Initial Time Of Two High Altitude Crater Lakes (Nevado De Toluca, Central Mexico) Recorded In Subfossil Cladocera

Abstract

The objective of this study was the recognition and reconstruction of the origin of two high altitude lakes and the ecological conditions of their early existence based on subfossil Cladocera and chemical analyses. The study focused on the oldest lacustrine sediments from Lake Sol and Lake Luna, located in the crater of Volcano Nevado de Toluca (Central Mexico). The Nevado de Toluca crater developed approximately 12 ka yr BP. According to the literature, the volcano was last active approximately 3.3 ka yr BP, and the lakes developed after that eruption. The remains of nine Cladocera species were found in the bottom sediments of both lakes. The most dominant taxa were two endemic littoral species: Alona manueli and Iliocryptus nevadensis. The total frequency of Cladocera specimens in both of the sediment cores was very low. No Cladocera remains were recorded in the sediment layer at depths between 123–103 m from Lake Luna. The results of the lithological and geochemical analyses showed that this sediment layer was composed of allochthonous material, probably originating from slid down from the volcanic cone. This was suggested by the content of silica (up to 13%), iron (up to 12%), and titanium (up to 4%). The Cladocera remains recorded in the bottom sediments suggested that both reservoirs developed as freshwater lakes at the beginning of the sedimentation. The calibrated radiocarbon dates obtained for the bottom samples were 4040 to 3990 yr BP for Lake Luna (129 cm) and 4485 to 4485 yr BP for Lake Sol (89 cm). The obtained ages were older than the dates of the last eruption, which occurred approximately 3300 yr BP. This result was likely related to the type of radiocarbon dated materials (charcoals).

Environmental changes during the last millennium recorded in subfossil Cladocera, diatoms and sediment geochemistry from Lake El Sol (Central Mexico)

“…3.6 cal ka BP), and the lakes formed af ter that time. How ever, re cent re search in dicates that these lakes de vel oped ear lier than 4.5 cal ka BP (Szeroczyñska et al, 2015). The mod ern cli mate at the peak of Nevado de Toluca is cold, with a sum mer rainy sea son.…”

A guide to the identification of subfossil non-chydorid Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from lake sediments of Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: part I

“…Hence, there is still a lot of uncertainty and lack of knowledge about Cladocera taxonomy and populations in Central America. Furthermore, studies of Cladocera fossils are even more rare (Zawisza et al 2012(Zawisza et al , 2014(Zawisza et al , 2017Szeroczyńska et al 2015;Wojewódka et al 2016). Subfossil Cladocera analysis in Central America is complicated because well-established taxonomy are crucial for accurately identifying remains.…”

“…There has been an increasing interest in involving Cladocera in paleoreconstructions of climate and environmental changes in the Neotropical zone (Zawisza et al 2012(Zawisza et al , 2017Cuna et al 2014;Szeroczyńska et al 2015). However, current knowledge on the cladoceran communities of this area is limited.…”

Ecology of Cladocera species from Central America based on subfossil assemblages

“…Subfossil remains of Cladocera are commonly used in paleolimnological studies in Eurasia and America (Bjerring, 2007;Mirosław-Grabowska and Zawisza, 2014;Paterson, 1994;Szeroczyńska et al, 2007). However, only a few paleolimnological studies based on water fleas were conducted in Central America (Cuna et al, 2014;Szeroczyńska et al, 2015;Zawisza et al, 2012Zawisza et al, , 2014Zawisza et al, , 2016. So far, the majority of studies focused on the living Cladocera and their taxonomy (Elías-Gutiérrez et al, 1999, 2006, 2008Sinev, 2015;Sinev and Silva-Briano, 2012;Sinev and Zawisza, 2013).…”