Aeolian dust, a primary terrigenous component of ocean sediments, has been widely used to reconstruct the paleoclimatic evolution because its transported distance, grain size and concentration are sensitive to climate...Aeolian dust, a primary terrigenous component of ocean sediments, has been widely used to reconstruct the paleoclimatic evolution because its transported distance, grain size and concentration are sensitive to climate changes. To further characterize the aeolian dust, the deposits at site Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) 882A in northwestern Pacific Ocean are divided into four grain-size fractions (<8, 8-16, 16-64, >64 μm) using the gravitative differentiation method. Detailed rock magnetism results show that magnetite and hematite are dominant magnetic minerals for the dust components. In addition, the aeolian dust (<8 μm) represented by the concentration of magnetic minerals increases sharply at 2.73 Ma, which corresponds to the onset of major glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, the ice-rafted detritus (IRD) (>64 μm) contributes little to the magnetic enhancement of the sediments at 2.73 Ma. These new results greatly improve our understanding of paleoenvironmental evolution during late Pliocene-early Pleistocene in this area.展开更多
Mammalian carnivores are rarely considered for environmental reconstructions because they are extremely adaptable and their geographic range is usually large. However, the functional morphology of carnivore long bones...Mammalian carnivores are rarely considered for environmental reconstructions because they are extremely adaptable and their geographic range is usually large. However, the functional morphology of carnivore long bones can be indicative of locomotor behaviour as well as adaptation to specific kind of habitats. Here, different long bone ratios belonging to a subsample of extant large carnivores are used to infer palaeoecology of a comparative sample of Plio-Pleistocene fossils belonging to Italian paleo-communities. A multivariate long bone shape space reveals similarities between extant and fossil carnivores and multiple logistic regression models suggest that specific indices （the brachial and the Mt/F） can be applied to predict adaptations to grassland and tropical biomes. These functional indices exhibit also a phylogenetic signal to different degree. The brachial index is a significant predictor of adaptations to tropical biomes when phylogeny is taken into account, while Mt/F is not correlated anymore to habitat adaptations. However, the proportion of grassland-adapted carnivores in Italian paleo-communities exhibits a negative relationship with mean oxygen isotopic values, which are indicative of past climatic oscillations. As climate became more unstable during the Ice Ages, large carnivore guilds from the Italian peninsula were invaded by tropical/closed-adapted species. These species take advantage of the temperate forest cover that was more spread after 1.0 Ma than in the initial phase of the Quaternary （2.0 Ma） when the climate was more arid [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 269-283, 2011].展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 40974036, 41025013 and 40821091)the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams
文摘Aeolian dust, a primary terrigenous component of ocean sediments, has been widely used to reconstruct the paleoclimatic evolution because its transported distance, grain size and concentration are sensitive to climate changes. To further characterize the aeolian dust, the deposits at site Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) 882A in northwestern Pacific Ocean are divided into four grain-size fractions (<8, 8-16, 16-64, >64 μm) using the gravitative differentiation method. Detailed rock magnetism results show that magnetite and hematite are dominant magnetic minerals for the dust components. In addition, the aeolian dust (<8 μm) represented by the concentration of magnetic minerals increases sharply at 2.73 Ma, which corresponds to the onset of major glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, the ice-rafted detritus (IRD) (>64 μm) contributes little to the magnetic enhancement of the sediments at 2.73 Ma. These new results greatly improve our understanding of paleoenvironmental evolution during late Pliocene-early Pleistocene in this area.
文摘Mammalian carnivores are rarely considered for environmental reconstructions because they are extremely adaptable and their geographic range is usually large. However, the functional morphology of carnivore long bones can be indicative of locomotor behaviour as well as adaptation to specific kind of habitats. Here, different long bone ratios belonging to a subsample of extant large carnivores are used to infer palaeoecology of a comparative sample of Plio-Pleistocene fossils belonging to Italian paleo-communities. A multivariate long bone shape space reveals similarities between extant and fossil carnivores and multiple logistic regression models suggest that specific indices （the brachial and the Mt/F） can be applied to predict adaptations to grassland and tropical biomes. These functional indices exhibit also a phylogenetic signal to different degree. The brachial index is a significant predictor of adaptations to tropical biomes when phylogeny is taken into account, while Mt/F is not correlated anymore to habitat adaptations. However, the proportion of grassland-adapted carnivores in Italian paleo-communities exhibits a negative relationship with mean oxygen isotopic values, which are indicative of past climatic oscillations. As climate became more unstable during the Ice Ages, large carnivore guilds from the Italian peninsula were invaded by tropical/closed-adapted species. These species take advantage of the temperate forest cover that was more spread after 1.0 Ma than in the initial phase of the Quaternary （2.0 Ma） when the climate was more arid [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 269-283, 2011].
