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Land snails from the last glacial maximum on Andikithira, southern Greece and their palaeoclimatic implications
Author(s) -
Gittenberger Edmund,
Goodfriend Glenn A.
Publication year - 1993
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/jqs.3390080203
Subject(s) - last glacial maximum , glacial period , geology , mediterranean climate , fauna , quaternary , physical geography , period (music) , isotopes of oxygen , evapotranspiration , holocene , oceanography , paleontology , geography , ecology , archaeology , geochemistry , physics , acoustics , biology
An assemblage of land snails from an aeolianite deposit on the coast of the southern Greek island of Andikithira is shown to date to 16 000 yr BP and thus represents the period of the last glacial maximum (LGM; Oxygen Isotope Stage 2). The assemblage has no modern analogue. Five of the ten species are extinct on the island and some of these now live only at high elevations (> 950 m). Significantly cooler temperatures, some 5‐8°C below present, and slightly drier moisture conditions (lower rainfall, partially offset by reduced evapotranspiration at the lower temperature) are inferred. The large temperature depression at the LGM, well documented in northern and central Europe, extended also to the Mediterranean climate of southern Europe. Late Quaternary climatic changes had a considerable impact on the fauna of this isolated island.