Neodymium isotopes of central Mediterranean phosphatic hardgrounds reveal Miocene paleoceanography

Oxygen isotopes of phosphatic compounds—Application for marine particulate matter, sediments and soils

The phosphate oxygen isotopic composition in naturally occurring particulate phosphatic compounds (y18Op) can be used as a tracer for phosphate sources and to evaluate the cycling of phosphorus (P) in the environment. However, phosphatic compounds must be converted to silver phosphate prior to isotopic analysis, a process that involves digestion of particulate matter in acid. This digestion wil...

Miocene Mammals and Central American Seaways

Upper Miocene Salt Layer in the Western Mediterranean Basin

THE problem of salt deposits in a present deep-sea basin has been discussed recently in the case of the Atlantic Oceanl. In this article we present new data on the salt layer in the Western Mediterranean Basin. In the Balearic Basin and the Ligurian Sea, anticline structures and dornes disturbing the upper part of the sedimentary cover have been reported by Alinat and Cousteauz, Menard et aL3, ...

Origination and extinction patterns of mammals in three central Western Mediterranean islands from the Late Miocene to Quaternary

An overview of the population histories of three insular realms (Gargano palaeo-archipelago, Sardinia–Maritime Tuscany palaeobioprovince and the Sicilian insular complex) during the Late Miocene and Quaternary are here presented. The complexity of biodiversity changes in the islands is analysed to propose an interpretation of origination and extinction patterns. The study highlighted several im...

Australian shelf sediments reveal shifts in Miocene Southern Hemisphere westerlies

Global climate underwent a major reorganization when the Antarctic ice sheet expanded ~14 million years ago (Ma) (1). This event affected global atmospheric circulation, including the strength and position of the westerlies and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and, therefore, precipitation patterns (2-5). We present new shallow-marine sediment records from the continental shelf of Aus...