Porites corals from Crete (Greece) open a window into Late Miocene (10Ma) seasonal and interannual climate variability

Brachert, Thomas C.; Reuter, Markus; Felis, Thomas; Kroeger, Karsten F.; Lohmann, Gerrit; Micheels, A.; Fassoulas, Charalampos

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.03.005

Cited by 59 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The simulated Miocene NAO shows a broad, almost white spectrum and the correlation to Mediterranean precipitation is weak. A stronger relative infl uence of ENSO on Mediterranean climate potentially explains the interannual variability observed in other high-resolution Pliocene and Miocene records (corals, lake varves, tree rings) from the proto-Mediterranean (Brachert et al, 2006;Muñoz et al, 2002;Mertz-Kraus et al, 2009) and northern Europe (Kurths et al, 1993).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for active El Niño Southern Oscillation variability in the Late Miocene greenhouse climate

Galeotti

Heydt

Huber

et al. 2010

Geology

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for active El Niño Southern Oscillation variability in the Late Miocene greenhouse climate

Galeotti

Heydt

Huber

et al. 2010

Geology

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“…Our results strongly support the in situ diversification hypothesis, given the high concentration of neoendemism in the eastern margin of the Baetic-Rifan complex. The rapid uplift of this mountain range began around 8 Mya (Braga et al, 2003), roughly coincident with the oldest records of Mediterranean climate in the region (Brachert et al, 2006). These new combinations and diversity of climatic and geological conditions have probably generated unoccupied environmental conditions providing an ecological opportunity for the diversification of certain lineages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic and topographical correlates of plant palaeo- and neoendemism in a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot

Molina‐Venegas

Aparicio

Lavergne

et al. 2016

Ann Bot

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Background and Aims Understanding the evolutionary and ecological forces contributing to the emergence of biodiversity hotspots is of outstanding importance to elucidate how they may withstand current climate changes. Here we explored patterns of phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic plant endemism in a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. We hypothesized that areas with wet and equable climatic conditions would be prone to long-term persistence of endemic lineages (palaeoendemism), whilst areas of recent local speciation (neoendemism) would be more related to harsher environmental conditions and to high topographical relief promoting speciation.Methods We focused on the Baetic-Rifan biodiversity hotspot (southern Iberian Peninsula and northern Morocco) in combination with molecular phylogenetic information and relative phylogenetic endemism (RPE), a recent phylogenetic measure of endemism, allowing us to discern centres of palaeo-from those of neoendemism. Using eco-geographical regions as study units, we explored correlations between both RPE and endemic species richness with precipitation-and temperature-related variables and with elevation range.Key Results Centres of neoendemism were concentrated towards the easternmost part of the hotspot, while centres of palaeoendemism were clustered in the vicinity of the Strait of Gibraltar. The RPE index, indicating more palaeoendemism, was positively correlated with total annual precipitation, while endemic species richness showed a poor correlation. In contrast, elevation range and mean annual temperature were poor predictors of RPE, despite elevation range showing a strong correlation with endemic species richness.Conclusions The Baetic-Rifan biodiversity hotspot shows clearly differentiated centres of neo-and palaeoendemism. Topographical relief may have driven evolutionary diversification of newly evolved species, while water availability seems more critical for the long-term persistence of ancient lineages in refuge areas of smoother topography. Given climatic trends towards increasing aridification, conservation planners should pay particular attention to preserve areas retaining older phylogenetic lineages, as these areas act as 'natural museums' of biodiversity within the Baetic-Rifan biodiversity hotspot.

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“…Oxygen isotope years for the age models were defined by the most positive δ 18 O values assuming them to reflect maximum winter conditions. The age models were further refined by linear interpolation of sampling points between winter values (Brachert et al, 2006a). One long Solenastrea δ 18 O record was spliced together from four overlapping transects along parallel corallites using the software package AnalySeries (Paillard et al, 1996).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upwellings mitigated Plio-Pleistocene heat stress for reef corals on the Florida platform (USA)

et al. 2016

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Abstract. The fast growing calcareous skeletons of zooxanthellate reef corals (z corals) represent unique environmental proxy archives through their oxygen and carbon stable isotope composition (δ 18 O, δ 13 C). In addition, the accretion of the skeleton itself is ultimately linked to the environment and responds with variable growth rates (extension rate) and density to environmental changes. Here we present classical proxy data (δ 18 O, δ 13 C) in combination with calcification records from 15 massive z corals. The z corals were sampled from four interglacial units of the Florida carbonate platform (USA) dated approximately 3.2, 2.9, 1.8 and 1.2 Ma (middle Pliocene to early Pleistocene). The z corals (Solenastrea, Orbicella, Porites) derive from unlithified shallow marine carbonates and were carefully screened for primary preservation suited for proxy analysis. We show that skeletal accretion responded with decreasing overall calcification rates (decreasing extension rate but increasing density) to warmer water temperatures. Under high annual water temperatures, inferred from sub-annually resolved δ 18 O data, skeletal bulk density was high, but extension rates and overall calcification rates were at a minimum (endmember scenario 1). Maximum skeletal density was reached during the summer season giving rise to a growth band of high density within the annually banded skeletons ("high density band", HDB). With low mean annual water temperatures (endmember scenario 2), bulk skeletal density was low but extension rates and calcification rates reached a maximum, and under these conditions the HDB formed during winter. Although surface water temperatures in the Western Atlantic warm pool during the interglacials of the late Neogene were ∼ 2 • C higher than they are in the present day, intermittent upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich water mitigated water temperatures off southwestern Florida and created temporary refuges for z coral growth. Based on the sub-annually resolved δ 18 O and δ 13 C records, the duration of the upwelling episodes causing the endmember 2 conditions was variable and lasted from a few years to a number of decades. The episodes of upwelling were interrupted by phases without upwelling (endmember 1) which lasted for at least a few years and led to high surface water temperatures. This variable environment is likely one of the reasons why the coral fauna is dominated by the eurytopic genus Solenastrea, also a genus resistant to high turbidity. Over a period of ∼ 50 years, the oldest sub annually resolved proxy record available (3.2 Ma) documents a persistent occurrence of the HDB during winter. In contrast, the HDB forms in summer in modern z corals from the Florida reef tract. We suggest this difference should be tested as being the expression of a tendency towards decreasing interglacial upwelling since the middle Pliocene. The number of z coral sclerochronological records for the Plio-Pleistocene is still rather low, however, and requires more data and an improved resolution, through records from...

show abstract

Porites corals from Crete (Greece) open a window into Late Miocene (10Ma) seasonal and interannual climate variability

Cited by 59 publications

References 71 publications

Evidence for active El Niño Southern Oscillation variability in the Late Miocene greenhouse climate

Evidence for active El Niño Southern Oscillation variability in the Late Miocene greenhouse climate

Climatic and topographical correlates of plant palaeo- and neoendemism in a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot

Upwellings mitigated Plio-Pleistocene heat stress for reef corals on the Florida platform (USA)

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