A 19.5 kyr vegetation history from the central Cederberg Mountains, South Africa: Palynological evidence from rock hyrax middens

A 19.5 kyr vegetation history from the central Cederberg Mountains, South Africa: Palynological evidence from rock hyrax middens: "Publication year: 2011
Source: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 15 June 2011
Lynne J., Quick , Brian M., Chase , Michael E., Meadows , Louis, Scott , Paula J., Reimer
In arid and semi-arid areas such as southern Africa, rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) middens represent an exceptionally valuable source of late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental information. Pollen and stable isotope data derived from two rock hyrax middens extracted from De Rif in the Cederberg Mountains of the southwestern Cape, casts new light on climatic changes that occurred across the last glacial-interglacial transition (LGIT) and the Holocene (19.5 – 0.7cal kBP) and how the region's vegetation responded to these changes. Significant changes in vegetation community composition would be expected in response to environmental changes characteristic of the contrast between ‘glacial’ and ‘interglacial’ climates....
Research highlights: ► Pollen from hyrax middens casts new light on palaeoenvironments in the Cederberg. ► Stable isotope data from the same middens reveals marked climatic variations. ► Mountain fynbos remained dominant at the site throughout the LGIT and Holocene. ► Some differences between glacial and interglacial vegetation structures were evident."