小河沿文化先民生活方式初探:以河北姜家梁遗址为例

长期以来,学界普遍认为,小河沿文化先民的粟作农业活动减弱,导致其文化较红山文化出现衰落的迹象。本文对河北阳原县姜家梁遗址(小河沿文化雪山一期类型)出土的人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,发现:先民骨胶原的δ~(13)C均值(-7.0±0.3‰,n=25)和δ~(15)N均值(8.8±0.4‰,n=25),均显示粟类食物(包括粟类作物以及以之为食的动物)在先民食物结构中居重要地位;男、女性的δ~(13)C值也略存差异,表明女性从事更多的采集业。尤为重要的是,与红山文化人骨的同位素数据比较分析显示,以姜家梁遗址为代表的小河沿文化早期,粟作农业依然较为发达。显然,小河沿文化衰落的真正之谜,仍需加以认真探索。     

姜寨遗址先民食谱分析

尽管通过C、N稳定同位素分析已对陕西临潼姜寨遗址先民的食物结构和粟作农业进行了初步探索,但研究中的一些重要问题,如不同时期先民食物结构的演变,姜寨与半坡、史家先民食物结构间的差异等,依然未能深入讨论。为此,本文对姜寨遗址出土的不同时期(一期、二期)人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,试图揭示先民食物结构的演变历程,探索姜寨与半坡、史家先民食物结构间的差异,并初步探讨产生这种差异的可能原因。人骨的δ13C平均值(-9.7±1.0‰)和δ15 N平均值(8.5±0.5‰),表明粟类食物(包括粟类作物以及依赖于粟类作物的动物等)在姜寨先民食谱中占据主要地位,且动物资源在食物中的比例相对较低。两期先民的δ13C和δ15N值,无显著性差异,表明先民一直从事粟作农业以及家畜的饲养活动。食谱分析并未发现第二期先民食用更多野生动物的证据,这可能与先民样品量相对偏少、二期先民食用的野生动物比例上升较小、动物类食物在先民食谱中所占比例较小等原因有关。对比地理位置毗邻、文化年代相近的姜寨、史家、半坡遗址先民δ13C值,姜寨(-9.7±1.0‰,N=19)与史家(-10.0±0.7‰,N=9)接近,而远高于半坡(-14.8±1.9‰,N=5),表明半坡遗址粟作农业的种植规模要逊于姜寨和史家遗址。我们认为,不同遗址间先民δ13C值的差异,可能受半坡样品量偏少、遗址间小生态环境不同等因素的影响。     

华北民族融合进程中人群生存方式及对健康的影响——以北京延庆西屯村墓地为例

探讨农耕民族与游牧民族之间的相互交融和融合,对揭示中华民族的形成和发展过程极具重要意义。目前,历史文献与人群体质特征的研究,为了解华北地区东周以后人群的混合和交流提供了丰富的线索,但在民族交融过程中生存方式的转变及其对人群健康的影响尚缺乏细致地研究。为此,本文以北京延庆西屯村墓地汉魏时期的人骨为对象,对其开展C、N稳定同位素分析,并紧密结合体质人类学研究成果及历史文献,揭示自汉至北朝期间先民生存方式的变迁及对人群健康状况的影响。研究表明,先民食物中包含大量的C₄类,反映了粟黍农作物种植业在先民生存方式中占有重要地位;自汉至北朝,先民的δ¹³C值明显升高,可能与民族融合进程中统治阶级对农业经济的重视和多项利农措施的实施密切相关;而北朝时期人群死亡高峰的推后及女性平均身高的增高,则可能与农业经济的发展改善人群的营养健康相关。本文通过对人骨稳定同位素的分析与人骨体质特征的有机结合,为揭示我国民族间融合进程中人群生存方式的变迁及健康状况提供了新的研究视角。     

陕西凤翔孙家南头秦墓出土人骨中C和N同位素分析

本文对陕西凤翔孙家南头秦墓出土的春秋战国时期人骨中C和N稳定同位素组成进行了测试分析。结果表明: 人骨样品均可用于食谱分析; 由δ13C和δ15N值综合分析可知, 春秋战国时期陕西凤翔地区秦先民是以C4类植物为主食、辅以少量肉食的杂食性食谱; 经济模式可能为农业与畜牧兼营, 以种植黍、粟类等旱地作物的农业形式为主, 并辅以驯养牲畜; 根据墓主与殉人的δ13C和δ15N值对比分析, 推测殉人可能是与墓主饮食方式较为相近的姬妾或仆从之类的人;春 秋中期至战国晚期秦先民的食物结构较为稳定, C4植物比例与δ15N发生变化的原因可能与当时历史的变迁与社会的发展有一定的关系。     

相近社会等级先民的食物结构差异——以山西聂店遗址为例

一般认为,先民食物结构的差异是人类不同社会等级的重要表现形式之一。然而,对于考古学资料中未见明显等级差异的先民来说,其是否存在食物结构上的差别,仍需认真加以探讨。为此,本文对山西聂店遗址墓葬(基本无随葬品或随葬品较少)中出土的人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,研究结果表明:先民的食物结构,体现了典型中国北方农业经济的特点,即以粟作农业和家畜饲养为生。此外,尽管在考古学意义上聂店先民的等级相近,但其在食物资源的获取上却显示出明显差异,且这种差异与先民的性别、年龄和随葬品的种类和多寡无关。因此,在社会等级较为模糊的人类社会,先民对食物资源的获取,很可能更多地受到人群组成、生活习惯等因素的影响,而与社会等级的相对高低无关。     

农业区游牧民族饮食文化的滞后性——基于大同东信广场北魏墓群人骨的稳定同位素研究

不同地域的人群具有不同的饮食传统和饮食文化。然而,当人们持续不断的直接或间接接触时,一方或双方原有的饮食文化将会产生变化,如拓跋鲜卑的饮食文化就经历了从游牧向农业的转变。本文对山西大同东信广场北魏墓群26例人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,结果 (δ~(13)C值为-11.5±2.7‰,n=26;δ~(15)N值为9.8±1.2‰,n=26)显示,先民的食物类型差异较大,并包含大量的肉食资源。研究表明,以C_3类食物为主的先民主要放牧或狩猎,以C_4类食物为主的先民主要以种植粟、黍等C_4型农作物喂养家畜。大同东信广场北魏墓群人群中两种不同饮食传统的存在,显示游牧民族新的饮食习惯(以粟作农业产品为食)的形成滞后性于北魏政权的建立,这可能与气候变冷及他们的排斥有关。     

黄陵寨头河与史家河墓地人骨的碳氮稳定同位素

戎人在古代多样性文化历史发展进程中有着不可忽视的作用,由于文献记载的匮乏,对其生活历史信息的认知极少。陕西延安黄陵寨头河与史家河战国时期戎人墓地的考古发掘,为了解古代关中地区戎人的社会生活提供了珍贵的实物资料。本文则以两墓地出土的人骨为研究对象,采用C、N稳定同位素分析方法,讨论先民的饮食结构,探索其经济模式。结果表明：寨头河与史家河墓地先民的食谱相似,食谱中植物性食物主要来自粟、黍等C₄类作物;除史家河墓地两个个体外,其余先民动物蛋白摄入较少,且未因性别不同而产生食谱差异。史家河墓地战国晚期秦人与早中期戎人的饮食结构相似。结合其他考古资料以及文献可知,寨头河与史家河墓地先民吸收关中农业文化后,利用当地良好的自然环境发展农业,形成了以农业种植为主、农牧混合的经济模式。     

辽宁北票喇嘛洞遗址出土人骨稳定同位素分析

喇嘛洞遗址是我国北方地区一处以三燕文化墓葬为主的大型墓地,对其出土人骨进行C和N稳定同位素分析,可望了解先民的食谱,揭示其生活方式进而探索鲜卑与汉的相互联系。该遗址20个墓葬出土人骨的C、N含量以及C/N摩尔比反映了样品均保存较好,可用作食谱分析。人骨中骨胶原δ13C和δ15N分析显示,先民主要以C4类食物为食,且基本为素食,这当与发达的糜子和粟米农业密切相关,表明喇嘛洞遗址鲜卑生活方式已受到汉文化的强烈影响,由游猎为生转变为农业生产为主。对不同性别的先民食谱差异性进行t检验,发现男女食谱上不存在显著差异。样品BLM63和BLM99的δ15N值相对较高,揭示了其食物结构中含有一定量的肉类。     

山西晋中小南庄墓地人骨的C、N稳定同位素:试析小麦在山西的推广

小麦何时何地对中国北方传统的粟黍农业产生影响是近些年学术界研究的焦点问题之一。相关研究表明,小麦对中国北方不同地区粟黍农业的影响存在时间上的差异。古文献及考古研究表明,小麦在龙山时期就开始在中国北方地区出现,但直到东周及其后才逐步对粟黍农业产生显著的影响。为了探索小麦在东周时期在山西地区推广的程度和其对先民食物结构和生业经济的影响程度及其背后的内在动因等,本文选取晋中小南庄墓地东周时期人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,结果显示先民的δ~(13)C值和δ~(15)N值都比较集中(δ~(13)C值的范围为-9.0‰～-7.5‰,均值为-8.0‰±0.4‰,n=16;δ~(15)N值的范围为9.0‰-11.7‰,均值为10.5‰±0.9‰;n=16),说明他们以C_4类食物为主,也有少量C_3类食物,但动物蛋白消费有所区分。据他们对动物蛋白占有的不同,晋中小南庄墓地东周时期人至少可以划分为两个经济群体,第一个群体可能从事农耕经济,第二群体可能从事畜牧经济。从事农耕经济人群的食物中的C_3食物应该主要来源于小麦,这说明小麦在东周时期开始在晋中地区有所推广。小麦在山西地区的推广、种植和使用,对传统的粟黍农业产生了相应的影响,使得先民种植农作物的种类有所增加,这应该加快了秦汉时期农业高峰期的形成。然而,山西地区小麦的推广相对缓慢,这可能与当地根深蒂固的粟黍经济和饮食习惯密切相关。     

广东湛江鲤鱼墩遗址人骨的C、N稳定同位素分析:华南新石器时代先民生活方式初探

相对于长江流域和黄河流域而言,华南地区先民生活方式的了解一直较为缺乏。广东湛江鲤鱼墩遗址人骨的C和N稳定同位素分析,显示此遗址的先民主要以海生类资源为食,陆生资源(包括可能的块茎类原始农业和动物)只占次要地位。通过与约同时代黄河流域、长江流域先民的稳定同位素数据比较,可以看出,早在6000年前,我国先民的生活方式就已出现3大类型。     

黑河中游春玉米叶片水δD和δ18O的富集过程和影响因素

植物水的稳定同位素分馏过程是水在土壤-植物-大气连续体中循环的重要环节。以往研究由于叶片水¹⁸O同位素比值(δ¹⁸O _l,b)和氘(D)同位素比值(δD_l,b)(合称δ_l,b)实测数量少只能作为模型验证数据, 导致δ_l,b富集机制研究多集中于模型研究, 缺乏基于野外试验条件的δ_l,b富集的控制机制研究。叶片水δD_l,b和δ¹⁸O _l,b的富集程度(ΔD_l,b和Δ¹⁸O _l,b, 合称Δ_l,b)通常表示为δ_l,b与茎秆水D同位素比值(δD_x)和¹⁸O同位素比值(δ¹⁸O_x) (合称δ_x)之差, 即Δ_l,b = δ_l,b - δ_x。该研究以黑河中游沙漠绿洲春玉米(Zea mays)生态系统为研究对象, 重点采集和分析了季节和日尺度δ_l,b和δ_x数据, 配套开展了大气水汽δ¹⁸O和δD (合称δ_v)等辅助变量的原位连续观测, 探讨了季节和日尺度上的δ_l,b富集特征及其影响因素。结果表明: 叶片水δ_l,b和Δ_l,b的季节变化趋势不明显, 而受蒸腾作用影响表现出白天富集夜间贫化的单峰日变化特征。对于D来说, 无论季节尺度上还是日尺度上, 大气水汽δ_v和相对湿度是δD_l,b和ΔD_l,b的主要环境控制因素; 而对于¹⁸O来说, 无论季节尺度上还是日尺度上, 相对湿度是δ¹⁸O _l,b和Δ¹⁸O _l,b的主要环境控制因素。由于D和¹⁸O在热力学平衡分馏上有约8倍差异, 直接分析叶片水ΔD_l,b和Δ¹⁸O_l,b与影响因素的差异性, 有助于理解叶片水δD和δ¹⁸O富集过程以及对模型发展有一定的指导意义。     

哈民忙哈遗址人和动物骨骼的C、N稳定同位素分析

哈民忙哈遗址是迄今为止内蒙古乃至东北地区发现面积最大的一处史前聚落遗址,为重建当时的生产和生活情况、文化习俗甚至思想观念等都提供了弥足珍贵的实物资料。其中,重建该遗址先民的食物结构和生业经济,有助于揭示哈民忙哈遗址产生和兴盛的动因及科尔沁沙地史前文化的变迁过程。目前,多学科的研究成果已经初步显示哈民忙哈遗址先民的生业经济具有多样性,但各种生业模式的比重以及是否存在家畜饲养等问题还缺乏相应的了解。本文对该遗址87例人骨与18例动物骨骼进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,还原了人和动物的食物结构及生业经济面貌。结果显示,陆生野生动物的食物结构主要基于C₃植物类食物和少量的C₄农作物,而犬科动物则体现出家养动物的食谱特性：食物主要依赖C₄食物和人类食物残羹。C₄类粟黍农作物和以此饲喂的动物是该遗址先民的主要食物来源,其中粟黍农作物在食物结构中的地位尤其重要。在该遗址中,女性摄入相对较多的粟黍和相对较少的肉类,与男性在食物结构上存在显著差异。农耕、家畜饲养是先民最重要的经济行为,狩猎、渔猎和采集是生业的重要补充。     

鼎湖山森林演替序列植物-土壤碳氮同位素特征

植物群落对水分利用和养分利用的优化策略, 土壤碳周转和氮循环过程对演替变化如何响应, 森林土壤有机碳积累机制等都是森林生态学需要解决的关键问题。然而, 这些生态学过程的变化在短时间内通过传统的研究手段难以被精确观测, 碳氮同位素(¹³C、¹⁵N)技术的应用或许能提供更多有价值的信息。该文通过对鼎湖山森林演替序列代表性群落——马尾松(Pinus massoniana)针叶林(PF)、针阔叶混交林(MF)和季风常绿阔叶林(BF)植物-土壤碳氮同位素自然丰度的测定, 分析了叶片稳定碳同位素比率(δ¹³C)和稳定氮同位素比率(δ¹⁵N)与其叶片元素含量的关系, 以及叶片-凋落物-土壤δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N在演替水平和垂直方向上的变化特征。结果显示: 1)主要优势树种叶片δ¹³C与其C:N极显著正相关(p < 0.01), 凋落物和各层土壤δ¹³C均表现为PF > MF > BF, 沿演替方向逐渐降低; 2)叶片δ¹⁵N与叶片N含量正相关(p = 0.05), 凋落物和表层土壤(0-10 cm) δ¹⁵N沿演替方向逐渐增大; 3)不同演替阶段土壤δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N均沿垂直剖面呈现增大的趋势。结果表明: 南亚热带地区植物群落的发展并不一定受水分利用和氮素利用的补偿制约; δ¹³C自然丰度法的应用有助于森林土壤有机碳积累机制, 尤其有助于成熟森林土壤“碳汇”机制的阐释; 植物-土壤δ¹⁵N值可作为评估土壤氮素有效性和生态系统“氮饱和”状态的潜在指标。     

13C and 15N isotopic signatures of plant-soil continuum along a successional gradient in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve

Aims The optimal patterns of plant community for water use and nutrient utilization, the responses of soil carbon and nitrogen turnover processes to forest succession, and the mechanisms of soil organic carbon accumulation, are three critical issues in forest ecosystem study. It is difficult to accurately detect these ecological processes with conventional methodologies in the short term, yet the application of ¹³C and ¹⁵N natural abundance technique may yield important information about these processes.Methods This study was conducted in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve. We investigated the natural isotopic abundance of both ¹³C and ¹⁵N of plant-soil continuum along a successional gradient from Pinus massoniana forest (PF) to coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (MF), and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (BF). We also analyzed the correlations of foliar stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) and stable nitrogen isotope ratio (δ¹⁵N) with foliar elemental contents and the variations of soil δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N along soil profiles at different successional stages.Important findings A significant positive correlation between foliar δ¹³C and foliar C:N was observed. In both litter and soil, the δ¹³C values tended to decrease along the forest succession, with the order as PF > MF > BF. Foliar δ¹⁵N was positively correlated with foliar N content. The δ¹⁵N values of litter and upper soil (0-10 cm) increased with successional status. Both soil δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values increased with increasing soil depth at all three forests. Our results imply that 1) trade-off between water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency did not necessarily exist in subtropical forests of China; 2) the application of isotopic technique could assist understanding of the mechanisms of soil carbon accumulation in subtropical forests, especially in old-grow forests; 3) the ¹⁵N natural abundance of plant-soil continuum could be a potential indicator of soil nitrogen availability and ecosystem nitrogen saturation status.     

Foliar stable carbon isotope ratios of Phragmites australis and the relevant environmental factors in marsh wetlands in Tianjin

Aims Phragmites australis marshes in Tianjin play an important role in ecosystem functioning. Wetlands of Tianjin municipality have been suffering from serious nitrogen loading, salinization and water shortage. The foliar stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) is a good parameter which records environmental change information associated with the plant growth process, and reflects physiological and ecological responses of plants to environment changes. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of environment stress on the leaf δ¹³C of P. australis in marsh wetlands in Tianjin municipality.Methods This study was conducted in Qilihai, Beidagang, and Dahuangpu marsh wetlands. We investigated the foliar δ¹³C of P. australis and sediment properties, and evaluated the relationships between the foliar δ¹³C and sediment environmental factors. Important findings 1) Foliar δ¹³C ranged from -26.3‰ to -23.6‰, with an average value of -25.8‰. 2) Sediment water and nitrogen status were the important factors affecting reed foliar δ¹³C. Foliar δ¹³C was negatively correlated to sediment relative water content, and positively correlated to sediment total nitrogen and available nitrogen content. In contrast, foliar δ¹³C was not significantly correlated to sediment salinity and phosphorus content. 3) Leaf δ¹³C were significantly positively correlated with leaf nitrogen content, and negatively correlated with leaf carbon and nitrogen ratio across all site. However, these relationships were not detected due to the wetland drainage at Qilihai site in August. Wetland drainage changed the plant water and nitrogen balance, and further affected water and nitrogen utilization strategies of P. australis. Moreover, wetland drainage had stronger effects on these processes than nitrogen loading and salinization.     

天津沼泽湿地芦苇叶片的碳稳定同位素比值分布特征及其环境影响因素

天津芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽具有重要的生态功能。目前天津地区水体咸化、氮污染和水资源短缺问题严重, 显著影响了芦苇湿地的植物生理生态过程。植物稳定碳同位素组成(碳稳定同位素比值(δ¹³C))能够记录与植物生长过程相关联的环境变化信息, 反映植物对环境变化的生理生态适应特性。该研究调查了天津七里海、北大港和大黄堡湿地芦苇叶片的δ¹³C分布特征, 探讨了影响该地区叶片δ¹³C值变化的主要因素。研究表明: 1)天津芦苇湿地植物叶片δ¹³C的变化范围在-26.3‰ - -23.6 ‰之间, 平均值为-25.8‰; 2)芦苇叶片δ¹³C与底泥相对含水量呈显著负相关关系, 与底泥有效氮和全氮含量呈显著正相关关系, 而与底泥盐度和磷含量没有显著相关关系; 水分条件和底泥氮营养状况是影响叶片的δ¹³C值变化的主要因素; 3)淹水条件下, 芦苇叶片δ¹³C与叶片质量氮含量呈显著正相关关系, 与叶碳氮比呈显著负相关关系, 8月份七里海湿地干涸打破了此相关关系。当前环境压力下, 天津沼泽湿地干涸极大地改变了芦苇的氮、水平衡和植物对水、氮资源的利用策略, 而湿地干涸对该过程的影响要高于盐度和氮负荷增加。     

商代前期中原地区多品种农作物种植制度的初探：以河南新郑望京楼遗址为例

农业经济的发展是华夏文明形成的最重要的前提条件之一,郑洛地区作为夏商王朝建都和统治的核心区域,其农业经济发展状况一直是学术界研究的重点问题。相关研究表明,多品种农作物种植制度在龙山时期中原地区的出现,在华夏文明的形成过程中可能起到了至关重要的作用。为了探索这一种植制度在商代前期中原地区的具体实践情况,本文选取河南新郑望京楼遗址夏商时期（二里头文化和二里岗文化时期）29例先民肢骨和23例先民肋骨进行C、N稳定同位素分析。结果表明,先民骨胶原的δ¹³C值变化范围为-18.1‰~7.0‰,平均值为-9.5‰±2.1‰（n=52）,δ¹⁵N值变化范围为7.3‰~10.5‰,平均值为8.9‰±0.7‰（n=52）,先民仍以C₄类食物（粟黍）为主,但是也包含少量C₃类（水稻、小麦或大豆）食物,证明中原地区自龙山时代出现的多品种农作物种植制度,在商代得以延续,但是粟作农业的主导地位,始终未发生明显变化,这可能与中原地区长期以来的旱作农业经济模式习惯有关。     

Stable isotopic variations in modern herbivore tooth enamel, plants and water on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for paleoclimate and paleoelevation reconstructions

Stable isotope analyses of fossil teeth and other authigenic minerals have been used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoelevation of the Tibetan Plateau. The accuracy of such reconstructions is limited by the lack of a comprehensive modern comparative database from the region. We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values) of tooth enamel from modern herbivores, the δ¹³C values of grasses and the δ¹⁸O values of water samples collected from various elevations within the Tibetan Plateau to examine their relationships with modern environment/elevation. The δ¹³C values of enamel samples from horses, yaks and goats display a narrow range of variation, with a mean of − 10.7 ± 1.4‰ (n = 301), indicating that these modern herbivores were feeding predominantly on C3 plants, consistent with the current dominance of C3 vegetation in the region. Some of the samples have δ¹³C values between − 7.3 and − 10‰. Although these higher δ¹³C values could suggest consumption of some C4 plants by the animals, the lack of significant seasonal δ¹³C variations within individual teeth indicates that these higher enamel δ¹³C values are due to consumption of C3 plants experiencing water stress and/or some CAM plants rather than C4 plants. Our data show that the conservative “cut-off” δ¹³C value for a pure C3 diet within the Tibetan Plateau should be − 8‰ for modern herbivores and − 7‰ (or even − 6.5‰) for fossils if the region was as arid in the past as today. In contrast to the small intra-tooth δ¹³C variations within individual teeth, serial enamel samples display large intra-tooth δ¹⁸O variations, reflecting seasonal variations in the δ¹⁸O of meteoric water. The mean δ¹⁸O values of tooth enamel from yaks and horses show a strong correlation with water δ¹⁸O values, confirming that the δ¹⁸O of tooth enamel from obligate drinker generally tracks the δ¹⁸O of meteoric water. Unfortunately, elevation alone cannot explain most of the variance in the δ¹⁸O of precipitation and tooth enamel, suggesting that quantitative reconstruction of the paleoelevation of the Tibetan Plateau using re-constructed δ¹⁸O values of paleo-meteoric water from fossil enamel or other oxygen-bearing minerals is not warranted. For a given environment, horses have the lowest enamel–δ¹⁸O values while goats display the highest enamel–δ¹⁸O values among the species studied. The large inter-species δ¹⁸O variations are likely due to differences in physiology and diet/drinking behavior of the animals. This underscores the importance of species-specific studies when interpreting δ¹⁸O data of fossil mammalian teeth in a stratigraphic sequence as a record of paleoclimate changes.     

Temporal and spatial variability of the oxygen isotopic composition of massive corals from the South China Sea: Influence of the Asian monsoon

Coral colonies of Porites lutea and P. lobata were collected from areas to the east and south offshore of Hainan Island, South China Sea. Oxygen isotope ratios, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O, were analyzed along the major axis of growth at a resolution of 25–28 samples within an annual band from three colonies, giving data series lengths of 15, 20 and 30 years. Coral δ¹⁸O correlates well with sea surface temperature (SST) throughout most years, particularly when the Asian winter monsoon prevails over the region. Due to the same seasonal phases of SST and sea surface salinity (SSS), it is estimated that most of the seasonal features of coral δ¹⁸O are controlled by changes in SST with a significant contribution of SSS. This indicates the importance of temperature, as determined by the Asian winter monsoon, as a control on seasonal coral δ¹⁸O variations in the South China Sea. Given the fact that annual SSS maxima show minor inter-annual changes, the inter-annual change of annual coral δ¹⁸O maximum mainly reflects the SST induced by the winter monsoon. While the coral δ¹⁸O is mainly controlled by SST, deviations of the δ¹⁸O from SST correlate statistically with sea surface salinity, particularly for summer extreme events when SST reaches its annual maximum with minor inter-annual change. Therefore, we suggest that the inter-annual variation of the annual coral δ¹⁸O minima is mainly controlled by seawater composition. Seawater composition analysis indicates that its δ¹⁸O and salinity are simultaneously affected by freshwater inputs primarily from precipitation, which is mainly supplied by the Asian summer monsoon. Thus seasonal alternations of the winter and summer monsoon mainly control the coral δ¹⁸O, thereby allowing reconstruction of these monsoonal variables. The three coral records consistently reveal clear inter-decadal trends in δ¹⁸O — a gradual increase from 1968 to 1987, and a subsequent decrease from 1987 to 2003. These inter-decadal trends are roughly consistent with salinity changes — but not with temperature and precipitation, suggesting that seawater composition controlled by freshwater inputs from distant source areas, rather than from local precipitation, is responsible for the trends in seawater composition and coral δ¹⁸O over the last 30 years. Comparison of the three coral records indicates that spatial variations in coral δ¹⁸O coincide with variations in seawater salinity and local precipitation, but not with temperature. This confirms the dominant role of seawater composition, mainly controlled by monsoonal precipitation, on the spatial variability of coral δ¹⁸O in the South China Sea.     

Timing and magnitude of early Aptian extreme warming: Unraveling primary δO variation in indurated pelagic carbonates at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 463, central Pacific Ocean

In order to elucidate early Aptian marine paleotemperature evolution across the period of enhanced organic carbon (C_org)-burial [Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 1a], stable isotope analyses were performed on pelagic limestones at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 463, central Pacific Ocean. The δ¹⁸O data exhibit a distinct anomaly by ~ − 2‰ spanning the OAE 1a interval (i.e., a ~ 6 m-thick, phytoplanktonic C_org-rich unit constrained by magneto-, bio- and δ¹³C stratigraphy). Elucidation of paleotemperature significance of the δ¹⁸O shift is made by taking account of recent Sr/Ca evidence at the same section, which revealed that geochemical signals in carbonate-poor lithologies are relatively unaltered against burial diagenesis. By discriminating δ¹⁸O values from carbonate-poor samples (CaCO₃ contents = 5–30 wt.%), it appears that an abrupt rise in sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) by 8 °C (= − 1.7‰ shift in δ¹⁸O) occurred immediately before OAE 1a, whereas a cooling mode likely prevailed during the peak C_org-burial. In terms of its stratigraphic relationship as to the C_org-rich interval and to a pronounced negative δ¹³C excursion, as well as its timescale, the observed SST rise resembles those associated with the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum and, more strikingly, Jurassic Toarcian OAE. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that these paleoenvironmental events were driven by a common causal mechanism, which was likely initiated by the greenhouse effect via massive release of CH₄ or CO₂ from the isotopically-light carbon reservoir and terminated by a negative productivity feedback.