Mammal turnover and global climate change in the late Miocene terrestrial record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Spain)

Agustí, Jorge; Cabrera, Lluı́s; Garcés, Miguel; Llenas, Manel

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511542329.020

Cited by 31 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…6). These ages are remarkably coinciding with major migration and turnover events in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the middle-to-late Aragonian turnover (~13.7 Ma; Daams et al, 1999b;van der Meulen et al, 2005), the Hippotherium immigration (10.8-10.7 Ma in Central Spain: Garcés et al, 2003), the early Vallesian mammal turnover (10.4 Ma), the midVallesian crisis (9.7 Ma), and the latest Vallesian bioevents (9.2 to 8.8 Ma; all Vallesian ages according to Agusti et al, 1999). Although we acknowledge that every single faunal turnover or migration event is associated with distinct palaeobiologic, palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic circumstances, the shifting pattern of the precipitation gradient is obviously a major factor for biotic events across Europe.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Miocene precipitation in Europe: Temporal trends and spatial gradients

Böhme

Winklhofer²,

Ilg

2011

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is known from present-day climates that both temporal and spatial variations in precipitation can be more pronounced than those in temperature and thus influence ecosystems and human society in more substantial way. However, very little is known about such variations in the past. Here we present an analysis of 206 palaeoprecipitation data from two twelve million year long proxy records of precipitation for Southwest (Calatayud-Teruel basin) and Central Europe (Western and Central Paratethys), spanning the late Early and Middle to Late Miocene (17.8-5.3 Ma) at a temporal resolution of about 80 kyr and 200 kyr, respectively. The estimates of precipitation are based on the ecophysiological structure of herpetological assemblages. The results show that precipitation variations in both regions have large amplitudes during the Miocene with comparable temporal trends at longer time scales. With locally 300 mm up to more than 1000 mm more rainfall per year than present, the early Langhian and the Tortonian were relatively wet periods, whereas the late Langhian and late Serravallian were relatively dry, with up to 300 to 500 mm less precipitation than present. The most humid time intervals were the early and middle Tortonian washhouse climate periods. Overall, our data suggest that the latitudinal precipitation gradient in Europe from the Middle to Late Miocene were highly variable, with a general tendency towards a reduced gradient relative to present day values. The gradient decreases during cooling periods and increases during warming periods, similar to results from simulations of future climate change. Interestingly, the precipitation gradient was reversed during the second washhouse climate period and the Early Messinian, which may have causes a negative hydrologic balance in the Eastern Paratethys during the latter time. Yet, our reconstructed gradient curve shows no direct correlation with the global temperature signal from oxygen isotopes, which implies a non-linear regional response. Our results further suggest that major fluctuations in the precipitation gradient can be responsible for shifts in ecosystem distribution, and particularly, for faunal turnover in South Western Europe.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Miocene precipitation in Europe: Temporal trends and spatial gradients

Böhme

Winklhofer²,

Ilg

2011

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In particular during the late Miocene many parts of Europe and Asia were characterized by a drastic faunal turn over in favour of open land species due to ongoing global changes in vegetation (Cerling et al, 1997). The same time period was also characterized by tectonic changes such as a further uplift of the Tibetian plateau ( 10 MYA) providing physical barriers as well triggering climatic changes across Eurasia (Agustí et al, 1999;Fortelius et al, 2002). Most affected regions in Mongolia and China still harbour a significant number of hamster species (see also Figs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular phylogeny of the Cricetinae subfamily based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA genes and the nuclear vWF gene

Neumann

Michaux

Lebedev

et al. 2006

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite some popularity of hamsters as pets and laboratory animals there is no reliable phylogeny of the subfamily Cricetinae available so far. Contradicting views exist not only about the actual number of species but also concerning the validity of several genera. We used partial DNA sequences of two mitochondrial (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA) and one partial nuclear gene (von Willebrand Factor exon 28) to provide a first gene tree of the Cricetinae based on 15 taxa comprising six genera. According to our data, Palaearctic hamsters fall into three distinct phylogenetic groups: Phodopus, Mesocricetus, and Cricetus-related species which evolved during the late Miocene about 7-12 MY ago. Surprisingly, the genus Phodopus, which was previously thought to have appeared during the Pleistocene, forms the oldest clade. The largest number of extant hamster genera is found in a group of Cricetus-related hamsters. The genus Cricetulus itself proved to be not truly monophyletic with Cricetulus migratorius appearing more closely related to Tscherskia, Cricetus, and Allocricetulus. We propose to place the species within a new monotypic genus. Molecular clock calculations are not always in line with the dating of fossil records. DNA based divergence time estimates as well as taxonomic relationships demand a reevaluation of morphological characters previously used to identify fossils and extant hamsters.

show abstract

“…In the same work they conclude that the event was rapid and discuss a correlation with the climatic and paleogeographic evolution of Europe during the Late Miocene. Successive publications already have referred to the event as the 'Vallesian Crisis' (or sometimes as midVallesian Crisis or late Vallesian Crisis) and have added new taxa to the list of victims, such as the flying squirrels (Miopetaurista, Albanensia), the beavers (Chalicomys, Euroxenomys), certain carnivores (barbourofelids, amphicyonids), rhinoceroses (Lartetotherium and other genera), tapirs and the great ape Hispanopithecus (Agustí et al, 1997(Agustí et al, , 1999(Agustí et al, , 2003Fortelius and Hokkanen, 2001). Fortelius et al (1996) and Fortelius and Hokkanen (2001) noted that the drop in diversity affected mainly medium-sized mammals, both carnivores (mainly mustelids) and herbivores (small suoids, cervids and primates).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey and nearby countries) the small mammal record does not record major extinctions (De Bruijn et al, 1996) and large mammal diversity increased continuously during the Vallesian, peaking at the early Turolian (Fortelius et al, 1996;Casanovas-Vilar et al, 2005). Therefore, there is still a debate on the geographical range and timing of the Vallesian Crisis, being either considered an abrupt event that may have affected the whole continent Agustí et al, 1997Agustí et al, , 1999Agustí et al, , 2003Fortelius and Hokkanen, 2001) or a series of extinctions restricted to southwestern Europe (De Bruijn et al, 1996;Casanovas-Vilar et al, 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the Vallesian Crisis has been linked to a complex interplay of climatic and paleogeographic causes Agustí et al, 1997Agustí et al, , 1999Agustí et al, , 2003. Those would have led to an increase of the temperature latitudinal gradient along Europe, whereas in the peri-Mediterranean regions they implied the development of marked rainfall seasonality that would have resulted in a more open and dry environment (Agustí et al, 1997(Agustí et al, , 1999Van Dam and Weltje, 1999;Fortelius and Hokkanen, 2001;Böhme et al, 2008). However, Agustí et al (2003) show the persistence of forested areas during the late Vallesian (at about 9.2 Ma) in the Vallès-Penedès, although deciduous trees define a great proportion of the assemblages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The range and extent of the Vallesian Crisis (Late Miocene): new prospects based on the micromammal record from the Vallès-Penedès basin (Catalonia, Spain)

Casanovas‐Vilar

Ostende

Furió

et al. 2014

Journal of Iberian Geology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Vallesian Crisis was initially recognized as a local event, which implied the extinction of certain rodent and artiodactyl genera coinciding with the early/late Vallesian boundary (at 9.7 Ma). Following works increased the range and extent of this event to encompass all Europe and involve a great number of mammal taxa. Here, we analyze the Vallesian rodent and insectivore record of the Vallès-Penedès basin (Catalonia, Spain), where the crisis was first recognized. We show that the quality of the record before the crisis is comparatively much better than afterwards so diversity appears inflated and extinction rates are overrated. Accordingly, we used inferred taxon ranges and rarefaction to calculate new diversity measures independent of sample size. These measures virtually eliminate the Vallesian Crisis, showing that diversity somewhat decreased during the earliest late Vallesian and soon recovered afterwards. This is because it cannot be discarded that several rare taxa, customarily said to have disappeared during the crisis, are in fact present. Amongst the rodents and insectivores, these taxa include genera that are generally rare and show a discontinuous record during the early Vallesian. These are presumed specialists adapted to humid forested environments such as flying squirrels, beavers or certain dormice, most of them being only recorded when the sample size is large enough. Alternatively, these genera may have been associated to very specific habitats which, for an unknown reason, are not sampled during the late Vallesian. Our results cast serious doubts on the very existence of the Vallesian Crisis suggesting that rather than an abrupt event a series of extinctions occurred during a longer time span. It has not been evaluated whether the same pattern is observed in the case of large mammals and in other areas. However, our results show that biases introduced by the quality of the record need to be taken into account when assessing the extent of the event.Keywords: palaeodiversity, micromammals, Late Miocene, Vallès-Penedès basin, Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula Resumen La Crisis Vallesiense fue inicialmente definida como un fenómeno local que implicó la desaparición de ciertos géneros de roedores y artiodáctilos coincidiendo con el límite entre Vallesiense inferior y superior (hace 9.7 Ma). Trabajos posteriores ampliaron el ámbito y alcance de este evento hasta incluir toda Europa e implicar un gran número de taxones de mamíferos. En este trabajo analizamos el registro Vallesiense de roedores e insectívoros de la cuenca del Vallès-Penedès (Cataluña, España), donde la crisis fue reconocida por primera vez. Se muestra que la calidad del registro fósil con anterioridad a la crisis es comparativamente mucho mejor que la de después de modo que se magnifica la diversidad y se exageran las tasas de extinción. Por lo tanto, se ha utilizado rarefacción y se han inferido rangos estratigráficos a fin de calcular nuevas medidas de diversidad independientes del tamaño de la muestra. Estas medidas elimina...

show abstract

Mammal turnover and global climate change in the late Miocene terrestrial record of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Spain)

Cited by 31 publications

References 0 publications

Miocene precipitation in Europe: Temporal trends and spatial gradients

Miocene precipitation in Europe: Temporal trends and spatial gradients

Molecular phylogeny of the Cricetinae subfamily based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA genes and the nuclear vWF gene

The range and extent of the Vallesian Crisis (Late Miocene): new prospects based on the micromammal record from the Vallès-Penedès basin (Catalonia, Spain)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About