Advances in Quaternary Entomology (eBook)

Scott A. Elias (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2009 | 1. Auflage
304 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-08-095849-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Advances in Quaternary Entomology addresses the science of fossil insects by demonstrating their immense contribution to our knowledge of the paleoenvironmental and climatological record of the past 2.6 million years. In this comprehensive survey of the field, Scott A. Elias recounts development of scholarship, reviews the fossil insect record from Quaternary deposits throughout the world, and points to rewarding areas for future research. The study of Quaternary entomology is becoming an important tool in understanding past environmental changes. Most insects are quite specific as to habitat requirements, and those in non-island environments have undergone almost no evolutionary change in the Quaternary period. We therefore can use their modern ecological requirements as a basis for interpreting what past environments must have been like.

Features:
* describes and identifies principal characteristics of fossil insect groups of the Quaternary period
* Ties Quaternary insect studies to the larger field of paleoecology
* offers global coverage of the subject with specific regional examples
* illustrates specific methods and procedures for conducting research in Quaternary Entomology
* offers unique insight into overlying trends and broader implications of Quaternary climate change based on insect life of the period

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Advances in Quaternary Entomology addresses the science of fossil insects by demonstrating their immense contribution to our knowledge of the paleoenvironmental and climatological record of the past 2.6 million years. In this comprehensive survey of the field, Scott A. Elias recounts development of scholarship, reviews the fossil insect record from Quaternary deposits throughout the world, and points to rewarding areas for future research. The study of Quaternary entomology is becoming an important tool in understanding past environmental changes. Most insects are quite specific as to habitat requirements, and those in non-island environments have undergone almost no evolutionary change in the Quaternary period. We therefore can use their modern ecological requirements as a basis for interpreting what past environments must have been like. - Describes and identifies principal characteristics of fossil insect groups of the Quaternary period- Ties Quaternary insect studies to the larger field of paleoecology- Offers global coverage of the subject with specific regional examples- Illustrates specific methods and procedures for conducting research in Quaternary Entomology- Offers unique insight into overlying trends and broader implications of Quaternary climate change based on insect life of the period

Inhalt

Front cover 1
Advances in Quaternary Entomology 4
Copyright page 5
Contents 6
Acknowledgments 8
Foreword 10
Glossary of Terms 12
Chapter 1. The History of Quaternary Insect Studies 16
1. Introduction 16
2. The Beginnings of Quaternary Entomology 17
3. Coope’s Pioneering Work in Britain 21
4. The Development of Quaternary Entomology Outside Britain 22
Chapter 2. Methods 24
1. Fossil Preservation 24
2. Types of Sediments Containing Insect Fossils 24
3. Sampling Procedures 28
4. Extraction and Concentration of Insect Fossils from Sediments 33
Chapter 3. Important Fossil Insect Groups and Their Identification 40
1. Use of Taxonomic Literature 40
2. Use of Images on Web Sites 40
3. Comparison with Museum Specimens 41
4. Relative Size of Regional Faunas 41
5. Useful Characters for Fossil Beetle Identification 41
6. Identification of Other Groups of Fossil Insects 50
Chapter 4. The Value of Insects in Paleoecology 54
1. Abundance and Diversity of Insect Assemblages 54
2. Species Constancy in the Quaternary 55
3. Colonization of New Regions 61
4. Fossil Evidence for Continental-Scale Range Shifts 62
5. Range Shifts of Alpine Species 62
6. Tropical, Island and Cave Faunas 62
7. Effects of Long-Term Climate Change 63
8. Sensitivity of Insects to Environmental Change 63
9. Use of Databases in Reconstructing Environments 65
Chapter 5. Paleoclimatic Studies Using Insects 68
1. Range Overlap Method 68
2. Quantitative Approaches to Paleoclimate Reconstruction 68
3. The MCR Method 68
4. Maximum-Likelihood Method 81
5. BIOCLIM Method 81
6. Insect Evidence for Rapid Climate Change 82
7. Plant Migration Lag 92
Chapter 6. Insect Zoogeography in the Quaternary 94
1. Early Work 94
2. Pleistocene Records from Europe 95
3. North American Studies 98
Chapter 7. The Use of Insect Fossils in Archeology 104
1. Types of Anthropogenic Deposits Yielding Insects 104
2. Environmental Indications from Insects 106
3. Special Methods for Archeological Sites 106
4. British Studies 107
5. Studies in Western Europe (Fig. 7 Table 3)116
6. North African and Middle Eastern Studies 123
7. Studies in the North Atlantic Region (Figs. 14 and 15 Table 5)125
8. Insect Fossils in New World Archeological Sites (Table 6 Fig. 16)129
9. South American Archeology 135
10. Comparison with European and other Old World Studies 136
Chapter 8. European Studies 138
1. British Research 138
2. Research in the North Atlantic Region 145
3. Western European Research 147
Chapter 9. Siberian Studies 158
1. Western Siberian Research 158
2. Research in Northeastern Siberia 163
3. Regional Paleoenvironmental Syntheses 170
Chapter 10. Eastern Beringian Studies 172
1. Late TertiarysolEarly Quaternary Faunas 172
2. Importance of the Late Tertiary Faunas 177
3. Eastern Beringian Quaternary Studies 177
Chapter 11. Other Studies in the New World 188
1. North American Studies 188
2. Overview of North American Studies 205
3. South American Studies 206
Chapter 12. Japanese Studies 210
1. Fossil Assemblages 210
Chapter 13. Studies in Australia and New Zealand 218
1. Australian Studies 218
2. New Zealand 223
3. Postscript: Initial Results from Pacific Islands 230
Chapter 14. Beetle Chitin Isotope Studies 234
1. Direct AMS Dating of Insect Fossils 234
2. Stable Isotope Studies 235
Chapter 15. Ancient DNA Studies 238
1. Ancient DNA Methods 238
2. Studies of Recent Material 238
3. Studies from Fossil Material 240
4. Prospectus for Future Work 243
Chapter 16. Conclusions and Prospectus 244
1. Persistent Obstacles 244
2. Future Directions 244
3. Vulnerability of Museum Collections 245
4. Publication Rates 245
5. Potential New Study Regions 245
6. Development of MCR Methods 248
7. Chitin Isotope Studies 249
Ancient DNA Studies 249
References 250
Taxonomic Index 288
Topic Index 296

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.8.2009
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Zoologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Mineralogie / Paläontologie
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Umwelttechnik / Biotechnologie
• ISBN-10: 0-08-095849-4 / 0080958494
• ISBN-13: 978-0-08-095849-1 / 9780080958491