Palaeoecology of a late MIS 7 interglacial deposit from eastern England

Langford, H.E.; Boreham, S.; Coope, G. Russell; Fletcher, William J.; Horne, David J.; Keen, D. H.; Mighall, Tim; Penkman, Kirsty; Schreve, Danielle C.; Whittaker, John E.

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.05.046

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…No convincing deposits of MIS 9 age are known from either system. Sediments of MIS 7 age are preserved beneath Terrace 1 at Funthams Lane East in the Nene (Langford et al., 2004) and beneath the same terrace in the Welland. MIS 5e deposits occur at Deeping St James (Keen et al., 1999) and Maxey (French, 1982; Davey et al., 1991).…”

Section: Discussion: Testing the New Aminostratigraphymentioning

confidence: 99%

An aminostratigraphy for the British Quaternary based on Bithynia opercula

Penkman

Preece

Bridgland

et al. 2013

Quaternary Science Reviews

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Aminostratigraphies of Quaternary non-marine deposits in Europe have been previously based on the racemization of a single amino acid in aragonitic shells from land and freshwater molluscs. The value of analysing multiple amino acids from the opercula of the freshwater gastropod Bithynia, which are composed of calcite, has been demonstrated. The protocol used for the isolation of intra-crystalline proteins from shells has been applied to these calcitic opercula, which have been shown to more closely approximate a closed system for indigenous protein residues. Original amino acids are even preserved in bithyniid opercula from the Eocene, showing persistence of indigenous organics for over 30 million years. Geochronological data from opercula are superior to those from shells in two respects: first, in showing less natural variability, and second, in the far better preservation of the intra-crystalline proteins, possibly resulting from the greater stability of calcite. These features allow greater temporal resolution and an extension of the dating range beyond the early Middle Pleistocene. Here we provide full details of the analyses for 480 samples from 100 horizons (75 sites), ranging from Late Pliocene to modern. These show that the dating technique is applicable to the entire Quaternary. Data are provided from all the stratotypes from British stages to have yielded opercula, which are shown to be clearly separable using this revised method. Further checks on the data are provided by reference to other type-sites for different stages (including some not formally defined). Additional tests are provided by sites with independent geochronology, or which can be associated with a terrace stratigraphy or biostratigraphy. This new aminostratigraphy for the non-marine Quaternary deposits of southern Britain provides a framework for understanding the regional geological and archaeological record. Comparison with reference to sites yielding independent geochronology, in combination with other lines of evidence, allows tentative correlation with the marine oxygen isotope record.

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Section: Discussion: Testing the New Aminostratigraphymentioning

confidence: 99%

An aminostratigraphy for the British Quaternary based on Bithynia opercula

Penkman

Preece

Bridgland

et al. 2013

Quaternary Science Reviews

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“…The sedimentary successions north of Uffington and at Elton have not been dated directly, but the age of the drainage network reorganization event discussed here can be inferred from late Middle Pleistocene sedimentary successions at Whittlesey and Sutton Cross (Figure ). At Whittlesey a fossiliferous, fully temperate channel fill (channel B) crops out in West Face and Bradley Fen quarries and is robustly dated by AAR analysis of 34 Bithynia tentaculata opercula to the penultimate interglacial (MIS 7; Penkman, ; Langford et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Fletcher, et al., ; Penkman et al., ). Channel B overlies three gravel facies deposited by streams flowing to the north to east quadrant, that is, towards The Wash, each with evidence for aggradation under cool/cold conditions (Langford et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Fletcher, et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Horne, et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A limestone‐rich gravel (Figure b, c) deposited by a substantial stream flowing to the north to east quadrant crops out in King's Dyke Quarry (Langford, , ; Langford, Bateman, et al., ), adjacent to West Face Quarry (Langford, Boreham, Coope, Fletcher, et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Horne, et al., ), but its relationship with the above three prechannel‐B cool/cold‐stage gravel facies is unknown. It should be noted that the term “limestone rich” is used only in the context of the Whittlesey sedimentary succession, which lies 5 km downstream of the nearest Jurassic limestone outcrop at Peterborough.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indirectly, a MIS 8 age for the above sequence of events is indicated by AAR and OSL data from Middle Pleistocene deposits at Whittlesey in the lower Nene catchment (Langford, ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Fletcher, et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Horne, et al., ; Langford et al., ). In addition, the sedimentary succession at Sutton Cross downstream of the alluvuial fan and 15 km upstream of Whittlesey, records aggradation during at least three glacial stages, which implies a minimum age of MIS 8 for the earliest cold‐stage deposits (Langford, , ; Langford, Keen, et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Detailed sedimentology of the deposits at Uffington and Elton is presented and aspects of the sedimentology discussed before considering the palaeogeographical implications by relating the sedimentology to associated landscape elements. Age of the palaeogeographical reconstruction is then considered utilizing age determinations, biostratigraphy and stratigraphical relations from late Middle Pleistocene sites at Sutton Cross and Whittlesey (Figure a; Langford, ; Langford et al., , ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Fletcher, et al., ; Langford, Boreham, Coope, Horne, et al., ). The findings of this study are then discussed with regard to MIS 8 and 6 ice margins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drainage network reorganization affecting the Nene and Welland catchments of eastern England as a result of a late Middle Pleistocene glacial advance

Langford

2018

The Depositional Record

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Britain's latitude is critical for determining the southerly extent of western European ice sheet expansion. Palaeoclimate and palaeosea‐level reconstruction in Britain, however, is complicated by spatially discontinuous glacigenic deposits and genetic and stratigraphic interpretations have relied on their lithological characteristics. This study adopted a sedimentary facies approach combined with geomorphological analyses for investigating upper Middle Pleistocene deposits in two adjacent catchments: Nene and Welland. Detailed sedimentology determined not only genesis of ice‐contact (Welland) and glaciolacustrine (Nene) deposits but also provided insight on lake surface water levels. The ice‐contact deposits recorded a constant lake level at the same height as alluvial remnants upstream in the Welland valley. These alluvial remnants are located where present tributaries join the Welland, indicating they were formed where influent streams entered a former lake and therefore can be interpreted as fluvial terraces resulting from local baselevel rise. The glaciolacustrine deposits in the Nene valley recorded fluctuating lake levels, indicating that altitudinally separated sand and gravel bodies coincident with these fluctuations and located where influent streams entered the lake also can be interpreted as fluvial terraces, but resulting from fluctuating baselevel. Sand and gravel bodies at the southern end of a dry valley linking the two catchments are interpreted as alluvial fan remnants, and those occurring on interfluves downstream of the alluvial fan remnants as flood deposits emanating from lake overflow. This drainage reorganization probably occurred in marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 8, but the ice advance footprint is different to that in MI 6.

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