Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia
Vegetation structure is a key determinant of ecosystems and ecosystem function, but paleoecological techniques to quantify it are lacking. We present a method for reconstructing leaf area index (LAI) based on light-dependent morphology of leaf epidermal cells and phytoliths derived from them. Using...
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Online Access: | https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/geo_facpubs/242 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 |
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ftboisestateu:oai:scholarworks.boisestate.edu:geo_facpubs-1242 2023-11-12T04:26:38+01:00 Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia Dunn, Regan E. Strömberg, Caroline A. E. Madden, Richard H. Kohn, Matthew J. Carlini, Alfredo A. 2015-01-16T08:00:00Z https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/geo_facpubs/242 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 unknown ScholarWorks https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/geo_facpubs/242 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations Biology Earth Sciences Geophysics and Seismology text 2015 ftboisestateu https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 2023-10-20T00:12:57Z Vegetation structure is a key determinant of ecosystems and ecosystem function, but paleoecological techniques to quantify it are lacking. We present a method for reconstructing leaf area index (LAI) based on light-dependent morphology of leaf epidermal cells and phytoliths derived from them. Using this proxy, we reconstruct LAI for the Cenozoic (49 million to 11 million years ago) of middle-latitude Patagonia. Our record shows that dense forests opened up by the late Eocene; open forests and shrubland habitats then fluctuated, with a brief middle-Miocene regreening period. Furthermore, endemic herbivorous mammals show accelerated tooth crown height evolution during open, yet relatively grass-free, shrubland habitat intervals. Our Patagonian LAI record provides a high-resolution, sensitive tool with which to dissect terrestrial ecosystem response to changing Southern Ocean conditions during the Cenozoic. Text Southern Ocean Boise State University: Scholar Works Patagonia Southern Ocean Science 347 6219 258 261 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Boise State University: Scholar Works |
op_collection_id |
ftboisestateu |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Biology Earth Sciences Geophysics and Seismology |
spellingShingle |
Biology Earth Sciences Geophysics and Seismology Dunn, Regan E. Strömberg, Caroline A. E. Madden, Richard H. Kohn, Matthew J. Carlini, Alfredo A. Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
topic_facet |
Biology Earth Sciences Geophysics and Seismology |
description |
Vegetation structure is a key determinant of ecosystems and ecosystem function, but paleoecological techniques to quantify it are lacking. We present a method for reconstructing leaf area index (LAI) based on light-dependent morphology of leaf epidermal cells and phytoliths derived from them. Using this proxy, we reconstruct LAI for the Cenozoic (49 million to 11 million years ago) of middle-latitude Patagonia. Our record shows that dense forests opened up by the late Eocene; open forests and shrubland habitats then fluctuated, with a brief middle-Miocene regreening period. Furthermore, endemic herbivorous mammals show accelerated tooth crown height evolution during open, yet relatively grass-free, shrubland habitat intervals. Our Patagonian LAI record provides a high-resolution, sensitive tool with which to dissect terrestrial ecosystem response to changing Southern Ocean conditions during the Cenozoic. |
format |
Text |
author |
Dunn, Regan E. Strömberg, Caroline A. E. Madden, Richard H. Kohn, Matthew J. Carlini, Alfredo A. |
author_facet |
Dunn, Regan E. Strömberg, Caroline A. E. Madden, Richard H. Kohn, Matthew J. Carlini, Alfredo A. |
author_sort |
Dunn, Regan E. |
title |
Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
title_short |
Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
title_full |
Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
title_fullStr |
Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Linked Canopy, Climate, and Faunal Change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia |
title_sort |
linked canopy, climate, and faunal change in the cenozoic of patagonia |
publisher |
ScholarWorks |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/geo_facpubs/242 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 |
geographic |
Patagonia Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Patagonia Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations |
op_relation |
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/geo_facpubs/242 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260947 |
container_title |
Science |
container_volume |
347 |
container_issue |
6219 |
container_start_page |
258 |
op_container_end_page |
261 |
_version_ |
1782340546939846656 |