A região de Lagoa Santa, em Minas Gerais, tem um papel importantíssimo nos estudos paleontológicos e arqueológicos brasileiro. A compreensão da evolução paisagística regional durante todo o Holoceno é crucial para avançarmos nas questões levantadas a mais de 150 anos por Peter Lund. Apesar de décadas de intensa pesquisa relacionada às mudanças ambientais ocorridas durante o Quaternário Brasileiro, no entanto, a falta de precisão no controle cronológico e na resolução temporal dos estudos paleoambientais têm causado dificuldades no estabelecimento da paisagem presente e sua evolução nos últimos 10.000 anos. O estabelecimento de um quadro paleoecológico para a região de Lagoa Santa é fundamental para a compreensão do desenvolvimento e da organização das primeiras sociedades caçadoras-coletoras do continente. Dado esse cenário, o principal objetivo do presente estudo foi reconstituir as mudanças paleoambientais ocorridas na região de Lagoa Santa durante o Holoceno, baseado na paleoecologia da comunidade de mamíferos viventes de dois conjuntos fossilíferos. Como objetivo secundário, foi avaliada a influência dos processos tafonômicos pré- e pós-deposicionais na interpretação do ambiente pretérito a partir do registro faunístico fóssil. Os dados foram obtidos a partir dos conjuntos fósseis de um sítio paleontológico (Gruta Cuvieri) e um sítio arqueológico (Lapa do Santo), ambos na região de Lagoa Santa. A reconstrução paleoambiental baseou-se na variação da abundância relativa dos principais taxa de mamíferos presentes no registro fóssil de ambos os sítios, utilizando como unidades analíticas o NISP (number of identifiable specimen) e o MNI (minimum number of individuals). Os processos tafonômicos pré-deposicionais foram analisados qualitativamente, enquanto os processos pós-deposicionais foram analisados quantitativamente através do grau de fragmentação dos elementos ósseos, utilizando a abundância relativa de elementos esqueletais completos (WSE whole skeletal elements) em 3 relação ao NISP, para cada táxon. Os processos tafonômicos responsáveis pela formação dos sítios estudados, não mostraram afetar a análise paleoambiental realizada neste trabalho. Os resultados paleoambientais indicaram que a abundância relativa do NISP dos taxa analisados foi diretamente afetada pelo grau de fragmentação, sugerindo ser o NISP uma unidade analítica a ser evitada nos estudos de reconstituição paleoambiental. Em contra partida, a análise da variação de abundância relativa utilizando o MNI não foi afetada pelo grau de fragmentação dos elementos ósseos. Pelos resultados obtidos vê-se que a utilização da unidade analítica MNI é mais apropriada para estudos paleoambientais realizados a partir da variação de abundância de restos ósseos de mamíferos. A análise paleoambiental, utilizando o MNI, evidenciou um clima homogêneo na região durante o Holoceno Inicial e o Holoceno Médio, com incremento da umidade durante o Holoceno Tardio. / Lagoa Santa region in Minas Gerais plays an important role in Brazilian paleontological and archaeological studies. The understanding of regional landscape evolution during the Holocene is crucial for advancing issues raised 150 years ago by Peter Lund in the region. Despite decades of research on quaternary environmental changes, an understanding of the establishment of todays landscape and its evolution during the past 10,000 years has been hampered by the lack of accurate chronological control and temporal resolution in paleoenvironmental studies. A paleoecological reconstruction for the Lagoa Santa region is key to understand the development and the organization of the first hunter-gathered societies of the continent. Aiming at filling up this gap, the main objective of this study is to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes in Lagoa Santa region during the Holocene based on the paleoecology of mammal community of two fossiliferous assemblages. In addition, the pre-burial and post-depositional taphonomic processes associated with the two assemblages were assessed in order to understand the influence of these two variables in the interpretation of the past environment. This study examines the fossil material exhumed from a paleontological site (Gruta Cuvieri) and an archaeological site (Lapa do Santo), both found within the Lagoa Santa region. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction was based on the variation of relative abundance of the main mammals taxa found at both sites, using analytical tools such as NISP (number of identifiable specimen) and MNI (minimum number of individuals). The pre-burial taphonomic processes were analyzed qualitatively, while the postdepositional taphonomic processes were analyzed quantitatively based on abundance of whole skeletal elements (WSE) relative to NISP, for each taxon. The results show that taphonomic processes responsible for site formation did not affect the paleoenvironmental analyzes, and that the relative abundance of NISP is directly affected by the degree of bone fragmentation, 5 thus, suggesting NISP to be a poor analytical tool for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. On the other hand, the analysis of the relative abundance variation based on MNI was not affected by the degree of bone fragmentation. These results suggest that the MNI is more reliable analytical too for paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on the variation of abundance of mammal fossils. Finally, the paleoenvironmental analysis based on MNI revealed a homogeneous climate in the region during the Early and Middle Holocene, and moisture increase during Late Holocene.

Lago de las Morrenas 4 (9.498056° [degrees] N, 83.486111° [degrees] W, 3466 m elev.) is the lowest lake in a chain of glacial lakes located in the Valle de las Morrenas, a valley facing almost due north from Cerro Chirripó, the highest peak in the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica. Coarse resolution analyses of pollen, microscopic charcoal, and loss-on-ignition of a ca. 10,000 year sediment record from Lago de las Morrenas 4 was carried out to complement and extend previous research on the environmental history of the Chirripó highlands and to provide context for high-resolution sampling and analysis of early Holocene sediments. The focus of the high-resolution analysis was the period around 8200 cal yr BP, the time of a prominent Holocene climatic event recognized at many northern hemisphere sites between ca. 8000 and 8400 cal yr BP. The high-resolution sampling of sediments encompassing the time period of the 8200 yr BP event revealed a sharp increase in microscopic charcoal indices coincident with a shift from fibrous silty organic sediment to granular peat. These shifts, which occurred ca. 7900 cal yr BP, are interpreted to reflect an interval of drier climate and lower lake level. A decrease in Poaceae pollen percentages and an increase in Alnus pollen from montane forests may reflect reduced pollen production within the páramo at this time. The peak charcoal concentration and influx value at ca. 7800 cal yr BP in the Morrenas 4 record may match a similar peak in the macroscopic charcoal record from nearby Morrenas 1 that occurred ca. 8000 cal yr BP. Both peaks may correspond to the 8200 yr BP event.

Bottom sediment is an archive of the historical changes in a lake and its catchment. This thesis is apalaeoenvironmental reconstruction of catchment processes in Bolgoda Lake situated in western SriLanka. We studied a sediment core retrieved from this lake. In our study, we focus on multiplephysical and chemical proxies: grain-size, loss-on-ignition, total organic carbon content, C:N ratio,and δ13C stored in the organic matter. The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understandingof the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the region and allow a comparison between this site andothers.In the deepest part of the core, we see an overall high sand content, which indicates a period ofhigher discharge into the lake compared to what the other core parts indicate. This is probably aresult of higher precipitation. This is followed by a decline in C:N and a rise in TOC in the second partwhich indicates an increase of primary production in the lake. In the third part we again see a shift inthe C:N indicating a source change back to more terrestrial runoff. The increase in TOC and LOIvalues together with decrease in C:N ratio and a steady increase in δ13C indicate an increase inlacustrine productivity in the upper part of the core.By reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental history in Bolgoda Lake we can conclude that it isprobable that some other factor than diagenetic change affects the lake. Our results indicate thatthese changes most likely are due to more wet periods and anthropogenic activity, mainly throughland use changes.

This research better resolves the environmental mosaic that is typically reconstructed for the A. robustus-bearing faunal assemblages of South Africa and evaluates whether A. robustus were habitat specialists or habitat generalists by testing whether they are associated with numerous, different reconstructed habitats, or if they can be associated with a single, more homogeneous habitat type. Determining the habitat preferences of A. robustus holds important implications for understanding the behavior of these hominins and, potentially, for understanding whether their ultimate extinction might have been climatically influenced, as fluctuations in the environments associated with the robust australopiths provide direct evidence about the responses of hominins to environmental change. To achieve this, a 2-dimensionsal morphometric tool was developed for accurately identifying the abundant bovid teeth that are found in direct association with the hominins using Elliptical Fourier Function Analysis. More accurate taxonomic identifications facilitate more precise estimates of the relative abundance of ecologically sensitive bovids, allowing for finer resolution when segmenting the various components of the reconstructed habitat mosaics. The fossil bovids abundances were compared across the assemblages over time in order to define the environmental mosaic in each assemblage and to determine if environmental heterogeneity existed across the assemblages. The relative abundances of the bovid fossil assemblages and A. robustus were compared to assess the habitat preferences of these hominins. A. robustus were not consistently associated with a particular habitat type suggesting that perhaps they were habitat generalists, capable of surviving in multiple types of habitats.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-10-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:02:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ribeiro_ls_dr_rcla.pdf: 6745290 bytes, checksum: 960fce1714eda51ceedc21a67c907211 (MD5) / Este trabalho teve como objetivo reconstruir a paleogeomorfológica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro pelo Método das Isobases Confluentes. Foram empregadas técnicas de Geoprocessamento para otimização do Método, que até então era desenvolvido manualmente. Em conseqüência disso sua aplicação, além de morosa, ficava restrita a áreas de pequena extensão. Mediante a otimização e sistematização do Método chegouse à paleosuperfície de ordem 7 para o Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a que correspondeu a eventos registrados no Cretáceo. As paleosuperfícies que se seguiram até a superfície erosiva atual mostraram a evolução tectno-estrutural pela qual o sudeste brasileiro passou, evidenciando as etapas do evento rifteamento que encaixou o rio Paraíba do Sul em sua posição atua. Verificou-se que Geoprocessamento se aplica eficientemente como ferramenta para obtenção de paleosuperfícies, as quais podem ser empregadas na reconstrução de cenários e estudo evolutivos ecogeodinâmicos / This study aimed to reconstruct the paleogeography Rio de Janeiro State by the Method of Confluent Isobases. GIS techniques were employed to automate the Method, which until then was developed manually. As a result their application was restricted to areas of small extent and it was extremely slow. Through automation and systematization of the method reached the paleosurfaces of order 7 for the State of Rio de Janeiro, which corresponded to events in the Cretaceous. From the seventh paleosurface to the current erosive surface showed step by step the developments structural and tectonic of the Brazilian southeast. The most important event was the establishment of the rift of Paraíba, wich changed all physiographic aspects in the area. It was found that GIS is an effective tool for obtaining paleosurfaces, which can be used in the reconstruction of evolutionary scenarios and in the study of dinamic of landscape

Volume 2 possui mapas / Orientador: Jairo Roberto Jiménez-Rueda / Banca: Juércio Tavares de Mattos / Banca: Archimedes Perez Filho / Banca: Maria da Gloria Alves / Banca: Claudio Limeira Mello / Resumo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo reconstruir a paleogeomorfológica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro pelo Método das Isobases Confluentes. Foram empregadas técnicas de Geoprocessamento para otimização do Método, que até então era desenvolvido manualmente. Em conseqüência disso sua aplicação, além de morosa, ficava restrita a áreas de pequena extensão. Mediante a otimização e sistematização do Método chegouse à paleosuperfície de ordem 7 para o Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a que correspondeu a eventos registrados no Cretáceo. As paleosuperfícies que se seguiram até a superfície erosiva atual mostraram a evolução tectno-estrutural pela qual o sudeste brasileiro passou, evidenciando as etapas do evento rifteamento que encaixou o rio Paraíba do Sul em sua posição atua. Verificou-se que Geoprocessamento se aplica eficientemente como ferramenta para obtenção de paleosuperfícies, as quais podem ser empregadas na reconstrução de cenários e estudo evolutivos ecogeodinâmicos / Abstract: This study aimed to reconstruct the paleogeography Rio de Janeiro State by the Method of Confluent Isobases. GIS techniques were employed to automate the Method, which until then was developed manually. As a result their application was restricted to areas of small extent and it was extremely slow. Through automation and systematization of the method reached the paleosurfaces of order 7 for the State of Rio de Janeiro, which corresponded to events in the Cretaceous. From the seventh paleosurface to the current erosive surface showed step by step the developments structural and tectonic of the Brazilian southeast. The most important event was the establishment of the rift of Paraíba, wich changed all physiographic aspects in the area. It was found that GIS is an effective tool for obtaining paleosurfaces, which can be used in the reconstruction of evolutionary scenarios and in the study of dinamic of landscape / Doutor

A região de Lagoa Santa, em Minas Gerais, tem um papel importantíssimo nos estudos paleontológicos e arqueológicos brasileiro. A compreensão da evolução paisagística regional durante todo o Holoceno é crucial para avançarmos nas questões levantadas a mais de 150 anos por Peter Lund. Apesar de décadas de intensa pesquisa relacionada às mudanças ambientais ocorridas durante o Quaternário Brasileiro, no entanto, a falta de precisão no controle cronológico e na resolução temporal dos estudos paleoambientais têm causado dificuldades no estabelecimento da paisagem presente e sua evolução nos últimos 10.000 anos. O estabelecimento de um quadro paleoecológico para a região de Lagoa Santa é fundamental para a compreensão do desenvolvimento e da organização das primeiras sociedades caçadoras-coletoras do continente. Dado esse cenário, o principal objetivo do presente estudo foi reconstituir as mudanças paleoambientais ocorridas na região de Lagoa Santa durante o Holoceno, baseado na paleoecologia da comunidade de mamíferos viventes de dois conjuntos fossilíferos. Como objetivo secundário, foi avaliada a influência dos processos tafonômicos pré- e pós-deposicionais na interpretação do ambiente pretérito a partir do registro faunístico fóssil. Os dados foram obtidos a partir dos conjuntos fósseis de um sítio paleontológico (Gruta Cuvieri) e um sítio arqueológico (Lapa do Santo), ambos na região de Lagoa Santa. A reconstrução paleoambiental baseou-se na variação da abundância relativa dos principais taxa de mamíferos presentes no registro fóssil de ambos os sítios, utilizando como unidades analíticas o NISP (number of identifiable specimen) e o MNI (minimum number of individuals). Os processos tafonômicos pré-deposicionais foram analisados qualitativamente, enquanto os processos pós-deposicionais foram analisados quantitativamente através do grau de fragmentação dos elementos ósseos, utilizando a abundância relativa de elementos esqueletais completos (WSE whole skeletal elements) em 3 relação ao NISP, para cada táxon. Os processos tafonômicos responsáveis pela formação dos sítios estudados, não mostraram afetar a análise paleoambiental realizada neste trabalho. Os resultados paleoambientais indicaram que a abundância relativa do NISP dos taxa analisados foi diretamente afetada pelo grau de fragmentação, sugerindo ser o NISP uma unidade analítica a ser evitada nos estudos de reconstituição paleoambiental. Em contra partida, a análise da variação de abundância relativa utilizando o MNI não foi afetada pelo grau de fragmentação dos elementos ósseos. Pelos resultados obtidos vê-se que a utilização da unidade analítica MNI é mais apropriada para estudos paleoambientais realizados a partir da variação de abundância de restos ósseos de mamíferos. A análise paleoambiental, utilizando o MNI, evidenciou um clima homogêneo na região durante o Holoceno Inicial e o Holoceno Médio, com incremento da umidade durante o Holoceno Tardio. / Lagoa Santa region in Minas Gerais plays an important role in Brazilian paleontological and archaeological studies. The understanding of regional landscape evolution during the Holocene is crucial for advancing issues raised 150 years ago by Peter Lund in the region. Despite decades of research on quaternary environmental changes, an understanding of the establishment of todays landscape and its evolution during the past 10,000 years has been hampered by the lack of accurate chronological control and temporal resolution in paleoenvironmental studies. A paleoecological reconstruction for the Lagoa Santa region is key to understand the development and the organization of the first hunter-gathered societies of the continent. Aiming at filling up this gap, the main objective of this study is to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes in Lagoa Santa region during the Holocene based on the paleoecology of mammal community of two fossiliferous assemblages. In addition, the pre-burial and post-depositional taphonomic processes associated with the two assemblages were assessed in order to understand the influence of these two variables in the interpretation of the past environment. This study examines the fossil material exhumed from a paleontological site (Gruta Cuvieri) and an archaeological site (Lapa do Santo), both found within the Lagoa Santa region. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction was based on the variation of relative abundance of the main mammals taxa found at both sites, using analytical tools such as NISP (number of identifiable specimen) and MNI (minimum number of individuals). The pre-burial taphonomic processes were analyzed qualitatively, while the postdepositional taphonomic processes were analyzed quantitatively based on abundance of whole skeletal elements (WSE) relative to NISP, for each taxon. The results show that taphonomic processes responsible for site formation did not affect the paleoenvironmental analyzes, and that the relative abundance of NISP is directly affected by the degree of bone fragmentation, 5 thus, suggesting NISP to be a poor analytical tool for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. On the other hand, the analysis of the relative abundance variation based on MNI was not affected by the degree of bone fragmentation. These results suggest that the MNI is more reliable analytical too for paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on the variation of abundance of mammal fossils. Finally, the paleoenvironmental analysis based on MNI revealed a homogeneous climate in the region during the Early and Middle Holocene, and moisture increase during Late Holocene.

Spruce-Fir forests are relicts from the Pleistocene and have migrated back north after the previous warming period as well as up in elevation in the southern Appalachian mountains. This in turn created sky islands of isolated, endemic, and disjunct species. These refugal forests require certain climatic parameters similar to Canada’s boreal mountains but also need additional cloud immersion and precipitation. These forests have experienced stressors in the past, but face continued threats such as air pollution and climate change. Due to limited immigration for the majority of the species on these mountains, a significant number of organisms are at risk of being endangered or extinct. Analyzing the relationships and patterns between species distribution and climatic parameters both in the past and present will help create future prediction maps. These will potentially anticipate where habitat reduction might occur and will benefit management and conservation purposes. The first study will analyze current distributions of Spruce-Fir forests to see which model and variable combination best approximates the unique mountain forests environments. Using the optimal model from the first study, the second study will examine which distributional changes may occur in the future and how these changes compare to paleo-environmental distributions. Anticipated results will show a reduction of habitat in lower peaks with minimal impact at higher peaks based on the known projected trends of cloud ceilings. This research will help with forest and conservation management and will impact a multitude of species that rely on this forest to survive.

This diploma thesis deals with the research of primary and secondary magnetic fabric of aeolian loess sediments and paleosols on the cross-section temporary cropping out during the construction work in Prague 6. Magnetic enrichment - and the formation of magnetic nanoparticles in soil horizons - occurs during pedogenesis in warmer interglacials periods. The aim of this work is the interpretation of the paleoenvironment, weathering and pedogenic processes, by measuring the magnetic properties of sediments. Magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility, anhysteresis remanent magnetization and natural remanent magnetization are used to detect the increased occurrence of magnetic particles, which indicate these pedogenic processes. The most developed paleosol horizon within the cross-section was the horizon of black soil and subsoil brown soil. Small signs of pedogenesis were revealed in the upper and lower loess part of the section. The magnetic fabric of loess, measured by means of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, reflects secondary sedimentary processes. This involves the displacement of clastic particles by flowing water and the redeposition of the material along the slope. The direction of movement of these sediments corresponds to the current geomorphology of the...

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