Devonian paleoclimate and its drivers: A reassessment based on a new conodont ?18O record from South China

A new Devonian oxygen isotope record based on 180 measurements of conodont apatite is reported from South China. The comparison with published ?18Oapatite data shows a considerable offset between records different paleocontinents. This difference can be interpreted by regional variations in salinity, the epicontinental seas having distinctly lower salinity and ?18Oseawater than open ocean due to influence fresh-water runoff. Our findings suggest that settings preferred archive for reconstructing history temperature and/or ice volume over Phanerozoic. Despite differences, China European show similar long-term trends characterized pronounced cooling during Pragian Eifelian followed significant warming Eifelian/Givetian Frasnian, further starting Famennian, accelerating earliest Carboniferous. Early coincided early vascular plant root ? soil interactions diversity increase both spores megaplant fossils, suggesting rise rooted plants may have played key role triggering climate cooling. Subsequent climatic Middle Late transition been linked metamorphic CO2 input Acadian Orogeny, while Famennian occurred context exposure weathering basalts ophiolites advent seed plants. We conclude changes were likely driven combination evolutionary advances tectonics. test these interpretations running COPSE (Carbon, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur Evolution) biogeochemical model. model prediction capable reproducing pCO2 under scenarios, although not degree variation, its simplicity.