Abstract
The global expansion of C4 grasslands in the late Miocene has been attributed to a large-scale decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. This triggering mechanism is controversial, in part because of a lack of direct evidence for change in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and because other factors are also important determinants in controlling plant-type distributions. Alkenone-based pCO2 estimates for the late Miocene indicate that pCO2 increased from 14 to 9 million years ago and stabilized at preindustrial values by 9 million years ago. The estimates presented here provide no evidence for major changes in pCO2 during the late Miocene. Thus, C4 plant expansion was likely driven by additional factors, possibly a tectonically related episode of enhanced low-latitude aridity or changes in seasonal precipitation patterns on a global scale (or both).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 876-879 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 285 |
| Issue number | 5429 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 6 1999 |
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Late miocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the expansion of C4 grasses. / Pagani, Mark; Freeman, Katherine Haines; Arthur, Michael Allan.
In: Science, Vol. 285, No. 5429, 06.08.1999, p. 876-879.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Late miocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the expansion of C4 grasses
AU - Pagani, Mark
AU - Freeman, Katherine Haines
AU - Arthur, Michael Allan
PY - 1999/8/6
Y1 - 1999/8/6
N2 - The global expansion of C4 grasslands in the late Miocene has been attributed to a large-scale decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. This triggering mechanism is controversial, in part because of a lack of direct evidence for change in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and because other factors are also important determinants in controlling plant-type distributions. Alkenone-based pCO2 estimates for the late Miocene indicate that pCO2 increased from 14 to 9 million years ago and stabilized at preindustrial values by 9 million years ago. The estimates presented here provide no evidence for major changes in pCO2 during the late Miocene. Thus, C4 plant expansion was likely driven by additional factors, possibly a tectonically related episode of enhanced low-latitude aridity or changes in seasonal precipitation patterns on a global scale (or both).
AB - The global expansion of C4 grasslands in the late Miocene has been attributed to a large-scale decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. This triggering mechanism is controversial, in part because of a lack of direct evidence for change in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and because other factors are also important determinants in controlling plant-type distributions. Alkenone-based pCO2 estimates for the late Miocene indicate that pCO2 increased from 14 to 9 million years ago and stabilized at preindustrial values by 9 million years ago. The estimates presented here provide no evidence for major changes in pCO2 during the late Miocene. Thus, C4 plant expansion was likely driven by additional factors, possibly a tectonically related episode of enhanced low-latitude aridity or changes in seasonal precipitation patterns on a global scale (or both).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033529527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033529527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.285.5429.876
DO - 10.1126/science.285.5429.876
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033529527
VL - 285
SP - 876
EP - 879
JO - Science
JF - Science
SN - 0036-8075
IS - 5429
ER -