Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 28 November 1997:
Vol. 278. no. 5343, pp. 1589 - 1594
DOI: 10.1126/science.278.5343.1589
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Research Articles

Late Pliocene Faunal Turnover in the Turkana Basin, Kenya and Ethiopia

Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Nancy E. Todd, Richard Potts, Geraldine E. McBrinn *

Analysis of a large sample of well-dated fossil mammals from localities in the Turkana Basin of Kenya and Ethiopia revealed sampling biases that affect patterns of faunal turnover during the late Pliocene. When these biases were accounted for, results indicated that 58 to 77 percent of the mammal species were replaced between 3.0 and 1.8 million years ago (Ma). Overall diversity increased from 3.0 to 2.0 Ma but then declined. No distinct turnover pulse is seen between 2.8 and 2.5 Ma; instead, the most significant period of faunal change began after 2.5 Ma and continued through 1.8 Ma.

The authors are in the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Program, National Museum of Natural History, NHB MRC 121, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mcbrinn.gerry{at}nmnh.si.edu

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Pulsed origination and extinction in the marine realm.
(2005)
Paleobiology 31, 6-20
High-resolution vegetation and climate change associated with Pliocene Australopithecus afarensis.
R. Bonnefille, R. Potts, F. Chalie, D. Jolly, and O. Peyron (2004)
PNAS 101, 12125-12129
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Faunal turnover rates and mammalian biodiversity of the late Pliocene and Pleistocene of eastern Africa.
(2001)
Paleobiology 27, 500-511
Floral response to rapid warming in the earliest Eocene and implications for concurrent faunal change.
(2001)
Paleobiology 27, 539-563
MIDDLE MIOCENE RECOVERY OF CARIBBEAN REEF CORALS: NEW DATA FROM THE TAMANA FORMATION, TRINIDAD.
(2001)
Journal of Paleontology 75, 513-526
THE NEOGENE MARINE BIOTA OF TROPICAL AMERICA ("NMITA") DATABASE: ACCOUNTING FOR BIODIVERSITY IN PALEONTOLOGY.
(2001)
Journal of Paleontology 75, 743-751


ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)