Quaternary Climate Change

The Ballık continental carbonates were geochemically characterized using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and a δ 18 O, δ 13 C and strontium stable isotopic analysis. The geochemical delineation of the lithofacies, characterizing certain depositional environments, can be used in a chemo-stratigraphic approach to correlate the geobodies. Based on the stable isotopic composition the fluido characteristics and possible source rocks are deduced. The combination of these results contributes to the reconstruction of the depositional history of the studied travertines. The continental carbonates are characterized by low trace element concentrations compared to marine carbonates, with the exception of high strontium concentrations. Aluminum, iron, nickel, titanium and silicon show similar trends within the different vertical lithologs, what makes them suited for correlation. Progressive alteration due to diagenetic stabilization with meteoric waters, as described by Brand and Veizer (1980), is recognized by a decrease of strontium, sodium, magnesium and a coinciding increase of manganese and iron towards the top of the different sections. The Ballık continental carbonates have δ 13 C values between -3.83 and 2.60 ‰ V-PDB and δ 18 O values from -9.39 to -5.72 ‰ V-PDB. δ 13 C values decrease towards the top of the different vertical sections, while δ 18 O stays more or less constant. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic ratio for the analyzed samples is 0.70786 ± 0.00005. These results point to deposits from a fluid, that inherited the carbon and strontium isotopic signature of dissolved Triassic marine carbonates, and indicate the Lycian Nappes as possible source rock.

The 5th International Meeting on Global Continental Palaeohydrology (GLOCOPH) was held in Pune, between 2 and 7, December 2002. T'le meeting hosted by the Geological Society of India and INQUA Commission on Global Continental Palaeohydrology (GLOCOPH) comprised of -paper and poster presentations, and special lectures (2-4 December, 2002) and field excursion in the Deccan Traps region and Goa (5-7 December, 2002). Dr. Vishwas S. Kale, University of Pune was the Convener of the GLOCOPH-2002 meeting. historicaI records, (5) Response to climatic and hydrological changes during late Quaternary in the monsoon regions, and (6) Hydro-geomorphological response to climate change in relation to human activity. Thirty-one research papers and eleven posters were presented during the conference. Out of the thirty-one papers presented, about twentythree were related to the focal theme of the conference. Four special lectures by eminent scholars from India and abroad were organized during the meeting. The conference GLOCOPH-2002 meeting at Pune. The meeting was attended by earth scientists with an interest in palaeohydrology, Quaternary studies and environmental change during the late Quaternary period. The focal theme of the symposium was: Palaeohydrology and monsoons: Past records and future implications. Other general themes were: (1) Palaeohydrological techniques and approaches, (2) Global climate changes and environmental changes during the last 20 Ka, (3) Palaeohydrological changes in the tropical, temperate and cold regions, (4) Flaad reconstruction -geological and was attended by 14 overseas delegates from UK, USA,

A giant carbonate vein (≥50 m thick; fissure ridge travertines) and nearby travertine plateaus in the Semproniano area (Mt. Amiata geothermal field, southern Tuscany, Italy) are investigated through a multidisciplinary approach, including field and laboratory geochemical analyses (U/Th geochronology, C, Nd, O and Sr isotope systematics, REE abundances, and fluid inclusion microthermometry). The main aim of this work is to understand: (1) modes and rates for the growth of the giant vein and nearby travertine deposits within a Quaternary volcano-tectonic domain; (2) implications in terms of the CO 2 release; and (3) possible relationships with Quaternary paleoclimate and hydrological oscillations. Results show that the giant vein was the inner portion of a large fissure ridge travertine and grew asymmetrically and ataxially through repeated shallow fluid injections between >650 and 85 ka, with growth rates in the order of 10 -2 and 10 -3 mm/a. The giant vein developed mainly during warm humid (interglacial) periods, partially overlapping with the growth of nearby travertine plateaus. Estimated values of CO 2 leakage connected with the vein precipitation are between about 5x10 6 and 3x10 7 mol a -1 km -2 , approximately representing one millionth of the present global CO 2 leakage from volcanic areas. Temperatures estimates as obtained from O-isotopes and fluid inclusion microthermometry indicate epithermal conditions (90-50 °C) for the circulating fluid during the giant vein growth, with only slight evidence of cooling with time. Geochemical and isotope data document that the travertine deposits have developed mainly during Pleistocene warm humid periods, within a tectonically-controlled convective fluid circuit fed by meteoric infiltration and maintained by the regional geothermal anomaly hosted by the carbonate reservoir of the Mt. Amiata field.

•Caracara creightoni, previously known from three fragmentary fossils from New Providence Island, Bahamas, is here documented from two Quaternary sites in Cuba. It appears to have been a smaller species than C. cheriway, but with a more robust bill and quadrate and other cranial differences, relatively shorter wings, and more robust hindlimb elements. The living species C. cheriway appears to be a relatively recent arrival in Cuba so that it is likely that fossils of Caracara from the West Indies may all belong to extinct endemic species.

Male common grackles, Quiscalus quiscula, sing one song type each, yet females prefer multiple songs. A pre-existing sensory bias explanation has been proposed to account for these results. Using phylogenetic analysis and published behavioural studies, (1) it is shown that the single-song condition of males is likely to be the derived state, and (2) it is suggested that female common grackles' preference for multiple songs may not be surprising given their natural history, and may in fact be a functional preference. The idea that the female preference is also ancestral and serves no current function, however, cannot be ruled out.

By "hopping" north from one town to the next along the Paraguay River, they penetrated Mato Gross0 carrying first instar nymphs of Triatoma sordida (a (Sick, Bol. Mus. Nat. Zool. n.s. 207, 31 p., 1959). In reduviid bug and known vector of Chagas' disease) Maraba, the House Sparrows are situated for potential in their feathers (Forattini et al., Rev. Saude Publ., colonization along the Transamazon highway. S. Paulo, 5:193, 1971). These nymphs can be Unfortunately, House Sparrows may also help picked up easily from around nests and carried from spread Chagas' disease, an infection sometimes fatal house to house. to man. In Sao Paula state, they have been found

Marine hydrocarbon seepage emits oil and gas, including methane (≈30 Tg of CH 4 per year), to the ocean and atmosphere. Sediments from the California margin contain preserved tar, primarily formed through hydrocarbon weathering at the sea surface. We present a record of variation in the abundance of tar in sediments for the past 32,000 years, providing evidence for increases in hydrocarbon emissions before and during Termination IA [16,000 years ago (16 ka) to 14 ka] and again over Termination IB (11–10 ka). Our study provides direct evidence for increased hydrocarbon seepage associated with deglacial warming through tar abundance in marine sediments, independent of previous geochemical proxies. Climate-sensitive gas hydrates may modulate thermogenic hydrocarbon seepage during deglaciation.

A new species of small crested caracara, Caracara seymouri, from Quaternary asphalt deposits of the Talara Tar Seeps, northwestern Peru, is described from most major elements of the skeleton. Specimens reported in the literature from late Pleistocene deposits at La Carolina, Ecuador, are referred to the same species. These fossils had previously been identified as Polyborus (now Caracara) plancus, but they possess a combination of characters not present in the living species of caracaras, C. plancus or C. cheriway and are from a much smaller and more gracile bird. Caracara seymouri is similar in size to the extinct species C. creightoni from the Bahamas and Cuba but differs in having the skeletal elements less robust, especially the premaxilla. This is the second paleospecies described for the genus Caracara in the Quaternary of South America. Resumen.-Se describe una nueva especie de caraira pequeña, Caracara seymouri, de depósitos de asfalto en Talara, noroeste de Perú, sobre la base de la mayoría de sus elementos esqueléticos. Los ejemplares reportados en la literatura para depósitos del Pleistoceno superior tardío de La Carolina, Ecuador, son referidos a esta especie. Estos fósiles fueron identificados anteriormente como Polyborus (ahora Caracara) plancus, pero poseen una combinación de caracteres no presente en las especies vivientes de carairas, C. plancus o C. cheriway, y corresponden a un ave de menor talla y mayor gracilidad. Caracara seymouri es similar en tamaño a la especie extinta C. creightoni de las Bahamas y Cuba, pero difiere por presentar sus elementos esqueléticos menos robustos, especialmente el premaxilar. Esta es la segunda paleoespecie descrita bajo el género Caracara para el Cuaternario de América del Sur.

Marine hydrocarbon seepage emits oil and gas, including methane (≈30 Tg of CH 4 per year), to the ocean and atmosphere. Sediments from the California margin contain preserved tar, primarily formed through hydrocarbon weathering at the sea surface. We present a record of variation in the abundance of tar in sediments for the past 32,000 years, providing evidence for increases in hydrocarbon emissions before and during Termination IA [16,000 years ago (16 ka) to 14 ka] and again over Termination IB (11–10 ka). Our study provides direct evidence for increased hydrocarbon seepage associated with deglacial warming through tar abundance in marine sediments, independent of previous geochemical proxies. Climate-sensitive gas hydrates may modulate thermogenic hydrocarbon seepage during deglaciation.

In this study, we quantified the mean January temperature (Tjan) and both winter (Pw) and summer (Ps) precipitation from three fossil pollen records from Lebanon. Tjan showed a strong correlation with the global temperature changes retrieved in the NGRIP Greenland ice core. The amplitude of ca. 8 C between the Younger Dryas (YD) period and the Holocene is coherent with climate reconstructions from the Eastern Mediterranean. The overall amount of precipitation was also lower during the YD than during the Holocene but the contrast between Pw and Ps was much more reduced (less than 2 times) during the YD than during the Holocene (up to 8 times). Such different seasonal contrast compare to the present day is coherent with some climate proxies from the Levant that tend to indicate the presence of moisture during the last glacial period. In effect, the low Pw during the YD reflects the replacement of the forest ecosystem by a more shrubby or herbaceous vegetation. Concomitantly, the occurrence of an amount of precipitation higher than the current one during the summer season, along with a reduced evaporation, due to lower temperature, may have contributed to some local observed high lake levels in the area. During the last glacial period, Lebanon was not under a typical Mediterranean climate such as the one we know today, i.e. with a strong precipitation and temperature contrast between summer and winter seasons, but rather under a less contrasted climate. Mediterranean species persisted in this area due to the low amplitude of temperature change between the last glacial period and the Holocene as well as to an availability of moisture throughout the year instead of an occurrence mainly during the winter season as is the case today.

The southern African Plateau is a dominant feature of African topography reaching heights of >3,000 m, with an average elevation of 1,000 m in the predominantly low relief plateau interior. The elevated margins of the plateau drop through higher relief regions to the coastal plain (Figure 1). However, extensive debate remains regarding when and how it formed. The long wavelength topographic high in absence of collisional tectonism combined with Cretaceous kimberlite activity and a large low shear velocity province (LLSVP) in the deep mantle below southern Africa have led many to suggest uplift related to mantle processes. Given that surface uplift may be related to LLSVP development (e.g., Lithgow-Bertelloni & Silver, 1998), better

The interplay of orographic uplift and climatic changes in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region (HHM) have had a key role in speciation and population demography. To gain further insight into these processes, we investigated their effects on Taxus wallichiana by combining molecular phylogeography and species distribution modeling. Molecular data were obtained from 43 populations of T. wallichiana. Nineteen climatic variables were analyzed alongside genetic discontinuities. Species distribution modeling was carried out to predict potential past distribution ranges. Two distinct lineages were identified, which diverged c. 4.2 (2.0-6.5) million years ago (Ma), a timescale that corresponds well with the recent uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and subsequent climatic changes of the region. Correlations with climatic variables also suggest that ecological factors may have further reinforced the separation of the two lineages. Both lineages experienced population expansion during the last glaciation. The high genetic divergence, long-term isolation and ecological differentiation suggest a scenario of cryptic speciation in T. wallichiana associated with geological and climatic changes in the HHM. Our findings also challenge the notion of general population 'contraction' during the last glaciation in the HHM.

NAPC TUESDAY MORNING SESSIONS from a single individual. The mastodon is male, based on femur size and tusk circumference, and died between 43 and 47 years of age, based on molar wear and stage of molar eruption. Sediment surrounding the fossil was brownish-gray silt-to-granule sized, indicative of a fluvial/overbank depositional environment. Palynological analysis revealed palynomorphs of probable northern, southeastern coastal plain, and freshwater origins (e.g., Pinus resinosa, Tillandsia usneoides, and Myriophyllum sp., respectively). Pollen from what are believed to be similarly aged strata have been reported from Reid's and Bell's bluffs, on the Georgia-Florida state line, and from the Central Depression on St. Catherines Island, GA. Northern taxa include Tsuga (hemlock) from the Florida locales, and Tilia (basswood) and Juglans (walnut/butternut) from the island. Polygonum (jointweed), Nuphar (yellow waterlily), and abundant grasses and composites indicative of freshwater marshes have also been recovered from strata of the Central Depression. The three sites had to have been inland locales during the Pleistocene lowstand, and, based on the striking similarities of the microfloras, we believe the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina sites represent a more-or-Iess continuous coastal plain environment where Pleistocene megafauna, northern and southern plant taxa, and freshwater wetlands were commonplace where barrier islands and other coastal landforms now exist.

In this study, we investigate the sensitivity of the glacial Alpine hydro-climate to northern hemispheric and local ice-sheet changes. Bridging the scale gap by using a chain of global and regional climate models, we perform sensitivity simulations of up to 2 km horizontal resolution over the Alps for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Marine Isotope Stage 4 (MIS4). In winter, we find wetter conditions in the southern part of the Alps during LGM compared to present day, to which dynamical processes, i.e. changes in the wind speed and direction, contribute substantially. During summer, we find the expected drier conditions in most of the Alpine region during LGM, as thermodynamics suggests drier conditions under lower temperatures. The MIS4 climate shows enhanced winter precipitation compared to the LGM, which is explained by its warmer climate compared to the LGM-thus, again explained by thermodynamics. The sensitivity simulations of the northern hemispheric icesheet changes show that an increase of the ice-sheet thickness leads to a significant intensification of glacial Alpine hydroclimate conditions, which is mainly explained by dynamical processes. Changing only the Fennoscandian ice sheet is less influential on the Alpine precipitation, whereas modifications in the local Alpine ice-sheet topography significantly alter the Alpine precipitation; in particular, we find a reduction of summer precipitation at the southern face of the Alps when lowering the Alpine ice sheet. The findings demonstrate that the northern hemispheric and local ice-sheet topography play an important role in regulating the Alpine hydro-climate and thus permits a better understanding of the precipitation patterns in the complex Alpine terrain at glacial times.

We summarize existing literature and document a recent steep population decline and range contraction in the Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) at the southern end of its range, in Baja California, the only state of Mexico in which the species occurs. From >1000 nesting birds using at least 14 sites south to 30° N around the turn of the 21st century, the population declined and contracted northward and upward in elevation to a single colony of ~150 nesting birds near the international border in 2019. Chronic drought, rising temperatures, and habitat losses due primarily to intensification of agriculture in Mexico are largely responsible for the decline, as in the core of the species’ range in California. Because of the reduction of breeding and foraging habitat, we fear the imminent extirpation of the species in Mexico.

A floristic study was conducted in a heterogeneous landscape near Moctezuma, Sonora. From August to December 2011, Ranchos El Rodeo and El Basora were visited three times. The vegetation at about 900 m elevation is foothills thornscrub, oak woodland, and induced buffelgrass grassland. A total of 120 plant taxa in 95 genera and 41 families were documented. Taxa were identified using regional literature, consulting with experts, and comparison with specimens in the Universidad de Sonora Herbarium. The families with more taxa are Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae. The study area is a transitional zone between thornscrub oak woodland, making it an important biological corridor in central Sonora. Loss of flora is due to land use practices, especially clearing to introduce grass like buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). Non-native plants could displace native taxa like Zinnia zinnioides, Ipomoea cristulata, and I. hederacea.

Evidence is presented to model drainage evolution across Zimbabwe since the Permian. This provides the framework to understand the marked difference in character of the rivers to the north and south of the modern central Zimbabwe watershed, which separates the Zambezi and Limpopo drainage basins. North-flowing tributaries of the Zambezi rising off this river divide have low gradients and senile characteristics. The northwest orientation of the upper sections of many of these rivers is unusual for tributaries of a major eastflowing drainage, but is in accord with the west-orientated fluvial system that deposited the Triassic sediments of the Karoo Supergroup in the Cabora Bassa basin of the Zambezi Valley. The modern drainage system to the north of the central Zimbabwe watershed is thus largely controlled by a surface that has existed since pre-Karoo times. Headwaters of the Zambezi tributaries were originally located well to the south of the modern divide, with high ground extending to the present-day Chimanimani and Nyanga mountainland in eastern Zimbabwe. This drainage system persisted until the late Triassic, when rifting, linked to the early disruption of Gondwana, initiated the formation of the modern Save and Zambezi river systems. The central Zimbabwe watershed represents a late Palaeogene (~43 to 33 Ma) asymmetric epeirogenic flexure, part of the Ovamboland-Kalahari-Zimbabwe Axis, which beheaded the headwaters of the early Zambezi tributaries. The resultant steeper gradients to the south of the watershed initiated the modern youthful south-flowing drainage system. A further disruption to the Zambezi drainage system occurred during Plio-Pleistocene arid episodes, when major dunes developed across dry river systems such as the Shangani, in the northwest of the country. Renewed flow in these rivers during subsequent wetter pluvial episodes resulted in them exploiting the inter-dune streets to develop new courses. Some, like the Shangani, incised their courses through the Kalahari sand cover to become superimposed drainages. The landscape of much of Zimbabwe reflects the imprint of two major cycles of erosion (African and post-African) since the disruption of Gondwana. The African erosion cycle commenced with the disruption of Gondwana, while the ensuing post-African cycle of erosion was initiated by the late Palaeogene uplift along the line of the modern central watershed. This rejuvenated the river network, leading to removal of the carapace of deeply weathered saprolite that developed under the humid mid-Cretaceous climate of the earlier African cycle. The post-African surface is thus an etch surface, with the characteristic plain and inselberg topography marking the weathering base of the African erosion event. A very subordinate Plio-Pleistocene cycle is reflected by terraces immediately marginal to the major river systems. The confinement of the Save and Zambezi drainages to graben structures resulted in their evolution largely independently of the two major erosion cycles that moulded the landscape of the rest of the country. The palaeo-drainage reconstruction has important implications for the dispersion of diamonds and associated pathfinder minerals from primary kimberlite sources. The Sese-Murowa kimberlites are inferred to be the primary source of hitherto unexplained alluvial diamonds in basal gravels of the Somabula Karoo outlier, located on the central Zimbabwe watershed, some 120 km to the northwest. The drainage evolution model also provides a framework to infer likely distal kimberlite sources for a number of major unexplained kimberlitic pathfinder mineral anomalies associated with the southern margin of the Kalahari Formation.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

The Neotropical lowlands sustain the world's richest bird communities, yet little that we know about their history is based on paleontology. Fossils afford a way to investigate distributional shifts in individual species, and thus improve our understanding of long-term change in Neotropical bird communities. We report a species-rich avian fossil sample from a late Pleistocene tar seep (Mene de Inciarte) in northwestern Venezuela. A mere 175 identified fossils from Mene de Inciarte represent 73 species of birds, among which six are extinct, and eight others no longer occur within 100 km. These 14 species consist mainly of ducks (Anatidae), snipe (Scolopacidae), vultures/condors (Vulturidae), hawks/eagles (Accipitridae), and blackbirds (Icteridae). Neotropical bird communities were richer in the late Pleistocene than today; their considerable extinction may be related to collapse of the large mammal fauna at that time. The species assemblage at Mene de Inciarte suggests that bioge...

We review DTM-based measures that can be applied to study the main drainage divides of mountain ranges. Both measures proposed in the past and new or modified approaches are presented, in order to show an ensemble of tools and jointly discuss their information potential and problematic issues. The first group focuses on the main drainage divide (MDD) as a line running along the range and includes elevation profile, sinuosity, and orientation. The second one includes measures used to compare morphometric properties of two parts of the range, located on the opposite sides of the MDD, such as range asymmetry, morphometric properties of drainage basins, and the position of MDD versus maximum elevation within the range. In the third group, morphometric properties of the terrain immediately adjacent to the MDD are considered. These include properties of areas located far beyond the range symmetry line, topographic asymmetry, longitudinal stream profiles, and relief types derived from auto...

The current research deals with the morphology of river course meanders, which can be defined as one of the main geomorphological aspects of the course of the Al-Teeb river in the eastern parts of the Misan governorate, between Al-Sharhani basin and Al-Sanaf marsh. This phenomenon was studied according to the fundamentalist approach by analyzing the spatial relationship between this phenomenon and other natural factors such as the structure, surface, climate, and water resources that led to its occurrence. This relationship was inferred through the application of four morphometric equations for measuring this phenomenon, namely the sinuosity ratio, range and direction, symmetry ratio, and the meander wavelength to width ratio. The results showed that there are 16 meanders, the ratio of which ranged between 1.6 and 4.7, which represent the lowest and highest recorded values, respectively. Some of the meanders were characterized by high symmetry, as is the case with Al-Makhada 1 meander, while others had lower symmetry as with Al-Kiy'ad 1. for meander wavelength to width ratio values tended to differ according to the variation in erosion rates.

Proxy records from across the Southern Hemisphere show significant local to regional scale variability in climatic and environmental conditions during late Marine Isotope Stage 3 and early Marine Isotope Stage 2, prior to the global last glacial maximum (LGM; 26.5–19.0 kyr). Although not necessarily synchronous across the hemisphere, the regional signature of these pre-26.5 kyr ‘events’ suggests greater complexity of events preceding the global LGM in the Southern Hemisphere than in the North. Here we explore climatic and environmental variability across the Southern Hemisphere during two time-slices: 32 ± 1 kyr (representing the period of Southern Hemisphere summer insolation minimum) and 21 ± 1 kyr (representing the period of maximum global ice volume), based on previously published palaeoclimate proxy data. Temperatures were already approaching glacial levels across the Southern Hemisphere at 32 ± 1 kyr and minimum temperatures were attained in many records at ~21 ± 1 kyr. Furthermore, the descent into minimum temperatures occurred later in Antarctica than elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Effective precipitation was more variable, with evidence for both increased and decreased moisture availability across the hemisphere during each time slice. The pattern of effective precipitation indicates that local factors likely played a more significant role in driving moisture availability compared to temperature. Our findings indicate that the onset of full-glacial conditions across the Southern Hemisphere occurred prior to the attainment of global maximum ice volume.

The East African Rift System (EARS) has played a central role in our understanding of human origins and vertebrate evolution in the late Cenozoic of Africa. However, the distribution of fossil sites along 3 the rift is highly biased toward its northern extent, and the types of paleoenvironments are primarily restricted to fluvial and lacustrine settings. Here we report the discovery of the first fossil sites from the Urema Rift at Gorongosa National Park (central Mozambique) at the southern end of the EARS, and reconstruct environmental contexts of the fossils. In situ and surface fossils from the lower member of the Mazamba Formation, estimated to be of Miocene age, comprise mammals, reptiles, fishes, invertebrates, palms, and dicot trees. Fossil and geological evidence indicates a coastal-plain paleoenvironmental mosaic of riverine forest/woodland and estuarine habitats that represent the first coastal biomes identified in the Neogene EARS context. Receiving continental sediment from source terranes west of today's Urema Graben, estuarine sequences accumulated prior to rifting as compound incised-valley fills on a low-gradient coastal plain following transgression. Modern environmental analogues are extremely productive habitats for marine and terrestrial fauna, including primates. Thus, our discoveries raise the possibility that the Miocene coastal landscapes of Gorongosa were ecologically-favorable habitats for primates, providing relatively stable maritime climate and ecosystem conditions, year-round freshwater availability, and food both from terrestrial and marine sources. The emerging fossil record from Gorongosa is beginning to fill an important gap in the paleobiogeography of Africa as no fossil sites of Neogene age have previously been reported from the southernmost part of the EARS. Furthermore, this unique window into past continentalmargin ecosystems of central Mozambique may allow us to test key paleobiogeographic hypotheses during critical periods of primate evolution.

This study aims to show the possibility of using GIS modelling of several basic morphometric indicators for assessing the relief, ravine and gully network of the certain territory, particularly Podillia Upland (Ukraine), and the preconditions for the development of erosion processes. The Horoshovetsky meandering node on the Dnister River (Ukraine) is a unique work of nature that requires substantive, additional and specific geomorphological research, which will help to establish certain patterns of their origin. During the study, the main morphometric maps were constructed for a more detailed relief assessment: vertical (interfluvial dimension) dissection, horizontal (amplitude altimetry) dissection, slope angle, slope aspect. Morphometric indicators are unevenly distributed throughout the territory. The main feature of this relief is its significant vertical and horizontal dissection in the Dnister River valley and its tributaries. The regularity of the channel processes distribution and the scale of the river's incision into rocks are clearly visible. A characteristic feature is the spread of linear landforms, which are very clearly cut by tributaries of the Dnister. Morphometric indicators of the study area clearly demonstrate the full range of complex tectonic and geological interaction of geological and geomorphological processes, which ultimately led to the emergence of various landforms, especially polygenetic incised meanders.

This paper is a review of the characteristics, including timing, geographic distribution and severity, of the Late Pleistocene extinction among continental birds, and an evaluation of the suggested reasons for it. The analysis shows that the Late Pleistocene avian extinctions correlate well with the mammalian megafaunal extinction with respect to severity and tim- ing, and that many of the extinct birds were probably directly or indirectly dependent on the mammalian megafauna. A large proportion of the extinct bird species had life history traits that would have made them vulnerable to human predation.

The New World blackbirds (Icteridae) are among the best known songbirds, serving as a model clade in 33 comparative studies of morphological, ecological, and behavioral trait evolution. Despite wide interest in 34 the group, as yet no analysis of blackbird relationships has achieved comprehensive species-level sam-35 pling or found robust support for most intergeneric relationships. Using mitochondrial gene sequences 36 from all $108 currently recognized species and six additional distinct lineages, together with strategic 37 sampling of four nuclear loci and whole mitochondrial genomes, we were able to resolve most relation-38 ships with high confidence. Our phylogeny is consistent with the strongly-supported results of past stud-39 ies, but it also contains many novel inferences of relationship, including unexpected placement of some 40 newly-sampled taxa, resolution of relationships among major clades within Icteridae, and resolution of 41 genus-level relationships within the largest of those clades, the grackles and allies. We suggest taxonomic 42 revisions based on our results, including restoration of Cacicus melanicterus to the monotypic Cassiculus, 43 merging the monotypic Ocyalus and Clypicterus into Cacicus, restoration of Dives atroviolaceus to the 44 monotypic Ptiloxena, and naming Curaeus forbesi to a new monotypic genus, Anumara. Our hypothesis 45 of blackbird phylogeny provides a foundation for ongoing and future evolutionary analyses of the group. 46

The phylogenetic affinities of the Redbellied Grackle (Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster), a Colombian endemic and the only member of this genus, are enigmatic. Based on phylogenetic analyses of sequences from the cytochrome b and ND2 mitochondrial genes, we present a first hypothesis on the systematic position of Hypopyrrhus. In so doing, we complete the sampling at the genus level for a published phylogeny of New World blackbirds (Johnson and Lanyon 1999). Hypopyrrhus belongs in a clade composed of mostly South American species within the grackles and allies assemblage, one of the five main lineages in the Icteridae. Within this lineage, Hypopyrrhus is consistently placed in a clade with Gymnomystax mexicanus and Lampropsar tanagrinus, but parsimony and maximum-likelihood reconstructions do not agree on which of these species is its sister taxon. Vocal and morphological data suggest that Hypopyrrhus and Gymnomystax are likely sister taxa. The addition of Hypopyrrhus does not cause major topological changes to Johnson and Lanyon's (1999) phylogeny of the grackles and allies; thus, the conclusions of evolutionary studies that used this phylogeny as a baseline remain largely unaltered.

The phylogenetic affinities of the Redbellied Grackle (Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster), a Colombian endemic and the only member of this genus, are enigmatic. Based on phylogenetic analyses of sequences from the cytochrome b and ND2 mitochondrial genes, we present a first hypothesis on the systematic position of Hypopyrrhus. In so doing, we complete the sampling at the genus level for a published phylogeny of New World blackbirds (Johnson and Lanyon 1999). Hypopyrrhus belongs in a clade composed of mostly South American species within the grackles and allies assemblage, one of the five main lineages in the Icteridae. Within this lineage, Hypopyrrhus is consistently placed in a clade with Gymnomystax mexicanus and Lampropsar tanagrinus, but parsimony and maximum-likelihood reconstructions do not agree on which of these species is its sister taxon. Vocal and morphological data suggest that Hypopyrrhus and Gymnomystax are likely sister taxa. The addition of Hypopyrrhus does not cause major topological changes to Johnson and Lanyon's (1999) phylogeny of the grackles and allies; thus, the conclusions of evolutionary studies that used this phylogeny as a baseline remain largely unaltered.

Reconstructions of global hydroclimate during the Common Era (CE; the past ~2,000 years) are important for providing context for current and future global environmental change. Stable isotope ratios in water are quantitative indicators of hydroclimate on regional to global scales, and these signals are encoded in a wide range of natural geologic archives. Here we present the Iso2k database, a global compilation of previously published datasets from a variety of natural archives that record the stable oxygen (δ 18 O) or hydrogen (δ²H) isotopic composition of environmental waters, which reflect hydroclimate changes over the CE. The Iso2k database contains 756 isotope records from the terrestrial and marine realms, including: glacier and ground ice (205); speleothems (68); corals, sclerosponges, and mollusks (145); wood (81); lake sediments and other terrestrial sediments (e.g., loess) (158); and marine sediments (99). Individual datasets have temporal resolutions ranging from sub-annual to centennial, and include chronological data where available. A fundamental feature of the database is its comprehensive metadata, which will assist both experts and non-experts in the interpretation of each record and in data synthesis. Key metadata fields have standardized vocabularies to facilitate comparisons across diverse archives and with climate model simulated fields. This is the first global-scale collection of water isotope proxy records from multiple types of geological and biological archives. It is suitable for evaluating hydroclimate processes through time and space using large-scale synthesis, model-data intercomparison and (paleo)data assimilation. The Iso2k database is available

A new species of extinct bullfinch, Pyrrhula crassa n. sp., is described from bones found in Furna do Calcinhas, a small cave situated at Caldeira, a volcano located in the southeastern portion of the Graciosa Island (Azores archipelago, North Atlantic Ocean). It is the first extinct passerine bird to be described from this archipelago. Both skull and post-cranial bones are larger in the new species than in its relatives, the Eurasian Bullfinch (P. pyrrhula) and the Azores Bullfinch or “Priolo” from São Miguel Island (P. murina), the new species being the largest known in this genus. The morphology of its humerus and the estimated wing length and surface area seem to indicate a flying ability similar to that of the extant P. murina. The possible sources of colonization of the genus into Azores, causes and chronology of extinction of the new species are discussed 

The grackles (Quiscalus spp.), together with their sister genus Euphagus, compose a clade within the New World blackbirds (Icteridae). We used gene sequences of cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) to reconstruct relationships within this group. A primary concern was determining the phylogenetic position and genetic distinctiveness of the extinct Slender-billed Grackle (Q. palustris)-a poorly known endemic of the Lerma Basin and the ancient lakes of the Valley of Mexico, last collected and recorded in 1910-and of the Nicaraguan Grackle (Q. nicaraguensis), which is likewise unusual among grackles for its restricted geographic range. Our analysis differs from previous efforts by inclusion of these taxa along with all other recognized grackle species, intraspecific sampling of Greater Antillean (Q. niger), Carib (Q. lugubris), and Great-tailed (Q. mexicanus) Grackles, and inclusion of additional sequence data. The recovered phylogeny reveals Slender-billed Grackle to be most closely related to one of two major haplotype clades of Great-tailed Grackle, the other being sister to Boat-tailed Grackle (Q. major). Nicaraguan Grackle appears sister to Carib Grackle (Q. lugubris). We discuss the implications of these and other relationships in the genus for species limits and biogeography. 1-1. INTRODUCTION The grackles (Quiscalus) are among the most familiar of blackbirds (Icteridae). Common in anthropogenic landscapes, they are conspicuous by virtue of their gregariousness, their habit of foraging on the ground in open areas, their iridescent black or rich rusty brown (in some females) plumages, and their long wedgeshaped tails, which they flare and keel distinctively in flight and display. The seven species currently recognized (AOU 1998) are all very similar with respect to morphology, behavior, and ecology.

A giant carbonate vein (≥50 m thick; fissure ridge travertines) and nearby travertine plateaus in the Semproniano area (Mt. Amiata geothermal field, southern Tuscany, Italy) are investigated through a multidisciplinary approach, including field and laboratory geochemical analyses (U/Th geochronology, C, Nd, O and Sr isotope systematics, REE abundances, and fluid inclusion microthermometry). The main aim of this work is to understand: (1) modes and rates for the growth of the giant vein and nearby travertine deposits within a Quaternary volcano-tectonic domain; (2) implications in terms of the CO 2 release; and (3) possible relationships with Quaternary paleoclimate and hydrological oscillations. Results show that the giant vein was the inner portion of a large fissure ridge travertine and grew asymmetrically and ataxially through repeated shallow fluid injections between >650 and 85 ka, with growth rates in the order of 10-2 and 10-3 mm/a. The giant vein developed mainly during warm humid (interglacial) periods, partially overlapping with the growth of nearby travertine plateaus. Estimated values of CO 2 leakage connected with the vein precipitation are between about 5x10 6 and 3x10 7 mol a-1 km-2 , approximately representing one millionth of the present global CO 2 leakage from volcanic areas. Temperatures estimates as obtained from O-isotopes and fluid inclusion microthermometry indicate epithermal conditions (90-50 °C) for the circulating fluid during the giant vein growth, with only slight evidence of cooling with time. Geochemical and isotope data document that the travertine deposits have developed mainly during Pleistocene warm humid periods, within a tectonically-controlled convective fluid circuit fed by meteoric infiltration and maintained by the regional geothermal anomaly hosted by the carbonate reservoir of the Mt. Amiata field.

We investigated the causes of toe and foot loss and other deformities long observed in urban Brewer's Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) in southern California. Histopathologic evaluation showed that afflicted individuals suffered from infestations of mites compatible with Knemidokoptes spp. (scaly-leg mites). We developed a case definition based on gross lesions in confirmed cases and the scientific literature to search two large ornithological collections for specimens exhibiting these lesions. in evaluating specimens among seven species of the family icteridae, we found 34 specimens in the two collections with lesions consistent with Knemidokoptes spp. Species afflicted included the red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus; 12 of 978 specimens), Brewer's Blackbird (10/337 specimens), tricolored Blackbird (A. tricolor; 4/101 specimens), Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater; 4/828 specimens), and Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus; 4/224 specimens). the earliest cluster of California specimens dated to 1962. Fourteen of the 34 specimens exhibiting the condition were collected since 1999. no specimens of the yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus; 0 of 214 specimens) or Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta; 0/278) were found with the condition.

The Altos de Jalisco region in west central Mexico is the location of the largest concentration of poultry farms. This district has witnessed the emergence of Low Pathogenic H5N2 and the Highly Pathogenic H7N3 Influenza viruses. Eighty counting stations along a 50 km corridor were designated in five ecological environments from water bodies to poultry production facilities. The survey, implemented from fall 2014 to winter 2015, identified 82 species of wild birds where the family Icteridae comprised the most abundant group. A network-theory model provided a value of interaction among the wild bird species in these five environments. The highest ranked species corresponded to the Mexican Great-tailed Grackle and the Barn Swallow; making those potential hosts for disease transmission of pathogens in the wild bird-poultry interface in the region of Jalisco. These interactions are likely to positively correlate with increased risk factors.

We report 90 bird bones representing 18 species from recent excavations at San Josecito Gave, Nuevo Le6n, Mexico. The new material increases the avifauna of this rich late Pleistocene locality from 52 to 62 species. Eight of the 10 newly recorded taxa are extant; each is either of temperate rather than tropical affinities (such as the American Woodcock Scolopax minor and Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) or is very widespread in its modem distribution. The two extinct taxa are a stork (Ciconia sp. or Mycteria sp.) and Geococcyx californianus conklingi, a large temporal subspecies of the Greater Roadrunner. In this region of the Sierra Madre Oriental (about lat. 24"N, long. lOO"W, elev. 2,000-2,600 m). the late Pleistocene avifauna was a mixture of species that to&y prefer coniferous or pine-oak forests/woodlands, grasslands/savannas, and wetlands. As with various late Pleistocene plant and mammal communities of the United States and Mexico, no clear modem analog exists for the late Pleistocene avifauna of San Josecito Cave.

We investigated the causes of toe and foot loss and other deformities long observed in urban Brewer's Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) in southern California. Histopathologic evaluation showed that afflicted individuals suffered from infestations of mites compatible with Knemidokoptes spp. (scaly-leg mites). We developed a case definition based on gross lesions in confirmed cases and the scientific literature to search two large ornithological collections for specimens exhibiting these lesions. in evaluating specimens among seven species of the family icteridae, we found 34 specimens in the two collections with lesions consistent with Knemidokoptes spp. Species afflicted included the red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus; 12 of 978 specimens), Brewer's Blackbird (10/337 specimens), tricolored Blackbird (A. tricolor; 4/101 specimens), Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater; 4/828 specimens), and Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus; 4/224 specimens). the earliest cluster of California specimens dated to 1962. Fourteen of the 34 specimens exhibiting the condition were collected since 1999. no specimens of the yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus; 0 of 214 specimens) or Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta; 0/278) were found with the condition.

Critical transitions in ecosystem states are often sudden and unpredictable. Consequently, there is a concerted effort to identify measurable early warning signals (EWS) for these important events. Aquatic ecosystems provide an opportunity to observe critical transitions due to their high sensitivity and rapid response times. Using palaeoecological techniques, we can measure properties of time series data to determine if critical transitions are preceded by any measurable ecosystem metrics, that is, identify EWS. Using a suite of palaeoenvironmental data spanning the last 2,400 years (diatoms, pollen, geochemistry, and charcoal influx), we assess whether a critical transition in diatom community structure was preceded by measurable EWS. Lake Vera, in the temperate rain forest of western Tasmania, Australia, has a diatom community dominated by Discostella stelligera and undergoes an abrupt compositional shift at ca. 820 cal yr BP that is concomitant with increased fire disturbance of the local vegetation. This shift is manifest as a transition from less oligotrophic acidic diatom flora (Achnanthidium minutissimum, Brachysira styriaca, and Fragilaria capucina) to more oligotrophic acidic taxa (Frustulia elongatissima, Eunotia diodon, and Gomphonema multiforme). We observe a marked increase in compositional variance and rate-of-change prior to this critical transition, revealing these metrics are useful EWS in this system. Interestingly, vegetation remains complacent to fire disturbance until after the shift in the diatom community. Disturbance taxa invade and the vegetation system experiences an increase in both compositional variance and rate-of-change. These trends imply an approaching critical transition in the vegetation and the probable collapse of the local rain forest system. attempting to measure EWS to improve predictive power (

The timing and duration of the coldest period in the last glacial stage, often referred to as the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), has been observed to vary spatially and temporally. In Australia, this period is characterised by colder, and in some places more arid, climates than today. We applied Monte-Carlo change point analysis to all available continuous proxy records covering this period, primarily pollen records, from across Australia (n=37) to assess this change. We find a significant change point occurred (within uncertainty) at 28.6 ±2.8 ka in 25 records. We interpret this change as a shift to cooler climates, associated with a widespread decline in biological productivity. An additional change point occurred at 17.7 ±2.2 ka in 24 records. We interpret this change as a shift towards warmer climates, associated with increased biological productivity. We broadly characterise the period between 28.6 (± 2.8) – 17.7 (±2.2) ka as an extended period of maximum cooling, with low productivity vegetation that may have occurred as a combined response to reduced temperatures, lower moisture availability and atmospheric CO2. These results have implications for how the spatial and temporal coherence of climate change, in this case during the LGM, can be best interrogated and interpreted.

Coastal sand dune sediments with associated intraformational aeolianite, palaeosols and beachrock are found throughout much of the southern African coast, and have important roles as both Quaternary environmental archives and in recording the interplay of sediment supply, coastal processes and sea-level change. This paper examines the stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental significance of coastal sand dunes and associated sediments, using examples mainly from South Africa but also with reference to the sandy coasts of Namibia and southern Mozambique. Based on morphological, sedimentary and dating evidence reported in the diverse literature, the stratigraphic relationship of coastal sand dune sediments to marine isotope stages (MIS) is summarized, and a chronostratigraphic diagram for the period MIS 6 to 1 along the South African coast is used to identify spatially coherent sedimentary units that correspond to different regional climatic and sea-level phases. This framework provides a stratigraphic context to better examine the relationship between coastal sand dunes and external forcing during the late Quaternary in southern Africa, and to guide future field studies.

Slope and lowland sediment systems throughout southern Africa are dominated by the presence of colluvium with interbedded palaeosols and hardground duricrusts. These sediments correspond to phases of land surface instability and stability, respectively, during the late Quaternary. This study examines the stratigraphy and environmental interpretation of slope sediment records from specific sites in southern Africa for the period of marine isotope stages (MIS) 6 to 1 (~191 ka to present), informed by theoretical ideas of the dynamics of slope systems including sediment supply and accommodation space. Based on this analysis, phases of land surface instability and stability for the period MIS 6 to 1 are identified. The spatial and temporal patterns of land surface conditions are not a simple reflection of climate forcing, but rather reflect the workings of slope systems in response to climate in addition to the role of geologic, edaphic and ecological factors that operate within catchment-scale sediment systems. Considering these systems dynamics can yield a better understanding of the usefulness and limitations of slope sediment stratigraphies.

A fossil New World quail (Aves: Galliformes, Odontiphorinidae) is described from the Eastlake Local Fauna of the Otay Formation, San Diego County, California. The East Lake Local Fauna is late Oligocene (early Arikareean, 28.5 - 23.8 Ma) in age.  This is the earliest record for a New World quail yet known to science, predating the previous record by nearly five million years.  This new species is systematically interesting and morphologically distinctive.  The long, gracile legs indicate that it was a better runner than a flier. Ratios of the legs to wings of the new species compare closest to extant birds that live in a chaparral environment (i.e., of low growth evergreen oak).  Because North American early Arikareean faunal assemblages are rare, any additional evidence of late Oligocene paleoenvironment is important.

The role of Quaternary glacial–interglacial intervals in shaping the diversity and distribution of Neotropical species has been the focus of considerable research. The Neotropics sustain the highest passerine diversity on Earth, but little is known about this region's historical biogeography based on fossils. To assess how passerine species were affected by Quaternary climate fluctuations, we identified 625 late Pleistocene fossils (individual fossilized bones) from the now arid and faunally depauperate Talara Tar Seeps in northwestern Peru. Of the 21 passerine species identified, only 2 likely live at the site now; the remaining 19 species require more mesic conditions. Species identified included members of the Thamnophilidae (antbirds), Melanopareiidae (crescentchests), Tyrannidae (flycatchers), Hirundinidae (swallows), Mimidae (mockingbirds), Thraupidae (seedeaters, ''finches''), Emberizidae (sparrows), and Icteridae (blackbirds). Nearly half of the individual fossils and 8 of the 21 species were icterids, including 3 extinct species (1 previously described, 2 new). The late Pleistocene passerine community at Talara, which was nonanalog to any modern community, suggests that the site once supported savanna, grasslands, and forests during the last glacial interval, which are absent near Talara today. Quaternary climate change and the collapse of the community of large mammals had a major influence on the community composition and the geographic ranges of passerine species in northwestern Peru.