Late Pleistocene climatic change in the French Jura (Gigny) recorded in the δ 18 O of phosphate from ungulate tooth enamel

Datos Bibliográficos

ID24087004
AutoresMagali Fabre (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Christophe Lécuyer (0000-0001-9513-2492, Lyon 1 Université, autor de correspondencia), Jean-Philip Brugal, Jean Philip Brugal (0000-0002-5138-3545, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Romain Amiot (0000-0003-2779-9652, Lyon 1 Université), François Fourel (0000-0003-3094-7003, Lyon 1 Université), François Martineau (Lyon 1 Université)
Año2011
Volumen75
Número3
Páginas605-613
Fecha de publicación2011-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaQuaternary Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0033-5894 • E-ISSN: 1096-0287
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.yqres.2011.03.001
OpenAlexW1977745996
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas19
Referencias citadas67

Oxygen isotope compositions of phosphate in tooth enamel from large mammals (i.e. horse and red deer) were measured to quantify past mean annual air temperatures and seasonal variations between 145 ka and 33 ka in eastern France. The method is based on interdependent relationships between the δ 18 O of apatite phosphate, environmental waters and air temperatures. Horse ( Equus caballus germanicus ) and red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) remains have δ 18 O values that range from 14.2‰ to 17.2‰, indicating mean air temperatures between 7°C and 13°C. Oxygen isotope time series obtained from two of the six horse teeth show a sinusoidal-like signal that could have been forced by temperature variations of seasonal origin. Intra-tooth oxygen isotope variations reveal that at 145 ka, winters were colder (− 7 ± 2°C) than at present (3 ± 1°C) while summer temperatures were similar. Winter temperatures mark a well-developed West–East thermal gradient in France of about − 9°C, much stronger than the −4°C difference recorded presently. Negative winter temperatures were likely responsible for the extent and duration of the snow cover, thus limiting the food resources available for large ungulates with repercussions for Neanderthal predators.

Biology · Cervus · Enamel paint · Equus · Geography · Isotopes of oxygen · Physical geography · Pleistocene · Stable isotope ratio · Ungulate · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Ecology · Geology · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Paleontology · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology