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Coleopteran evidence for a mosaic of environments at high altitude in the eastern Pyrénées, France, during the climatic transition between the Allerød and Younger Dryas
Author(s) -
Ponel Philippe,
Coope G. Russell,
AndrieuPonel Valérie,
Reille Maurice
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1417(199903)14:2<169::aid-jqs429>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - younger dryas , allerød oscillation , geology , glacial period , fauna , radiocarbon dating , last glacial maximum , physical geography , ecology , grassland , geography , paleontology , biology
Late‐glacial environmental and climatic implications are inferred from an insect fauna from organic sediments infilling a palaeochannel on the banks of the River Têt, eastern Pyrénées, France. A pine cone in association with the insect fauna has been radiocarbon dated to 10 920 ± 60 yr BP, namely close to the Allerød – Younger Dryas boundary. Two distinct insect associations appear to be recognisable here. One is an assemblage typical of the high altitude forest and a second is characteristic of an alpine grassland. The close coexistence of these two assemblages is attributed to the climatic cooling towards the start of the Younger Dryas Stadial, when the forest cover broke up into remnant patches interspersed by alpine grassland. It is suggested that in a region of such high relief a mosaic of habitats may have been caused by patchy differences in insolation aspect, especially during a period of climatic deterioration. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.