Article
Geology
Mansoureh Niknahad, Mohammad Reza Vaziri, Ahmad Lotfabad Arab, Florent Rivals
Summary: This study investigates the paleoecology of fossil perissodactyls from late Miocene in Maragheh. The results show that the fossil equids in Maragheh consumed a mixture of plants but with a preference for grasses, indicating that the late Miocene environment was dominated by open grassland areas.
RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jakritip Isarankura Na Ayudhya, Gildas Merceron, Thanakul Wannaprasert, Jean-Jacques Jaeger, Yaowalak Chaimanee, Rasmi Shoocongdej, Kantapon Suraprasit
Summary: Serows and gorals in Southeast Asia were investigated to understand their dietary changes through the Quaternary period. The analysis of dental features and feeding habits revealed that both Pleistocene and extant populations were mixed feeders, but extant C. sumatraensis showed a preference for browsing while extant N. griseus possibly feeds on seeds or tough food items. The restricted ranges of habitats for these species in the present day may be attributed to the Holocene climatic changes and human activities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ivan Ramirez-Pedraza, Florent Rivals, Carlos Tornero, Denis Geraads, Jean Paul Raynal, David Lefevre, Abderrahim Mohib
Summary: This study reconstructs the climate, diet, and habitat of Plio-Pleistocene herbivores at the Ahl al Oughlam site in western Morocco using stable isotope analyses, dental wear analysis, and other methods. The results suggest that the analyzed species predominantly consumed C3 plants, but had a varied diet with evidence for both browsing and grazing behavior. The study indicates that the area was dominated by open C3 grasslands in an arid climate.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sabrina Curran, Claire Terhune, Roman Croitor, Virgil Dragusin, David L. Fox, Niki Garrett, Lydia B. Ironside, Alexandru Petculescu, Briana Pobiner, Chris Robinson, Marius Robu, Ioan Tantau, Peter Ungar
Summary: The Early Pleistocene is a time of significant global climatic and environmental change, with the spread of grasslands, animal dispersals, and the presence of hominins in Eurasia. Using multiple methods, the paleoenvironments around the Oltet River in southern Romania were characterized and found to be similar to other Eurasian sites.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Florent Rivals, Jessica Cohen, Emmanuel Desclaux
Summary: The analysis of dietary traits in ungulates from Lazaret Cave examined changes in ecological niches and investigated the duration of human occupations. The results showed that dietary diversity changed throughout the MIS 6 sequence due to climatic and environmental changes. These changes affected the availability of resources, species competition, and the movement of ungulates. The archaeological record of Lazaret Cave also reflected the impact of these changes on human groups.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Flavia Strani, Daniel DeMiguel
Summary: The last European wild equids, Equus ferus and Equus hydruntinus, became extinct during the Late Quaternary Extinction Event in Europe. The main cause of their extinction is believed to be the reduction of steppelike biomes in Europe due to global warming during the Holocene. However, our study suggests that human activities, such as competition with domesticated forms brought from Eurasia and Africa, may have played a larger role in their extinction than climate change alone.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicole L. Ackermans, Daniela E. Winkler, Ellen Schulz-Kornas, Thomas M. Kaiser, Louise F. Martin, Jean-Michel Hatt, Marcus Clauss
Summary: A study conducted on sheep fed diets of varying abrasiveness found strong correlations between multiple parameters in dental wear, supporting the application of reduced parameter sets. However, there were lower correlations between DMTA parameters and volumetric tissue changes or mesowear variables, indicating the need for a better understanding of these dental wear processes.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Cecile Blondel, Gildas Merceron, John Rowan, Jerome Surault, Jean-Renaud Boisserie
Summary: By studying the fossil records of reduncins from the Shungura Formation, we found that their diet varied over time, with a shift from browsing to grazing habits between 2.8 Ma and 1.7 Ma. This highlights the importance of using multiple dietary proxies to reconstruct the ecology of ancient organisms.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Bogdan G. Ratoi, Bogdan S. Haiduc, Gina M. Semprebon, Paul Tibuleac, Raymond L. Bernor
Summary: The Cioburciu horses from the Turolian period in the Republic of Moldova are identified as Cremohipparion moldavicum. Analysis of dental wear and microscopic features indicates that these horses had a mixed feeding behavior, alternating between browsing and grazing, potentially based on season and region.
RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Elizabeth N. Fillion, Terry Harrison, Amandus Kwekason
Summary: The dietary guild structure of ungulate communities provides important insights into the paleobiology and evolution of hominins. This study investigates the ungulate community associated with A. afarensis at the Pliocene site of Laetoli, Tanzania, and finds that it differs from modern African communities, suggesting a unique vegetation structure or a resilient ungulate community. The co-occurrence of analog and nonanalog communities in the Pliocene indicates asynchronous transformations in ungulate communities in eastern Africa.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Abigail S. Hall, Susanne Cote
Summary: The study reveals that ruminant artiodactyls in early to middle Miocene eastern Africa were mostly browsers and did not exhibit clear indications of grazing. Despite having dental morphologies adapted to abrasive diets, some of the analyzed animals were primarily browsing.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Joseph A. Frederickson, Joshua E. Cohen, Michael H. Engel, Tyler C. Hunt, Greg A. Wilbert, Olga S. Castaneda, Nicholas J. Czaplewski
Summary: The Optima Local Fauna provides important insights into the ecological transition between savannah and grassland during the late Miocene. A study of the mammal fossils from this site reveals a diversity of dietary niches among the herbivores, with artiodactyls identified as mixed feeders and perissodactyls as grazers. In the carnivorans, the large felid Amphimachairodus coloradensis is a hypercarnivore with a preference for horses, while the canids show a more generalized diet. The expansion of grasslands likely drove the dietary complexity in both carnivores and herbivores.
ACTA PALAEONTOLOGICA POLONICA
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Paulo Duno-Iglesias, Florent Rivals, Lluis Lloveras, Jordi Nadal
Summary: The aim of this work is to provide evidence on the mobility of hunter-gatherer groups from the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula during the Epipaleolithic era, specifically focusing on the Balma del Gai site in Moia, Barcelona, Spain. The study analyzes the dental wear of hunted ungulates to determine their diets and reconstruct the surrounding habitat. Additionally, the variability in the diets is examined to estimate the duration of occupations and characterize the mobility model of the hunter-gatherer groups at Balma del Gai during the Epipaleolithic era.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Flavia Strani
Summary: The diet adaptations of Pleistocene ungulates in Mediterranean Europe changed in response to climate variability, shifting from diverse feeding behaviors in heterogeneous environments to narrower diet ranges in drier habitats. The increase in seasonality during the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition led to dietary plasticity in these ungulates, showing flexibility even in specialized groups like equids.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shi-Qi Wang, Jimin Sun, Chunxiao Li, Shi-Jie Li, Jiao Fu, Qigao Jiangzuo, Luda Xing, Rong Yang
Summary: This study reports the discovery of a fossil dwarf antelope, Linxiatragus dengi, from the early Late Miocene in the Linxia Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau. This is the first fossil dwarf antelope found outside of Africa. The study suggests that L. dengi might have been a grazer, in contrast to the browsing behavior of extant dwarf antelopes.
Article
Paleontology
Victor M. Bravo-Cuevas, Jaime Priego-Vargas, Eduardo Jimenez-Hidalgo, Christian R. Barron-Ortiz, Jessica M. Theodor, Jesus M. Castillo-Ceron
Article
Biology
Jonathan M. Hoffman, Danielle Fraser, Mark T. Clementz
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Root Gorelick, Danielle Fraser, Melissa Mansfield, Jeff W. Dawson, Sanoji Wijenayake, Susan M. Bertram
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2016)
Article
Paleontology
Victor M. Bravo-Cuevas, Nuria M. Morales-Garcia, Christian R. Barron-Ortiz, Jessica M. Theodor, M. A. Cabral-Perdomo
ICHNOS-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL TRACES
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christina I. Barron-Ortiz, Antonia T. Rodrigues, Jessica M. Theodor, Brian P. Kooyman, Dongya Y. Yang, Camilla F. Speller
Article
Paleontology
Craig S. Scott, Anne Weil, Jessica M. Theodor
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chelsey Zurowski, Heather Jamniczky, Daniel Graf, Jessica Theodor
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Paleontology
Gregory J. Retallack, Jessica M. Theodor, Edward B. Davis, Samantha S. B. Hopkins, Paul Z. Barrett
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christina Barron-Ortiz, Christopher N. Jass, Raul Barron-Corvera, Jennifer Austen, Jessica M. Theodor
Article
Geography, Physical
Tasha S. Cammidge, Brian Kooyman, Jessica M. Theodor
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Physiology
Zeba Malik, Daniela M. Roth, Farah Eaton, Jessica M. Theodor, Daniel Graf
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Zoology
D. G. Maucieri, A. J. Ashbaugh, J. M. Theodor
Summary: Sexual dimorphism in bat wing morphology can lead to differences in foraging style between males and females, with pregnant female bats potentially needing wing modifications to match the maneuverability of males. Nonpregnant female bats have higher wing loading than males, indicating lower maneuverability, and wing shape differences among foraging guilds are minimal except for frugivores. Future studies should investigate how female bats forage during their reproductive cycle and examine individual differences in wing shape among bat species.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Donald R. Prothero, Daryl Domning, R. Ewan Fordyce, Scott Foss, Christine Janis, Spencer Lucas, Katherine L. Marriott, Gregoire Metais, Darren Naish, Kevin Padian, Gertrud Rossner, Nikos Solounias, Michelle Spaulding, Richard M. Stucky, Jessica Theodor, Mark Uhen
Summary: The name Cetartiodactyla was proposed in 1997 to show the close relationship between Cetacea and Artiodactyla, but the implications of the name are confusing as they are not sister-taxa. It is recommended to abandon the name for taxonomic priority and stability, as it is misleading and confusing.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Selina Viktor Robson, Brendon Seale, Jessica M. Theodor
Summary: Protoceratids, an extinct family of North American artiodactyls, have had a controversial phylogenetic position in relation to camelids and ruminants. This study utilized CT scans to describe a P. celer petrosal, finding that its morphology is similar to other Protoceratids, suggesting conservatism in petrosal morphology within the Protoceratidae.
Article
Paleontology
Selina Viktor Robson, Jessica M. M. Theodor
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Huyue Song, Shixue Hu, Michael Benton, Dayong Jiang
Summary: This article examines the end Permian to Middle Triassic interval, which witnessed a significant marine mass extinction and delayed recovery. The focus is on Triassic marine sediments in South China, providing unique documentation of the collapse and recovery of marine ecosystems. Several papers analyze different fossils and their ecological significance, while others study biostratigraphy, reconstruct paleoenvironments, and link records to volcanic eruptions.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mohammad Firoze Quamar, Upasana Swaroop Banerji, Biswajeet Thakur, Ratan Kar
Summary: The Indian Summer Monsoon is a crucial component of the Asian Monsoon System, impacting rainfall, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic growth in India and nearby regions. The central monsoon zone in India is more responsive to strong monsoon phases than weak ones.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria Laura Balestrieri, Valerio Olivetti, David Chew, Luca Zurli, Massimiliano Zattin, Foteini Drakou, Gianluca Cornamusini, Matteo Perotti
Summary: This study presents a multidisciplinary provenance study on legacy cores drilled in the central Ross Sea, Antarctica, providing insights into the oscillation of ice flows and advance and retreat phases of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
P. Depuydt, S. Toucanne, C. Barras, S. Le Houedec, M. Mojtahid
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of the upper branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the mid-latitudes of the Northeast Atlantic. It focuses on the European Slope Current (ESC) and its glacial equivalent known as the Glacial Eastern Boundary Current (GEBC). The study reveals significant changes in flow strength and ventilation during the glacial and deglaciation periods, as well as a gradual weakening of the slope current during the Holocene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhee Park, Holly J. Stein, Judith L. Hannah, Svetoslav V. Georgiev, Oyvind Hammer, Snorre Olaussen
Summary: This study reports new Re-Os ages for black shales from Svalbard and evaluates the paleoenvironment during organic-rich shale deposition. The study also proposes correlations of specific Late Jurassic ammonite zones between the Boreal and Tethyan realms.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Guocheng Dong, Weijian Zhou, Feng Xian, Yunchong Fu, Li Zhang, Ling Tang, Pengkai Ding
Summary: The cause of ice-age cycles is still not fully understood, and studying the timing and magnitude of mountain glaciations can provide valuable insights. This study presents new dating results from the Niqingqu Valley in the Tibetan Plateau, showing multiple glacial activities prior to the Penultimate Glacial Maximum. The findings suggest that low atmospheric CO2 content and reduced summer solar insolation/high summer-monsoon precipitation played a role in these glacial fluctuations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Haoran Dong, Zhitong Chen, Yucheng Wang, Jie Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Zhongwei Shen, Xinwei Yan, Jianbao Liu
Summary: Through sediment records from Lake Nanyi in the lower Yangtze, we found that anthropogenic fire activity played a dominant role in the region, and the temporal pattern of fire activity was asynchronous from east to west. Archaeological evidence suggests an inverse relationship between agricultural and population levels and fire intensity during the mid-Holocene, with fire intensity being influenced by the diversity of landscape types associated with pre-historic subsistence patterns. Overall, changes in regional water-level delayed the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture in the lower Yangtze region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Giovanni Coletti, Giulia Bosio, Alberto Collareta, Or Mordecai Bialik, Eleonora Regattieri, Irene Cornacchia, Gianni Insacco, John Buckeridge
Summary: This paper argues that sessile barnacles are an excellent proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The shells of barnacles consist of diagenetically stable low-magnesium calcite and record short-term variations. Analyses of several Western Mediterranean barnacle-rich deposits demonstrate the utility of barnacles as proxies for water depth, distance from the coastline, and hydrodynamic conditions. Moreover, the stable isotope ratios of barnacle shells can provide detailed palaeoenvironmental information.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Feng Wu, Xinong Xie, Wen Yan, Youhua Zhu, Beichen Chen, Jianuo Chen, Mo Zhou
Summary: This paper describes the Quaternary evolution of Meiji Atoll in the southern South China Sea. The findings show how variations in sea surface temperature, eustatic sea level, and tectonics have influenced the development of the atoll. These findings have broader implications for understanding the Quaternary evolution of similar tropical carbonate atolls in the region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ana Mateos, Ericson Hoelzchen, Jesus Rodriguez
Summary: The Epivillafranchian and the transition to the Galerian was a period of environmental fluctuations and faunal turnover. Hominins and giant hyenas could coexist during the Epivillafranchian, but the transition to the Galerian led to a disruption of the scavenging niche, coinciding with the extinction of P. brevirostris.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tianyu Du, Wensheng Zhang, Bing Li, Linjing Liu, Yuecong Li, Yawen Ge, Shiyong Yu
Summary: This article presents sedimentary evidence for a dramatic channel displacement of the lower Yellow River about 3000-2600 years ago, and explains the impact of this displacement on the geomorphology and human migration.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Johann Mueller, Michael M. Joachimski, Oliver Lehnert, Peep Mannik, Yadong Sun
Summary: The Late Ordovician mass extinction occurred during an ice age, with maximum ice coverage and a substantial drop in global sea level. This led to the exposure or shallowing of shallow tropical shelf environments. The study suggests that the burial rate of nutrient phosphorus (P) on shelves was minimal during this glacial period, leading to excess bioavailable P entering the open ocean and stimulating phytoplankton production, which in turn lowered oxygen concentrations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marina Addante, Patrizia Maiorano, Giovanna Scopelliti, Angela Girone, Maria Marino, Samanta Trotta, Antonio Caruso
Summary: This study presents the first high-resolution results on planktonic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes and calcareous plankton assemblages, providing insights into the glacial-interglacial variability and North Atlantic climate variability. The research also reveals evidence of the first significant southward migration of the Subarctic Front in the mid-latitudes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bing-Cai Liu, Rui-Wen Zong, Kai Wang, Jiao Bai, Yi Wang, Hong-He Xu
Summary: Phytogeography plays a vital role in the evolution of plants. This paper describes a new species of a spore-bearing plant from the upper Silurian period in West Junggar, China. By analyzing global Silurian macrofossil records, the study reveals the spatial-temporal distribution of Silurian plant macrofossils and identifies two phytogeographic realms during the Pridoli Epoch.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Francois Fournier, Thomas Teillet, Alexis Licht, Jean Borgomano, Lucien Montaggioni
Summary: This study investigates the temporal evolution of neritic carbonates in the proto-South China Sea to reconstruct East Asian monsoonal currents and winds during the middle to late Paleogene. The results highlight that many of the features of the summer East Asian Monsoon large-scale circulation are rooted in the middle Paleogene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)