10 Eastern Beringian Studies

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Beringian story, developed on the eastern side of the arctic refugium. The origins of the modern arctic ecosystems date back to Late Tertiary environments in this region. A summary of arctic environmental history during that period is presented. Quaternary entomologists working in the Arctic and the subarctic have had the opportunity to study extremely rare deposits of fossil insects that date back millions of years. Beringia includes the unglaciated lowlands of northeastern Russia, Alaska, and the Yukon Territory, linked together by the Bering Land Bridge. Western Beringia experienced cold, dry environments during much of the Late Pleistocene, with steppe elements more important than mesic tundra elements in a mosaic of biological communities. Macrofossil data indicate that Eastern Beringia is a mosaic of different biological communities, many of which no longer exist. The fossil insect record of Eastern Beringia chronologically, starting with the early Middle Pleistocene is examined. Middle Pleistocene interglacial faunas are described from interior Alaskan sites, and these reflect a wide variety of environments.