Vegetation response to exceptional global warmth during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2.

ABSTRACT: The Cenomanian-Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE2; ~94.5 million years ago) represents an episode of global-scale marine anoxia and biotic turnover, which corresponds to one of the warmest time intervals in the Phanerozoic. Despite its global significance, information on continental ecosystem response to this greenhouse episode is lacking. Here we present a terrestrial palynological record combined with marine-derived temperature data (TEX₈₆) across an expanded OAE2 section from the Southern Provençal Basin, France. Despite high TEX₈₆-derived temperature estimates reaching up to 38 °C, the continental hinterland did support a diverse vegetation, adapted to persist under elevated temperatures. A transient phase of climatic instability and cooling during OAE2 known as

SUBMITTER: Heimhofer U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6148089 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature