Geographical extremes in the glacial history of northern Eurasia: post-QUEEN considerations

Abstract

This paper summarizes the principal results produced by the European Science Foundation's programme, Quaternary Environment of the Eurasian North (QUEEN). These results concern the distribution of late Quaternary glaciers of different ages across northern Eurasia. The pattern of glaciation is compared with the west–east climatic gradient of the continent. Of particular significance is the coincidence of the Late Weichselian ice margin with the modern 30°C difference between the July and January mean air temperatures. The difference between west and east in the annual amplitude of air temperature did not decrease during the Pleniglacial. The asymmetry of the glacial history suggests a progressive aridification of the Eurasian North, with the result that by marine isotope stage 2 significant ice volumes could only accumulate along the Atlantic seaboard. The different climatic signals of thermochrons and cryochrons of the extreme west and east of the continent are discussed. The growth of continentality eastwards restrains the applicability of pollen proxies for climatic reconstructions.

Conservation Genomics of Wild Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and Its Endangered Relatives in China: Population Structure and Interspecific Relationships Revealed From 2b-RAD Data

“…Salvia miltiorrhiza experienced an additional population contraction occurred at ca. 60 kya, which was consistent with the abrupt climate change and ecological turnover in late Pleistocene glaciation period (Finlayson and Carrión, 2007;Astakhov, 2008). Salvia bowleyana and S. paramiltiorrhiza might avoid the contraction during the glaciation due to their further south distribution range compare to S. miltiorrhiza.…”

The regional species richness and genetic diversity ofArctic vegetation reflect both past glaciations and current climate

“…Our data corroborate Hultén's hypothesis of initial radiation from Beringia, since this region displays a high degree of genetic diversity, which gradually declines in North America when moving east into the more recently glaciated areas. Moving west from Beringia into Eurasia, the genetic diversity remains high throughout Asia and then gradually declines westwards from the Urals, where glaciations were also more severe (Astakhov, ). Moreover, the pattern we see of larger areas of high genetic diversity in Eurasia than in North America (Fig.…”

Genetic roadmap of the Arctic: plant dispersal highways, traffic barriers and capitals of diversity

“…However, it is possible that the Ural Mountains do not act as a barrier per se , but that the shift towards less continentality moving from east (Arkhipov et al ., ) to west (Velichko et al ., ) may filter establishment. One should also keep in mind that this climatic asymmetry has persisted throughout the Pleistocene, leading to recurrently more extensive glaciations in the west (Astakhov, ), which may generate a genetic boundary and shift in genetic diversity that coincide with the Ural region.…”