Herbivory in Antarctic fossil forests: evolutionary and palaeoclimatic significance
Herbivory in Antarctic fossil forests: evolutionary and palaeoclimatic significance
复制标题
南极化石森林中的食草动物：进化和古气候意义
DOI：
--
复制
发表时间：
2007
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
J. Smellie
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
C. Mcdonald;J. Francis;S. Compton;A. Haywood;A. Ashworth;L. Hinojosa;J. Smellie
许多来自南极洲的始新世树叶化石包含了丰富的昆虫痕迹化石，表明昆虫是生长在极地地区独特森林的重要组成部分。然而，昆虫体化石本身是罕见的，因此昆虫痕迹为研究南极洲的古昆虫学和古气候提供了一个极好的机会。研究的化石包括来自南极半岛西摩岛和乔治王岛的始新世树叶。根据古食草动物的多样性，对南极化石叶子上所有昆虫痕迹的数据库进行了编译和分析。化石叶是多种多样的，有几种不同的植物种类，如烟叶科和狐尾科。发现的痕迹范围包括叶矿、虫瘿和一般的叶子咀嚼，其中边缘和非边缘的例子都存在。将展示与南美洲现代环境比较的初步结果，为过去可能在南极洲留下这些痕迹的昆虫种类提供更大的指示。
Many collections of Eocene Fossil leaves from Antarctica contain a rich store of insect trace fossils, indicating that insects were an important component of the unique forests that grew in polar regions. However, insect body fossils themselves are rare and so insect traces provide an excellent opportunity to examine both the palaeoentomology and the palaeoclimate of Antarctica. The fossils studied include Eocene leaves from both Seymour Island and King George Island on the Antarctic Peninsula. A database of all insect traces on the Antarctic fossil leaves was compiled and analysed in terms of the diversity of palaeoherbivory. The fossil leaves are diverse with several different plant species present such as Nothofagaceae and Cunoniaceae. The range of traces found includes leaf mines, galls and general leaf chewing, of which both marginal and non-marginal examples are present. The preliminary results of the comparison with modern day environments in South America will be shown, providing a greater indication of the types of insects that may have created such traces in Antarctica in the past.