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Marine Isotope Stage 4 (MIS 4; ca. 71–57 ka) is not well documented in European continental contexts and is characterized mainly by minimum summer insolation, producing a maximum extension of the polar ice caps during the Late Pleistocene together with a lowering of the sea level in the Northern Hemisphere. The De Nadale Cave site, located at an altitude of 130 m a.s.l. in the Berici Hills in northeastern Italy, contains a single archaeological layer (Unit 7) dated to MIS 4. In this paper, we present a palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction based on small-mammal (insectivore, bat and rodent) assemblages from this layer. Habitat weighting and bioclimatic model methods were used in order to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions. The results identify a cold climatic period with a landscape dominated by open woodland formations and open-dry habitats, dating to near the beginning of MIS 4. The findings are consistent with studies of large mammals and previously reported pollen studies in terrestrial sequences of this age in Italy and in cores from the offshore Mediterranean basin. Given the scarcity of terrestrial data for MIS 4, the De Nadale Cave constitutes an important site for our knowledge of the environment and climate of this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA), spanning approximately from ~320 Ma (Serpukhovian, late Mississippian) to 290 Ma (mid-Sakmarian, Early Permian), represents the vegetated Earth’s largest and most long-lasting regime of severe and multiple glaciations, involving processes and patterns probably comparable to those of the Last Ice Age. Accompanying the LPIA occurred a number of broadly synchronous global environmental and biotic changes. These global changes, as briefly reviewed and summarized in this introductory paper, comprised (but are not limited to) the following: massive continental reorganization in the lead up to the final assembly of Pangea resulting in profound changes in global palaeogeography, palaeoceanography and palaeobiogeogarphy; substantially lowered global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (pCO2), coupled with an unprecedented increase in atmospheric oxygen concentrations reaching Earth''s all-time high in its last 600million year history; sharp global temperature and sea-level drops (albeit with considerable spatial and temporal variability throughout the ice age); and apparently a prolonged period of global sluggish macro-evolution with both low extinction and origination rates compared to other times. In the aftermath of the LPIA, the world''s climate entered into a transitional climate phase through the late Early to Middle Permian before its transformation into a greenhouse state towards the end-Permian. In recent years, considerable amount of data and interpretations have been published concerning the physical evidence in support of the LPIA, its broad timeframe and eustatic and ecosystem responses from the lower latitudes, but relatively less attention has been drawn to the impact of the ice age on late Palaeozoic high-latitude environments and biotas. It is with this mission in mind that we have organized this special issue, with the central focus on late Palaeozoic high latitude regions of both hemispheres, that is, Gondwana and northern Eurasia. Our aim is to gather a set of papers that not only document the physical environmental changes that had occurred in the polar regions of Gondwana and northern Eurasia during the LPIA, but also review on the biotic responses at different taxonomic, ecological and spatial scales to these physical changes in a refined chronological timeframe. This introductory paper is designed to provide a global context for the special issue, with a brief review of key late Palaeozoic global environmental changes (including: changes in global land-sea configurations, atmospheric chemistry, global climate regimes, global ocean circulation patterns and sea levels) and large-scale biotic (biogeographic and evolutionary) responses, followed by a summary of what we see as unresolved scientific issues and various working hypotheses concerning late Palaeozoic global changes and, in particular, the LPIA, as a possible reference to future research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Charcoal, predominantly the product of wildfires, is abundant in many sedimentary rocks deposited in a wide range of environments, from terrestrial to marine. It also occurs in some volcanic rocks. This paper outlines aspects of charcoal formation (both natural and experimental) and briefly considers the taphonomic processes leading to a final assemblage. This is done using examples from recent fires and through experimentation. The ways in which charcoal assemblages are recognized in the field and extraction in the laboratory are also considered. Methods of charcoal identification are presented. The range of charcoalified plant organs that can be found is discussed and a wide range of study methods outlined (including light microscopy, dark field light microscopy, reflectance microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy). Emphasis in this paper is on the study of macro- and meso-charcoal (above180µm). Finally there is a consideration of the broad use of charcoal from plant evolution studies, fire history studies, vegetation studies, anatomical studies, climate and atmospheric studies and the wider importance of charcoal for the Earth and Biological Sciences. Charcoal is information rich but yet is an under-utilized resource. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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 in the western Himalayan sources being climatically modulated, they offer an alternative interpretation for our reported variability in the radiogenic Nd-isotopic values. Here, we show that the Nd-isotopic values for the Holocene succession instead can be explained by the bedrock geology of the source region of these sediments. Moreover, we note that whereas our paper considers a ~ 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a recent paper (Verzi, D.H., Montalvo, C.I., 2008. The oldest South American Cricetidae (Rodentia) and Mustelidae (Carnivora): late Miocene faunal turnover in central Argentina and the Great American Biotic Interchange. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267, 284–291) the potentially oldest South American Cricetidae (Rodentia) and Mustelidae (Carnivora) have been reported from a Late Miocene (Huayquerian) assemblage located in central Argentina (Caleufú site, La Pampa province). These findings expand the biochron of these important families in South America 3–4Ma earlier than previous records. However, several observations prevent us from accepting the validity of these assumptions. In this paper we discuss the age of the Caleufú assemblage, and the assignment of the GHUNLPam 21722 to Mustelidae. The Caleufú assemblage contains a mixture of Pliocene and Late Miocene faunal elements, and has been assigned to the Huayquerian only due to the “stage of evolution” of some rodents. The lack of isotopic or paleomagnetic data coupled with the isolation of this locality and the absence of a local stratigraphic succession inhibit its correlation with other palaeontological comparable sites and a robust inference about its chronology. The “stage of evolution” of a taxon is not a biostratigraphic tool, thus we cannot rule out the possibility that the Caleufú assemblage has an Early Pliocene (Montehermosan) age. The GHUNLPam 21722, a poorly preserved specimen, shows several characters (e.g., 4 lower incisors, mental foramina below the incisors absent, third lower incisor smaller than the first and second ones) that do not match with Mustelidae (or Carnivora) but instead strongly resemble those observed in didelphimorphian marsupials. The discussed caveats regarding Caleufu assemblage chronology and taxonomy indicate that new and detailed studies are needed before the hypotheses advanced by Verzi and Montalvo can be accepted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the comment on our paper, Forel and Crasquin (2015) make a number of very strong criticisms that attempt to cast doubt on everything in our study. We thank them for their detailed discussion of our paper, especially the taxonomic and methodological issues and the insightful explanations on the causes of the reduction of ostracod size. However, many of their criticisms are excessive. Our paper focused on the change of ostracod size across the Permian–Triassic boundary according to reliable data, and several probable causes were presented. We accept some of the comments by Forel and Crasquin (2015), but these do not negate the core conclusions of our original paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Reconstructing the phylogeny and biogeography of the Caribbean land snail Cerion requires a robust stratigraphic and chronological framework. To this end, we have determined the stratigraphic succession on San Salvador, a Bahamian island with a rich fossil and modern Cerion fauna. A primary purpose of this paper is to independently verify this succession through whole-rock and Cerion aminostratigraphies and AMS 14C-based age models. Over 150 individual Cerion shells were age-ranked from 140 ka to modern using stratigraphic position and reverse-phase HPLC (RPC) amino acid racemization, which was sufficiently sensitive to resolve stratigraphic subunits within the Holocene and late Pleistocene. A secondary purpose of this paper is to assess broad changes in the gross morphology (height, width) of supersets of Cerion from age-ranked lots spanning this ~140 kyr chronostratigraphy. Through each of the three interglacial sequences (i.e., marine isotope stages 5e, 5a, and 1), between-sample trends in mean gross morphology often greatly exceed within-sample variances (±1σ). Live-collected Cerion exhibit a range in gross morphology that nearly encompasses that of the entire fossil sequence. A trend of increasing gross shell size characterizes each of the interglacial phases, with a major step-decrease between marine isotope stages 5a and 1. While between-unit variation is often great in Cerion from SSI, within-unit variation appears unimodal through the record. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The events related to the Messinian salinity crisis are among the most deeply investigated of Earth''s history. According to the current hypothesis of Neogene paleogeographic evolution, approximately 5.5 Ma ago, after evaporitic sedimentation and before the Mio–Pliocene boundary, the Mediterranean was characterized by the widespread development of non-marine environments inhabited by molluscs and ostracods of brackish affinity. The Messinian post-evaporitic deposits that testify such a dramatic environmental change are commonly referred to as ‘Lago-mare’ and have been reported from several outcrops and boreholes throughout the entire Mediterranean basin. The origin of ‘Lago-mare’ conditions is commonly interpreted as the result of the synergistic effect of both the humid climatic conditions and change of the drainage patterns at the Mediterranean scale, with the capture of Paratethyan brackish waters. A few recent studies, however, suggest that such a scenario probably represents an oversimplification of the original context, from both a paleogeographical and paleoenvironmental point of view. Unfortunately, the results of these studies have never been commonly accepted and the proposed evidences have been considered questionable. In this paper we describe the fish assemblages from the ‘Lago-mare’ deposits of two localities, Cava Serredi and Podere Torricella, located in the Neogene hinterland basins of Tuscany, central Italy. These assemblages consists of a mixture of marine euryhaline and stenohaline taxa suggesting that the depositional environments were characterized by permanently open connections with a marine basin filled with normal marine waters. In order to better define the paleontological significance of these upper Messinian fish assemblages, the oxygen, carbon and strontium isotopic composition of fish otoliths and other fossils has been measured. These isotopic compositions are strongly indicative of the presence of normal marine conditions close to the depositional environments testified by the sedimentary sequences, thereby implying that the interpretation of the geochemical results are consistent with those derived from the paleoecological analyses of the fish assemblages. Based on the integrated paleoichthyological–geochemical approach discussed in this paper it is possible to unambiguously demonstrate that normal marine rather than fresh- or brackish waters were present in the Mediterranean at least during the upper part of the ‘Lago-mare’ event, providing an unquestionable evidence that the marine refilling of the basin preceded the Mio–Pliocene boundary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the 2,500,000 km2 Lake Chad Basin in central Africa, the 2000 Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data have been used to supplement the existing topographic data. SRTM data produce much sharper images of the region''s topography and provide new insights into debates about the nature and extent of late Quaternary Lake Chad. This paper shows that the accuracy of SRTM30, the recently released 30 arc seconds topographic data from SRTM, largely surpasses that of previous global Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) available in the region. Using a GIS we identified from SRTM30 elevation data key features in the landscape topography providing further evidence for the existence of a Megalake Chad. The SRTM30 data corroborate the presence of two ancient shorelines associated with stillstands of the paleolake at the elevation of the Mayo Kebbi and Bahr el Ghazal spillovers. We found a general flattening of the topography in the region covered by Megalake Chad which is most likely the result of wave-cut action. The SRTM30 data show that the remains of the highest paleoshoreline have a constant elevation of 325±5 m amsl. At its maximum extent, Megalake Chad had an area of about 340 000 km2 (only 8% less than the present-day world''s largest lake, the Caspian Sea). The SRTM30 data also revealed ancient drainage networks in the Sahara that lead to Megalake Chad. We compiled available 14C dates to constrain Holocene Megalake Chad events. The results presented in this paper have significant consequences for improving our knowledge of regional paleohydrology and continental climate change. This study is also the first step for a GIS-based reconstruction of late Quaternary paleohydrology in tropical Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of lake sediment records have been greatly facilitated by statistical comparisons with microfossil assemblages from the surface sediments of modern lakes. These modern sub-fossil assemblages from different lakes, which are often referred to as “training-sets”, attempt to incorporate gradients of environmental parameters, such as e.g., temperature and phosphorus, are of interest for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. One major assumption of quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstructions requires that the environmental variable to be reconstructed is, or is linearly related to, an ecologically important determinant in the ecological system of interest, and that the joint distribution with other variables in the fossil set is the same as in the training-set. The motivation for this paper is that present-day diatom species abundances in surface-sediment samples are often influenced by several environmental gradients. Partial least squares (PLS) or weighted-averaging partial least squares (WA-PLS) regression methods can be used to adjust species optima, if the additional PLS components, which are orthogonal to previous PLS components, are included. This paper tests a reproducible approach for reducing the influence of background variables within a diatom training-set to produce a “screened” training-set, which focuses on the variable of interest. In our example total phosphorus (TP) is the variable of interest. The initial training-set consists of modern Swiss lakes along an elevation gradient spanning 2005 m (334 to 2339 m a.s.l.), which follows a TP gradient from 522 to 3 μg L−1. However, high-elevation lakes are not distributed equally along the TP gradient. They are meso-oligotrophic because high-elevation eutrophic lakes are rare in Switzerland. This leads to a potential confounding effect between the elevation and the nutrient gradients. These higher elevation lakes were selectively excluded, using Monte Carlo permutation tests, until the conditional effect with respect of covariables of elevation was no longer significantly related to the relative abundance of diatoms. The initial and screened inference models for log TP were applied to fossil assemblages from varved sediments at Greifensee (Switzerland), which cover the past century. The evaluation of the reconstructions with measured TP (1954–1994) demonstrates that the smaller (screened) subset performs better than the larger, more heterogeneous, initial data-set when the same number of components are included. The slope of the relation between measured and inferred log TP changed significantly for the reconstructions using partial least squares, with one and two components, and for reconstruction using weighted averaging partial least squares with two components. According to our interpretation, the accuracy of the reconstructions improved because modern diatom abundances of the smaller subset are controlled mainly by log TP and lakes are more equally distributed along the log TP gradient. This approach of reducing the influence of background variables is applicable to other heterogeneous training-sets, such as merged training-sets, in order to homogenise the background variables and to maintain the gradient of interest. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The relative importance of tectonism and sea-level change in driving Middle to Late Devonian biogeographic patterns in marine invertebrates is investigated using phylogenetic biogeography. Taxa considered include two clades of brachiopods, one bivalve clade, and a suborder of phyllocarid crustaceans. These organisms colonized different depositional environments and played different roles in the Devonian ecosystem which allows biogeographic patterns to be considered in a cross-faunal analysis. Vicariance patterns are well resolved and may reflect biogeographic relationships developed in the Early to early Middle Devonian due to the uplift of intracratonic arches. Uplift of tectonic arches is inferred to occur during times of tectonic quiescence during the second and third (and possibly also the first) tectophase (after Ettensohn, F.R., 1985. The Catskill Delta complex and the Acadian Orogeny: a model. In: Woodrow, D. L., Sevon, W. D. (Eds.), The Catskill Delta. Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, Special Paper 201, pp. 39–49.) of the Acadian orogeny. Geo-dispersal patterns are not as well resolved, but may indicate dispersal across tectonic arches during downwarping associated with increased compressional tectonism during Ettensohn''s (1985) [Ettensohn, F.R., 1985. The Catskill Delta complex and the Acadian Orogeny: a model. In: Woodrow, D. L., Sevon, W. D. (Eds.), The Catskill Delta. Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, Special Paper 201, pp. 39–49] tectophases II and III. Geo-dispersal across relatively low arches may also be coincident with transgressive events IIa and IIc of Johnson et al. (1985) [Johnson, J.G., Klapper, G., Sandberg, C.A., 1985. Devonian eustatic fluctuations in Euramerica. Geological Society of America Bulletin 96, 567–587]. The overall lack of congruence between the vicariance and geo-dispersal patterns suggests that singular, tectonic events exerted more profound influence on Devonian biogeography than cyclical changes in sea level. Furthermore, the offset in perceived timing between vicariance and geo-dispersal patterns may indicate a fundamental change in the style of biogeographic patterns during the Middle Devonian and may have played a major factor in regulating biodiversity dynamics during the Late Devonian biodiversity crisis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: More than 10 years after the 1991 Gulf War oil spill on the Saudi-Arabian coast of the Arabian Gulf, natural remediation has only been partially successful. This fact demonstrates the importance of studying the preconditions for, and the process of, hydrocarbon degradation as well as the competing processes which prevent or slow them down. This paper deals with the preconditions of biodegradation: the presence of water, the availability of oxygen, the influence of temperature and the presence and type of degrading microorganisms. This paper discusses abiotic transformation as well as aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation. The importance of emulsification and hydrocarbon uptake into the degrading microorganisms is underlined. Competing processes include the conversion of liquid oil to viscous and finally solid material, the formation of solid sediment–oil mixtures and the clogging of sediment pores preventing oxygen from entering the pores. At first glance, the competing processes seem more “geological” while emulsification and hydrocarbon uptake seem more “biological”. However, since the necessary energy input (e.g., waves and turbulence) is “geo”(physical), it becomes clear, on the one hand, that the biological process requires geophysical energy input and, on the other hand, is inhibited by geological competition. Oil pollution as well as remediation progress affect the impacted environment since they leave undegradable residues and intermediates as well as microbial biomass and its conversion products. Sediments are enriched with organic matter, whose properties and behaviour are altered. Even inorganic matter may be formed during hydrocarbon biodegradation. The final part of this paper consists of case studies of the accident of the tanker BRAER (1993), the oil spill in the Arabian Gulf (1991), and the continual seeping of the wreck PRESTIGE (2002/03). These three cases demonstrate the importance of oil type, energy input, climatic conditions, as well as human interest in the use of the impacted coast, in determining speed and success of remediation and possible restoration measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ostracods are microcrustaceans that grow by moulting (eight to nine instars in most cases) and, consequently, studies of its populations need the application of some special techniques. The population age structure techniques [Whatley, in: Ostracoda in the Earth Sciences, 1988, pp. 245–256] are a simple statistical method to estimate paleoenvironmental conditions in fossil/Recent populations of ostracods. For its application, it is necessary to determine the percentages of each instar present in the samples studied, in order to analyze the different types of population age structure histograms and their (paleo-)environmental interpretations. Some potential applications are the (paleo-)energy levels or the sedimentation rates. In this paper, these special techniques are applied to Recent populations of the ostracod Pontocythere elongata collected in littoral sediments of southwestern Spain. In this area, the relative percentages of this species and the adult percentages are closely related with depth and consequently this species was used as a bathymetrical tracer in shallow Neogene areas of the Guadalquivir Basin. In addition, a first three-step multivariate analysis permits the definition of three groups, closely related to the theoretical models proposed by Whatley: (a) Group 1 structure or biocoenosis, present either in Recent low- to medium-energy environments located in erosional coastal stretches and Neogene fair-weather conditions; (b) Group 2 structure or high-energy thanatocoenosis, observed either in Recent river mouths with groynes and Neogene storm and post-storm conditions; and (c) Group 3 structure or low-energy thanatocoenosis, characteristic of Recent, progradational coastal areas and present in the Recent–Neogene deeper areas analyzed in this paper (30–40 m depth). This separation is mainly controlled by intrinsic factors (i.e. the natural growth of this species), whereas the extrinsic factors (i.e. the hydrodynamic levels) are only a minor cause of the distribution of this species in the area studied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The abrupt weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during Younger Dryas (YD) has been attributed to freshwater discharge into the North Atlantic ocean and resultant Northern Hemisphere cooling. Recent studies have found that sea ice variability in the Nordic Sea during the YD exerted a great influence upon the northern high-latitude climate. However, the influence of sea ice upon EASM evolution during YD event remains unclear. In this paper, we report two precisely-dated speleothem oxygen isotope records from the EASM-dominated region of central China. Our records archive abrupt changes in EASM variability during the YD event. Initially, there was a significant strengthening of the EASM during the mid-YD following the gradually increased Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Later this trend reversed at ∼12.15 ka due to northern high-latitude sea ice fluctuations and a consequent reduction of AMOC. At the YD termination, abrupt intensification of the EASM was synchronous with the rapid decline of sea-ice and recovery of the AMOC indicating that sea ice variability was a significant influence on high latitude climate and EASM variation during the YD. • A new speleothem δ18O record show significant EASM strengthening during mid-YD. • Mid-YD oscillation in EASM linked with NH sea ice variability. • Abrupt EASM intensification at YD termination synchronous with the rapid decline of sea ice. • Drier interval following the YD termination in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of arid climate conditions in eastern Iberia during the mid-Cretaceous (mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian) has been postulated by several authors over the last two decades based on sedimentological and palaeobotanical datasets. In this paper, we present a combined sedimentological and paleosol study of the mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian Utrillas Group in the Cuenca Basin of east-central Spain, to improve knowledge of palaeoclimate. Four facies associations are identified as follows: Proximal alluvial braidplain (FA I), Distal alluvial braidplain (FA II), Aeolian dunes (FA III), and Inner estuarine settings (FA IV). The succession records the development of a braidplain system under dominantly arid conditions followed by a marine transgressive phase. In contrast to the overall arid palaeoclimate interpretation, multi-proxy palaeoedaphological analyses conducted for three paleosol profiles (Spodosols) indicate the occurrence of periods of increased humidity in the basin. These findings allow us to infer the occurrence of shorter-term climatic oscillations characterised by a tropical savanna climate when the palaeosols developed, suggesting significantly more humid conditions than those inferred based on the sedimentological and previous palaeobotanical datasets. We propose a palaeoclimatic model that explains the alternation between the dominantly arid and these more humid periods based on the cyclical latitudinal shifting of the mid-Cretaceous climatic belts, shedding new light on the mid-Albian to earliest Cenomanian climate of Iberia. • Sedimentology and palaeoedaphology study of the Utrillas Group in the Cuenca Basin. • Short-term climatic oscillations in Iberia during the mid-Albian–early Cenomanian. • Cyclical changes from an arid climate to a seasonally dry tropical climate. • New insights on the mid-Cretaceous palaeoclimate of the basins of Eastern Iberia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vegetation history of the central Tibetan Plateau over the last two millennia provides an important baseline for exploring future vegetation evolution. In this paper, we analyze high-resolution records of pollen, grain-size, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) for a 66.5 cm deep sediment core collected from Beilei Co on the central Tibetan Plateau. Between ca. 210 CE and 1988 CE, pollen spectra together with other proxies show that the Beilei Co region was covered by alpine steppe and experienced a relatively stable environment, with only slight changes in vegetation composition and minor climatic variations. However, since 1988 CE, abundances of Artemisia and Cyperaceae have begun to increase, while those of Chenopodiaceae (current accepted Latin name is Amaranthaceae) and Asteraceae have decreased sharply. Both the pollen assemblages and other proxies show that the study area is currently undergoing a major change and that the period of vegetation stability that has characterized the past two millenia has now ended. We argue that the recent changes in the vegetation may be caused by increasing precipitation and/or thawing permafrost due to global warming. In the future, the alpine steppe around Beilei Co may be replaced by alpine meadow. • High-resolution pollen spectra covering last two millennia completed for the central Tibetan Plateau. • Vegetation of the central Tibetan Plateau is stable for most of the time until the last few decades. • The central Tibetan Plateau is experiencing an unprecedented phase of wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we undertake a high-resolution palynological analysis of a sediment core covering the last 1500 years obtained from Lake Ayakum in the northern Tibetan Plateau, to improve the understanding of regional climate fluctuations and their driving mechanisms. The pollen spectra are dominated by herbaceous species such as Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae, which grew in various alpine desert settings. Four pollen assemblage zones are identified using stratigraphically constrained cluster analysis, representing climate history at different stages. The Artemisia /Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratio and axis score of the first principal component are used to infer regional moisture conditions and reveal a temporal pattern that is consistent with various records from central Asia. The source of Cyperaceae pollen is mainly from marsh wetlands distributed around the lake, which responded sensitively to the lake level fluctuations. In contrast, arboreal pollen is mainly a long-distance transported component, reflecting changes in regional vegetation. Our findings show that the northern Tibetan Plateau experienced relatively wet conditions during the Dark Age Cold Period and the Little Ice Age, while relatively dry conditions occurred during the Medieval Warm Period and the last two centuries. Fluctuations in moisture levels are broadly consistent with moisture records elsewhere in western China, and show a good correlation with phase changes of the North Atlantic Oscillation. The climate changes in the northern Tibetan Plateau are supposed to be primarily triggered by the NAO phases through south-north migrations of the mid-latitude westerlies during the late Holocene. • Fossil pollen based 1500-year vegetation and climate changes on the northern Tibetan Plateau. • Major pollen species were analyzed and interpreted in terms of regional moisture variations. • Four vegetation and climate stages during the late Holocene were determined accordingly. • NAO phases affected northern TP climate through south-north migrations of the westerlies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a new vertebrate ichnoassemblage from the mid- to late Permian red beds of the Ikakern Formation (Tourbihine Member, T2) from the Argana Basin of Morocco, to improve knowledge of paleobiology and palaeobiogeography. The ichnofossils comprise than 50 footprints organized as four trackways and assigned to the ichnogenus Hyloidichnus. The tetrapod tracks are preserved in convex hyporelief and concave epirelief on upper and lower mud-rich surfaces near the top of fine-grained sandstone units. The trackway pattern and the alternating arrangement of the pes-manus sets suggest a sprawling and symmetrical gait, with the movements of the front and hind limbs being of similar size, and it is likely that the animal moved at slow trot. We infer that the potential trackmaker was a captorhinomorph within the Moradisaurinae. This new fossil discovery helps reconstruct the palaeoenvironments and the palaeogeographic distribution of these Permian organisms, with Morocco acting as a faunal exchange gateway between western Gondwana and western Laurasia. Besides the tetrapod tracks, the red beds contain ubiquitous rain-drop marks, current ripples, plant fossil impressions, invertebrate burrows, tetrapod skin imprints, and a single insect wing that suggest that the strata were deposited in an episodically inundated alluvial plain. [Display omitted] • New ichnological evidence of captorhinids (Hyloidichnus) from Middle to Late Permian in North Africa. • Moradisaurines are suggested as the most potential trackmaker of small, large and broad Hyloidichnus. • Hyloidichnus trackways patterns suggest a gait of sprawling limbed tetrapods that would show a slow trot. • Morocco probably played a key-role as a gateway for faunal exchange of captorhinids. • These trackways are restricted to low-energy fluvial settingswith firm ground of sandy streambeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The location of the Yellow River estuary controls the pattern of mud dispersal and therefore influences the ecology of China's marginal seas. However, little is known regarding the Holocene history of Yellow River avulsion. The Yangtze estuary, south of the Yellow River estuary, may provide some clues, as a large amount of Holocene sediments has accumulated in a major paleovalley in this area, incised during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In this paper, we identify clay contributions from the Yellow River in the three Holocene cores (TZ, DY, and HM) of the Yangtze estuary using provenance analogues of clay geochemistry associated with the modern rivers, and reveal the history of Yellow River avulsion into the South Yellow Sea. The results show that clay geochemistry in the Holocene cores is similar to that of the Yangtze River, except for the period of ∼9.5–7.0 cal. kyr B.P. when it is represented by lower element contents more closely similar to those of Yellow River clays. Provenance end-member analysis shows 40%–60% clays of the Yangtze paleovalley was derived from the Yellow River during this period. These findings indicate that, at least, one channel of the Yellow River avulsed southward into the South Yellow Sea during the early to middle Holocene (∼9.5–7.0 cal. kyr B.P.). Fine-grained sediments from the Yellow River paleoestuary could be transported southward to the Yangtze paleovalley by enhanced marine energy during the early to middle Holocene. This study, not only, provides new evidence for Yellow River avulsion in the Holocene, but also sheds light on the impact of the Yellow River sediments on the depositional system along the coast of China, especially in the Yangtze delta. • Three Holocene cores of the Yangtze estuary are analyzed for clay geochemistry. • Geochemistry analogue with the modern rivers identifies clay provenance of cores. • Yellow River clay contributes high to the Yangtze estuary in early-middle Holocene. • Yellow River ever flowed into the South Yellow Sea during ∼9.5–7.0 cal. Kyr B.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direction and intensity of Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) circulation in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region strongly influence pollen dispersal patterns; however, this spatial effect has been rarely quantified. In this paper, we explore the relative importance of this directional spatial effect. Specifically, we construct a wind connectivity diagram for modern pollen sample sites according to the prevailing monsoon direction, and extract latent spatial variables representing the directional process of the ASM, using the method of asymmetric eigenvector maps. We fit redundancy analysis models using both spatial variables and local climate factors, and conduct variation partitioning to quantify the effect of directional spatial effect by the ASM. Taking into account the joint effect with local climate, the directional spatial process induced by the ASM significantly explains the variation of pollen assemblages on the TP. The effect is detected in pollen groups with contrasting functional types and dispersal modes; for example, the composition of arboreal pollen and non-arboreal pollen are both significantly affected by the ASM, yet best explained by models assuming different monsoon directions. Anemophilous pollen shows a higher percentage of variation explained by the ASM than non-anemophilous pollen. Our results indicate that directional processes induced by the monsoon is an important influence on pollen assemblages in the TP and support the idea that deposition patterns of pollen, especially arboreal pollen is a useful proxy for studying monsoon evolution. A similar approach can also be applied to paleomonsoon simulations using fossil pollen records. The role of directional dispersal in affecting fossil pollen composition and abundance by prevailing winds deserves further investigation when undertaking Quaternary paleoenvironmental reconstructions using pollen. • Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) affects pollen assemblages on the Tibetan Plateau via directional spatial process significantly. • Arboreal pollen and non-arboreal pollen are both significantly affected by ASM. • Anemophilous pollen shows a higher percentage of variation explained by the ASM than non-anemophilous pollen. • Arboreal pollen fossil is a suitable potential proxy of studying evolution of monsoon direction and intensity. • Role of directional pollen dispersal by winds deserves more research in pollen-based paleoenvironments reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cenozoic faunal exchanges between Europe, Asia, Africa and America played a key role in shaping modern-day Eurasian ecosystems with dispersal pathways controlled by the dynamics of natural palaeogeographic barriers (e.g., deserts, isthmuses, large water bodies, etc.). The South Caucasus is a mountainous region between Asia and Europe, which served as an important dispersal route during the late Cenozoic for the intercontinental exchanges of diverse terrestrial vertebrates. The Pliocene geology of this region is dominated by volcanic and volcaniclastic deposits that are generally not favourable for fossil preservation. However, a few rich fossil vertebrate faunas do occur although they lack comprehensive palaeoenvironmental and age constraints. In this paper, we present an integrated study of the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Jradzor section located in the Gegham volcanic province of Armenia, to improve knowledge of late Cenozoic dispersal pathways. The 57-m-thick succession comprises 19 fossiliferous horizons with at least 48 identified vertebrate taxa (excluding birds). The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction suggests that the succession was deposited within a short-lived dammed lake that was subject to pyroclastic density flows, and later evolved into soil catenas. Taphonomic observations indicate that pyroclastic flows caused a high mortality of small-size vertebrates in most fossiliferous horizons, while a catastrophic lahar buried the large vertebrate fauna. Multiproxy dating places the studied section between 4.3 and ∼ 3.03 Ma and the mammalian fauna correlates to the MN15. Comparison with similar age localities from across the region shows that Jradzor comprises the most continuous Pliocene succession with the highest number of fossil taxa and fills the MN15 interregional gap. The rich fossil vertebrate faunas have Asian and primarily European affinities. Findings show that the South Caucasus was a significant dispersal route for terrestrial vertebrates between Europe, Asia and Africa, and is of crucial importance for understanding Eurasian palaeogeography. • A new vertebrate fauna with >49 taxa from the Pliocene volcanic terrain of the South Caucasus. • The Jradzor fossil record dated between 4.3 and 3.1 Ma fills the MN15 interregional gap. • High mortality on site was mainly caused by pyroclastic density currents and lahars. • MN15 zone of the South Caucasus mammalian record has Asian and predominantly European affinities. • The South Caucasus is a key palaeobiogeographic tying point between Europe, Asia and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Žilina-Hradisko borehole in Slovakia intersects a succession from the Cretaceous Hradisko formation to the Paleocene Hričovské Podhradie formation. In this paper, we mainly focus on the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K–Pg) boundary interval, which is marked by an abrupt change in planktonic biota and magnetic properties. Micropalaeontological findings suggest a rapid change from a stable, oxygen-rich, oligotrophic environment during the Maastrichtian to an unstable, cooler environment with reduced oxygenation and evidence of biotic stress in the lowermost Danian strata. An abrupt change in the magnetite concentration in the same interval indicates increased detrital input and probably biogenic (soft) magnetite production. Evidence recorded in borehole with enhanced Hg input into the Maastrichtian Ocean suggests that the Deccan eruptions mostly occurred prior to the K–Pg boundary, whereas no volcanic Hg input was detected at the K–Pg boundary itself. Double peaks in multiple magnetic properties mark the Danian hyperthermal Dan-C2 event, which was characterised by a series of environmental changes, including enhanced terrigenous input, oxygen deficit, increased nutrient supply, high benthic productivity, and Parasubbotina acme. Prior to the Latest Danian event, foraminiferal assemblages were significantly affected by dissolution and oxygen depletion, followed by warming, water column stratification, and diversification of calcareous plankton groups. An increase in detrital input and nutrient export drove the productivity of deep-dwelling subbotinids and globanomalinids and were correlated with the mid-Paleocene biotic event (MPBE). The seafloor biota associated with the MPBE implies oxygen deficiency and the prevalence of benthic infauna. The Selandian–Thanetian strata markedly differ from planktonic foraminifera of older formations, with their rich content of large, diversified, and heavily calcified morozovellid and igorinid foraminifera, revealing the existence of water column stratification with surface-water productivity and meso- to oligotrophic conditions. The microfauna of ornate morozovellids and benthic biota from the lowermost formation implies the onset of environmental stress and CaCO 3 dissolution during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). • unravelling the end-Cretaceous to early Ypresian palaeoenvironmental events in the Alpine Tethyan realm • K-Pg boundary recorded by an abrupt change in microbiota and magnetic properties in response to stressful palaeoenvironments • predominantly pre-K-Pg volcanic Hg input • Dan-C2 event: double peaks in multiple magnetic properties, Parasubbotina acme, high benthic productivity • environmental perturbations and biotic changes connected to LDE, MPBE and PETM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapevine and wine have deeply shaped the landscapes, economy and cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean. In France, it is considered that viticulture started in the south via contacts with Mediterranean populations (Greeks, Etruscans, Phoenicians), during the second half of the 1st millennium BCE, and spread further with the Romans. Wild grapevines were nevertheless present in various areas of the country all through the Holocene. No archaeological or historical source allows us to follow the history of grapevine and viticulture over the entire Holocene period and over the whole territory. In this paper we investigate the potential of archaeological plant macroremains (seed/fruits and wood) to trace the history of the vine on a large scale. We have assembled the largest possible database of published and unpublished archaeobotanical data, comprising 4449 site-phases for seed and fruits and 1356 site-phases for wood remains. In spite of taphonomic discrepancies and imbalances in the datasets, the different types of macroremains and modes of preservation produce consistent patterns. They provide the first comprehensive picture of the spread of grapevine, fluctuations in the economic role of viticulture and grape uses over time, although some periods and regions are less documented. Grapevine remains are regularly recorded from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age in most regions showing that human societies were already familiar with the wild plant and its fruits, especially in the Mediterranean. In this region, Vitis remains become considerably more frequent and numerous during the Iron Age, from around 500 BCE onwards, testifying to the rapid and strong implantation of viticulture. Grapevine macroremains confirm that the spread of viticulture outside the Mediterranean area occurred mainly during the Roman period. However, this expansion was limited and mainly focused on the South. The main expansion into the temperate zone took place during the Middle Ages. However, the more detailed fluctuations of viticulture, particularly in relation to climate oscillations are still difficult to follow. Pip remains are mainly associated with urban sites. This is a consequence of the actual consumption of grapes and may be evidence of a viticulture centered around urban areas. • Macroremains data to retrace the Holocene history of Vitis. • Unique database of 4449 site-phases for seeds and 1356 site-phases for wood remains. • First comprehensive picture of the spread of Vitis and viticulture in France. • Significant and consistent involvement of cities in viticultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-latitude permafrost peatlands are sensitive to global warming, and understanding their paleohydrological evolution is critical for assessing future hydrological and environmental changes. This paper presents a diatom record from a peat deposit covering the past 3300 years to reconstruct the moisture and acidity conditions in the Tuqiang permafrost peatland in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains of northeast China. Our findings are integrated with previously published records of plant macrofossils, palynology, and geochemistry from the same profile. From 3300 to 2800 cal yr BP, planktonic and benthic diatoms were equally abundant, indicating relatively high moisture conditions, while the low abundance of acidophilous diatoms reflects relatively high pH during this interval. Pollen data show dominance by sedges with input from the surrounding Pinus forest, while LOI data and lithology suggest that the site was a non-peat accumulating wetland. During the period 2800–1100 cal yr BP, the dominance of planktonic diatoms indicates a wetter local environment, concurrent with the dominance of peat-forming sedges (Eriophorum), indicating the development of a peatland. Between 1100 and 500 cal yr BP, a short-lived increase in acidophilous diatoms (Eunotia) marks a decrease in pH. Since 500 cal yr BP, the dominance of benthic diatoms reflects a drier environment, while a vegetation shift from an Eriophorum -dominated rich fen to a Sphagnum- and Ericaceae-dominated poor fen. An increase in Eunotia diatoms prior to the Sphagnum peak may indicate that diatoms are more sensitive to local acidified habitats than moss. Peatland development in the northern Greater Khingan Mountains was likely induced by the onset of a cooler and wetter climate starting at approximately 2800 cal yr BP, a scenario supported by regional paleoclimate records. Since 700 cal yr BP, the peatland has been affected by both anthropogenic activities and climatic changes, as a drying climate and intensified human activities around the study area reduced diatom species diversity and peat accumulation. Under the background of future global warming and enhanced human activities, the decreasing species diversity and carbon accumulation rate of peatlands in high-latitude permafrost regions need more attention. • Diatoms can indicate local moisture and acidity in permafrost peatlands. • Diatoms are likely more sensitive to microhabitats than bryophytes. • TQ peatland formed after 2800 cal yr BP caused by the cooler and wetter climate. • Rich-fen shifted to poor-fen which co-influenced by deforestation and dry climate at LIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe gravity flow facies that form the base of the Meiji Reef system in the South China Sea, and discuss their palaeoclimate significance. These Early Oligocene (26.1–23.5 Myr) deposits occur in Well NK1 and comprise a 110.6 m thick succession developed on top of volcanic basement. The deposits can be divided into two intervals, both of which are dominated by debris flow facies. The lower 17.6 m thick interval has a gravel content of 50–65% with parent rocks including dacite, basalt, tuff, and coral reef fragments. From base to top, these units coarsen upward and show increasing gravel contents. Gravel clasts are well-rounded but poorly sorted (diameter 10–350 mm), which, together with their complex composition, indicate transportation by the gravity flows from the near-shore volcanic rock basement to the slope. The upper 93 m thick interval comprises abundant bioclastic materials, including benthic foraminifera, crustal red algae, and red algae detritus, with a few volcanic gravel clasts. The content of volcanic rock gravels decreases towards the top, which may be attributed to the reduction or disappearance of volcanic rocks in the provenance area due to the establishment of coral reef facies that cap the succession and dominate the overlying interval from a core depth of 885.6 m to the seafloor. Based on U-Pb dating, the cap-shaped red algae laminae at the facies transition were formed at 24.6 ± 1.1 Ma, dating the earliest initiation of reef building to end-Oligocene times. The emergence of gravity flow sediments during the early Oligocene may be attributed to the onset of the Antarctic glaciation and concurrent regional tectonic activities that led to a shallowing of the sea. The origin of debris with high roundness characteristics is believed to be associated with transportation along the slope triggered by tectonic and climatic events, resulting in the formation of debris flow deposits. Studying the gravity flow facies at the Meiji Reef system is crucial for determining the onset of reef-building and helps establish the relationship between gravity flow deposition, paleoclimate, and regional tectonic evolution in the South China Sea. • On the volcanic basement of Well NK1 in the South China Sea, unique gravity flow deposits with high roundness and low sorting are developed. • U-Pb dating of carbonate rocks shows that the gravity flow deposits were formed during the Oligocene with an age of 26.1–23.5 Ma, which are debris flow deposition. • U-Pb dating of carbonate rocks shows that the age of the cap-shaped red algae laminae around the gravels are formed at 24.6 ± 1.1 Ma, which is the earliest initiation time of reef building in the Cenozoic. • The emergence of gravity flow deposits during the Early Oligocene is an important sedimentary response to a series of events, including global ice age events, regional tectonic activities, and fluctuations in sea level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Linxia Basin is an important region for understanding the tectonism and uplift history in the northeast Tibetan Plateau, and also contains rich mammalian faunas of evolutionary significance. In this paper, we conduct a provenance study of Cenozoic sediments, relying primarily on U-Pb dating of detrital zircons, to investigate the exhumation history of surrounding terranes and to gain a better understanding of the relationship between tectonism, basin development and paleoenvironment. Samples were collected from the Maogou section in the central Linxia Basin, which has been recently dated by magnetostratigraphy. Detrital zircon populations show five U Pb age groups of 65–350 Ma, 350–600 Ma, 600–1600 Ma, 1600–2200 Ma and 2200–2600 Ma; however, U Pb age patterns varied up-section, indicating different sources at different times. Sediments from the lower part of the section (>27.8 Ma) were sourced from multiple regions, including the distal East Kunlun Shan, Qilian Shan, and Songpan–Ganzi terranes, and as well as the proximal West Qinling region. Contributions from the Songpan–Ganzi terrane increased considerably during the late Oligocene (27.8–23 Ma), as a result of strong tectonic movements of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. During the early Miocene (23–17.2 Ma), the northern sources of the Laji Shan–Maxian Shan region supplied more sediments to the basin, indicating the uplift and exhumation of these mountain ranges. Until the middle Miocene (17.2–12.8 Ma), the Songpan-Ganzi terrane and the northern sources dominated the basin sediments, while the northern sources and the Jishi Shan region became increasingly important sources at around 11.6 Ma. This study explores the tectonosedimentary evolution of the Linxia Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, providing a reference for further research of the paleoclimate and mammalian evolution in this critical region. • Detrital zircon provenance study on sediments in the Linxia Basin. • Sediment sources supplied the central basin at the early stage. • The Songpan–Ganzi direction source largely increased in the late Oligocene. • The north source became an important early to middle Miocene source for the basin. • The Jishi Shan did not influence the Maogou section until around 11.6 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cambrian 'Explosion', located by many authors between 540 and 520 million years ago (Ma), is considered to be an abrupt appearance in the fossil record of most animal phyla, with a sudden increase of complex morphologies across metazoan groups. In a few recent papers, the Great Ordovician Biodiversification 'Event' (GOBE) has similarly been restricted to a single dramatic biodiversification 'event' in the Darriwilian Stage of the Middle Ordovician Series, between 470 and 455 Ma, although historically the biodiversification is considered as an aggregation of radiation 'events' capturing a large and complex increase of taxonomic diversity of marine invertebrates covering the entire Ordovician. A review of biodiversity curves of marine organisms during the early Palaeozoic, including some based on data in the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) and the Geobiodiversity Database (GBDB), points towards a single, large-scale, long-term early Palaeozoic radiation of life that already started in the late Precambrian. An abrupt 'explosion' of diversity in the Cambrian or a significant 'event' in the Ordovician are not visible in our biodiversity studies, because they are either regional, or only reflect a single group of organisms. It is evident that the datasets remain incomplete, in particular those for many geographical areas and for several fossil groups, that are not covered by the PBDB and GBDB; also, such areas remain so far poorly or entirely unstudied. Some recently published biodiversity curves have to be considered with care, as the truly global diversity estimates of marine organisms during the early Palaeozoic remain elusive. Here, we argue that published curves of taxonomic richness, which show distinct periods of diversification, cannot sufficiently be disentangled from biases. We therefore question the existence of a distinct Cambrian 'Explosion' and global Ordovician 'Event' in the global datasets. Both terms, Cambrian 'Explosion' and Great Ordovician Biodiversification 'Event should be used as conceptional terms only. The first represents the appearance of almost all animal phyla during the late Precambrian and early Cambrian, whereas the second term embraces the numerous and complex radiations that occurred during the entire Ordovician. • The early Palaeozoic accommodated a single long-term radiation. • Continental fragmentation exerted a first-order control on this long-term radiation. • The Cambrian biodiversification was not a sudden burst ('explosion') of diversity. • The Great Ordovician Biodiversification 'Event' was not a single 'event'. • Terms such as 'radiation' or 'biodiversification' are more suitable terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Salawusu River Valley cuts through the Mu Us Desert in north central China, and lies at the interface of the East Asian Summer and Winter Monsoonal regions. Exposed at numerous locations in the valley side are extensive late Quaternary deposits, consisting of interbedded aeolian sands, fluvio-lacustrine units and palaeosols. Due to the importance of the location in potentially elucidating both summer and winter monsoonal regimes, and the quality of the sedimentary record, the region has a rich history of study, and yet even within the Holocene sequence, many conflicting interpretations have arisen based on studies on different sections. This paper aims to synthesize and explore these differences by exploring the lateral continuity of the Holocene sequences along a ~ 45 km reach of the valley, and presenting new, detailed physical and geochemical analyses of three sections, focusing on the lacustrine Holocene Dagouwan Formation. The absence of the lacustrine unit at several locations confirms that rather than representing a single lake, the Dagouwan Formation instead represents a series of palaeolakes, probably at least partially hydrologically isolated from each other by aeolian sands. All begin with sand-dominated deposits during the early−/mid-Holocene, which is interpreted as the result of abundant sand-supply to the north and west, under the influence of an enhanced East Asian Winter Monsoon, and all switch to silt-dominated, more carbonate-rich deposits during the mid−/late-Holocene, which is attributed to an enhanced East Asian Summer Monsoon bringing loessic silts from the Chinese Loess Plateau to the east and south. The timing of this change, perhaps as late as 5.5 ka, supports the idea of a relatively enhancement late mid-Holocene of the summer monsoonal circulation in the region. However, despite the proximity of the sections and consistent analytical approaches, marked differences between the sections occur in all proxies studied. The timing and rate of the switch from sand- to silt-dominated lacustrine deposition varies between the sites by as much as 2000 years within just a few kilometres of each other, and at some sites the switch was gradual, whereas at others it was very rapid. Similar dramatic variations are also seen with organic carbon content, carbonate content, C:N ratio, and especially the δ13C isotopic ratio. These point to the lake basins behaving very differently, and emphasize that consideration must be given to the local geomorphology and palaeolimnological evolution of individual sections. • Differences in lacustrine Holocene monsoon records in northern China are explored. • The occurrence of the lakes is geomorphologically, not climatologically, controlled. • Different sections of similar units represent different lakes with varied histories. • Consistent changes in sediment suggest mid-Holocene decline of winter monsoon. • Study of individual sections or proxies cannot be used to infer regional climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The far-field effects of the India-Eurasia collision led to tectonic deformation, mountain uplift and climate change in Inner Asia during the Cenozoic Era. In order to improve our understanding of the interplay between tectonics and climate, we present this new Special Issue. It comprises sixteen papers that can be categorized into three broad themes: (1) Cenozoic tectonics and surface processes in Inner Asia; (2) regional paleoenvironment and paleoclimate changes; and (3) numerical modelling of the environmental effects of tectonic uplift and changing ocean gateways. These contributions provide new insights into Cenozoic tectonism, climate changes and their possible inter-relationships in Inner Asia and improve our understanding of the coupling between lithosphere and surface (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere) processes. The articles will be of broad interest to interdisciplinary scholars in geosciences. • Cenozoic tectonics and surface processes in Inner Asia. • Regional paleoenvironment and paleoclimate changes. • Modelling of the climatic effects of tectonic uplift and changing ocean gateways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the paleogeography and plate tectonics of the Silurian using five global and twelve regional scale maps. These maps illustrate the distribution of major tectonic elements such as subduction zones, spreading centres, transform faults and main volcanic areas 435 and 425 Ma ago. The regional maps show the global paleogeographic configuration combined with palaeoenvironmental and palaeolithofacies distribution. The paleogeographic analysis shows that the continents of Gondwana, Laurentia, Laurussia, Siberia, South China and North China were separated by the Iapetus, Rheic, Paleoasian (Prototethys), Paleotethys, Panthalassa and Mongol-Okhotsk oceans. Spreading of the Rheic and Paleotethys oceans constituted the main Silurian extensional event. The Scythian-Turan-South Kazakhstan-Junggar-Tarim-North China chain of continents moved north-westwards, and this led to a gradual narrowing of the Paleoasian Ocean. The Caledonian-Scandian orogeny that resulted from the collision of Baltica, Avalonia and Laurentia constituted the main convergent event during Silurian times. [Display omitted] • Paleogeographic and plate tectonics maps of the Silurian. • Caledonian orogeny – collision of Baltica, Avalonia and Laurentia. • Spreading of the Rheic and Prototethys oceans. • Paleoenvironment and palaeolithofacies distribution. • Organic-rich rock distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inner Asia underwent dramatic changes in sea-land distributions and paleoenvironment in the Cenozoic that were marked by the westward retreat and finally demise of the proto-Paratethys and the subsequent formation of the largest mid-latitude dryland in Central Asia in the Northern Hemisphere. The proto-Paratethys has now retreated to the present-day Mediterranean, but this huge epicontinental sea once extended eastward to the remote Tarim Basin in Central Asia. Although the Tarim and Tajik Basins are today separated by the Pamir salient, they were once the same basin occupied by sea water that belonged to the easternmost part of the Turan Sea in the early Cenozoic. The present Alay Valley that is situated between the Pamirs and Tian Shan was formerly the seawater channel that connected the Tarim and Tajik Basins; since the late Eocene the Valley has experienced a major change in altitude from sea level to 3500 m. The timing and detailed process of the final seawater retreat in the Alay Valley have considerable importance for understanding the interplay between tectonics, surface process, and climate. However, there is still much controversy about the timing of the final seawater retreat from the Tarim and Tajik Basins. In this paper we present a multidisciplinary study of Upper Paleogene strata in the easternmost Alay Valley. Our new magnetostratigraphy, together with the biostratigraphy and the U-Pb age of detrital zircons, indicates that the Upper Paleogene strata have an age range of 40 to 28 Ma. A shallow open sea ended at 40 Ma in both the Tarim and Tajik Basins just after the termination of the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum. The change from a shallow open sea to an alternative deposition of restricted marine and continental facies began at 40 Ma. Nine marine transgression/regression cycles were recorded in the Alay Valley as indicated by the alternations between restricted marine environment (lagoon) and terrestrial deposition from 39.1 to 37.8 Ma. During this period, the Alay Valley was intermittently occupied by seawater. The final seawater retreat from the Alay Valley was at 37.8 Ma. There might be a diachronous final seawater retreat from the restricted marine environment in the Alay Valley and the Tajik Basin, it was mostly related to the sedimentary hiatuses and/or to the differential uplift and basin filling processes driven by the outward growth of the Pamirs. • New magnetostratigraphy of 40–28 Ma of the Paleogene strata in the Alay Valley. • Shallow open marine environment ended at 40 Ma in the western Tarim Basin. • Alternative deposition of restricted marine and continental deposition at 40–37.8 Ma. • The final seawater retreat from the Alay Valley was at 37.8 Ma. • Nine marine transgressions occurred between 39.1 and 37.8 Ma in the Alay Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arid regions of northwestern China are dominated by extensive areas of mobile sand dunes. These features cause environmental problems and exert global climatic impacts; however, due to the lack of systematically-applied indicators of aeolian activity, direct evidence of past changes in aeolian activity is unreliable, especially for aeolian sand source regions. In this paper, we analyze the end-member (EM) distributions of various types of surface soil across the Tengger Desert in northwestern China, and devise a sensitive proxy for aeolian activity using a spatio-temporal substitution approach. This proxy is then used to evaluate a Quaternary aeolian succession and to understand the response of aeolian activity to regional climate change. Our results suggest that gradual increases in the coarse-grained EM components 3–5 reflect enhanced dune mobility and reduced vegetation coverage, which are a direct function of the intensity of regional aeolian activity. In the aeolian section, coarse- and medium-grained sand layers resemble modern semi-mobile and mobile dunes, whereas fine-grained sand layers are analogous to vegetated fixed/semi-fixed or semi-mobile dunes. Combining this record with independent multi-proxy evidence from the same section leads us to conclude that strong aeolian activity coincided with a dry climate, sparse vegetation cover, and strong surface winds during the Last Glacial Maximum, and that these conditions gradually attenuated at the beginning of the Last Deglacial. These inferences are in accord with independent paleoclimate records from this region, confirming that the intensity of aeolian activity in the southeastern Tengger Desert is closely associated with large-scale climate change. Our findings show that our EM proxy can be used to infer the intensity of aeolian activity and to reliably reconstruct the evolution of deserts in northwestern China. [Display omitted] • Coarse grain-size End-members (EM) 3–5 are a proxy of the strength of aeolian activity. • This proxy is applied to a palaeo-aeolian sequence to reconstruct the history of desert evolution. • Aeolian activity was closely associated with large-scale climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems in arid regions with sandy substrates are vulnerable to various environmental challenges. Understanding the vegetation evolution of such regions over a long timescale and the possible drivers of change is important for optimizing ecological restoration. In this paper, we present multi-proxy data to understand Holocene vegetation dynamics and their drivers in the Horqin Sandy Land in northern China. Phytoliths are used to reconstruct vegetation; grain size and magnetic susceptibility are used to reconstruct the climate; and sedimentary charcoal contents and the numbers of regional archaeological sites are used to reconstruct the fire activity and human activity intensity, respectively. Results indicate that the Horqin Sandy Land was covered mainly by grassland vegetation during the Holocene, and that the trajectory of vegetation evolution was as follows: sparse and species-poor Leymus chinensis grassland from 9300 to 6150 cal yr BP, relatively sparse and species-rich mesophytic herb grassland from 6150 to 2300 cal yr BP, and dense and species-rich L. chinensis grassland from 2300 to 250 cal yr BP. Climate change was the main driver of vegetation evolution, but fire and human activities also influenced the vegetation to varying degrees. Fire made the greatest contribution to the vegetation change during the 6150–2300 cal yr BP interval, and human activities contributed throughout the 8200–2300 cal yr BP interval. The evolution of plant species richness and the number of C 3 plants show a significant ∼1000-yr periodicity during 9300–4500 cal yr BP, which we speculate was caused by the effect of solar activity on East Asian monsoon intensity, which likely controlled the vegetation change on a millennial timescale. • The Holocene vegetation in Horqin Sandy Land is qualitatively reconstructed. • Climate dominated the vegetation evolution, while fire and human activity were additional influences. • The vegetation change shows a ∼ 1000-yr periodicity during 9300–4500 cal yr BP. • The vegetation change on a millennium cycle was likely driven by the solar activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O'Dogherty et al.'s comments on our paper (Luis O'Dogherty, Paulian Dumitrica, Špela Goričan, Jonathan C. Aitchison, Comment on the species and age determination published by Li et al. “Discovery of radiolaria from Upper Cretaceous oceanic red beds in Daba, Kangmar and its paleogeographic implication” [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 312 (2011):127–137], Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.04.002 .) make a number of strident criticisms that attempt to cast doubt upon the species and age determination we made in that paper. In this paper, we will give a reply to their main comments on our paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sikkim region of the Himalayas is among one of the most highly sensitive hotspots to climate change due to its fragile mountainous environment and rapidly growing population, which exert significant impacts on regional ecosystem factors, including biodiversity and hydrology. Limited observational data coverage in space and time for the high-altitude mountainous region impedes our understanding of climate change and its impact on the environment. In this paper, we develop a 437-year tree-ring width index chronology of Tsuga dumosa (D.Don) Eichler in northern Sikkim as a climate proxy. The substantial dendroclimatic potential of this proxy is evidenced in various statistics computed from the tree-ring chronology. An analysis of the tree-ring chronology indicates a strong negative relationship between late-summer mean temperatures (July–August–September; JAS) and tree growth. This relationship enables us to reconstruct the JAS mean temperature over northern Sikkim since 1705 C.E. The 304-year (1705–2008 C.E.) reconstructed temperature series shows similar warm and cool epochs, which have been observed in many other temperature reconstructions in the region and other proxy records of glacial fluctuations. An overall steady decreasing trend in the regional surface temperature is observed since 1705 C.E., while an increasing trend with intermittent, short and cool epochs are noticed from 1850 C.E. to the present. Prior to the observational period (before 1901 C.E.), cold conditions (X̄ - 1σ) prevailed during 1816–1819, 1831–1837, 1856–1859, and 1884–1887 C.E, with extremely cold conditions (X̄ - 2σ) occurring in 1816, 1817, 1832, 1833, 1857, 1877, 1884, and 1885 C.E; Warm conditions (X̄ + 1σ) prevailed during 1713–1735 and 1823–1827 C.E, with extremely warm (X̄ + 2σ) conditions occurring in 1724, 1823, 1824, and 1825 C.E. Global teleconnections of the reconstructed temperature variations indicate the important roles of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and volcanic eruptions as drivers of temperature variations in the Sikkim region of the Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition is a critical period in Earth history, during which both marine environment and life experienced drastic changes. It was suggested that pervasive oxygenation and associated chemical changes in the ocean have potentially triggered the rapid diversification of early Cambrian metazoans. The timing and process of ocean oxygenation, however, have not been well constrained. In this paper, an integrated study was conducted on the lower Cambrian Niutitang (NTT) Formation in Siduping area, western Hunan, which was paleogeographically located at shelf margin–upper slope setting of the Yangtze Platform. Using ICP-MS, Element Analyzer, FESEM, EDS and XRD techniques, the abundance of RSEs (redox sensitive elements), patterns of RSEs distribution, pyrite morphology, TOC (total organic carbon), TS (total sulfur), S PY (pyrite sulfur) as well as N and P contents were investigated systematically. The results show that during the NTT deposition, bottom seawater in the study area experienced a complicated evolution, with a dynamic alternation of three ferruginous and three euxinic intervals, and suboxic–oxic conditions occurring only in the latest Cambrian Stage 3. Comparison with relevant sections reported previously from other facies belts within the Yangtze Platform shows that the seawater oxygenation was a progressive process expanding from shallow to deep-water areas in time. Shallow-water platform area became oxygenated in the late Cambrian Stage 2, shelf margin area in the late Cambrian Stage 3, and the deep-water basin remained ferruginous until the latest Cambrian Stage 3, when it became euxinic. Sediment Mo/TOC, U/TOC ratios increased from bottom to top in the section, coupled with elevated Mn, N and P secular trends, likely indicating an overall enhancement of seawater oxygenation. The spatial-temporal distribution and increased paleoecologic complexity of major fossil groups on the Yangtze Platform over time coincide with the seawater oxygenation process, likely implying that increased ocean oxygenation and declining euxinic seawaters have driven the rapid diversification of early Cambrian metazoans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trace fossil Paleodictyon is characterized by a regular hexagonal network and has been widely considered to be a characteristic of the Nereites ichnofacies, indicative of a deep-marine environment. Recently, however, some researchers have reported Paleodictyon occurrences in relatively shallow settings, leading to suggestions that the habitat of these burrowers was not restricted to deep-marine environments. A new occurrence of this trace fossil is presented in this study from a shallow-marine succession of Upper Cretaceous deposits in northern Japan. Paleobathymetric and temporal variations in the habitat range of shallow-marine examples of this ichnotaxon are also discussed based on a compilation of previous works. The new Paleodictyon specimens discussed here are from the lowermost part of the Mikasa Formation within the Yezo Group, interpreted as a deposit representing the lower shoreface through to the inner shelf transitional zone. This paper presents the first record of a shallow-marine Paleodictyon from the Pacific region; combined with data from previous studies, records suggest that shallow-marine Paleodictyon are observable from Paleozoic-to-Mesozoic shelf deposits, although no reliable records of their occurrences have so far been reported from the Cenozoic. Increasing bioturbation intensity and predation pressure during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic may have been significant factors preventing the preservation of this ichnogenus in post-Mesozoic shallow-marine settings. The Paleodictyon -bearing interval of the Mikasa Formation also preserves evidence for low-intensity bioturbation, which may account for preservation of the traces in this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the geology, biodiversity and palaeoecology of the Hindon Maar Complex, the second Miocene Konservat-Lagerstätte to be described from New Zealand. The Lagerstätte comprises four partly eroded maar-diatreme volcanoes, with three craters filled by biogenic and highly fossiliferous lacustrine sediments. The exceptionally well-preserved and diverse biota from the site is derived from a mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere lake-forest palaeoecosystem, including many fossil taxa not previously reported from the Southern Hemisphere. The most common macrofossils are leaves of Nothofagus , but the flora also includes conifers, cycads, monocots (such as Ripogonum and palms), together with Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Araliaceae leaves and flowers. The small maar lakes were surrounded by Nothofagu s/podocarp/mixed broadleaf forest growing under humid, warm temperate to subtropical conditions. The fossil fauna comprises insects in the orders Odonata, Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Trichoptera, and the fish assemblage includes a non-migratory species of the Southern Hemisphere Galaxias (Galaxiidae) and a significant new record of the freshwater eel Anguilla (Anguillidae). The fossil assemblage also includes the first pre-Quaternary bird feathers from New Zealand and abundant coprolites derived from fish and volant birds, presumably waterfowl. Palynomorph analysis and a 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 14.6 Ma obtained from basanite associated with the maar complex indicate that the Hindon Maar Complex is of mid-Miocene age (Langhian; New Zealand local stage: Lillburnian). It thus provides a new and unique perspective on Neogene terrestrial biodiversity and biogeography in the Australasian region, around the end of the mid-Miocene thermal optimum and prior to late Miocene–Pleistocene climate cooling episodes when many warm-temperate and subtropical forest components became extinct in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuous strontium isotope profile with high-resolution sampling is desirable to calibrate multiple global events, realize temporal correlation among different continents, and understand tectonic history of the Permian Period. In this paper, we analyzed 90 micritic limestone samples from South China and 7 samples from Iran, with the aim to gain new 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data and obtain a curve of Sr isotopes for the Permian. The concentrations of Mg, Fe, Mn, and Sr are used to discriminate possible diagenesis of the samples. A comparison of those 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values between South China and southern Urals confirms that Sr-isotope proxy has the potential to be used for time calibration and correlation in regions where biostratigraphic or radiometric markers are not available. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr curve obtained in this study shows a trend comparable with the LOcally WEighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) regression curve from the previous studies. A continuous decline trend from the latest Carboniferous to late Guadalupian was shown, and the lowest 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in the late Capitanian was constrained within the interval from the conodont Jinogondolella shannoni / J. altudaensis to J. xuanhanensis zones. It is followed by an increasing trend to more radiogenic values in the Lopingian with a minor fluctuation in the early Wuchiapingian. We consider that mid-ocean ridge spreading and increasing continental weathering during the transition from convergence to the breakup of Pangea as the dominant factors driving the changes of the seawater Sr isotope ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic oscillations at the Gelasian/Calabrian transition modified terrestrial palaeoenvironmental settings in the European region. A gradual drop in global temperatures beginning about 2.7 Ma led to drier conditions and to a reduction in, and subsequent disappearance of, sub-tropical vegetation in the central Mediterranean area by ca 1.2 Ma. Large ungulates are sensitive to vegetation changes and faced with harsher environmental settings may shift their feeding strategies to exploit available food resources in different ecosystems. In fossil assemblages such dietary adaptations are reflected by tooth morphology (a phylogenetic signal) and tooth wear degree (a direct signal of the species' diet). In this paper, we investigate how large herbivores responded to palaeoenvironmental changes that occurred at the passage between the Gelasian and Calabrian ages in the Italian Peninsula, analysing the dental wear patterns and hypsodonty of the early Pleistocene fossil ungulates assemblage of Olivola (Aulla, Central Italy). We found that while ungulate feeding behaviours during the Gelasian spanned from browsers to grazers, in the locality of Olivola this group of herbivores display a narrower range of diet types with many taxa adopting a mixed feeding behaviour. Cervids in particular, whose fossils are often associated only with wooded environments, as a response to the reduction of covered sub-tropical vegetation, shifted from a strict browsing diet in mostly closed habitats to a more abrasive one taking advantage of the spread of open landscapes. We also provide new data on the feeding behaviour of the rare fossil caprines, Procamptoceras and Gallogoral meneghinii , suggesting a grass-rich mixed diet for the former and a certain degree of dietary plasticity for the latter. Our research thus contributes to the better understanding of how ungulates adapted in the past to exploit different resource types during pivotal climatic changes and how environments changed in Central Italy on the onset of colder and more arid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Albian and Cenomanian, the Earth underwent profound climatic and oceanographic changes that were recorded in sedimentary successions on a global scale. Carbon isotope records spanning this time interval have been established in the western Tethys, eastern Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, but not yet in the eastern Tethys Ocean. In this paper, we present biostratigraphic, chemostratigraphic and cyclostratigraphic characteristics of the uppermost Albian–lowermost Cenomanian in an eastern Tethyan section (Youxia, southern Tibet). Based on calcareous nannofossil biozones and the bulk rock δ 13 C curve, the Albian-Cenomanian boundary interval (ACBI) was identified and correlated to the western Tethys and Atlantic Oceans. In the Youxia section, δ 13 C values range from approximately 0‰ to +1.3‰ (−0.03‰ to +1.31‰). Four subevents (a, b, c and d) were distinguished in the ACBI carbon isotope curve via correlation with other sections. Based on a spectral analysis of the carbonate content, we recognized Milankovitch short eccentricity (~100 kyr) and precession (22.2 kyr) cycles, suggesting that orbital variations modulated depositional processes. The duration of the ACBI was estimated at ~311 kyr, while OAE 1d lasted for ~233 kyr in the eastern Tethys Ocean, consistent with the duration calculated from Atlantic Ocean records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Pleistocene (MIS5) site known as Cova del Rinoceront near Barcelona, Spain, contains a large assemblage of ungulate remains, among which the most dominant, in the uppermost Layer I, are those of the rare Mediterranean deer, Haploidoceros mediterraneus . In this paper, zooarchaeological and coprogenic analyses are used to evaluate the taphonomic and geological processes involved in determining the nature of the Layer I assemblage. The assemblage cannot have been generated by either hyenids or humans, nor does it constitute an accidental collection, as seen in other Pleistocene accummulations. Instead, the skeletal frequencies, coprogenic tracemarkers and the diagnostic biological damage on bones suggest it accumulated as a result of the feeding of a carnivore. The homogeneous pattern of carcass utilization and the predation of similar-sized ungulates suggest a canid as the main biological agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aferdou el Mrakib, the largest carbonate buildup of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, is known for its rich, Givetian fossil assemblage, dominated by corals. The core part of the reef was either removed by erosion, or pervasively dolomitised, with corals preserved mostly in the talus beds deposited in the fore-reef environment. This paper focuses on massive colonial tabulate corals, represented by Heliolites porosus and members of the genus Favosites , which constituted the largest tabulates of Aferdou el Mrakib and are frequently found in the reef-derived debris. The study reconstructs survival strategies of these corals based on an analysis of their morphologies, growth patterns, as well as records of interactions with other organisms. Both H . porosus and Favosites are represented predominantly by domal growth forms. As compared to the favositids, the coralla of H . porosus are considerably more abundant and attained notably larger sizes, with some of the colonies exceeding 1 m in diameter. Even the largest coralla were in places found toppled and in upside-down positions, indicating their downslope transportation by gravity flows, and possible periodic involvement of high energy events. H . porosus commonly encrusted and was encrusted by other organisms. The encrustations usually coincide with very frequent, sediment-induced growth interruption surfaces found within the coralla. The growth interruption surfaces rarely preserve the original sediment, attesting the presence of mechanisms of sediment removal by the coral. Similar surfaces occur also in the Favosites coralla, but they are less common and often lined by distinct sediment intercalations. Few encrustations on Favosites were demonstrated to have happened post-mortem, while encrustations on H . porosus typically formed syn -vivo, as evidenced by the coral successfully overgrowing its epibionts. H . porosus was a resistant species, which could endure frequent episodes of sediment influx and defend itself from aggressive encrusters. Favosites colonies, in turn, relied on selective settlement on more sparsely occupied substrates available in deeper parts of the Aferdou el Mrakib reef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-resolution analysis of the distribution of major and trace elements across a Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary (KPgB) was done using Laser Ablation-Inductivity Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and was compared with traditional distinct sampling and analysis. At the Agost site (SE Spain) a 22-cm-long core containing the KPgB was recovered using a Rolatec RL-48L drill. Within this interval, the lowermost 5 cm correspond to the Maastrichtian and the uppermost 17 cm to the Danian. The core section was resin-embedded under O 2 -free conditions, cut and polished for LA-ICP-MS continuous measurements with 10 μm increments and a laser-beam of 80 μm. Elemental concentrations in discrete samples taken prior to embedding from the same core interval were determined by Inductivity Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The LA-ICP-MS analyses in continuous mode considerably improve the resolution of geochemical profiles, allowing the compositional variability at a micrometer scale within the ejecta layer to be detected. In this study, we obtained profiles with 255 data points for the ejecta layer interval compared to 3 data points obtained by traditional manual sampling and ICP-OES analyses. Yet our recovered core section showed a rather limited preservation of the ejecta layer. This paper focuses on the presentation of LA-ICP-MS analysis as a particularly useful tool to investigate paleoenvironmental changes associated with bio-events. Additionally, the high-resolution of major and trace elemental distribution made it possible to study remobilization across thin but distinct boundaries such as the KPgB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once perceived as a continent-wide extinction event, doubts have been raised as to the severity and extent of the Vallesian Crisis. In this paper, we use the high-resolution late Aragonian to middle Turolian micromammal record from both the coastal Vallès-Penedès Basin and inland Calatayud-Teruel Complex to determine geographic extent of this late Miocene turnover event and its effects within the reaches of the Iberian Peninsula. Differences in faunal composition between the two regions confirm that the event was much less severe than previously thought. Surprisingly, the diversity peaks in the two regions do not coincide. Whereas at the coast highest diversity is found in the early Vallesian (just before the turnover), in the inland it peaks in the late Vallesian. Several taxa never made it inland as reflected by the low similarity between both regions during the early Vallesian, suggesting that the Vallès-Penedès was indeed unique and consistently showed higher affinities with northern regions. The large differences even at relatively short distances support the idea that the ‘Vallesian Crisis’ was a local event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use δ 13 C and δ 15 N of serial samples of dentine collagen from archaeological springbok teeth as a novel high-resolution but short-term palaeoenvironmental proxy. Two adult and seven juvenile springbok ( Antidorcas marsupialis ) teeth from the archaeological site SK400 were analyzed. This site, located in the Namaqualand desert on the west coast of South Africa has yielded a large number of small-medium bovids, likely all springbok. These springbok were killed in a single episode between 1438 and 1641 CE, during the Little Ice Age (LIA). The juvenile springbok were significantly more depleted in 13 C and enriched in 15 N compared with the adults. During the four to six months over which their teeth developed, the juveniles consumed a higher proportion of C 3 plants and were exposed to greater aridity than the adults at equivalent ages. Based on dental wear, the adults are estimated to be between 3.5 and 7.5 years old at death, so the isotope values in their teeth record diet and environmental conditions several years earlier. In addition, the juveniles (but not the adults) show a trend towards more negative δ 13 C values and very high δ 15 N (up to + 18.9‰) during the period of tooth formation, truncated by the animals' death. We infer that the animals were killed during an extreme drought. Informed by the archaeological evidence, we surmise that this was probably a herd of springbok on ‘trek’ in search of food and water, as this species is known to do during droughts. Although palaeoenvironmental proxies for the region as a whole suggest that Namaqualand was cool and wet during the Little Ice Age, this study indicates at least one period of drought, contributing to the developing picture of highly variable climates in southern Africa during the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition from widespread humid to more drought tolerant floras characterized tropical terrestrial ecosystems during the Permian (Cisuralian). Tregiovo (Southern Alps, N-Italy) is one of the very few well dated Kungurian (late Cisuralian) plant localities in Euramerica. It was located in eastern palaeoequatorial Pangea. Two units bearing fossil plant assemblages occur in finely laminated sediments deposited in a playa-lake environment. In this paper, the sedimentology of the Tregiovo Basin is reviewed, and new palaeobotanical, palynological and stable isotopic data are presented, in order to reconstruct the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental conditions of the Kungurian in the Southern Alps. Both fossil plant assemblages are dominated by conifers ( Hermitia , Feysia , Quadrocladus , Dolomitia ), together with sphenophytes ( Annularia ), ginkgophytes ( Sphenobaiera ), pteridosperms ( Peltaspermum ), taeniopterids and sphenopterids. These taxa, which occur with different abundances in the two plant assemblages, both indicate semi-arid conditions. Associated palynoflora, dominated by bisaccate pollen, and extremely rare spore occurrences, is consistent with the xerophytic character of the macroflora, and suggests that the fossil plant record was not affected by collection or preservation bias. Stable isotopic analyses of two stratigraphic sections reveal an upward trend of increasingly negative δ 13 C org (VPDB), which may correlate with roughly coeval records from marine and continental successions such as in North China and South Africa. This isotopic shift may be attributed to a global perturbation of atmospheric δ 13 C, although the influence of local environmental factors cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a palynological investigation of the sands from upper Eocene (Priabonian) epicontinental marine strata at Łukowa, SE Poland. This locality represents an isolated spot of upper Eocene strata in the southern part of epicontinental Poland due to later uplift and erosion of this area. The sands studied yielded a well-preserved palynoflora, providing information about palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate after the Early Eocene Climate Optimum. During the study a total of 94 fossil species of palynomorphs were identified. The results indicate that the vicinity of the sedimentary basin was covered by vegetation with a significant portion of thermophilous taxa and containing many elements with East Asian affinities. The plant communities were composed of Platanus , Platycarya , Engelhardioideae, members of the Hamamelidaceae, Sapotaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Fagaceae (probably evergreen Quercus and Castanoideae), and Betulaceae families, as well as Salix , Carya , and others. Members of the Pinaceae family and Sciadopitys were components of coniferous or mixed forests. Taxodium , and presumably Glyptostrobus , together with Nyssa , might have covered areas with a higher groundwater level. The pollen of Milfordia and Aglaoreidia cyclops can probably be considered as representing marsh/freshwater vegetation. Cryptogams are represented mainly by ferns (including members of the Lygodiaceae and Schizaeaceae, probably as well as Gleicheniaceae and Cyatheaceae families) and Lycopodiaceae (including Lycopodiella ). The presence of frequent pollen and spores of the genera presently growing under tropical and subtropical climatic conditions and the presence of several taxa characteristic for swamps indicate that the climate during deposition of the sediments studied was warm and humid. The mean annual temperature of 17.2–23.1 °C was estimated on the basis of Coexistence Approach method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trophic Enrichment Factor (TEF) is the main parameter used in isotopic trophic ecology. TEF values can be derived from specimens subjected to experimental feeding or from free-ranging specimens whose dietary behavior is well monitored, and it can be measured for different tissues of animal body. Direct collagen-to-collagen TEF is a key parameter for fossil material and needs to be well constrained in order to ascertain the reliability of the palaeodietary models. In this paper, we present isotopic results for a subfossil bone accumulation related to red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) activity, discovered in an abandoned mine in Potok-Senderki (Poland). The objective was to report δ 13 C and δ 15 N collagen data for red foxes and their prey. These data were used to calculate a prey-predator collagen-to-collagen TEF and provided important information for interpreting stable isotope fractionation in terrestrial food webs. We used different taphonomic indexes to calculate the fox mean diet. The presence of juvenile and adult individuals of fox allowed us to specify the difference in isotopic enrichment according to the age class of the predator. Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values calculated here for fox were similar to TEF values presented previously for wolf and lynx, but characterized by wider standard deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first phase in the stepwise collapse of the Carboniferous Coal Forests occurred near the Desmoinesian–Missourian boundary (early Kasimovian, ~ 307 Ma), and involved extirpation of Lycospora -producing lepidodendrids, and some other lycopsids, across most of tropical Euramerica. In this paper, we follow-up on historical reports of silicified tree-stumps in Peoria County, northwest-central Illinois, USA, which have significant implications for understanding Carboniferous Coal Forest collapse. Rooted near the paleoweathered top of the Lonsdale Limestone, and widespread across an area of ~ 250 km 2 , the silicified tree-stumps belong to Amyelon -type coniferopsids. A key feature of the fossil wood is the occurrence of abundant axial parenchyma arranged along irregular growth interruptions, suggestive of climatic seasonality, an inference consistent with silicic preservation. The silicified fossil forest directly underlies the Exline Limestone and Athensville Coal, the horizons that mark the US-wide loss of Lycospora , and demonstrate that lowland areas were colonized by dryland coniferopsid forests following Coal Forest collapse. Placed in a cyclothem context, the silicified fossil forest horizon lies above the Maria Creek mudstone paleosol (top of Piasa cyclothem), in which earlier d 18 O analyses have identified a major pulse of global warming, and coincides with the ‘Hanna City’ paleosol (top of Lonsdale cyclothem), which is correlative with the Seminole Sandstone, a Midcontinent incised valley-fill representative of one of the most profound glacioeustatic falls seen in the Pennsylvanian record. Our new findings therefore demonstrate that Coal Forest collapse was closely linked to intensification of glacial cycle amplitude near the Desmoinesian–Missourian boundary, involving both extreme episodes of global warming and cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]