COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: An Integrated High-Resolution Study of the Effects of Shifting Climate on Late Paleocene-Early Eocene Continental Ecosystems

摘要以往在大角盆地的研究已经提供了古新世/始新世边界和两个早始新世时期生物变化与气候变化之间关系的证据，但记录的关键部分分辨率较差，使得相关性不确定。该项目将结合磁地层学、物理地层学、古土壤和哺乳动物群等多种方法，开发出高分辨率的软骨学地层学，并为整个盆地上古新世-下始新世剖面的关联提供框架，并确定区域事件是否可以与海洋记录相关联。大角盆地可能是全球保存记录了古新世/始新世边界和两个早始新世区间同期气候、哺乳动物和植物区系变化的最佳地点。这项工作对于未来寻求建立早第三纪温室条件下全球生物与气候变化之间关系的研究至关重要。

AbstractPrevious research in the Bighorn Basin has provided tantalizing evidence suggesting a relationship between biotic change and shifts in climate at the time of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and two early Eocene time periods, but poor resolution of critical parts of the record renders the correlation inconclusive. Using a combination of approaches -magnetostratigraphy, physical stratigraphy, paleosols, and mammalian faunas- this project will developed a high- resolution chonostratigraphy and provide the framework for correlating upper Paleocene- lower Eocene sections across the basin, and for establishing whether regional event can be correlated with the marine record. The Bighorn Basin is possibly the best localities globally where sediments recording coeval changes in climate, mammalian faunas, and floras at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and two early Eocene intervals have been preserved. The proposed work is essential for future research seeking to establish the relationship between biotic and climate changes globally during the early Tertiary interval of Greenhouse conditions.