Seasonal Temperatures in the Late Pleistocene Inferred from δ~18O Values in Tooth Enamel of Fossil Bison (Middle Urals, Russia)

摘要

At present, the dynamics of the heat and moisture distribution through seasons remains the most difficult task for reconstructing Quaternary climatology. The investigation of changes in the composition of the fauna and flora provides only a general idea of variations in the average annual temperature and moisture parameters. Mineral structures of skeletons of fossil organisms that formed successively during their lives and preserve geochemical signatures of environments serve as natural archives of data on seasonal characteristics of the terrestrial climate. This work is aimed at revealing temporal variations in the oxygen isotope composition in tooth enamel of a large fossil mammal and assessing the contrast range of the seasonal temperature regime through the Last Glacial Maximum.