The Holocene and Upper Pleistocene pollen sequence of Carihuela Cave, southern Spain

A new pollen sequence (ca. 15,700-1250 yr BP) is presented for three stratigraphical sections of Carihuela Cave (Granada, southeastern Spain), thus completing a record that covers from the last Interglacial to late Holocene. The Late Glacial is characterized by open landscapes with junipers and early colonisation of Quercus, while the Holocene is depicted by mixed oak forests, with a diversity of broad-leaf trees and scrub, which decrease after ca. 5470 yr BP synchronously with the expansion of xerophytes and occurrence of indicators of anthropogenic disturbance. The whole pollen record of Carihuela fits into the general trends described for reference pollen sites of southern Europe, including Padul in the province of Granada, and other sequences from Mediterranean Spain, through which the heterogeneity of environmental change increases from mid to late Holocene. We conclude that, in contrast with other regions of Spain, deciduous Quercus-dominated forests are very old in eastern Andalusia, thus conflicting with floristic phytosociological models of vegetation change that imply that monospecific Q. ilex/rotundifolia woodlands are the potential mature forest in the region. Dating results suggest that the last Neanderthals of Carihuela lived between ca. 28,440 and 21,430 yr BP, which agrees with the postulation that southern Spain was the latest refugium for this human species in Europe.     

Two Robin Populations

Capsule This study is the first ever documented evidence of an interglacial refugium during the Last Interglacial for birds in Anatolia and suggests the need of a re-examination of the effects of the Last Interglacial on the geographic distribution and genetic structure of species.

Aims We tested whether, in accordance with the ‘refugia within refugia’ model, multiple refugia existed for Kruper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi during the Last Glacial Maximum or the species survived along the coastal belt of Anatolia through the Late Quaternary glacial–interglacial cycles.

Methods An ecological niche model was developed to predict the geographic distribution of Kruper's Nuthatch under reconstructed past (the Last Interglacial and the Last Glacial Maximum), present, and projected future bioclimatic conditions. Also, robust coalescent-based analyses were used to assess demographic events over the history of Kruper's Nuthatch.

Results Kruper's Nuthatch survived the Last Glacial Maximum almost along the coastal belt of Anatolia, but not in multiple refugia, and surprisingly, contrary to expectations, it survived the Last Interglacial in southern Anatolia, but not along the coastal belt of Anatolia.

Conclusion A kind of the ‘refugia within refugia’ model (i.e. the ‘refugium within refugium’ model) was supported because range shifts took place within Anatolia (itself also a refugium) for Kruper's Nuthatch.     

The Kärlich interglacial,Middle Rhine region,Germany: vegetation history and stratigraphic position

Pollen analytical investigations have been carried out on the sediments of five profiles from a former lake exposed at the Kärlich clay-pit, Middle Rhine region, of Germany, with the aim of clarifying the stratigraphic position of the Kärlich Interglacial (Middle Pleistocene) within the European Pleistocene. The pollen sequence starts with a QM (Quercetum mixtum) phase followed by a Carpinus phase. After the interglacial period there are oscillations (Mühlheim I and II Stadials, and the Kettig Interstadial) and the sequence ends with a cold steppe phase. Parallel with these developments, conditions in the lake changed from meso- to eutrophic and back again to meso-oligotrophic. The lake was finally filled in by silty and organic sediments and then covered by loessic material, with evidence for oscillations between limnic and telmatic phases. Numerous macrofossil remains in the interglacial sediments allowed reconstruction of plant communities mainly from the lake itself, but also from the surrounding forests. The pollen analytical results indicate a warm stage that belongs to the Cromerian Complex. That is corroborated by a good conformity with the upper part of the Cromerian interglacial (Rhume Interglacial) from Bilshausen, Lower Saxony, Germany, which is considered to belong to the youngest part of the Cromerian Complex. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laser dates of the Brockentuff (396±20 ka), a basaltic tephra deposited during the early QM phase of the same warm stage, enable the interglacial sequence to be correlated with oxygen isotope stage 11. On account of biostratigraphic arguments and old-palaeolithic artefacts within the interglacial sediments, the Kärlich Interglacial is considered to have its stratigraphical position between the Cromerian IV (based on the Dutch stratigraphy) and the Holsteinian sensu stricto.     

Reconstruction of Middle Pleistocene palaeoenvironments based on pollen and stable isotope investigations at Val-de-Lans,Isère,France

In the Vercors uplands, south-west of Grenoble, the Val-de-Lans syncline is filled with thick lacustrine and glacio-lacustrine Pleistocene deposits. Artifacts discovered on its surface indicate an age older than the last glaciation. Pollen analytical investigations of five sediment sequences, including lake marls, has enabled the reconstruction of the interglacial vegetation cycle (La Côte Interglacial) which, taking into account the rôle played by Abies and a Pterocarya expansion towards the end of the interglacial, may be correlated with the Holsteinian Interglacial. At the site Lolette, this interglacial is followed by two short stadials which alternate with interstadials characterised by Picea forests. Oxygen isotope studies, including ¹⁸O investigations, provide additional evidence for climate changes during the interglacial.     

When the pond turtle followed the reindeer: effect of the last extreme global warming event on the timing of faunal change in Northern Europe

Faunal communities have been shaped in different ways by past climatic change. The impact of the termination of the last Glacial and the onset of the present (Holocene) Interglacial on large‐scale faunal shifts, extinction dynamics and gene pools of species are of special interest in natural sciences. A general pattern of climate‐triggered range expansion and local extinction of vertebrate species is known for Europe, and shows that in the modern temperate zone the main faunal change took place mainly during the Late Glacial (14 700–11 700 years ago) and Early Holocene (11 700–9 100 years ago). Based on large datasets of new radiocarbon data, we present precise temporal dynamics of climate‐driven disappearance and appearance of reindeer and pond turtle in southern Sweden. These two species are significant climate indicators in Late Quaternary biostratigraphy. Our data reveal that the reindeer disappeared from southern Sweden ca. 10 300 years ago, whereas the pond turtle colonized the area ca. 9 860 years ago, with a 450‐year gap between each species. This provides evidence for a sudden environmental turnover, causing the replacement of an arctic faunal element by a thermophilic species. The postglacial range dynamics of pond turtle and reindeer are a unique model case, allowing insights into the faunal turnover of other vertebrates during the last dramatic natural global warming event at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.     

Distribution dynamics of South American savanna birds in response to Quaternary climate change

Several lines of evidence suggest that savannas currently distributed disjointedly in the southern and northern portions of South America might have been connected and disconnected many times during the Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Here, we investigated how climate change since the Last Interglacial may have modified the distribution of bird species associated with South American savannas. We evaluated the connections between South America's savannas using 10 broadly distributed species and the impact of climate changes in community composition using 18 species endemic to Cerrado. We fit ecological niche models to each of the 28 bird species to compare the potential distribution patterns for the Last Interglacial (120 kyr BP), the Last Glacial Maximum (21 kyr BP) and the present. Our results corroborated hypotheses of past connections between northern and southern blocks of savannas through three hypothetical corridors that existed along the Andes, Atlantic Coast and through central Amazonia. In addition, our results also suggested the existence of a fourth plausible corridor located along the Madeira River, crossing Amazonia from the southwest to the northeast. Finally, our analysis showed significant changes in the community composition dynamics of endemic Cerrado species. Our results further reinforce the notion that climate change has major impacts on the distribution of savanna species.     

A contribution to the origin of Homo sapiens sapiens

The Central European finds from the last Interglacial and Glacial Period are studied and their morphological variability considered. The extra-European situation in chronologically comparable finds is compared. For the understanding and explanation of the evolutionary process the degree of variability inside and between contemporary populations, the degree of sexual dimorphism and the varying rate and degree in the changes of the individual morphological characters is stressed.     

大仓鼠一新亚种——宁陕亚种

我国学者汪松等(1973)在“中国仓鼠科小志”一文中,将我国大仓鼠(Cricetulus triton)分为5个亚种,即指名亚种(C.t.triton),山西亚种(C.t.incanus),东北亚种(C.t.fuscipes),太白亚种(C.t.collinus),甘肃亚种(C.t.canus)。     

Foraminifera and coccolithophorid assemblage changes in the Panama Basin during the last deglaciation: Response to sea-surface productivity induced by a transient climate change

The responses of community assemblages of planktonic and benthonic foraminifera and coccolithophorids to transient climate change are explored for the uppermost 2 m of cores ODP677B (1.2°N; 83.74°W, 3461 m) and TR163-38 (1.34°S; 81.58°W, 2200 m), for the last ∼ 40 ka. Results suggest that the deglaciation interval was a time of increased productivity and a major reorganization of planktonic trophic webs. The succession in dominance between the planktonic foraminifera species Globorotalia inflata, Globigerina bulloides, and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma denote four periods of oceanographic change: (1) advection (24-20 ka), (2) strong upwelling (20-15 ka), (3) weak upwelling (14-8 ka) and (4) oligotrophy (8 ka to present). Strong upwelling for the deglaciation interval is supported by the low Florisphaera profunda/other coccolithophorids ratio and the high percentage abundance of Gephyrocapsa oceanica. Benthonic foraminifera assemblage changes are different in both cores and suggest significant regional variations in surface productivity and/or oxygen content at the seafloor, and a decoupling between surface productivity and export production to the seafloor. This decoupling is evidenced by the inverse relationship between the percentage abundance of infaunal benthonic foraminifera and the percentage abundance of N. pachyderma. The terrigenous input of the Colombian Pacific rivers, particularly the San Juan River, is suggested as a possible mechanism. Finally, the Globorotalia cultrata/Neogloboquadrina dutertrei ratio is used to reconstruct the past influence of the Costa Rica Dome-Panama Bight and cold tongue upwelling systems in the Panama Basin. A northern influence is suggested for the late Holocene (after 5 ka) and the last glacial (before 20 ka), whereas a southern influence is suggested for the 20-5 ka interval. There is a correspondence between our reconstructed northern and southern influences and previously proposed positions of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).     

气候变化对蒙古扁桃适宜分布范围和空间格局的影响

为模拟、预测气候变化对孑遗、濒危植物蒙古扁桃(Amygdalus mongolica)潜在分布的影响, 利用最大熵(MAXENT)模型模拟、预测、对比、分析、揭示蒙古扁桃在最大冰期(CCSM及MIROC模型)、历史气候(1961-1990年)及未来气候(2020年、2050年和2080年, 政府间气候变化专门委员会排放情景特别报告的A2A情景)条件下的适宜分布范围和空间格局的变化。结果表明: (1)蒙古扁桃在历史气候条件下的潜在分布区集中在蒙古的南戈壁省及东戈壁省, 我国内蒙古巴彦淖尔市、阿拉善左旗、鄂尔多斯市、锡林郭勒盟西部, 河西走廊中部及东部, 宁夏北部及陕西北部, 以及河北北部的部分地区; (2)与历史气候条件下的潜在分布相比, 蒙古扁桃在最大冰期CCSM气候情景下的分布经历了明显的、大范围的向南迁移和范围缩小; (3)未来A2A气候情景下, 其潜在分布范围表现出在2020年明显扩大, 在2050年减小, 到2080年又略有增大的趋势。分布格局表现出不断向我国河北及内蒙古东部, 蒙古东部、北部及西部大幅度扩散、迁移的趋势。     

Adding ecology into phylogeography: ecological niche models and phylogeography in tandem reveals the demographic history of the subalpine warbler complex

Capsule: This study documents evidence of interglacial refugia during the Last Interglacial for birds in the Mediterranean region, and emphasizes the importance of the Last Interglacial on the geographic distribution and genetic structure of Mediterranean species.

Aims: We focused on the historical biogeography of the subalpine warbler complex: Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans and Moltoni’s Warbler Sylvia subalpina; we tested if this Mediterranean bird complex shared a similar demographic fate as the present-day widespread species in the temperate zones of Europe, through the late Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles.

Methods: An ecological niche model was developed to predict the geographic distribution of the subalpine warblers under the past (the Last Interglacial and the Last Glacial Maximum) and the present bioclimatic conditions. Additionally, Bayesian Skyline Plot analysis was used to assess effective population size changes over the history of the subalpine warbler complex.

Results: During the Last Glacial Maximum, the subalpine warblers almost reached their current distribution in the Mediterranean region; yet, unlike the widespread temperate bird species, they survived the Last Interglacial in allopatric refugia in the Mediterranean region.

Conclusion: A unique biogeographic pattern was revealed, indicating the importance of the Last Interglacial on current distributional patterns and demographic histories of common bird species in the Mediterranean region. This study suggests that Mediterranean biogeography is far more complex than previously assumed, and so deserves further study and more attention.     

Climate‐driven shifts in the distribution of koala‐browse species from the Last Interglacial to the near future

The koala's Phascolarctos cinereus distribution is currently restricted to eastern and south‐eastern Australia. However, fossil records dating from 70 ± 4 ka (ka = 10³ yr) from south‐western Australia and the Nullarbor Plain are evidence of subpopulation extinctions in the southwest at least after the Last Interglacial (~128–116 ka). We hypothesize that koala sub‐population extinctions resulted from the eastward retraction of the koala's main browse species in response to unsuitable climatic conditions. We further posit a general reduction in the distribution of main koala‐browse trees in the near future in response climate change. We modelled 60 koala‐browse species and constructed a set of correlative species distribution models for five time periods: Last Interglacial (~128–116 ka), Last Glacial Maximum (~23–19 ka), Mid‐Holocene (~7–5 ka), present (interpolations of observed data, representative of 1960–1990), and 2070. We based our projections on five hindcasts and one forecast of climatic variables extracted from WorldClim based on two general circulation models (considering the most pessimistic scenario of high greenhouse‐gas emissions) and topsoil clay fraction. We used 17 dates of koala fossil specimens identified as reliable from 70 (± 4) to 535 (± 49) ka, with the last appearance of koalas at 70 ka in the southwest. The main simulated koala‐browse species were at their greatest modelled extent of suitability during the Last Glacial Maximum, with the greatest loss of koala habitat occurring between the Mid‐Holocene and the present. We predict a similar habitat loss between the present and 2070. The spatial patterns of habitat change support our hypothesis that koala extinctions in the southwest, Nullarbor Plain and central South Australia resulted from the eastward retraction of the dominant koala‐browse species in response to long‐term climate changes. Future climate patterns will likely increase the extinction risk of koalas in their remaining eastern ranges.     

孑遗灌木长柄扁桃的历史分布格局及其环境驱动力

为了解历史气候变化背景下分布于中国西北干旱沙漠、半干旱沙地和山地地区的孑遗灌木植物长柄扁桃(Amygdalus pedunculata)的分布与演化, 该研究利用长柄扁桃60个自然分布点和8个环境因子, 整合GIS空间分析和最大熵模型(MaxEnt), 分析珍稀濒危保护物种长柄扁桃末次间冰期(LIG)、末次盛冰期(LGM)和当前的历史地理分布格局变化及其环境驱动力。基于各时期长柄扁桃的分布模型模拟数据及自然种群的叶绿体基因测序数据, 利用最小成本路径方法, 模拟LIG时期以来长柄扁桃可能的扩散路径。利用R语言“ggbiplot”程序包对各时期长柄扁桃适生区的历史环境变量进行主成分分析(PCA), 分析影响长柄扁桃历史分布格局变化的关键气候因子。结果表明: (1) LIG时期以来, 长柄扁桃的历史分布经历了显著收缩和末次盛冰期后的扩张, LIG至LGM时期, 分布于库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地北部、陕西北部、阴山北部、乌兰察布高原南部、浑善达克沙地的适宜分布区明显收缩; LGM时期至今, 长柄扁桃在库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地中部沿北部阴山向东, 以及浑善达克沙地西部均发生了显著扩张。3个时期长柄扁桃均在内蒙古高原中西部存在高度适宜性分布区, 包括毛乌素沙地北缘、库布齐沙漠东缘以及大青山, 这些地区很可能是长柄扁桃的冰期避难所。北部阴山和毛乌素沙地边缘是长柄扁桃种群迁移过程中重要的扩散廊道; (2) LIG至LGM时期, 气温因子: 最冷月最低气温、平均气温日较差和最热月最高气温均呈显著下降的趋势, 冷干气候对长柄扁桃的冰期分布存在较大限制, 适生区显著收缩。而LGM时期至今, 降水因子最湿月降水量和降水量季节性均显著上升, 长柄扁桃在库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地中部、阴山以及浑善达克沙地西部发生显著扩张, 降水因子也是影响当前适宜分布区的关键限制性因子。     

Vegetation dynamics of south-western Italy in the last 28 kyr inferred from pollen analysis of a Tyrrhenian Sea core

A continuous pollen record covering the last 28 kyr was obtained from core C106 collected in the Bay of Salerno in the southern Tyrrhenian Basin, seven radiocarbon dates and the recognition of two tephra layers (Y3 and Pompeii Pumice) providing good chronological constraints. The clear climatic signal given by the pollen spectra integrated by isotopic data, combined with comparisons with other Mediterranean sites, allowed the Last Glacial, Late Glacial and Holocene periods to be distinguished in the core. In particular, the Last Glacial period is characterised by large quantities of herbaceous and steppe elements such as Artemisia. The beginning of the Late Glacial has been correlated with the first increase of deciduous Quercus and the reduction of steppe and herbaceous elements. The Younger Dryas event is recorded only by oxygen isotopes while the vegetation does not seem to change, as in other Mediterranean sites. The Holocene corresponds to rich deciduous and evergreen forests. The first features which could be interpreted as signs of human presence are represented by a few grains of Juglans, Castanea and cereal-type while intensive olive cultivation and deforestation seem to fall within the Middle Ages. Received October 10, 2001 / Accepted June 20, 2002 Correspondence to: Elda Russo Ermolli     

There are at least three genetically distinct small piroplasms from dogs

The 18S nuclear subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene of small piroplasms isolated from dogs from Okinawa (Japan), Oklahoma, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, and Alabama, was isolated and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences and comparisons with sequences from other Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria species revealed that all canine small babesial isolates, with the exception of isolates from California and Spain, were placed in a group containing the Babesia spp. sensu stricto. Within the Babesia spp. sensu stricto, there was support for separating the small canine piroplasms from the large canine piroplasm, Babesia canis. The isolate from California was in a distinct phylogenetic clade, closely related to babesial isolates from wildlife and humans from the Western US. The canine isolate from Spain was closely related to Babesia microti. These results suggest that there are multiple small piroplasm species in dogs. The isolates from the Midwestern and Eastern US and the one from Japan probably represent a single species with wide geographic distribution.     

The vegetation and climate at the last glaciation on the emerged continental shelf of the South China Sea

Studies on the dispersal mechanism and source areas of pollen from hemipelagic sediments recovered from the continental slopes of the South China Sea (SCS) reveal that vegetation existed on the exposed shelves at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the latter part of the Marine Isotope Stage 3. At the low sea level stand, Artemisia-dominated grassland covered the northern continental shelf and tropical lowland rainforest and mangroves grew on the southern shelf ‘Sunda Land’. Consequently, the climate in the northern SCS must have been much colder and drier during the last glacial period compared to the present. Sunda Land experienced only a marginally lower temperature but was not drier than today. The enhanced contrast between the northern and southern parts of the SCS in vegetation and climate during the LGM may be ascribed, at least partly, to the strengthening of Winter Monsoon during the last glacial period.     

Vegetation history of the savanna corridor between the Guinean and the Congolian rain forest during the last 150,000 years

Pollen and spores from a deep-sea core located west of the Niger Delta record an uninterrupted area of lowland rain forest in West Africa from Guinea to Cameroon during the last Interglacial and the early Holocene. During other periods of the last 150 ka, a savanna corridor between the western — Guinean — and the eastern — Congolian — part of the African lowland rain forest existed. This so-called Dahomey Gap had its largest extension during Glacial Stages 6, 4, 3, and 2. Reduced surface salinity in the eastern Gulf of Guinea as recorded by dinoflagellate cysts indicates sufficient precipitation for extensive forest growth during Stages 5 and 1. The large modern extension of dry forest and savanna in West Africa cannot be solely explained by climatic factors. Mangrove expansion in and west of the Niger Delta was largest during the phases of sea-level rise of Stages 5 and 1. During Stages 6, 4, 3, and 2, shelf areas were exposed and the area of the mangrove swamps was minimal.     

Geographically specific heteroplasmy of mitochondrial DNA in the seaweed, Fucus serratus (Heterokontophyta: Phaeophyceae, Fucales)

The presence of more than one type of mitochondrial DNA within the same organism (mtDNA heteroplasmy) has been reported in vertebrates, invertebrates, basidiomycetes and some angiosperms, but never in marine (macro)algae. We examined sequence differences in a 135‐base pair (bp) region of the nad11 gene in mitochondria of the intertidal rockweed, Fucus serratus, using single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). Each of 70 and 22 individuals from Blushøj (Denmark) and Oskarshamn (Sweden), respectively, displayed haplotypes 2, 3, and 4 (= mtDNA heteroplasmy), whereas only haplotype 2 was found in each of 24 individuals from locations in Spain, France, Ireland, Iceland and Norway. As Blushøj and Oskarshamn were among the last areas to emerge from ice cover during the Last Glacial Maximum (18 000–20 000 years bp ), the geographically specific heteroplasmy may represent a founder effect and therefore, a valuable marker for understanding the role of post‐Ice Age recolonization. Geographically specific heteroplasmy also has important implications in phylogeographical studies based on mtDNA sequences.     

中国桂樱属植物的分类研究

桂樱属(Laurocerasus Tourn.ex Duh.)是蔷薇科李亚科的一个属。它是De Tournefort(Institutiones rei Herbariae 627.t.403.1700)以Prunus laurocerasus L.和P.lusitanica L.两种奠定基础,而至1755年由Duhmal代为正式发表而建立。自该属建立以后的二百多年来,各国植物学家对其分类位置各持不同观点。     

小叶栎分布格局对末次盛冰期以来气候变化的响应

小叶栎(Quercus chenii)是华东植物区系的代表树种, 具有很高的生态、经济价值。为重建冰期以来小叶栎地理分布格局的变迁历史、了解环境因子对潜在地理分布的制约机制, 为小叶栎种质资源保护和管理提供科学依据, 该研究基于55条分布记录和8个环境变量, 利用MaxEnt模型模拟小叶栎在末次盛冰期、全新世中期、现代和2070年(温室气体排放情景为典型浓度目标8.5)的潜在分布区, 利用多元环境相似度面和最不相似变量分析探讨气候变迁过程中环境异常区域和引起潜在地理分布改变的关键因素, 综合应用贡献率及置换重要值比较、Jackknife检验评估制约现代地理分布的主要因子, 采用响应曲线确定环境变量的适宜区间。研究结果表明: MaxEnt模型的预测准确度极高, 受试者工作特征曲线下的面积(AUC值)达0.9869 ± 0.0045; 现代高度适宜区在安徽南部、浙江西部、江西东北部和湖北东部; 影响小叶栎地理分布的主要气候因子为气温和降水量, 气温更重要; 最干季平均气温可能是制约小叶栎向北分布的关键因素; 末次盛冰期时, 小叶栎高度适宜区位于东海大陆架内; 全新世中期适宜分布区轮廓已与现代近似; 2070年适宜分布区向北移, 高度适宜区面积增大, 与末次盛冰期、全新世中期和现代相比, 这一时期的气候异常程度最高。气温季节变化和降水季节变化可能是引起地理分布变迁的重要气候因素。