Article
Plant Sciences
Manuel Casas-Gallego, Eduardo Barron
Summary: This paper reviews the fragmentary fossil pollen record of Hamamelidaceae in the Iberian Peninsula from the middle Eocene to the Early Pleistocene, revealing a considerable generic diversity and proposing three new fossil pollen genera. The study also discusses pollen forms tentatively attributed to Corylopsis and Fothergilla.
PLANT SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Demet Biltekin, K. Kadir Eris, M. Namik Cagatay, Pierre Henry, Nurettin Yakupoglu
Summary: A palynological analysis of a giant piston core MRS-CS27 sedimentary sequence in the Sea of Marmara was conducted to evaluate paleoenvironmental and climate changes during MIS-5 (c-a), MIS-4, MIS-3, and the earliest part of MIS-2. The analysis revealed warm and humid conditions during MIS-5c, followed by colder and drier climate during MIS-5b. MIS-5a exhibited a return to warm and humid conditions, supporting diverse forest vegetation growth. MIS-4 showed distinct changes in vegetation with the presence of abundant Cedrus pollen, indicating survival of montane trees under cooler climate.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Luke Sweeney, Sandy P. Harrison, Marc Vander Linden
Summary: This study examines the relationship between fire regimes and human activities in the Iberian Peninsula during the past 10,000 years. The analysis shows that population growth and changes in fire regimes are not directly linked, and that fire activity is largely influenced by factors such as climate.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis Seabra, Andres Teira-Brion, Ines Lopez-Doriga, Maria Martin-Seijo, Rubim Almeida, Joao Pedro Tereso
Summary: The earliest macroremains of rye in Northwest Iberia date back to the 3(rd) century to the first half of the 1(st) century BCE. Rye was likely acting as a weed in fields dominated by spelt and other cereals. After a two-century absence, rye was probably reintroduced as a crop and became a staple crop in the region from the 3(rd)-4(th) centuries CE onwards. There were minimal changes in grain morphometry before Medieval times, except for a settlement in the 10(th)-11(th) century where significant differences in grain size were recorded.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matilde Garcia-Valdecasas Ojeda, Sonia Raquel Gamiz-Fortis, Emilio Romero-Jimenez, Juan Jose Rosa-Canovas, Patricio Yeste, Yolanda Castro-Diez, Maria Jesus Esteban-Parra
Summary: High spatial resolution drought projections for the Iberian Peninsula indicate that longer and more severe drought events are very likely in the future, particularly under the high-emission scenario RCP8.5. These projected changes are expected to be most significant by the end of the century.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jorge L. Costafreda, Domingo A. Martin, Beatriz Astudillo, Leticia Presa, Jose Luis Parra, Miguel A. Sanjuan
Summary: The objective of this research is to study and characterize diatomites from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula as natural pozzolans. Morphological and chemical characterization studies were conducted on the samples using SEM and XRF. The physical properties and technical properties of the samples were determined through various tests. The results show that the diatomites studied are pozzolanic and can be used to improve cements, mortars, and concrete.
Review
Microbiology
Leonardo Moerbeck, Ana Domingos, Sandra Antunes
Summary: Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by intracellular bacteria of the Rickettsia genus transmitted by hard ticks, posing a threat to both human and animal health. The Iberian Peninsula countries of Portugal and Spain have reported various rickettsial diseases, highlighting the importance of an international collaborative epidemiology surveillance network in monitoring and controlling these diseases.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Nieves Lorenzo, Alejandro Diaz-Poso, Dominic Roye
Summary: Heatwave projections for the Iberian Peninsula show a general significant increase in intensity, frequency, duration, and spatial extent, particularly in the eastern-central region and on the Mediterranean coast. As climate change continues, the impacts of heatwaves are predicted to intensify further.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Maria Joao Paul, Dan Rosauer, Pedro Tarroso, Guillermo Velo-Anton, Silvia B. Carvalho
Summary: Understanding the drivers of biodiversity patterns is crucial, and this study aims to identify if global-scale drivers of phylogenetic diversity and endemism are also predictive at regional scales using Iberian amphibians as a case study. The results show that water-energy availability and historical climate instability are important drivers of amphibian diversity in Iberia, but the strength of these predictors is weaker at the regional scale compared to the global scale.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Alejandro Diaz-Poso, Nieves Lorenzo, Alberto Marti, Dominic Roye
Summary: Cold waves have received less attention than heat waves in the scientific community despite their impacts on public health, transportation infrastructure, and energy consumption in the context of global warming. This study analyzes climate change scenarios for the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands using the Excess Cold Factor index. The projections show a significant overall decrease in intensity, frequency, duration, and spatial extent of cold waves in the near future compared to the historical period. However, the acclimatization of the population to higher temperatures will still pose a serious local threat from cold waves.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Eduardo Utrabo-Carazo, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Encarna Serrano, Enric Aguilar, Manola Brunet, Jose A. Guijarro
Summary: This study analyzes the wind speed changes in Spain and Portugal from 1961 to 2019. It found that the stilling phenomenon has ceased and there might be a weak reversal phenomenon in recent decades. The increase in atmospheric thermal stability and the northward shift of the jet stream are proposed as the main causes of the stilling phenomenon in this region. The study improves our understanding of wind changes and highlights the importance of regional assessments.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Ricardo Quinto Canas, Ana Cano-Ortiz, Carmelo Maria Musarella, Sara del Rio, Mauro Raposo, Jose Carlos Pinar Fuentes, Carlos Pinto Gomes
Summary: This paper explores the floristic, ecological, and biogeographical differences of the edaphoxerophilous holm oak woodlands in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, proposing a new plant community and providing an overview of the ecological features and diversity of plant communities in the thermophile holm oak woodlands in the region.
Review
Ecology
Carlos J. L. Balsas
Summary: This essay commemorates the life and scholarly contributions of Julius Fabos, who played a key role in landscape ecology and greenway planning in the Northeastern United States and worldwide. His successful academic career offers inspiration and self-reflection opportunities, especially in today's uncertain times.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marcos Rodrigues, Dhais Pena-Angulo, Ana Russo, Maria Zuniga-Anton, Adrian Cardil
Summary: Climate teleconnections synchronize and influence weather features globally, potentially impacting wildfire activity. In the Iberian Peninsula, climate teleconnections significantly influence fire activity and danger, particularly driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation and Mediterranean Oscillation Index.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseba Rios-Garaizar, Eneko Iriarte, Lee J. Arnold, Laura Sanchez-Romero, Ana B. Marin-Arroyo, Aixa San Emeterio, Asier Gomez-Olivencia, Carflos Perez-Garrido, Martina Demuro, Isidoro Campana, Laurence Bourguignon, Alfonso Benito-Calvo, Maria J. Iriarte, Arantza Aranburu, Amaia Arranz-Otaegi, Diego Garate, Maria Silva-Gago, Christelle Lahaye, Illuminada Ortega
Summary: This study presents the first open-air Chatelperronian site in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, Aranbaltza II. The stone tools found at the site show no links with previous Middle Paleolithic technology in the region, suggesting a gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic and the Chatelperronian. This indicates the local extinction of Neandertals and their replacement by Neandertal groups from southern France.
Article
Plant Sciences
Manuel Casas-Gallego, Iakov Gogin, Manuel Vieira
Summary: This study describes two new dinoflagellate cyst species discovered in the Gannet Field of the UK Central North Sea, with widespread distribution across the region. The distinguishing features of these species include a dense network of trabeculae and delicate penitabular septa. The research also discusses the paleontological applications and environmental settings of these new species.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
James S. Eldrett, Manuel Vieira, Liam Gallagher, Matthew Hampton, Maarten Blaauw, Peter K. Swart
Summary: The study presents a highly resolved record of stable carbon isotope values from Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene, integrating carbon isotope stratigraphy with biostratigraphic events to identify major Stage and sub-Stage boundaries. The research provides a long-term and near-continuous stratigraphic record of the Late Cretaceous and earliest Palaeogene in the Central North Sea basin, punctuated by short duration hiatal intervals and a longer hiatus where most of the Cenomanian is missing at the location.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diogo Peixoto, Amparo Torreblanca, Susana Pereira, Maria Natividade Vieira, Inmaculada Varo
Summary: Microplastics are found everywhere in the world's oceans and their potential toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems remain unknown. This study evaluated biochemical responses caused by fluorescent red polymer microspheres (FRM) on nauplii and juveniles of Artemia franciscana, revealing that juveniles showed decreased survival after exposure to higher concentrations of FRM, potentially indicating neurotoxic and oxidative damage effects induced by the microplastics. The research highlights the need to understand the mechanisms of microplastics toxicity and their impacts on environmental safety.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geology
Manuel Vieira, Salih Mahdi, Manuel Casas-Gallego, Michael Ayress
Summary: This study presents high-resolution palynological and micropalaeontological analyses of an upper Maastrichtian cored succession from a well in the More Basin (Norwegian continental shelf). Various assemblages of dinoflagellate cysts and foraminifera provide insights into the palaeobiogeography and palaeoenvironmental conditions during the late Maastrichtian. An outer neritic setting is interpreted based on the high abundance of planktonic foraminifera.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Simin Jin, David B. Kemp, David W. Jolley, Manuel Vieira, James C. Zachos, Chunju Huang, Mingsong Li, Wenhan Chen
Summary: This study uncovers the impacts of extreme climate warming on sedimentary systems, revealing large-scale changes in sediment supply during the PETM and the importance of astronomical climate forcing in mediating these factors over long timescales.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Manuel Vieira, Salih Mahdi
Summary: The Late Cretaceous and Paleogene strata of the Norwegian continental shelf contain rich and diverse dinoflagellate cysts, with well-preserved assemblages allowing high-resolution biostratigraphic studies and identification of new species. This paper formally describes eight new species from the More Basin offshore Norway, discussing their key diagnostic and morphological features. These new species, ranging from early Campanian to early Danian, enhance the stratigraphic breakdown of wells across the region and wider offshore Northwest Europe.
Article
Plant Sciences
Manuel Vieira, Reinhard Zetter, Mario Coiro, Friogeir Grimsson
Summary: The fossil record of Lythrum is scarce, with European records being the most numerous and geologically younger; European Lythrum pollen morphology from the Miocene to Pliocene is comparable to extant species; The expansion of Lythrum into Europe appears to coincide with the decline of the plant genus Decodon in late Neogene fossil palynological assemblages.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David Jolley, Manuel Vieira, Simin Jin, David B. Kemp
Summary: Previous records of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) were found in marine sediments in the Forties Member, Sele Formation, North Sea Basin. Through analysis of two well sections with delta C-13 records, the depositional sequence and maximum flooding surface of the Sele Formation Unit S1 were identified. The initiation of the Forties Fan complex was found to be earlier than the PETM in the proximal fan area, indicating the driving mechanism behind the Forties Fan inception.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
James S. Eldrett, Manuel Vieira
Summary: This study generated a stable carbon isotope profile of the Early Cretaceous to Paleogene from well 30/2a-7 in the Central North Sea, providing an integrated stratigraphic framework incorporating calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy. By correlating with similar records from other realms, it offers a chronostratigraphic framework for hydrocarbon play elements and carbon capture projects.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose Ma Postigo-Mijarra, Yul Altolaguirre, Rafael Moreno-Dominguez, Eduardo Barron, Manuel Casas-Gallego
Summary: The La Rinconada mine in the early Miocene provides a valuable opportunity to study ancient climate. By using different methods, researchers have estimated the temperature and precipitation values of the region, revealing a wet and warm climate year-round without a summer-dry regime. This climate aligns with other sites in Europe during the early Miocene period.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Simin Jin, David B. Kemp, Runsheng Yin, Ruiyang Sun, Jun Shen, David W. Jolley, Manuel Vieira, Chunju Huang
Summary: This study examines the relationship between volcanic activity from the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Through the analysis of sedimentary records, it is found that there is a causal link between volcanic activity and increased CO2 release during PETM, and the volcanic activity persisted for a prolonged period. Towards the end of, and after, PETM, the influence of volcanic outgassing decreased.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Manuel Vieira, Reinhard Zetter, Fridgeir Grimsson, Thomas Denk
Summary: The study revealed a high diversity of Fagaceae, including both extant and extinct lineages, in Late Pliocene Portugal. The pollen records suggest the presence of Himalayan-Southeast Asian groups in western Eurasia and the survival of cold-tolerant groups being more complex.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andreia Ribeiro, Carlos Gravato, Joao Cardoso, Carlos Alexandre Ribeiro, Maria Natividade Vieira, Carolina Rodrigues
Summary: This study assesses the ecological status and abundance of microplastics (MPs) in the Selho and Costa-Couros rivers in Guimaraes, Portugal. The results show that both rivers have not yet achieved good ecological status, with high levels of nutrients and MPs found in sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Debora Pereira da Silva, Nolan Ribeiro Bezerra, Raviel Eurico Basso, Maria da Natividade Vieira, Paulo Sergio Scalize
Summary: This research aimed to assess the risk of infection from cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in the Cerrado biome population and its correlation with land use. Raw water samples were collected from 41 different surface sources in the state of Goias, Brazil, and the parasites were quantified using the membrane filtration method. The probability of infection after consuming contaminated water was estimated using quantitative microbial risk assessment. Overall, 63.4% of the analyzed watershed samples contained Giardia cysts.
Article
Forestry
Yul Altolaguirre, Jose M. Postigo-Mijarra, Manuel Casas-Gallego, Rafael Moreno-Dominguez, Eduardo Barron
Summary: The Late Miocene palaeofloras of the La Cerdanya Basin provide valuable insights into the vegetation of the Iberian Peninsula during a time of climate change. Previous studies have shown a diverse mix of evergreen and deciduous trees and conifers, but the spatial distribution of these forest types was unknown. In this study, the biomization method was used to map the different late Miocene vegetation types, revealing shifts in vegetation belts in response to climate variations and mountain uplift.
Article
Plant Sciences
Gar W. Rothwell, Ruth A. Stockey
Summary: This study utilizes anatomical analysis of fossils from Vancouver Island, Canada, to support the development of a whole plant concept for the Eocene species of Gleichenia and provide data for the first organismal concept of an extinct species of Gleichenia from the Cenozoic fossil record. The findings suggest that the characteristics of the Gleicheniaceae family were present during the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, with modern species well-established and diversifying.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kathrin Ganz, Cesar Morales-Molino, Erika Gobet, Dmytro Kiosak, Nadezhda Kotova, Jacqueline van Leeuwen, Sergey Makhortykh, Christoph Schworer, Willy Tinner
Summary: This study presents a palaeoecological reinvestigation from the Kardashynskyi mire in southern Ukraine, reconstructing the vegetation dynamics, fire history, and land use for the past 8300 years. The results show that both climate and human activities have driven the vegetation changes, and the remaining special vegetation types are severely threatened under current conditions.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Willem O. van der Knaap, Bas van Geel, Jacqueline F. N. van Leeuwen, Frans Roescher, Dick Mol
Summary: Pollen analysis of fossilized teeth from a giant deer found in The Netherlands provides insights into the diet, landscape, and climate of the specimen. The study suggests that the giant deer most likely lived during the early Eemian or an early Weichselian interstadial.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yun Guo, Yu Zhou, Josef Psenicka, Jiri Bek, Jana Votockova Frojdova, Zhuo Feng
Summary: A new species of adpressed leptosporangiate fern, Szea yunnanensis sp. nov., is described from Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The fronds of this new species have unique characteristics such as fertile pinnules with triangular to falcate shape and abaxial sori arranged in one row on each side of the midvein.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Adele C. M. Julier, Glynis J. Humphrey, Caitlin Dixon, Lindsey Gillson
Summary: The relationships between woody vegetation cover and fire, climate, herbivory, and human activities in African savanna ecosystems are complex. Fire suppression policies implemented in a national park in northeast Namibia from 1888 to 2005 did not lead to noticeable decreases in fire or enhanced tree recruitment, suggesting that fire occurrence in savanna ecosystems is more closely linked to climate than management. Fire management should adapt to rainfall variability and integrate customs of early dry season burning.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Plant Sciences
Milan Libertin, Jiri Kvacek, Jiri Bek
Summary: This paper revises the genus Aberlemnia from the Early Devonian of Scotland based on its type-material A. caledonica and describes a new species, Aberlemnia krizii sp. nov, from the Silurian of Czechia. The study provides detailed diagnoses and highlights the differences between the two species. Aberlemnia is positioned on an evolutionary clade line leading to the Lycophytina.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2024)
