-1B Drill Core, ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica. Terra Antartica 14 (3), 297-316.

Geomorphological stability of Permo-Triassic albitized profiles - case study of the Montseny-Guilleries High (NE Iberia)

Science.gov (United States)

Parcerisa, D.; Casas, L.; Franke, C.; Gomez-Gras, D.; Lacasa, G.; Nunez, J. A.; Thiry, M.

2010-05-01

could draw the link of the paleosurface preservation to its albitisation [Battiau-Queney, 1996; Widdowson, 1997]. Anadón, P., Colombo, F., Esteban, M., Marzo, M., Robles, S., Santanach, P., Solé-Sugrañes, L.., 1979. Evolución tectonostratigráfica de los Catalánides. Acta Geológica Hispánica, 14: 242-270. Battiau-Queney Y., 1996, A tentative classification of paleoweathering formations based on geomorphological criteria. Geomorphology, 16, p. 87-102. Gómez-Gras, D., 1993. El Permotrias de la Cordillera Costero Catalana: facies y petrologia sedimentaria (Parte I). Boletin Geologico y Minero, 104(2): 115-161. Gómez-Gras, D., Ferrer, C., 1999. Caracterización petrológica de perfiles de meteorización antiguos desarrollados en granitos tardihercínicos de la Cordillera Costero Catalana. Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 12(2): 281-299. Parcerisa, D., Thiry, M., Schmitt, J.M., 2009. Albitisation related to the Triassic unconformity in igneous rocks of the Morvan Massif (France). International Journal of Earth Sciences (Geol Rundsch). DOI 10.1007/s00531-008-0405-1 Ricordel, C., Parcerisa, D., Thiry, M., Moreau, M.G., Gómez-Gras, D., 2007. Triassic magnetic overprints related to albitization in granites from the Morvan massif (France). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 251: 268-282. Schmitt J.M., 1992, Triassic albitization in southern France : an unusual mineralogical record from a major continental paleosurface. in : Mineralogical and geochemical records of paleoweathering, IGCP 317, Schmitt J.M., Gall Q., (eds), E.N.S.M.P. Mém. Sc. de la Terre, 18, p. 115-132. Widdowson M., 1997, The geomorphological and geological importance of palaeosurfaces. in: Widdowson M. (ed.), Palaeosurfaces: recognition, reconstruction and palaeoenvironmental interpretation. Geol. Soc. Special Publ., 120, p. 1-12.

Glacial recession in the Tropical Andes from the Little Ice Age: the case of Ampato Volcanic Complex (Southern Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Alcalá, J.; Palacios, D.; Zamorano, J. J.

2010-03-01

Europa (Cordillera Cantábrica, NO de España). Análisis morfológico y reconstrucción del avance glaciar histórico. Rev. C & G., 19 (3-4), 79-94. Hastenrath, S. L. (2009): Past glaciation in the tropics. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28: 790-798. Jomelli, V.; Favier, V.; Rabatel, A.; Brunstein, D.; Hoffmann, G.; and Francou, B. (2009): Fluctuations of glaciers in the tropical Andes over the last millennium and palaeoclimatic implications: A review. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.10.033. Kaser, G., Osmaston, H.A., 2002. Tropical glaciers. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Mark, B. (2008): Tracing tropical Andean glaciers over space and time: Some lessons and transdisciplinary implications. Global and Planetary Change, 60: 101-114. Osmaston, H. (2005): Estimates of glacier equilibrium line altitudes by the Area _ Altitude, the Area _ Altitude Balance Ratio and the Area _ Altitude Balance Index Methods and their validation. Quaternary International, 138-139: 22-31. Rabatel, A., Jomelli, V., Naveau, P., Francou, B., Grancher, D. (2005). Dating of Little Ice Age glacier fluctuations in the tropical Andes: Charquini glaciers, Bolivia, 16ºS. C. R. Geoscience, 337: 1311-1322. Rabatel, A., Francou, B., Jomelli, V., Naveau, P., Grancher, D. (2008). A chronology of the Little Ice Age in the tropical Andes of Bolivia (16º S) and its implications for climate reconstruction. Quaternary Research, 70: 198-212. Ramirez, E., Francou, B., Ribstein, P., Descloitres, M., Guerin, R., Mendoza, J., Gallaire, R., Pouyaud, B., Jordan, E., 2001. Small glaciers disappearing in the tropical Andes: a case study in Bolivia: Glaciar Chacaltaya (16°S). Journal of Glaciology 47 (157), 187-194. Soruco, A.; Vincent, C.; Francou, B.; Ribstein, P.; Berger, T.; Sicart, J. E.; Wagnon, P.; Arnaud, Y.; Favier, V.; and Lejeune, Y. (2009): Mass balance of Glacier Zongo, Bolivia, between 1956 and 2006, using glaciological, hydrological and geodetic methods

An oxygen isotope study of quartz veins within eclogites from the Dabie terrane

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI; Yiliang

2001-01-01

Bulletin, 1999, 44 (supplement 1): 20-25.［12］Ding, Z. L., Yu, Z. W., Rutter, N. W. et al., Towards an orbital time scale for Chinese loess deposits, Quaternary Science Review, 1994,13: 39-70.［13］Duchaufour, Ph., Pedologie, Tome 1: Pedogenese et Classification, Paris-New York-Barcelone-Milan: Masson, 1983, 1-477.［14］Singer, M. J., Bowen, L. H., Verosub, K. L. et al., Mossbauer spectroscopic evidence for citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite ex-traction of maghemite from soils, Clays and Clay Minerals,1995, 43: 1-7.［15］Hunt, C. P., Singer, M. J., Kletetschka, G. et al., Effect of citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite treatment on fine-grained mag-netite and maghemite, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 1995, 130: 87-94.［16］Mehra, O., Jackson, M. L., Iron oxide removal from soil and clay by a dithionite-citrate system buffered with sodium bi-carbonate, Clay and Clay Minerals, 1960, 7: 317-327.［17］McKeague, J. A., Manual on soil sampling and methods of analysis, Toronto: Canadian Society of Soil Science, 1981, 1-212.［18］Kukla, G., An, Z. S., Melice, J. L. et al., Magnetic susceptibility record of Chinese loess, Transaction of Royal Society of Edinburgh, Earth Sciences, 1990, 81: 263-288.［19］Guo, Z. T., Wei, L. Y., Lu, H. Y. et al., Changes in the composition of Late Pleistocene aeolian dust and the environmental significance, Quaternary Sciences (in Chinese), 1999, 19(1): 41-48.［20］Heller, F., Liu, X. M., Liu, T. S. et al., Magnetic susceptibility of loess in China, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1991,103: 301-310.［21］Yang, J. D., Chen, J., An, Z. S. et al., Variations in 87Sr/86Sr Ratios of calcites in Chinese loess: A proxy for chemical weathering associated with the East Asian Summer monsoon, Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 2000,157: 151-159.［22］Verosub, K. L., Fine, P., Singer, M. J. et al., Pedogenesis and paleoclimate: Interpretation of the magnetic susceptibility record of Chinese loess-paleosol sequences, Geology, 1993, 21

Quantifying time in sedimentary successions by radio-isotopic dating of ash beds

Science.gov (United States)

Schaltegger, Urs

2014-05-01

global environmental and biotic disturbance (from ash bed analysis in biostratigraphically or cyclostratigraphically well constrained marine sections) with volcanic activity; examples are the Triassic-Jurassic boundary and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (Schoene et al. 2010), or the lower Toarcian oceanic anoxic event and the Karoo Province volcanism (Sell et al. in prep.). High-precision temporal correlations may also be obtained by combining high-precision U-Pb dating with biochronology in the Middle Triassic (Ovtcharova et al., in prep.), or by comparing U-Pb dates with astronomical timescales in the Upper Miocene (Wotzlaw et al., in prep.). References Guex, J., Schoene, B., Bartolini, A., Spangenberg, J., Schaltegger, U., O'Dogherty, L., et al. (2012). Geochronological constraints on post-extinction recovery of the ammonoids and carbon cycle perturbations during the Early Jurassic. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 346-347(C), 1-11. Ovtcharova, M., Bucher, H., Schaltegger, U., Galfetti, T., Brayard, A., & Guex, J. (2006). New Early to Middle Triassic U-Pb ages from South China: Calibration with ammonoid biochronozones and implications for the timing of the Triassic biotic recovery. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 243(3-4), 463-475. Ovtcharova, M., Goudemand, N., Galfetti, Th., Guodun, K., Hammer, O., Schaltegger, U., Bucher, H. Improving accuracy and precision of radio-isotopic and biochronological approaches in dating geological boundaries: The Early-Middle Triassic boundary case. In preparation. Schoene, B., Schaltegger, U., Brack, P., Latkoczy, C., Stracke, A., & Günther, D. (2012). Rates of magma differentiation and emplacement in a ballooning pluton recorded by U-Pb TIMS-TEA, Adamello batholith, Italy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 355-356, 162-173. Schoene, B., Latkoczy, C., Schaltegger, U., & Günther, D. (2010). A new method integrating high-precision U-Pb geochronology with zircon trace element analysis (U-Pb TIMS

Spotted hyena and steppe lion predation behaviours on cave bears of Europe - ?Late Quaternary cave bear extinction as result of predator stress

Science.gov (United States)

Diedrich, Cajus G.

2010-05-01

. (in review). Cave bear killers and scavengers from the last European Ice Age. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. Diedrich, C., Žák, K. 2006. Prey deposits and den sites of the Upper Pleistocene hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) in horizontal and vertical caves of the Bohemian Karst (Czech Republic). Bulletin of Geosciences, 81 (4), 237-276. Diedrich, C., Robu, M., Dragusin, V., Constantin, S., Moldovan, O., 2009. New Upper Pleistocene steppe lion skeleton finds between the cave bear hibernation plateaus of the Ursilor Cave bear den, Romania. Abstractc 15th International Cave Bear Symposium, Spisska Nova Ves Slovakia, 10. Diedrich, C., Moldovan, O., Constantin, S. 2009. Cave bear tracks, scratch marks, hair traces and hibernation nests in the Ursilor Cave (Transylvania, Romania) - preliminary report from a famous European cave bear den. - Stalactite, 58 (2): 48-52. Diedrich, C., Moldovan, O. 2010. Ichnological and ethological studies in one of Europe's famous bear den in the Ursilor Cave (Carpathians, Romania). - Quarternary International (accepted). Rabeder, G., Nagel, D., Pacher, M., 2000. Der Höhlenbär. Stuttgart: Thorbecke.

Reconciling late Quaternary transgressions in the Bohai Sea, China to the global sea level changes, and new linkage of sedimentary records to three astronomical rhythms

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Liang

2013-04-01

Terminations. Science 326, 248-252. Ding, Z.L., Yu, Z.W., Rutter, N.W., Liu, T.S., 1994. Towards an orbital time scale for chinese loess deposits. Quaternary Science Reviews 13, 39-70. IOCAS (Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), 1985. Bohai Sea Geology. Science Press, Beijing, China. Liu, T., 2009. Loess and Arid Environment. Anhui Science & Techonology Press, Hefei, China. Wang, Y., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., An, Z., Wu, J., Chen, C.-C., Dorale, J.A., 2001. A High-Resolution Absolute-Dated Late Pleistocene Monsoon Record from Hulu Cave, China. Science 294, 2345-2348. Wang, Y., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Kong, X., Shao, X., Chen, S., Wu, J., Jiang, X., Wang, X., An, Z., 2008. Millennial- and orbital-scale changes in the East Asian monsoon over the past 224,000 years. Nature 451, 1090-1093. Yi, L., Yu, H., Ortiz, J.D., Xu, X., Chen, S., Ge, J., Hao, Q., Yao, J., Shi, X., Peng, S., 2012a. Late Quaternary linkage of sedimentary records to three astronomical rhythms and the Asian monsoon, inferred from a coastal borehole in the south Bohai Sea, China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 329-310, 101-117. Yi, L., Lai, Z.P., Yu, H.J., Xu, X.Y., Su, Q., Yao, J., Wang, X.L., Shi, X., 2012b. Chronologies of sedimentary changes in the south Bohai Sea, China: Constraints from luminescence and radiocarbon dating. Boreas, doi: 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2012.00271.x. Yi, L., Yu, H.J., Ortiz, J.D., Xu, X.Y., Qiang, X.K., Huang, H.J., Shi, X., Deng, C.L., 2012c. A reconstruction of late Pleistocene relative sea level in the south Bohai Sea, China, based on sediment grain-size analysis. Sedimentary Geology 281, 88-100. Zhao, S., Yang, G., Cang, S., Zhang, H., Huang, Q., Xia, D., Wang, Y., Liu, F., Liu, C., 1978. Transgression's stratas and shoreline changes in the south coast of Bohai Bay, China. Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 9, 15-25.

Conquering the Mesoscale of Africa's Landscapes: deciphering the Genomic Record of Individuating Landforms with Geoecodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Cotterill, Fenton P. D.

2016-04-01

complementary biotic indicators of the palaeoenviroments in which they evolved. This strategy extends into the critical zone, to track evolutionary tenures and turnovers of endemics "ecological prisoners" in vadosic and phreatic landforms. Moreover, geoecodynamics of the Critical Zone can logically exploit endemic biota at the microscale in regolith, and also extremophiles to extreme depths; all such populations hold fascinating potential as biotic indicators of otherwise encrypted events in Earth history. Geoecodynamics is an exciting area emerging in geobiology. It opens up with new lines of attack on challenges at the core of geomorphology and palaeoecology. In its abilities to quantify mesoscale phenomena, geoecodynamics injects new life into evolutionary geomorphology. Moreover, the means to quantify mesoscale process and form enables quantification of thresholds and tenures of landform dynamics; we can now scrutinize obscurities, including the scale-dependency of landscape events invoked to have shaped palimpsests (Brunsden D 1996 Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie NF, 40, 273- 288). Analogously, where accumulated packages of evidence survive, we should be able to map out key signals in the tempo and mode of the genomic record through the Critical Zone, and so scrutinize otherwise encrypted events that shaped the inherent emptiness of the Rock Record (Ager D 1993. The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record; Miall AD 2015. Strata and Time: Probing the Gaps in Our Understanding. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 404, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP404.4). Compared to, and notwithstanding, the episodic turnovers of sediments (and all allied events) that shaped evolving landscapes, the history of Life has been distinctly different; descent with modification links all clades and lineages of the Tree of Life with the present - even at deep nodes - though an unbroken chain of genomic connectivity. The complexity of niche space we see in landscapes reflects the diverse

Geobiology of the Critical Zone: the Hierarchies of Process, Form and Life provide an Integrated Ontology

Science.gov (United States)

Cotterill, Fenton P. D.

2016-04-01

complementary biotic indicators of the palaeoenviroments in which they evolved. This strategy extends into the critical zone, to track evolutionary tenures and turnovers of endemics "ecological prisoners" in vadosic and phreatic landforms. Moreover, geoecodynamics of the Critical Zone can logically exploit endemic biota at the microscale in regolith, and also extremophiles to extreme depths; all such populations hold fascinating potential as biotic indicators of otherwise encrypted events in Earth history. Geoecodynamics is an exciting area emerging in geobiology. It opens up with new lines of attack on challenges at the core of geomorphology and palaeoecology. In its abilities to quantify mesoscale phenomena, geoecodynamics injects new life into evolutionary geomorphology. Moreover, the means to quantify mesoscale process and form enables quantification of thresholds and tenures of landform dynamics; we can now scrutinize obscurities, including the scale-dependency of landscape events invoked to have shaped palimpsests (Brunsden D 1996 Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie NF, 40, 273- 288). Analogously, where accumulated packages of evidence survive, we should be able to map out key signals in the tempo and mode of the genomic record through the Critical Zone, and so scrutinize otherwise encrypted events that shaped the inherent emptiness of the Rock Record (Ager D 1993. The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record; Miall AD 2015. Strata and Time: Probing the Gaps in Our Understanding. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 404, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP404.4). Compared to, and notwithstanding, the episodic turnovers of sediments (and all allied events) that shaped evolving landscapes, the history of Life has been distinctly different; descent with modification links all clades and lineages of the Tree of Life with the present - even at deep nodes - though an unbroken chain of genomic connectivity. The complexity of niche space we see in landscapes reflects the diverse