Land Bridges: Ancient Environments, Plant Migrations, And New ...

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Ancient Environments, Plant Migrations, and New World Connections

Alan Graham

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Land Bridges

Ancient Environments, Plant Migrations, and New World Connections

Alan Graham

Land bridges are the causeways of biodiversity. When they form, organisms are introduced into a new patchwork of species and habitats, forever altering the ecosystems into which they flow; and when land bridges disappear or fracture, organisms are separated into reproductively isolated populations that can evolve independently. More than this, land bridges play a role in determining global climates through changes to moisture and heat transport and are also essential factors in the development of biogeographic patterns across geographically remote regions. In this book, paleobotanist Alan Graham traces the formation and disruption of key New World land bridges and describes the biotic, climatic, and biogeographic ramifications of these land masses’ changing formations over time. Looking at five land bridges, he explores their present geographic setting and climate, modern vegetation, indigenous peoples (with special attention to their impact on past and present vegetation), and geologic history. From the great Panamanian isthmus to the boreal connections across the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans that allowed exchange of organisms between North America, Europe, and Asia, Graham’s sweeping, one-hundred-million-year history offers new insight into the forces that shaped the life and land of the New World. Read Moreabout Land Bridges Read Lessabout Land Bridges See the supplementary appendices and tables for the book.

288 pages | 88 halftones | 6 x 9 | © 2018

Biological Sciences: Botany, Conservation, Ecology, Natural History, Paleobiology, Geology, and Paleontology

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Reviews

Reviews

“Graham is among the best paleobotanists in the world. In multiple works, he has synthesized vast amounts of information to produce a paleo perspective on plant diversity through the last hundred million years. Within those works, he has touched on the role of land bridges, but not with the attention shown here. The topic is clear and timely, and this highly original work has great potential to contribute to the biogeographical history of the Americas.”

Paul Manos, Duke University

“Land Bridges attempts to reconstruct the broad outlines of the geological and paleobotanical history of the last hundred million years. The history of plate tectonics—how it influenced past plant migration, current composition of regional floras, and intercontinental linkages—makes this book a great pleasure to read. While reading, admiration gradually increases for how Graham is able to make a fascinating story out of such a large bulk of evidence. Few scientists have developed such an impressive, integrated picture of earth history. Spectacular.”

Henry Hooghiemstra, University of Amsterdam

"The main strength of the book is the amount of information presented, including the number of plant names of present and past taxa in many lo-cations, and also of references to remote old times and places (especially Siberia) discussed in text and massive supplementary materials, which may help anyone not directly interested in paleobotany and paleoecology. . . . the insight provoked by Land Bridges will also be useful for researchers. . ."

New Biological Books

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Table of Contents

Abbreviations, Time Scale, and Conversions PrefaceProtocols and Organization ReferencesIntroduction ReferencesAdditional ReferencesPart I: Boreal Land Bridges Bering Land BridgeBeringia BackgroundReferencesAdditional ReferencesOne / West Beringia: Siberia and Kamchatka SiberiaGeographic Setting and Climate Geology Modern Vegetation Indigenous PeopleKamchatkaGeographic Setting and Climate Modern Vegetation Indigenous PeopleReferencesAdditional ReferencesTwo / East Beringia: Alaska, Northwestern North America, and the Aleutian Connection Geographic Setting and Climate Geology Modern Vegetation Indigenous People Utilization of the Bering Land Bridge Peopling of America (from the West) ReferencesAdditional ReferencesThree / North Atlantic Land Bridge: Northeastern North America, Greenland, Iceland, Arctic Islands, Northwestern Europe Geographic Setting and Climate Geology Modern Vegetation Utilization of the North Atlantic Land BridgeModernization of the Flora Biodiversity and Vegetation Density Floristic Relationships between Eastern Asia and Eastern North America Geofloras and the Madrean-Tethyan HypothesisIndigenous People Peopling of America (from the East) ReferencesAdditional ReferencesPart II: Equatorial Land Bridges Four / Antillean Land BridgeStepping Stones or Lost Highway Geographic Setting and Climate Geology Modern Vegetation Indigenous People Utilization of the Antillean Land Bridge ReferencesAdditional ReferencesFive / Central American Land Bridge South and North of the CALB Geographic Setting and Climate Forging the Final Link: Geology Modern Vegetation Indigenous People Utilization of the CALB ReferencesAdditional ReferencesPart III: Austral Land Bridge Six / Magellan Land Bridge: Cono del Sur and AntarcticaCono del SurGeographic Setting and Climate Geology Modern Vegetation Indigenous People Peopling of South America (from the North)AntarcticaGeographic Setting and Climate GeologyLand Bridges and Island Biogeography Utilization of the Magellan Land BridgeCono del Sur AntarcticaReferencesAdditional ReferencesSeven / Case Studies Ferns and Allied Groups Gymnosperms AngiospermsMonocotyledons DicotyledonsReferencesAdditional ReferencesEight / Summary and Conclusions Events, Processes, and ResponsesBering Land Bridge North Atlantic Land Bridge Antillean Land Bridge Central American Land Bridge Magellan Land BridgeConceptual Issues and Future Needs ReferencesAdditional References (Conservation) Additional References (Selected Classical Literature)Acknowledgments Index   Read Moreabout table of contents Read Lessabout table of contents Back to top Awards

Awards

Marsh Christian Trust: Marsh Awards: Earth Sciences Book of the Year Won

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