Late Pleistocene C4 plant dominance and summer rainfall in the southwestern United States from isotopic study of herbivore teeth

Sean L. Connin; Julio Betancourt; Jay Quade

doi:10.1006/qres.1998.1986

Late Pleistocene C₄ plant dominance and summer rainfall in the southwestern United States from isotopic study of herbivore teeth

Sean L. Connin, Julio Betancourt, Jay Quade

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

104 Scopus citations

Abstract

Patterns of climate and C₄ plant abundance in the southwestern United States during the last glaciation were evaluated from isotopic study of herbivore tooth enamel. Enamel δ¹³C values revealed a substantial eastward increase in C₄ plant consumption for Mammuthus spp., Bison spp., Equus spp., and Camelops spp. The δ¹³C values were greatest in Bison spp. (-6.9 to + 1.7‰) and Mammuthus spp. (-9.0 to +0.3‰), and in some locales indicated C₄-dominated grazing. The δ¹³C values of Antilocaprids were lowest among taxa (-12.5 to -7.9‰) and indicated C₃ feeding at all sites. On the basis of modern correlations between climate and C₄ grass abundance, the enamel data imply significant summer rain in parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico throughout the last glaciation. Enamel δ¹⁸O values range from +19.0 to +31.0‰ and generally increase to the east. This pattern could point to a tropical or subtropical source of summer rainfall. At a synoptic scale, the isotope data indicate that interactions of seasonal moisture, temperature, and lowered atmospheric pCO₂ determined glacial-age C₄ abundance patterns.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	179-193
Number of pages	15
Journal	Quaternary Research
Volume	50
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1998.1986
State	Published - Sep 1998

Keywords

(Southwest)
Last glaciation
Paleoclimate
Pleistocene
Tooth
United States
Vegetation history

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Earth-Surface Processes
Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

Access to Document

10.1006/qres.1998.1986

Cite this

@article{4ee32048fe9f4ecabc9057160bf9951f,

title = "Late Pleistocene C4 plant dominance and summer rainfall in the southwestern United States from isotopic study of herbivore teeth",

abstract = "Patterns of climate and C4 plant abundance in the southwestern United States during the last glaciation were evaluated from isotopic study of herbivore tooth enamel. Enamel δ13C values revealed a substantial eastward increase in C4 plant consumption for Mammuthus spp., Bison spp., Equus spp., and Camelops spp. The δ13C values were greatest in Bison spp. (-6.9 to + 1.7‰) and Mammuthus spp. (-9.0 to +0.3‰), and in some locales indicated C4-dominated grazing. The δ13C values of Antilocaprids were lowest among taxa (-12.5 to -7.9‰) and indicated C3 feeding at all sites. On the basis of modern correlations between climate and C4 grass abundance, the enamel data imply significant summer rain in parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico throughout the last glaciation. Enamel δ18O values range from +19.0 to +31.0‰ and generally increase to the east. This pattern could point to a tropical or subtropical source of summer rainfall. At a synoptic scale, the isotope data indicate that interactions of seasonal moisture, temperature, and lowered atmospheric pCO2 determined glacial-age C4 abundance patterns.",

keywords = "(Southwest), Last glaciation, Paleoclimate, Pleistocene, Tooth, United States, Vegetation history",

author = "Connin, {Sean L.} and Julio Betancourt and Jay Quade",

note = "Funding Information: We are very grateful to Art Harris, Bob Reynolds, Kevin Moody, Gary Morgan, Rick Smartt, Joanne Dickeson, John Montgomery, Pat Holroyd, and Amy Dansie for providing us access to fossil materials. The authors benefited greatly from discussions with C. Vance Haynes, Paul Martin, Art Harris, Paul Koch, and George Jefferson. Rachael Craig assisted with model evaluation and offered valuable comments regarding data interpretation. We thank Fred Phillips and Thure Cerling for comments that helped improve this manuscript. We also wish to thank Jan Price and staff at the Desert Laboratory for daily support and assistance. This research was supported by an Ike Russell Post-Doctoral Fellowship to S.L.C. for work at the Desert Laboratory, University of Arizona. J.L.B. acknowledges support from the U.S. Geological Survey{\textquoteright}s Global Change Program and from the Department of Defense Legacy Project, Fort Bliss, Texas, Project 90 (MIPR 2627).",

year = "1998",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1006/qres.1998.1986",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "50",

pages = "179--193",

journal = "Quaternary Research",

issn = "0033-5894",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Late Pleistocene C4 plant dominance and summer rainfall in the southwestern United States from isotopic study of herbivore teeth

AU - Connin, Sean L.

AU - Betancourt, Julio

AU - Quade, Jay

N1 - Funding Information: We are very grateful to Art Harris, Bob Reynolds, Kevin Moody, Gary Morgan, Rick Smartt, Joanne Dickeson, John Montgomery, Pat Holroyd, and Amy Dansie for providing us access to fossil materials. The authors benefited greatly from discussions with C. Vance Haynes, Paul Martin, Art Harris, Paul Koch, and George Jefferson. Rachael Craig assisted with model evaluation and offered valuable comments regarding data interpretation. We thank Fred Phillips and Thure Cerling for comments that helped improve this manuscript. We also wish to thank Jan Price and staff at the Desert Laboratory for daily support and assistance. This research was supported by an Ike Russell Post-Doctoral Fellowship to S.L.C. for work at the Desert Laboratory, University of Arizona. J.L.B. acknowledges support from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Global Change Program and from the Department of Defense Legacy Project, Fort Bliss, Texas, Project 90 (MIPR 2627).

PY - 1998/9

Y1 - 1998/9

N2 - Patterns of climate and C4 plant abundance in the southwestern United States during the last glaciation were evaluated from isotopic study of herbivore tooth enamel. Enamel δ13C values revealed a substantial eastward increase in C4 plant consumption for Mammuthus spp., Bison spp., Equus spp., and Camelops spp. The δ13C values were greatest in Bison spp. (-6.9 to + 1.7‰) and Mammuthus spp. (-9.0 to +0.3‰), and in some locales indicated C4-dominated grazing. The δ13C values of Antilocaprids were lowest among taxa (-12.5 to -7.9‰) and indicated C3 feeding at all sites. On the basis of modern correlations between climate and C4 grass abundance, the enamel data imply significant summer rain in parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico throughout the last glaciation. Enamel δ18O values range from +19.0 to +31.0‰ and generally increase to the east. This pattern could point to a tropical or subtropical source of summer rainfall. At a synoptic scale, the isotope data indicate that interactions of seasonal moisture, temperature, and lowered atmospheric pCO2 determined glacial-age C4 abundance patterns.

AB - Patterns of climate and C4 plant abundance in the southwestern United States during the last glaciation were evaluated from isotopic study of herbivore tooth enamel. Enamel δ13C values revealed a substantial eastward increase in C4 plant consumption for Mammuthus spp., Bison spp., Equus spp., and Camelops spp. The δ13C values were greatest in Bison spp. (-6.9 to + 1.7‰) and Mammuthus spp. (-9.0 to +0.3‰), and in some locales indicated C4-dominated grazing. The δ13C values of Antilocaprids were lowest among taxa (-12.5 to -7.9‰) and indicated C3 feeding at all sites. On the basis of modern correlations between climate and C4 grass abundance, the enamel data imply significant summer rain in parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico throughout the last glaciation. Enamel δ18O values range from +19.0 to +31.0‰ and generally increase to the east. This pattern could point to a tropical or subtropical source of summer rainfall. At a synoptic scale, the isotope data indicate that interactions of seasonal moisture, temperature, and lowered atmospheric pCO2 determined glacial-age C4 abundance patterns.

KW - (Southwest)

KW - Last glaciation

KW - Paleoclimate

KW - Pleistocene

KW - Tooth

KW - United States

KW - Vegetation history

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U2 - 10.1006/qres.1998.1986

DO - 10.1006/qres.1998.1986

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SN - 0033-5894

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