New sedimentary evidence reveals a unique history of C₄ biomass in continental East Asia since the early Miocene.

ABSTRACT: Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) and n-alkane data from sediments in the northern South China Sea reveal variations in material from C₄ plants in East Asia over the last ~19 Ma. These data indicate the likely presence of C₄ taxa during the earliest part of the record analysed, with C₄ species also prominent during the mid and late Miocene and especially the mid Quaternary. Notably the two records diverge after the mid Quaternary, when PyC data indicate a reduced contribution of C₄ taxa to biomass burning, whereas plant-derived n-alkanes indicate a greater abundance of C₄ plants. This divergence likely reflects differences in the predominant source areas of organic materials accumulating at the coring site, with PyC representing a larger source a

SUBMITTER: Zhou B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5428023 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature