Paleoecology of Beringia is the product of a symposium organized by its editors, sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, and held at the foundation's conference center in Burg Wartenstein, Austria, 8-17 June 1979. The focus of this volume is on the paradox central to all studies of the unglaciated Arctic during the last Ice Age: that vertebrate fossils indicate that from 45, 000 to 11, 000 years BP an environment considerably more diverse and productive than the present one existed, whereas the botanical record, where it is not silent, supports a far more conservative appraisal of the region's ability to sustain any but the sparsest forms of plant and animal life. The volume is organized into seven parts. Part 1 focuses on the paleogeography of the Beringia. The studies in Part 2 explore the ancient vegatation. Part 3 deals with the steppe-tundra concept and its application in Beringia. Part 4 examines the paleoclimate while Part 5 is devoted to the biology of surviving relatives of the Pleistocene ungulates. Part 6 takes up the presence of man in ancient Beringia. Part 7 assesses the paleoecology of Beringia during the last 40, 000 years
Inhaltsverzeichnis
1;Front Cover;1 2;Paleoecology of Beringia;4 3;Copyright Page;5 4;Table of Contents;6 5;CONTRIBUTORS;10 6;PREFACE;12 7;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;14 8;PART 1: PALEOGEOGRAPHY;16 8.1;CHAPTER 1. ASPECTS OF THE PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF BERINGIA DURING THE LATE PLEISTOCENE;18 8.1.1;INTRODUCTION;18 8.1.2;NOMENCLATURE;19 8.1.3;SEA-LEVEL HISTORY;26 8.1.4;EXTENT OF GLACIATION;30 8.1.5;AEOLIAN DEPOSITS;30 8.1.6;A SYNTHESIS;41 8.1.7;EPILOG;43 8.1.8;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;43 8.2;CHAPTER 2. EVOLUTION OF LOWLAND LANDSCAPES IN NORTHEASTERN ASIA DURING LATE QUATERNARY TIME;44 9;PART 2: ANCIENT VEGETATIONTHE FOSSIL RECORD;54 9.1;CHAPTER 3. COMPARISON OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUNDRA-STEPPE ENVIRONMENTS IN WEST AND EAST BERINGIA: POLLEN AND MACROFOSSIL EVIDENCE FROM KEY SECTIONS;57 9.1.1;INTRODUCTION;58 9.1.2;METHODS;59 9.1.3;GEOGRAPHICAL AND VEGETATION SETTING;59 9.1.4;KOLYMA BASIN SITES;62 9.1.5;EAST BERINGIA;79 9.1.6;DISCUSSION;84 9.1.7;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;87 9.2;CHAPTER 4. VEGETATIONAL HISTORY OF WESTERN ALASKA DURING THE WISCONSIN GLACIAL INTERVAL AND THE HOLOCENE;89 9.2.1;INTRODUCTION;90 9.2.2;METHODS;90 9.2.3;REGIONAL SETTING;90 9.2.4;CLIMATE;93 9.2.5;FLORA AND VEGETATION;93 9.2.6;INGAKSLUGWAT HILLS POLLEN RECORD;94 9.2.7;ST. MICHAEL ISLAND POLLEN RECORD;97 9.2.8;VEGETATIONAL INTERPRETATIONS;100 9.2.9;BRISTOL BAY;102 9.2.10;OTHER POLLEN RECORDS FROM WESTERN ALASKA;104 9.2.11;COMMENTS ON THE BERINGIAN "ARCTIC STEPPE;106 9.3;CHAPTER 5. LATE PLEISTOCENE VEGETATION OF EASTERN BERINGIA: POLLEN ANALYSIS OF DATED ALLUVIUM;109 9.3.1;INTRODUCTION;109 9.3.2;METHODS;110 9.3.3;SAMPLE SITES;113 9.3.4;DISCUSSION;121 9.3.5;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;126 9.4;CHAPTER 6. THE LATE QUATERNARY VEGETATION OF THE NORTH YUKON;127 9.4.1;INTRODUCTION;128 9.4.2;THE NORTHERN YUKON POLLEN STRATIGRAPHIC RECORD;128 9.4.3;INTERPRETATION OF THE EVIDENCE;131 9.4.4;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;140 9.5;CHAPTER 7. EAST BERINGIA DURING LATE WISCONSIN TIME: A REVIEW OF THE BIOTIC EVIDENCE;141 9.5.1;INTRODUCTION;142 9.5.2;POLLEN RECORD IN EAST BERINGIA;142 9.5.3;PLANT AND
INSECT MACROFOSSILS;147 9.5.4;THE VERTEBRATE FOSSIL RECORD;153 9.5.5;MODERN ANALOGS AND DISJUNCT DISTRIBUTIONS;158 9.5.6;SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION;159 9.5.7;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;164 10;PART 3: THE STEPPE-TUNDRA CONCEPT AND ITS APPLICATION IN BERINGIA;165 10.1;CHAPTER 8. HISTORY OF THE STEPPE-TUNDRA CONCEPT;167 10.2;CHAPTER 9. RELICS OF THE XEROPHYTE VEGETATION OF BERINGIA IN NORTHEASTERN ASIA;171 10.2.1;INTRODUCTION;172 10.2.2;STEPPE VEGETATION AND ITS CRYOPHYTIC COUNTERPARTS;172 10.2.3;RELICT VEGETATION IN THE ASIAN SECTOR OF BERINGIA;173 10.2.4;DISCUSSION;187 10.2.5;HOLOCENE CHANGES;190 10.2.6;A FINAL COMMENT;191 10.3;CHAPTER 10. THE VEGETATION OF LAND-BRIDGE BERINGIA;193 10.3.1;INTRODUCTION;193 10.3.2;SOURCES OF INFORMATION;194 10.3.3;A SYNTHESIS: VEGETATION OF LAND-BRIDGE BERINGIA ON A REGIONAL BASIS;200 10.3.4;AFTERWORD: THE BREAK-UP OF THE LAND-BRIDGE BERINGIAN ECOSYSTEM;205 11;PART 4: PALEOCLIMATE;207 11.1;CHAPTER 11. APPROACHES TO RECONSTRUCTING THE CLIMATE OF THE STEPPE-TUNDRA BIOME;209 11.1.1;INTRODUCTION;209 11.1.2;PALEOECOLOGICAL EVIDENCE;210 11.1.3;PALEOCLIMATIC RECONSTRUCTION USING ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION MODELS;211 11.1.4;EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF CIRCULATION CONDITIONS;212 11.1.5;REGIONAL STUDIES;213 11.1.6;TOPO- AND MICROCLIMATIC EFFECTS;216 11.1.7;TIME AND SPACE PERSPECTIVES;216 11.1.8;SUMMARY;217 11.1.9;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;218 11.2;CHAPTER 12. APPROACHES TO MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF THE STEPPE-TUNDRA PALEOCLIMATE;219 11.2.1;INTRODUCTION;219 11.2.2;THE CLIMATE SYSTEM;220 11.2.3;SOME ASPECTS OF LAND SURFACE PROCESSES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON REGIONAL CLIMATES;224 11.2.4;MODELING APPROACHES;230 11.2.5;SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS;232 11.2.6;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;232 12;PART 5: PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND THE PLEISTOCENE UNGULATES-THE PRODUCTIVITY PARADOX;233 12.1;CHAPTER 13. PRODUCTION AND DIVERSITY IN CONTEMPORARY GRASSLANDS;237 12.1.1;INTRODUCTION;237 12.1.2;PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND ITS UTILIZATION;238 12.1.3;DIVERSITY IN BIOTIC COMMUNITIES;245 12.1.4;A MODEL OF PRODUCTION AND DIVERSITY
IN LARGE-HERBIVORE COMMUNITIES;251 12.2;CHAPTER 14. PRESENT-DAY ARCTIC VEGETATION AND ECOSYSTEMS AS A PREDICTIVE TOOL FOR THE ARCTIC-STEPPE MAMMOTH BIOME;255 12.2.1;INTRODUCTION;255 12.2.2;MODERN VEGETATION PATTERNS;256 12.2.3;PLANT BIOMASS AND NET ANNUAL PRODUCTION;260 12.2.4;HERBIVORE DENSITY AND VEGETATION UTILIZATION;262 12.2.5;ENERGY FLOW IN MODERN TUNDRA ECOSYSTEMS;264 12.2.6;DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY;270 12.2.7;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;271 12.3;CHAPTER 15. DIGESTIVE AND GRAZING STRATEGIES OF ANIMALS IN THE ARCTIC STEPPE;273 12.3.1;INTRODUCTION;273 12.3.2;MODERN ANALOGS OF LARGE PLEISTOCENE MAMMALS;273 12.3.3;ADAPTATIONS TO VARIATIONS IN FEED QUALITY, FEED SUPPLY AND CLIMATE;276 12.3.4;FORAGE QUALITY AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO RUMINANTS AND MONOGASTRICS;278 12.3.5;SPECULATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS;280 12.3.6;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;280 12.4;CHAPTER 16. PALEOECOLOGY OF THE MAMMOTH FAUNA IN THE EURASIAN ARCTIC;281 12.4.1;INTRODUCTION;281 12.4.2;ORIGIN AND COMPOSITION OF THE MAMMOTH FAUNA;282 12.4.3;EXTINCT SPECIES IN THE SIBERIAN ARCTIC;282 12.4.4;SPECIES IN THE SIBERIAN ARCTIC THAT SURVIVED THE PLEISTOCENE;288 12.4.5;HABITAT OF THE MAMMOTH FAUNA;291 12.4.6;FACTORS IN THE EXTINCTION OR SURVIVAL OF ELEMENTS OF THE MAMMOTH FAUNA;292 12.5;CHAPTER 17. MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF THE MAMMOTH: AN ADAPTATION TO THE ARCTIC-STEPPE ENVIRONMENT;295 12.5.1;INTRODUCTION;295 12.5.2;BODY PROPORTIONS;296 12.5.3;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;303 12.6;CHAPTER 18. ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF LIVING ELEPHANTS: BASES FOR ASSUMPTIONS CONCERNING THE EXTINCT WOOLLY MAMMOTHS;305 12.6.1;INTRODUCTION;305 12.6.2;EVOLUTIONARY STRATEGY OF THE ELEPHANTS;306 12.6.3;OBSERVED DIETS;309 12.6.4;OPTIMAL HABITATS;312 12.6.5;RESPONSES TO FLUCTUATIONS IN FOOD SUPPLY;316 12.6.6;SOCIAL ORGANIZATION;317 12.6.7;EXTINCTION OF THE MAMMOTH;319 12.7;CHAPTER 19. MALS OF THE MAMMOTH STEPPE AS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS;321 12.7.1;INTRODUCTION;321 12.7.2;MEGAFAUNAL ADAPTATIONS;324 12.7.3;MEGAFAUNAL DIVERSITY;325 12.7.4;PLAIDS VS. STRIPES: OR VEGETATIONAL
DIVERSITY;329 12.7.5;SUPERLATIVES ON THE MAMMOTH STEPPE;334 12.7.6;SOME RUMINATIONS ON CLIMATE;336 12.7.7;THE DEMISE OF THE MAMMOTH STEPPE;338 12.7.8;MODERN ANALOGS;339 13;PART 6: MAN IN ANCIENT BERINGIA;341 13.1;CHAPTER 20. LATE PLEISTOCENE MAN IN NORTHERN ALASKA AND THE MAMMOTH-STEPPE BIOME;343 13.2;CHAPTER 21. ANCIENT BERINGIANS: HUMAN OCCUPATION IN THE LATE PLEISTOCENE OF ALASKA AND THE YUKON TERRITORY;367 13.2.1;INTRODUCTION;368 13.2.2;ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT;370 13.2.3;THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE: MOSTLY BONES EX SITU;370 13.2.4;THE BLUEFISH CAVES: STONES AND BONES IN SITU;380 13.2.5;LATER EVIDENCE: MOSTLY STONES IN SITU;386 13.2.6;DISCUSSION;390 13.2.7;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;395 13.3;CHAPTER 22. WERE CLOVIS PROGENITORS IN BERINGIA?;397 13.3.1;INTRODUCTION;397 13.3.2;THE CLOVIS CULTURE;398 13.3.3;MAMMOTH HUNTING SITES OF THE OLD WORLD;408 13.3.4;THE BERINGIAN CONNECTION;409 13.3.5;CONCLUSIONS;410 13.3.6;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;412 13.4;CHAPTER 23. THE PATTERN AND MEANING OF HOLARCTIC MAMMOTH EXTINCTION;413 13.5;CHAPTER 24. ARGUING FROM THE PRESENT TO THE PAST: A CONTEMPORARY CASE STUDY OF HUMAN PREDATION ON AFRICAN BUFFALO;423 13.5.1;INTRODUCTION;423 13.5.2;THE VALLEY BISA AND NABWALYA STUDY AREA;424 13.5.3;A REVIEW OF BUFFALO BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY;426 13.5.4;BUFFALO BEHAVIOR AND MOVEMENTS AT NABWALYA;427 13.5.5;HUNTING TACTICS;428 13.5.6;A MODEL FOR HUMAN PREDATION;430 13.5.7;THE MODEL IN RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT;433 13.5.8;SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS;435 13.5.9;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;436 14;PART 7: PALEOECOLOGY OF BERINGIA A SYNTHESIS;439 14.1;INTRODUCTION;439 14.2;THE SCENARIO;440 14.3;THE PRODUCTIVITY PARADOX;447 14.4;LIMITATIONS ON LATE PLEISTOCENE DISPERSALS;450 14.5;MAN'S ROLE;451 15;REFERENCES;459 16;GENERAL INDEX;489 17;INDEX TO FAUNAL AND FLORAL TAXA;499
