Linked canopy, climate, and faunal change in the Cenozoic of Patagonia

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Dunn, Regan E., Strömberg, Caroline A. E., Madden, Richard R., Khon, Matthew J., Carlini, Alfredo Armando
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association For The Advancement Of Science
• Subjects: Palaeoclima; Faunal Change; Tertiary; Patagonia; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Southern Ocean; Argentina
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/13778

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. Fil: Dunn, Regan E. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Strömberg, Caroline A. E. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Madden, Richard R. University Of Chicago; Estados Unidos Fil: Khon, Matthew J. Boise State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Carlini, Alfredo Armando. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico de Paleontología de Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina