Mammalian Communities Document a Latitudinal Environmental Gradient during the Miocene Climatic Optimum in Western Europe

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2008 Mammalian Communities Document a Latitudinal Environmental Gradient during the Miocene Climatic Optimum in Western Europe Loic Costeur; Loic Costeur 1Université de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6112 Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France2Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5125 Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphère, 2 rue Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France [e-mail] * Corresponding author Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Serge Legendre Serge Legendre 2Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5125 Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphère, 2 rue Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Loic Costeur * Corresponding author 1Université de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6112 Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France2Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5125 Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphère, 2 rue Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France [e-mail] Serge Legendre 2Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5125 Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphère, 2 rue Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France [e-mail] Publisher: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology Accepted: 23 Aug 2007 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-5323 Print ISSN: 0883-1351 Society for Sedimentary Geology PALAIOS (2008) 23 (5): 280–288. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2006.p06-092r Article history Accepted: 23 Aug 2007 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Loic Costeur, Serge Legendre; Mammalian Communities Document a Latitudinal Environmental Gradient during the Miocene Climatic Optimum in Western Europe. PALAIOS 2008;; 23 (5): 280–288. doi: https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2006.p06-092r Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract A total of 17 mammalian communities from south-central Spain to northern Germany spanning the middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (ca. 17–14 Ma) are analyzed. Mammalian body-weight structures (cenograms) are constructed and discussed in terms of paleoenvironmental affinities. They indicate an arid climate and open environments in south-central Spain and closed and densely forested regions with very humid conditions to the north. The data reveal the presence of a strong latitudinal environmental gradient during this period. Other studies based on the fossil records of plants or ectothermic vertebrates showed that virtually no temperature gradient was present in Europe at that time and that mean annual temperatures were very high, probably around 20° C. Mammalian communities, therefore, show the presence of a southwest–northeast aridity-humidity gradient and confirm recent findings based on air-breathing fish distribution and pollen spectra. Atmospheric circulations could be responsible for this meridional gradient, but other regional causes cannot be ruled out. This study indicates that mammal body weight distributions are excellent proxies to investigate the environmental and climatic evolution and compare well with other paleoenvironmental proxies. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.