Evolution of the earliest horses driven by climate change in the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum

Ross Secord; Jonathan I Bloch; Stephen G B Chester; Doug M Boyer; Aaron R Wood; Scott L Wing; Mary J Kraus; Francesca A McInerney; John Krigbaum

doi:10.1126/science.1213859

Evolution of the earliest horses driven by climate change in the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum

Ross Secord, Jonathan I Bloch, Stephen G B Chester, Doug M Boyer, Aaron R Wood, Scott L Wing, Mary J Kraus, Francesca A McInerney, John Krigbaum

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

142 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Body size plays a critical role in mammalian ecology and physiology. Previous research has shown that many mammals became smaller during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), but the timing and magnitude of that change relative to climate change have been unclear. A high-resolution record of continental climate and equid body size change shows a directional size decrease of ∼30% over the first ∼130,000 years of the PETM, followed by a ∼76% increase in the recovery phase of the PETM. These size changes are negatively correlated with temperature inferred from oxygen isotopes in mammal teeth and were probably driven by shifts in temperature and possibly high atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. These findings could be important for understanding mammalian evolutionary responses to future global warming.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	959-962
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	335
Issue number	6071
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1213859
Publication status	Published - 24 Feb 2012
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1213859Licence: In Copyright

Cite this

@article{eb0f1b26312542e98564e53d98eef178,

title = "Evolution of the earliest horses driven by climate change in the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum",

abstract = "Body size plays a critical role in mammalian ecology and physiology. Previous research has shown that many mammals became smaller during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), but the timing and magnitude of that change relative to climate change have been unclear. A high-resolution record of continental climate and equid body size change shows a directional size decrease of ∼30% over the first ∼130,000 years of the PETM, followed by a ∼76% increase in the recovery phase of the PETM. These size changes are negatively correlated with temperature inferred from oxygen isotopes in mammal teeth and were probably driven by shifts in temperature and possibly high atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These findings could be important for understanding mammalian evolutionary responses to future global warming.",

author = "Ross Secord and Bloch, {Jonathan I} and Chester, {Stephen G B} and Boyer, {Doug M} and Wood, {Aaron R} and Wing, {Scott L} and Kraus, {Mary J} and McInerney, {Francesca A} and John Krigbaum",

year = "2012",

month = feb,

day = "24",

doi = "10.1126/science.1213859",

language = "English",

volume = "335",

pages = "959--962",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "PubMed",

number = "6071",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolution of the earliest horses driven by climate change in the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum

AU - Secord, Ross

AU - Bloch, Jonathan I

AU - Chester, Stephen G B

AU - Boyer, Doug M

AU - Wood, Aaron R

AU - Wing, Scott L

AU - Kraus, Mary J

AU - McInerney, Francesca A

AU - Krigbaum, John

PY - 2012/2/24

Y1 - 2012/2/24

N2 - Body size plays a critical role in mammalian ecology and physiology. Previous research has shown that many mammals became smaller during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), but the timing and magnitude of that change relative to climate change have been unclear. A high-resolution record of continental climate and equid body size change shows a directional size decrease of ∼30% over the first ∼130,000 years of the PETM, followed by a ∼76% increase in the recovery phase of the PETM. These size changes are negatively correlated with temperature inferred from oxygen isotopes in mammal teeth and were probably driven by shifts in temperature and possibly high atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These findings could be important for understanding mammalian evolutionary responses to future global warming.

AB - Body size plays a critical role in mammalian ecology and physiology. Previous research has shown that many mammals became smaller during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), but the timing and magnitude of that change relative to climate change have been unclear. A high-resolution record of continental climate and equid body size change shows a directional size decrease of ∼30% over the first ∼130,000 years of the PETM, followed by a ∼76% increase in the recovery phase of the PETM. These size changes are negatively correlated with temperature inferred from oxygen isotopes in mammal teeth and were probably driven by shifts in temperature and possibly high atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These findings could be important for understanding mammalian evolutionary responses to future global warming.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84857547268&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1213859

DO - 10.1126/science.1213859

M3 - Article

C2 - 22363006

AN - SCOPUS:84857547268

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 335

SP - 959

EP - 962

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6071

ER -

Evolution of the earliest horses driven by climate change in the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this