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Almeida AM, Delgado F, Roque N, Ribeiro MM, Fernandez P. Multitemporal Land Use and Cover Analysis Coupled with Climatic Change Scenarios to Protect the Endangered Taxon Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2914. [PMID: 37631126 PMCID: PMC10458043 DOI: 10.3390/plants12162914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and land use and land cover (LULC) change are impacting the species' geographic distribution, causing range shifts and reducing suitable habitats. Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae (AbR) is an endangered endemic plant restricted to Serra da Gardunha (Portugal), and knowledge of those changes will help to design conservation measures. MaxEnt was used to model AbR's current distribution and project it into the future, 2050, using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway SSP3-7. The Portuguese LULC maps from 1951-1980, 1995, 2007, and 2018 were used to assess and quantify LULC changes over time. The results showed that the AbR current predicted distribution matches its actual known distribution, which will not be affected by future predicted climate change. The significant LULC changes were observed during the study periods 1951-1980 to 2018, particularly between 1951-1980 and 1995. Scrubland and Agriculture decreased by 5% and 2.5%, respectively, and Forests increased by 4% in the study area. In the occurrence area, Agriculture increased, and Forests decreased between 1980 and 2018, due to Orchard expansion (34%) and declines in Chestnut (16.9%) and Pine (11%) areas, respectively. The use of species distribution models and the LULC change analysis contributed to understanding current and future species distribution. The LULC changes will have a significant impact on future species distribution. To prevent the extinction of this endemic species in the future, it is crucial to implement conservation measures, namely species monitoring, replantation, and germplasm conservation, in addition to guidelines for habitat conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Maria Almeida
- School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University, IPCB—Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Delgado
- School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University, IPCB—Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
- CERNAS—Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Natália Roque
- School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University, IPCB—Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
- CERNAS—Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal
| | - Maria Margarida Ribeiro
- School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University, IPCB—Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
- CERNAS—Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal
- CEF—Forest Research Centre, Superior Institute of Agronomy, Lisbon University, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paulo Fernandez
- School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University, IPCB—Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
- MED&CHANGE—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE–Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Évora University, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
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Almeida AM, Ribeiro MM, Ferreira MR, Roque N, Quintela-Sabarís C, Fernandez P. Big data help to define climate change challenges for the typical Mediterranean species Cistus ladanifer L. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1136224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change’s huge impact on Mediterranean species’ habitat suitability and spatial and temporal distribution in the coming decades is expected. The present work aimed to reconstruct rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L.) historical and future spatial distribution, a typically Mediterranean species with abundant occurrence in North Africa, Iberian Peninsula, and Southern France. The R ensemble modeling approach was made using the biomod2 package to assess changes in the spatial distribution of the species in the Last Interglacial (LIG), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and the Middle Holocene (MH), in the present, and in the future (for the years 2050 and 2070), considering two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The current species potential distribution was modeled using 2,833 occurrences, six bioclimatic variables, and four algorithms, Generalized Linear Model (GLM), MaxEnt, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Two global climate models (GCMs), CCSM4 and MRI-CGCM3, were used to forecast past and future suitability. The potential area of occurrence of the species is equal to 15.8 and 14.1% of the study area for current and LIG conditions, while it decreased to 3.8% in the LGM. The species’ presence diaminished more than half in the RCP 4.5 (to 6.8% in 2050 and 7% in 2070), and a too low figure (2.2%) in the worst-case scenario (RCP 8.5) for 2070. The results suggested that the current climatic conditions are the most suitable for the species’ occurrence and that future changes in environmental conditions may lead to the loss of suitable habitats, especially in the worst-case scenario. The information unfolded by this study will help to understand future predictable desertification in the Mediterranean region and to help policymakers to implement possible measures for biodiversity maintenance and desertification avoidance.
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Joyce EM, Appelhans MS, Buerki S, Cheek M, de Vos JM, Pirani JR, Zuntini AR, Bachelier JB, Bayly MJ, Callmander MW, Devecchi MF, Pell SK, Groppo M, Lowry PP, Mitchell J, Siniscalchi CM, Munzinger J, Orel HK, Pannell CM, Nauheimer L, Sauquet H, Weeks A, Muellner-Riehl AN, Leitch IJ, Maurin O, Forest F, Nargar K, Thiele KR, Baker WJ, Crayn DM. Phylogenomic analyses of Sapindales support new family relationships, rapid Mid-Cretaceous Hothouse diversification, and heterogeneous histories of gene duplication. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1063174. [PMID: 36959945 PMCID: PMC10028101 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1063174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sapindales is an angiosperm order of high economic and ecological value comprising nine families, c. 479 genera, and c. 6570 species. However, family and subfamily relationships in Sapindales remain unclear, making reconstruction of the order's spatio-temporal and morphological evolution difficult. In this study, we used Angiosperms353 target capture data to generate the most densely sampled phylogenetic trees of Sapindales to date, with 448 samples and c. 85% of genera represented. The percentage of paralogous loci and allele divergence was characterized across the phylogeny, which was time-calibrated using 29 rigorously assessed fossil calibrations. All families were supported as monophyletic. Two core family clades subdivide the order, the first comprising Kirkiaceae, Burseraceae, and Anacardiaceae, the second comprising Simaroubaceae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae. Kirkiaceae is sister to Burseraceae and Anacardiaceae, and, contrary to current understanding, Simaroubaceae is sister to Meliaceae and Rutaceae. Sapindaceae is placed with Nitrariaceae and Biebersteiniaceae as sister to the core Sapindales families, but the relationships between these families remain unclear, likely due to their rapid and ancient diversification. Sapindales families emerged in rapid succession, coincident with the climatic change of the Mid-Cretaceous Hothouse event. Subfamily and tribal relationships within the major families need revision, particularly in Sapindaceae, Rutaceae and Meliaceae. Much of the difficulty in reconstructing relationships at this level may be caused by the prevalence of paralogous loci, particularly in Meliaceae and Rutaceae, that are likely indicative of ancient gene duplication events such as hybridization and polyploidization playing a role in the evolutionary history of these families. This study provides key insights into factors that may affect phylogenetic reconstructions in Sapindales across multiple scales, and provides a state-of-the-art phylogenetic framework for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Joyce
- Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Marc S. Appelhans
- Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, University of Göttingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sven Buerki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States
| | - Martin Cheek
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Jurriaan M. de Vos
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - José R. Pirani
- Departamento de Botaênica, Universidade de Saão Paulo, Herbário SPF, Saão Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Michael J. Bayly
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Marcelo F. Devecchi
- Departamento de Botaênica, Universidade de Saão Paulo, Herbário SPF, Saão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Susan K. Pell
- United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Milton Groppo
- Departamento de Botaênica, Universidade de Saão Paulo, Herbário SPF, Saão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Porter P. Lowry
- Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - John Mitchell
- New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carolina M. Siniscalchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Harned Hall, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, United States
| | - Jérôme Munzinger
- AMAP, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Harvey K. Orel
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline M. Pannell
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Marine Laboratory, Queen’s University Belfast, Portaferry, United Kingdom
| | - Lars Nauheimer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW), Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrea Weeks
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Plant Systematics & Herbarium, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Félix Forest
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Katharina Nargar
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
- National Research Collections Australia, Commonwealth Industrial and Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO), Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kevin R. Thiele
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Darren M. Crayn
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
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The largest amber-preserved flower revisited. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17. [PMID: 36635320 PMCID: PMC9837116 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24549-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Amber exquisitely preserves the delicate organs of fossil flowers for millions of years. However, flower inclusions can be rare and usually do not exceed 10 mm in size. Here we report an exceptionally large flower from late Eocene Baltic amber, measuring 28 mm across, which is about three times as large as most floral inclusions. This fossil was described over 150 years ago as Stewartia kowalewskii (Theaceae) and has never been revised. The analysis of pollen extracted from the anthers of the flower inclusion, however, revealed strong affinities to Asian species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae), prompting the new combination Symplocos kowalewskii comb. nov. et emend. This fossil represents the first record of Symplocaceae from Baltic amber and supports affinities of its flora to evergreen broadleaved and mixed mesophytic forests of present-day East and Southeast Asia. The rarity of such large-sized flower inclusions is likely due to the size of the resin outpouring and its properties, which might affect the embedding of plant organs.
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Hofmann CC, Zhao WY. Unravelling the palaeobiogeographical history of the living fossil genus Rehderodendron (Styracaceae) with fossil and extant pollen and fruit data. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:145. [PMID: 36522642 PMCID: PMC9756486 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02097-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relict genus Rehderodendron (Styracaceae), the species of which are restricted to mostly warm temperate to tropical climate in East Asia today, is known from fossil fruits and pollen in Europe during warmer periods from the lower Eocene to Pliocene. To infer which extant species are most closely related to the fossils, new data of pollen and fruit morphologiesy of six extant species, and additional new data of fossil pollen and previously described fossil fruits of Rehderodendron, are compared. RESULTS Both fossil pollen and fruits resemble a morphological mixture of the extant species R. indochinense, R. kwantungense, R. macrocarpum, and R. microcarpum, thus implying that these extant taxa and the fossil European taxa represent an old Eurasian lineage, whereas the pollen and fruit morphology of the extant R. kweichowense and R. truongsonense differ considerably from the fossils and other extant species investigated, and are considered to have evolved independently. CONCLUSIONS The palaeobiogeographical history of Rehderodendron reveals that its fossil members of the European lineage were most prominent during climatic optima such as the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), Early Eocene Climate Optimum (EECO) and Middle Miocene Thermal Maximum (MMTM). However, when during the Pliocene the climate changed to colder and less humid conditions, the genus went extinct in Europe but migrated eastwards, most likely in two dispersal events along the Tethys Sea prior to extinction. One of the former most westerly stepping stones is suggested by the refugial occurrence of R. microcarpum in the southeastern Himalaya, whereas R. macrocarpum and R. kwangtungense, the taxa distributed more to the east, might have migrated eastwards already before the Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa-Charlotte Hofmann
- grid.10420.370000 0001 2286 1424Department of Palaeontology, University Vienna, Josef Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wan-Yi Zhao
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XState Key Laboratory and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
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Prediction scenarios of past, present, and future environmental suitability for the Mediterranean species Arbutus unedo L. Sci Rep 2022; 12:84. [PMID: 34997024 PMCID: PMC8742115 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03996-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is a challenge for forests in the coming decades, with a major impact on species adaptation and distribution. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the most vulnerable hotspots for biodiversity conservation under climate change in the world. This research aimed at studying a Mediterranean species well adapted to the region: the Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree). The MaxEnt, a presence-only species-distribution software, was used to model A. unedo’s environmental suitability. The current species potential distribution was accessed based on actual occurrences and selected environmental variables and subsequently projected for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Mid-Holocene (MH), and the years 2050 and 2070, considering the two Representative Concentration Pathways: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Results from the LGM projection suggest the presence of refugia in the core of the Mediterranean Basin, in particular the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The projections for the MH indicate increasing climatic suitability for the species and an eastward expansion, relatively to LGM. The predicted future environmental changes will most likely act as a catalyst for suitable habitat loss and a range shift towards the North is likely to occur.
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Environmental implications and evidence of natural products from dental calculi of a Neolithic-Chalcolithic community (central Italy). Sci Rep 2021; 11:10665. [PMID: 34021220 PMCID: PMC8140145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89999-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, we investigated the role of plants in the prehistoric community of Casale del Dolce (Anagni, FR, central Italy), through microparticles recovered from dental calculus. The finding of a great amount of pollen types, even in form of compact lumps, could indicate use of natural substances, such as honeybee products and/or conifer resins. This plant-microremain record also suggested environmental implications relative to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period. Additionally, the stability of the tartar microenvironment had preserved starches and other microparticles, such as one epidermal trichome, a sporangium, and fragments of plant tissue, rarely detected in ancient dental calculus. The detection of secondary metabolites in the ancient matrix confirmed the familiarity of this community with plant resources. All these data supply various interesting food for thought and expand the knowledge about the potential of dental calculus in archaeological and archaeobotanical fields with a special focus on palaeoecology.
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Wedmann S, Hörnschemeyer T, Engel MS, Zetter R, Grímsson F. The last meal of an Eocene pollen-feeding fly. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2020-2026.e4. [PMID: 33705719 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important trophic interactions today is that between insects and their floral hosts. This biotic association is believed to have been critical to the radiation of flowering plants and many pollinating insect lineages over the last 120 million years (Ma). Trophic interactions among fossil organisms are challenging to study, and most inferences are based on indirect evidence. Fossil records providing direct evidence for pollen feeding, i.e., fossil stomach and gut contents, are exceptionally rare.1,2 Such records have the potential to provide information on aspects of animal behavior and ecology as well as plant-animal interactions that are sometimes not yet recognized for their extant relatives. The dietary preferences of short-proboscid nemestrinids are unknown, and pollinivory has not been recorded for extant Nemestrinidae.3 We analyzed the contents of the conspicuously swollen abdomen of an ca. 47.5 Ma old nemestrinid fly of the genus Hirmoneura from Messel, Germany, with photogrammetry and state-of-the-art palynological methods. The fly fed on pollen from at least four plant families-Lythraceae, Vitaceae, Sapotaceae, and Oleaceae-and presumably pollinated flowers of two extant genera, Decodon and Parthenocissus. We interpret the feeding and foraging behavior of the fly, reconstruct its preferred habitat, and conclude about its pollination role and importance in paratropical environments. This represents the first evidence that short-proboscid nemestrinid flies fed, and possibly feed to this day, on pollen, demonstrating how fossils can provide vital information on the behavior of insects and their ecological relationships with plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Wedmann
- Senckenberg Forschungsstation Grube Messel, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/M., 64409 Messel, Germany.
| | - Thomas Hörnschemeyer
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie & Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Reinhard Zetter
- Department of Paleontology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Friðgeir Grímsson
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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Çilden E, Yıldırımlı Ş. The impact of seed micromorphology in the subgeneric classification of the genus Reseda L. (Resedaceae) in Turkey. Microsc Res Tech 2021; 84:1992-2003. [PMID: 33728695 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.23755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Seed micromorphology of 18 taxa belonging to the genus Reseda (Resedaceae) in Turkey were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to understand and check its diagnostic significance at subgeneric and sectional level. Seeds of Reseda species were photographed to evaluate different characteristics including appearance of the seed, testa ornamentation and the existence of carunculoid tissue at hilum regions. In addition, cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to test whether the micromorphological data of the related taxa is compatible with the current classification of the genus. According to seed micromorphology, Reseda taxa in Turkey are divided into four main groups particularly by testa ornamentation as papillose, rugose, rugulose, and smooth. These results are also in agreement with the sectional classification of the genus in morphological and molecular perspective. The tree topology of Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Average based on seed features supported the traditional classification. Principle component analysis revealed testa surface ornamentation as the most distinctive character for species identification. PCA also confirms our cluster grouping of the subgeneric and sectional classification of the taxa in Turkey. An identification key for the genus Reseda in Turkey is provided in the light of current data. The seed data is helpful for the identification of the genus Reseda in Turkey at sectional level. However, for an accurate identification at specific level, seed micromorphology is not sufficient alone and must be evaluated together with all diagnostic morphological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Çilden
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Şinasi Yıldırımlı
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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Lenz OK, Riegel W, Wilde V. Greenhouse conditions in lower Eocene coastal wetlands?-Lessons from Schöningen, Northern Germany. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0232861. [PMID: 33439859 PMCID: PMC7806146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Paleogene succession of the Helmstedt Lignite Mining District in Northern Germany includes coastal peat mire records from the latest Paleocene to the middle Eocene at the southern edge of the Proto-North Sea. Therefore, it covers the different long- and short-term climate perturbations of the Paleogene greenhouse. 56 samples from three individual sections of a lower Eocene seam in the record capture the typical succession of the vegetation in a coastal wetland during a period that was not affected by climate perturbation. This allows facies-dependent vegetational changes to be distinguished from those that were climate induced. Cluster analyses and NMDS of well-preserved palynomorph assemblages reveal four successional stages in the vegetation during peat accumulation: (1) a coastal vegetation, (2) an initial mire, (3) a transitional mire, and (4) a terminal mire. Biodiversity measures show that plant diversity decreased significantly in the successive stages. The highly diverse vegetation at the coast and in the adjacent initial mire was replaced by low diversity communities adapted to wet acidic environments and nutrient deficiency. The palynomorph assemblages are dominated by elements such as Alnus (Betulaceae) or Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae). Typical tropical elements which are characteristic for the middle Eocene part of the succession are missing. This indicates that a more warm-temperate climate prevailed in northwestern Germany during the early lower Eocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaf K. Lenz
- General Directorate, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Walter Riegel
- Department Palaeontology and Historical Geology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Volker Wilde
- Department Palaeontology and Historical Geology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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D’Agostino A, Canini A, Di Marco G, Nigro L, Spagnoli F, Gismondi A. Investigating Plant Micro-Remains Embedded in Dental Calculus of the Phoenician Inhabitants of Motya (Sicily, Italy). PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101395. [PMID: 33092237 PMCID: PMC7590007 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant records reveal remarkable evidence about past environments and human cultures. Exploiting dental calculus analysis and using a combined approach of microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, our research outlines dietary ecology and phytomedicinal practices of the ancient community of Motya (Sicily, eight to sixth century BC), one of the most important Phoenician settlements in the Mediterranean basin. Micro-remains suggest use or consumption of Triticeae cereals, and animal-derived sources (e.g., milk and aquatic birds). Markers of grape (or wine), herbs, and rhizomes, endemic of Mediterranean latitudes and the East, provide insight into the subsistence of this colony, in terms of foodstuffs and phytotherapeutic products. The application of resins and wood of Gymnosperms for social and cultural purposes is hypothesized through the identification of Pinaceae secondary metabolites and pollen grains. The information hidden in dental calculus discloses the strong human-plant interaction in Motya’s Phoenician community, in terms of cultural traditions and land use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia D’Agostino
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Antonella Canini
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4330 (A.C.); +39-06-7259-4344 (A.G.); Fax: +39-06-2023-500 (A.C. & A.G.)
| | - Gabriele Di Marco
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Lorenzo Nigro
- Department Italian Institute of Oriental Studies—ISO, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Federica Spagnoli
- Department Italian Institute of Oriental Studies—ISO, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Angelo Gismondi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4330 (A.C.); +39-06-7259-4344 (A.G.); Fax: +39-06-2023-500 (A.C. & A.G.)
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