The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene

Science, Год журнала: 2016, Номер 351(6269)

Опубликована: Янв. 7, 2016

Evidence of an Anthropocene epoch Humans are undoubtedly altering many geological processes on Earth—and have been for some time. But what is the stratigraphic evidence officially distinguishing this new human-dominated time period, termed “Anthropocene,” from preceding Holocene epoch? Waters et al. review climatic, biological, and geochemical signatures human activity in sediments ice cores. Combined with deposits materials radionuclides, as well human-caused modification sedimentary processes, stands alone stratigraphically a beginning sometime mid–20th century. Science , issue p. 10.1126/science.aad2622

Язык: Английский

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Pliocene and Eocene provide best analogs for near-future climates

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2018, Номер 115(52), С. 13288 - 13293

Опубликована: Дек. 10, 2018

As the world warms due to rising greenhouse gas concentrations, Earth system moves toward climate states without societal precedent, challenging adaptation. Past offer possible model systems for warming of coming decades. These include Early Eocene (ca. 50 Ma), Mid-Pliocene (3.3-3.0 Last Interglacial (129-116 ka), Mid-Holocene (6 preindustrial 1850 CE), and 20th century. Here, we quantitatively assess similarity future projected these six geohistorical benchmarks using simulations from Hadley Centre Coupled Model Version 3 (HadCM3), Goddard Institute Space Studies E2-R (GISS), Community Climate System Model, Versions 4 (CCSM) models. Under Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) emission scenario, by 2030 CE, climates most closely resemble climates, 2150 they climates. RCP4.5, stabilizes at Pliocene-like conditions 2040 CE. Eocene-like emerge first in continental interiors then expand outward. Geologically novel are uncommon RCP4.5 (<1%) but reach 8.7% globe under RCP8.5, characterized high temperatures precipitation. Hence, is roughly equivalent stabilizing while unmitigated trajectories, such as similar reversing millions years long-term cooling on scale a few human generations. Both emergence geologically rapid reversion may be outside range evolutionary adaptive capacity.

Язык: Английский

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The Neotoma Paleoecology Database, a multiproxy, international, community-curated data resource

Quaternary Research, Год журнала: 2018, Номер 89(1), С. 156 - 177

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2018

Abstract The Neotoma Paleoecology Database is a community-curated data resource that supports interdisciplinary global change research by enabling broad-scale studies of taxon and community diversity, distributions, dynamics during the large environmental changes past. By consolidating many kinds into common repository, lowers costs paleodata management, makes paleoecological openly available, offers high-quality, curated resource. Neotoma’s distributed scientific governance model flexible scalable, with open pathways for participation new members, contributors, stewards, communities. supports, or can be extended to support, any kind paleoenvironmental from sedimentary archives. Data additions are growing now include >3.8 million observations, >17,000 datasets, >9200 sites. Dataset types currently fossil pollen, vertebrates, diatoms, ostracodes, macroinvertebrates, plant macrofossils, insects, testate amoebae, geochronological data, recently added organic biomarkers, stable isotopes, specimen-level data. Multiple avenues exist obtain including Explorer map-based interface, an application programming neotoma R package, digital object identifiers. As volume variety grow, resources such as have become foundational infrastructure big science.

Язык: Английский

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Merging paleobiology with conservation biology to guide the future of terrestrial ecosystems

Science, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 355(6325)

Опубликована: Фев. 10, 2017

Looking back to move forward The current impacts of humanity on nature are rapid and destructive, but species turnover change have occurred throughout the history life. Although there is much debate about best approaches take in conservation, ultimately, we need permit or enhance resilience natural systems so that they can continue adapt function into future. In a Review, Barnosky et al. argue way do this look at paleontological as understand how ecological maintained, even face change. Science , issue p. eaah4787

Язык: Английский

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The Anthropocene biosphere

The Anthropocene Review, Год журнала: 2015, Номер 2(3), С. 196 - 219

Опубликована: Июнь 18, 2015

The geological record preserves evidence for two fundamental stages in the evolution of Earth’s biosphere, a microbial stage from ~3.5 to 0.65 Ga, and metazoan evident by c. 650 Ma. We suggest that modern biosphere differs significantly these previous shows early signs new, third characterised by: (1) global homogenisation flora fauna; (2) single species ( Homo sapiens) commandeering 25–40% net primary production also mining fossil (fossil fuels) break through photosynthetic energy barrier; (3) human-directed other species; (4) increasing interaction with technosphere (the emergent system includes humans, technological artefacts, associated social networks). These unique features today’s may herald new era planet’s history could persist over timescales.

Язык: Английский

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Using paleo-archives to safeguard biodiversity under climate change

Science, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 369(6507)

Опубликована: Авг. 28, 2020

Using the past to inform future The late Quaternary paleorecord, within ∼130,000 years, can help present-day management of Earth's ecosystems and biota under climate change. Fordham et al. review when where rapid transitions be found in paleoclimate record. They show how such events history shape our understanding consequences global warming, including rates biodiversity loss, changes ecosystem structure function, degradation goods services that these provide humanity. also highlight recent developments at intersection paleoecology, paleoclimatology, macroecology opportunities anticipate manage responses species changing climates Anthropocene. Science , this issue p. eabc5654

Язык: Английский

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Contributions of Quaternary botany to modern ecology and biogeography

Plant Ecology & Diversity, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 12(3-4), С. 189 - 385

Опубликована: Май 4, 2019

Quaternary (last 2.6 million years) botany involves studying plant megafossils (e.g. tree stumps), macrofossils seeds, leaves), and microfossils pollen, spores) preserved in peat bogs lake sediments. Although have been studied since the late eighteenth century, today is largely dominated by pollen analysis.Quaternary analysis just over 100 years old. It started primarily as a geological tool for correlation, relative dating, climate reconstruction. In 1950 major advance occurred with publication Knut Fægri Johs Iversen of their Text-book Modern Pollen Analysis which provided foundations botanical ecological past dynamics biota biotic systems. The development radiocarbon dating 1950s freed from being dating. As result these developments, became valuable implement long-term ecology biogeography.Selected contributions that has made to biogeography are reviewed. They fall into four general parts: (1) aspects interglacial glacial stages such location nature glacial-stage refugia soil glaciated unglaciated areas; (2) responses environmental change (spreading, extinction, persistence, adaptation); (3) topics potential niches, vegetation, forest dynamics; (4) its application human impact tropical systems, conservation changing world, island palaeoecology, plant–animal interactions, biodiversity patterns time.The future briefly discussed 10 suggestions presented help strengthen it links biogeography. much contribute when used conjunction new approaches ancient-DNA, molecular biomarkers, multi-proxy palaeoecology.

Язык: Английский

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Improving the relevance of paleontology to climate change policy

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(7)

Опубликована: Фев. 6, 2023

Paleontology has provided invaluable basic knowledge on the history of life Earth. The discipline can also provide substantial to societal challenges such as climate change. long-term perspective change impacts natural systems is both a unique selling point and major obstacle becoming more pertinent for policy-relevant bodies like Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC). Repeated experiments without anthropogenic disturbance facilitate extraction triggers in biodiversity changes. At same time, long timescales over which paleontological changes are usually assessed beyond scope policymakers. Based first-hand experience with IPCC quantitative analysis its cited literature, we argue that differences temporal less an issue than inappropriate framing reporting most publications. Accepting some obstacles will remain, paleontology quickly improve relevance by targeting directly focusing effect sizes projections, particularly higher-end scenarios.

Язык: Английский

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Approaches to Macroevolution: 2. Sorting of Variation, Some Overarching Issues, and General Conclusions

Evolutionary Biology, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 44(4), С. 451 - 475

Опубликована: Окт. 24, 2017

Approaches to macroevolution require integration of its two fundamental components, within a hierarchical framework. Following companion paper on the origin variation, I here discuss sorting an evolutionary hierarchy. Species sorting-sometimes termed species selection in broad sense, meaning differential origination and extinction owing intrinsic biological properties-can be split into strict-sense selection, which rate differentials are governed by emergent, species-level traits such as geographic range size, effect macroevolution, rates organism-level body size; both processes can create hitchhiking effects, indirectly causing proliferation or decline other traits. Several methods operationalize concept emergence, so that rigorous separation these is increasingly feasible. A macroevolutionary tradeoff, underlain influence dynamics, causes speciation covary many clades, resulting volatility some clades more subdued behavior others; few break tradeoff achieve especially prolific diversification. In addition at multiple levels, extrinsic events drive waxing waning interaction difficult but important disentangle. Evolutionary trends arise ways, any level; descriptive models fitted clade trajectories phenotypic functional spaces, they may not diagnostic regarding processes, close attention must paid leading trailing edges apparent trends. Biotic interactions have negative positive effects taxonomic diversity clade, cannot readily extrapolated from nature organismic level. The relationships among currencies through time (taxonomic richness, morphologic disparity, variety) crucial for understanding novel approach diversity-disparity analysis shows diversifications lag behind, occur concert with, precede, increases disparity. Some overarching issues relating phenotypes include role mass extinctions, potential differences between plant animal whether changed geologic time, growing human impact present-day macroevolution. Many challenges remain, progress being made key ones: (a) variation-generating mechanisms multilevel act (b) paleontological neontological approaches historical biology.

Язык: Английский

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Spatiotemporal landscape genetics: Investigating ecology and evolution through space and time

Molecular Ecology, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 29(2), С. 218 - 246

Опубликована: Ноя. 23, 2019

Genetic time-series data from historical samples greatly facilitate inference of past population dynamics and species evolution. Yet, although climate landscape change are often touted as post-hoc explanations biological change, our understanding influences on evolutionary processes is severely hindered by the limited application methods that directly relate environmental to through time. Increased integration spatiotemporal genetic will revolutionize interpretation quantification recent anthropogenic impacts species, vastly improve prediction responses under future scenarios, yielding widespread revelations across biology, ecology conservation genetics. This review encourages greater use analyses explicitly link landscape, time providing an overview analytical approaches for integrating in five key research areas: structure, demography, phylogeography, metapopulation connectivity adaptation. We also include a tabular summary methodological information, suggest mitigating particular difficulties applying these techniques ancient DNA palaeoclimate data, highlight areas development.

Язык: Английский

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