Plio-Pleistocene climatic change in the Turkana Basin (East Africa): evidence from large mammal faunas

Journal of Human Evolution
Manuel Hernández Fernández, Elisabeth S Vrba

Abstract

We investigated palaeoclimatic change in the Turkana Basin during the Pliocene climatic shift toward increased aridity in Africa. We analyzed the palaeoecology of this area using mammal faunas as environmental indicators. Twenty Plio-Pleistocene fossil assemblages and a comparative dataset of 16 modern localities covering a wide range of climatic and ecological conditions across Africa were analyzed. We constructed community profiles using taxonomic variables which reflect ecological information. Principal component analysis and bivariate correlation were used to study changes in the community structure of these mammalian faunas and to draw palaeoenvironmental inferences. Subsequently, least-squares regressions yielded climatic estimates (annual rainfall and drought length) for the studied period. An additional set of 8 modern faunas was used to validate these regression models. The climatic estimates showed a drying trend throughout the sequence. The biomes in the Turkana Basin changed from semi-evergreen rain forest to deciduous woodland and savanna during the middle-late Pliocene. This was the most important climatic shift detected in our study. Evidence suggests a continuous presence of savannas from 2.5 million years ago o...Continue Reading

References

Apr 13, 1979·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·M J GriffithR L Lundblad
Oct 6, 1995·Science·P B deMenocal
Dec 5, 1997·Science·A K BehrensmeyerG E McBrinn
Jun 3, 2000·The European Respiratory Journal·J A NadelC Agustí
Mar 23, 2002·Journal of Human Evolution·René BobeRalph E Chapman
Sep 18, 2002·Journal of Human Evolution·Kris KovarovicLeslie Aiello
Oct 12, 2002·The Journal of Maternal-fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians·K D RaminP S Ramsey
Aug 11, 2004·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Manuel MendozaCarlos Criado
Nov 1, 1997·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·C L Samuels, J A Drake

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 11, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Benjamin H PasseyJohn M Eiler
Dec 14, 2012·Biology Letters·Faysal BibiJean-Renaud Boisserie
Apr 28, 2010·Annual Review of Nutrition·F LucaA Di Rienzo
Feb 15, 2012·Advances in Nutrition·Kaixiong Ye, Zhenglong Gu
Jul 6, 2014·Primates; Journal of Primatology·William C McGrewCaroline E G Tutin
Oct 2, 2015·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Juan L CantalapiedraJorge Morales
Jun 15, 2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Mikael ForteliusLars Werdelin
Oct 10, 2014·Scientific Reports·Ana Rosa Gómez CanoManuel Hernández Fernández
Nov 30, 2007·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·John D Kingston
Aug 18, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Zareen Bharucha, Jules Pretty
Sep 15, 2020·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Thomas L P CouvreurPierre Sepulchre
Dec 22, 2017·Evolutionary Anthropology·Hans Peter Linder
May 2, 2019·PeerJ·Andrinajoro R RakotoariveloYoshan Moodley
Jun 28, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Scott A BlumenthalThure E Cerling
Apr 25, 2018·Journal of Human Evolution·Erin G WesslingJill D Pruetz
May 5, 2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Joshua R RobinsonMatt Sponheimer

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.