Nearest living relative
The most obvious way to make inferences about the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate using vertebrate fossils is to note the modern environments and climate associated with their nearest living relatives. The presence in the fossil record of one or a few specimens of a single genus or species has been used in this way. Based on such evidence, Vucetich and Verzi (2002) asserted that during the Pleistocene there were warm pulses that enabled tropical forms now known only from Brazil to extend their ranges more than 1,200 km south to the area of Buenos Aires.
Instead of considering only one taxon, it is a more common practice to compare the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic preferences for the nearest living relatives of all taxa represented in a fossil assemblage. Using this method with modern small mammals, Antoñanzas and Bescós (2002) inferred that during the Early to Middle Pleistocene at Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain there were several cycles of fluctuation...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsBibliography
Alberdi, M.T., Alonso, M.A., Azanza, B., Hoyos, A., and Morales, J., 2001. Vertebrate taphonomy in circum-lake environments: Three cases in Guadix-Baza Basin (Granada, Spain). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 165, 1–26.
Antoñanzas, R.L., and Bescós, G.C., 2002. The Gran Dolina site (Lower to Middle Pleistocene, Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain): New palaeoenvironmental data based on the distribution of small mammals. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 186, 311–334.
Bryant, J.D., Froelich, P.N., Showers, W.J., and Genna, B.J., 1996. Biologic and climatic signals in the oxygen isotopic composition of Eocene-Oligocene equid enamel phosphate. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 126, 75–89.
Chinsamy, A., Rich, T.H., and Vickers-Rich, P., 1998. Polar dinosaur bone histology. J. Vertebr. Palaeontol., 18, 385–390.
Constantine, A., Chinsamy, A., Vickers-Rich, P., and Rich, T.H., 1998. Periglacial environments and polar dinosaurs. S. Afr. J. Sci., 94, 137–141.
FAUNMAP Working Group 1996. Spatial response of mammals to Late Quaternary environmental fluctuations. Science, 272, 1601–1606.
Fricke, H.C., Clyde, W.C., O’Neill, J.R., and Gingerich, P.D., 1998. Evidence for rapid climate change in North America during the latest Paleocene thermal maximum: Oxygen isotope compositions of biogenic phosphate from the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming). Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 160, 193–208.
Khajuria, C.K., and Prasad, G.V.R., 1998. Taphonomy of a Late Cretaceous mammal-bearing microvertebrate assemblage from the Deccan inter-trappean beds of Naskal, peninsular India. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 137, 153–172.
Kohn, M.J., and Cerling, T.E., 2002. Stable isotope compositions of biological apatite. In Kohn, M.J., Rakovan, J., and Hughes, J.M. (eds.), 2002. Phosphates. Geochemical, Geobiological, and Materials Importance. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry v. 48. Washington, D.C.: Mineralogical Society of America, pp. 455–488.
MacFadden, B.J., Solounias, N., and Cerling, T.E., 1999. Ancient Diets, Ecology, and Extinction of 5-Million-Year-Old Horses from Florida. Science, 283, 824–827.
Montuire, S., Michaux J., Legendre, S., and Aguilar, J.-P., 1997. Rodents and climate. 1. A model for estimating past temperatures using arvicolids (Mammalia: Rodentia). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 128, 187–206.
Parrish, J.T., 1998. Interpreting Pre-Quaternary Climate from the Geologic Record. New York: Columbia University Press, 338pp.
Rich, T.H., and Rich, P.V., 1989. Polar dinosaurs and biotas of the early Cretaceous of southeastern Australia. Natl. Geogr. Soc. Res. Rep., 5, 15–53.
Tarduno, J.A., Brinkman, D.B., Renne, P.R., Cottrell, R.D., Scher, H., and Castillo, P., 1998. Evidence for extreme climatic warmth from Late Cretaceous Arctic vertebrates. Science, 282, 2241–2244.
Vucetich, M.G., and Verzi, D.H., 2002. First record of Dasyproctidae (Rodentia) in the Pleistocene of Argentina. Paleoclimatic implication. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 178, 67–73.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag
About this entry
Cite this entry
Rich, T.H., Vickers-Rich, P. (2009). Animal Proxies, Vertebrates. In: Gornitz, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-4551-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4411-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences