Adjacent Highlands Research Articles

Late Holocene wetland transgression and 500\xa0years of vegetation and fire variability in the semi-arid Amboseli landscape, southern Kenya

The semi-arid Amboseli landscape, southern Kenya, is characterised by intermittent groundwater-fed wetlands that form sedimentary geoarchives recording past ecosystem changes. We present a 5000-year environmental history of a radiocarbon dated sediment core from Esambu Swamp adjacent to Amboseli National Park. Although radiocarbon dates suggest an unconformity or sedimentary gap that spans between 3800 and 500 cal year BP, the record provides a unique insight into the long-term ecosystem history and wetland processes, particularly the past 500 years. Climatic shifts, fire activity and recent anthropogenic activity drive changes in ecosystem composition. Prior to 3800 cal year BP the pollen data suggest semi-arid savanna ecosystem persisted near the wetland. The wetland transgressed at some time between 3800 and 500 cal year BP and it is difficult to constrain this timing further, and palustrine peaty sediments have accumulated since 400 cal year BP. Increased abundance of Afromontane forest taxa from adjacent highlands of Kilimanjaro and the Chyulu Hills and local arboreal taxa reflect changes in regional moisture budgets. Particularly transformative changes occurred in the last five centuries, associated with increased local biomass burning coeval with the arrival of Maa-speaking pastoralists and intensification of the ivory trade. Cereal crops occurred consistently from around 300 cal year BP, indicative of further anthropogenic activity. The study provides unique insight in Amboseli ecosystem history and the link between ecosystem drivers of change. Such long-term perspectives are crucial for future climate change and associated livelihood impacts, so that suitable responses to ensure sustainable management practices can be developed in an important conservation landscape.

Dynamics of natural conditions around modern glaciation location at the Eastern Sayan

Mountain massif Munku-Sardyk presents the highest mountain range and adjacent Stanovoy ridge highlands of the Eastern Sayan. There is situated modern glaciation site which was the most studied in the course of last 160 years. This periglacial area experienced different periods of cooling and warming in the Holocene and retained traces of the Sartan glaciation of Subboreal (3000–5000 years ago), the Little Ice Age, the evidences of Holocene optimum and general warming last time. The authors examined the variability of activity of modern glaciation and variation of natural conditions of the periglacial zone on climate and on dendrochronological data. Results of larch and Siberian stone pine growth data were revealed at the higher border of forest communities. Analysis of the growth of the “fossil” tree in the Holocene optimum showed that the absolute magnitude of its increment was two times higher than for up-to-date long-lived trees. Identified periods of the Peretolchin glacier retreat in 1900–1965 and 1983–2000 years took place with increased growth of trees and the rate of sedimentation in proglacial lake, and vice versa glacier advance on in 1965–1980 years was accompanied by slowing of tree increments and reduction in sedimentation rate. Since 2000, there has been growth of trees instability associated with a decrease in average monthly summer temperatures.

CAPTIVE REPRESENTATIONS AND SOCIAL DISCOURSE AT IZAPA AND IN LATE FORMATIVE SOUTHEASTERN MESOAMERICA

AbstractThis paper takes Izapa Stela 21, with its vivid portrayal of captive sacrifice, as the point of departure for an analysis of the ways in which acts of aggression were portrayed in Late Formative monuments from a region that includes the Pacific slope and adjacent highlands of Mexico and Guatemala. It considers the social significance of themes of captive sacrifice and violence, and their role within a larger iconographic system designed to accommodate the mutually reinforcing ideas of ideology and coercive power. While clearly laden with implications of political control, subjugation, deference, and fealty, the imagery also alludes to agricultural fertility, the arrival of rain, and broader notions of social order.

The Influence of Geology on Landscape Typology in Jordan: Theoretical Understanding and Planning Implications

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) has been introduced into Jordan through the MEDSCAPES project. The purpose of this project was to streamline landscape studies and integrate them into the land use planning practices in Jordan. Two areas within the Mediterranean and arid climatic zones of the country were chosen as test areas for the methodology. These were the Yarmouk River drainage basin in the northwest of the country and the Mujib River area in the west of Jordan within the Dead Sea basin. Landscape Character Mapping resulted in 22 and 64 Land Description Units (LDUs) for the Yarmouk and Mujib areas, respectively, which were then classified into 14 landscape types. The factors which control the spatial distributions of these units are geology, land cover, landform, and settlements. However, the study suggests that the underlying geology, which influences topography, impacts indirectly on soil types, climate zones, and human activities, and hence has a predominant influence on the character of these units. Specifically, the transition between the Dead Sea Rift Valley and the adjacent highlands create variations in the topographical relief, climate, water availability, and human settlements. Implementation of LCA in Jordan has done much to highlight geological hazards, such as sinkholes, as constraints to development in certain areas. Here, we described how the LCA process could be implemented in Jordan and how this can help in improving land use management practices in the country.

Genetic studies in the recently divergent Eligmodontia puerulus and E. moreni (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) from Puna and Monte deserts of South America

Eligmodontia is a genus of phyllotine rodents adapted to arid environments with seven recognized species. The sister species E. puerulus and E. moreni are distributed in the adjacent highland Puna and lowland Monte deserts respectively, and show remarkable morphological and chromosomal differences. However, analyses of the cytochrome b gene showed important variability, without reciprocal monophyly between them. In order to study the evolutionary processes involved in the diversification of both taxa, we analyzed 1161bp of the mitochondrial control region and flanking sequences (N=60), as well as 759bp of the first exon of the nuclear gene IRBP (N=14). Individuals of both species from Jujuy, Catamarca and Mendoza Provinces of Argentina were previously karyotyped. Results showed that the mitochondrial sequences present high haplotype and nucleotide diversity within all population, and no haplotype was shared between both species. FST indicated that populations of both species were moderately structured. The network was constituted by two major haplogroups, one composed by E. puerulus samples from Jujuy, and the other composed of sequences of all studied populations. The Bayesian analysis showed three clusters, matching the network. Phylogenetic analysis recovered two clades with high support, in coincidence with the network groups. There was only one close join between sequences of both species, corresponding to samples from Catamarca. Thus, mitochondrial data suggested hybridization between both species in Catamarca, with asymmetric introgression. The IRBP showed low variability and, in the phylogenetic analysis, the sequences of E. puerulus form a monophyletic group with intermediate support, whereas those of E. moreni collapse into a basal polytomy. Our data indicated a recent divergence and absence of introgression in the nuclear genomes. The results at the population level with mitochondrial sequences, together with integrative taxonomy at the species level in a biogeographic context, suggest that climatic and geologic changes could have had an important role in the determination of genetic variability patterns observed in these rodents.

Differentiation in drought tolerance mirrors the geographic distributions of alpine plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent highlands

Climatic tolerance, especially drought tolerance, is one of the major factors shaping the geographic distributions of plant species. Thus, the general decline in rainfall from the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) to the inner Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) might account for the significant differences in species distributions and richness between the two regions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a water stress experiment using four Anisodus species (A. tanguticus, A. luridus, A. carniolicoides and A. acutangulus), which were treated with different levels of water stress in a glasshouse, and examined their differences in physiological responses. The results suggest that A. tanguticus, which inhabits the inner QTP, generally has higher fitness under severe water stress than the other species based on its high root:shoot ratio, long-term water use efficiency and photosynthetic rate, indicating that it possesses a genetically based drought tolerance mechanism. Our results suggest that plant species inhabiting the inner QTP may be more drought tolerant than those inhabiting the HHM regions. This provides a new example supporting the hypothesis that climatic tolerance plays a major role in shaping plant distributions on the QTP and its adjacent highlands and presents new insights into the patterns of geographic distribution and diversity of the plants inhabiting these areas.

El Edificio de los Frisos de Ánimas Altas. Ser paracas en el valle bajo de Ica

This paper presents and discusses the results of recent investigations carried out by the Animas Altas Archaeological Program, in the Ica department, southern Peru. A particular emphasis is put on the excavations conducted at a frieze-decorated building. The analysis of the material culture registered in this building, particularly of the icons depicted on the friezes, not only offers some interpretations regarding Paracas symbology and cosmovision but also sheds lights on critical aspects related to identity as well as the territorial dynamics of the Paracas social formations from the lower section of the Ica valley. Furthermore, imagery depicted on friezes support the idea that social interactions promoted by the Paracas were not limited to the adjacent highland. Even more, potential links with the north and central coast from remote times need to be further investigated. The stylistic and technological variations registered at the «Building of Friezes» – which are not diachronically manifested, can reveal diverse phenomena such as the occupation of the territory by several groups that gave shape to socio-political identities in Late Paracas times. The comparison between the data obtained from the excavation at the «Building of Frizes» and other Paracas sites´will allow Paracas scholars to formulate interpretations and hypotheses about both the political and cultural spaces of the ancient Paracas.

Epidemic characteristics, high-risk townships and space-time clusters of human brucellosis in Shanxi Province of China, 2005-2014.

BackgroundBrucellosis, one of the world’s most important zoonosis, has been re-emerging in China. Shanxi Province, located in northern China, where husbandry development has been accelerated in recent years, has a rather high incidence of human brucellosis but drew little attention from the researchers. This study aimed to describe the changing epidemiology of human brucellosis in Shanxi Province from 2005 to 2014 and explore high-risk towns and space-time clusters for elucidating the necessity of decentralizing disease control resource to township level in epidemic regions, particularly in hotspot areas.MethodsWe extracted data from the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System to describe the incidence and spatiotemporal distribution of human brucellosis in Shanxi Province. Geographic information system was used to identify townships at high risk for the disease. Space-Time Scan Statistic was applied to detect the space-time clusters of human brucellosis during the past decade.ResultsFrom 2005 to 2014, a total of 50,002 cases of human brucellosis were recorded in Shanxi, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.9:1. The reported incidence rate increased dramatically from 7.0/100,000 in 2005 to 23.5/100,000 in 2014, with an average annual increase of 14.5%. There were still 33.8% cases delaying diagnosis in 2014. The proportion of the affected towns increased from 31.5% in 2005 to 82.5% in 2014. High-risk towns spread from the north to the center and then south of Shanxi Province, which were basins and adjacent highlands suitable for livestock cultivation. During the past decade, there were 55 space-time clusters of human brucellosis detected in high risk towns; the clusters could happen in any season. Some clusters’ location maintained stable over time.ConclusionsDuring the last decade, Shanxi province’s human brucellosis epidemic had been aggravated and high-risk areas concentrated in some towns located in basins and adjacent highlands. Space-time clusters existed and some located steadily over time. Quite a few cases still missed timely diagnosis. Greater resources should be allocated and decentralized to mitigate the momentum of rise and improve the accessibility of prompt diagnosis treatment in the high-risk townships.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-2086-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Great influence of geographic isolation on the genetic differentiation of Myriophyllum spicatum under a steep environmental gradient.

Understanding how natural processes affect population genetic structures is an important issue in evolutionary biology. One effective method is to assess the relative importance of environmental and geographical factors in the genetic structure of populations. In this study, we examined the spatial genetic variation of thirteen Myriophyllum spicatum populations from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacent highlands (Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, YGP) by using microsatellite loci and environmental and geographical factors. Bioclim layers, hydrological properties and elevation were considered as environmental variables and reduced by principal component analysis. The genetic isolation by geographic distance (IBD) was tested by Mantel tests and the relative importance of environmental variables on population genetic differentiation was determined by a partial Mantel test and multiple matrix regression with randomization (MMRR). Two genetic clusters corresponding to the QTP and YGP were identified. Both tests and MMRR revealed a significant and strong correlation between genetic divergence and geographic isolation under the influence of environmental heterogeneity at the overall and finer spatial scales. Our findings suggested the dominant role of geography on the evolution of M. spicatum under a steep environmental gradient in the alpine landscape as a result of dispersal limitation and genetic drift.

Population Structure during the Demise of the Moche (550–850 AD)

Population structure analyses and biodistance comparisons for Middle Moche (550–700 AD), Late Moche (700–850 AD), and Transitional (850–950 AD) period skeletal samples from San Jose de Moro with a previously reported Middle Moche period sample from Pacatnamu, a nearby Jequetepeque Valley site, and eight samples from Huaca de la Luna and Cerro Oreja, two sites in the Moche Valley, suggest that substantial levels of extralocal gene flow into the Jequetepeque Valley from the adjacent highlands to the east occurred during the demise of the Moche polity there. This process strongly corresponds to evidence for a temporal increase in exotic grave offerings at San Jose de Moro during the Late Moche and subsequent Transitional periods. The broader implications of these results for our understanding of the demise of the Moche are discussed.

Myrtaceae throughout the Espinhaço Mountain Range of centraleastern Brazil: floristic relationships and geoclimatic controls

Although biological surveys and taxonomic revisions provide key information to ecological and evolutionary studies, there is a clear lack of floristic and phytogeographic studies of the mountainous regions of Brazil, which harbor some of the most threatened plant ecosystems on the planet. Myrtaceae has been reported to be one of the most important families in the upland areas of Brazil, as well as in the Atlantic Forest Domain. In this study, we investigated the floristic composition of Myrtaceae throughout the Espinhaco Mountain Range and adjacent highlands of central-eastern Brazil, testing the following hypotheses: floristic similarity increases with geographic proximity; and species distribution is affected by geoclimatic variables. We performed statistical analyses using a database containing records of 199 species in 19 areas and of their respective geoclimatic variables. We also performed ordination analysis using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), the first and second axes of which explained 69% and 78% of the variation, respectively. The NMDS analysis demonstrated that variations in the Myrtaceae flora are highly sensitive to geoclimatic variables and geographic proximity. The NMDS ordination also showed a predominantly south-north gradient, as did the cluster analysis. This gradient was highly correlated with variations in rainfall and temperature, which are also associated with the three domains that coincide with the Espinhaco Mountain Range.

Age and genesis of the White Pine stratiform copper mineralization, northern Michigan, USA, from paleomagnetism

AbstractAt White Pine, the stratiform sedimentary copper (SSC) mineralization occurs mostly as chalcocite in gray‐black shales in the basal approximately 6 m of the 1081 ± 9 Ma Nonesuch Formation of the Keweenawan Supergroup. Paleomagnetic analysis of 176 specimens (19 sites) isolated collinear characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) directions in both magnetite and hematite in both the oxidized SSC zones and overlying pyritic and upper zones of the Nonesuch Formation. A paleomagnetic fold test shows that the normal‐polarity ChRM is prefolding in origin. Combining the ChRM directions from this study (18 sites) and from (Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 14, 1977, 1128; 11 sites), the Nonesuch mineralized and nonmineralized sites give a paleopole at 7.3°N, 174.7°E (N = 29, A95 = 3.0°), yielding an age of 1063 ±8 Ma on the Keweenawan apparent polar wander path. The observed 1063 ± 8 Ma age is interpreted to date both the average age of oxidation and mineralization of the SSC zone. Thus, ore genesis occurred after burial by the overlying Freda Formation and after conversion by oxidation of the underlying original clastic sediments of the Copper Harbor Formation to red beds, most likely by gravity‐driven recharge of subsurface brines by meteoric water from adjacent highlands on the southeast side of the Keweenawan Rift.

Ion-probe U–Pb dating of authigenic and detrital opal from Neogene-Quaternary alluvium

Knowing depositional ages of alluvial fans is essential for many tectonic, paleoclimatic, and geomorphic studies in arid environments. The use of U–Pb dating on secondary silica to establish the age of Neogene-Quaternary clastic sediments was tested on samples of authigenic and detrital opal and chalcedony from depths of ∼25 to 53m in boreholes at Midway Valley, Nevada. Dating of authigenic opal present as rinds on rock clasts and in calcite/silica cements establishes minimum ages of alluvium deposition; dating of detrital opal or chalcedony derived from the source volcanic rocks gives the maximum age of sediment deposition.Materials analyzed included 12 samples of authigenic opal, one sample of fracture-coating opal from bedrock, one sample of detrital opal, and two samples of detrital chalcedony. Uranium–lead isotope data were obtained by both thermal ionization mass spectrometry and ion-microprobe. Uranium concentrations ranged from tens to hundreds of μg/g. Relatively large U/Pb allowed calculation of 206Pb/238U ages that ranged from 1.64±0.36 (2σ) to 6.16±0.50Ma for authigenic opal and from 8.34±0.28 to 11.2±1.3Ma for detrital opal/chalcedony. Three samples with the most radiogenic Pb isotope compositions also allowed calculation of 207Pb/235U ages, which were concordant with 206Pb/238U ages from the same samples.These results indicate that basin development at Midway Valley was initiated between about 8 and 6Ma, and that the basin was filled at long-term average deposition rates of less than 1cm/ka. Because alluvium in Midway Valley was derived from adjacent highlands at Yucca Mountain, the low rates of deposition determined in this study may imply a slow rate of erosion of Yucca Mountain. Volcanic strata underlying the basin are offset by a number of buried faults to a greater degree than the relatively smooth-sloping bedrock/alluvium contact. These geologic relations indicate that movement on most faults ceased prior to erosional planation and burial. Therefore, ages of the authigenic opal from basal alluvium indicate that the last movement on buried faults was older than about 6Ma.

Cloud frequency climatology at the Andes/Amazon transition: 1. Seasonal and diurnal cycles

Tropical montane regions present a complex local climate but one that may be very sensitive to local and global change. Therefore, it is important to assess their current climatological state, and to understand how the large‐scale circulation may affect local‐scale cloud patterns. We examine the cloud climatology of a tropical Andean montane region in the context of tropical South American climate in terms of seasonal/diurnal cycles using a corrected ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) DX cloud product (1983–2008), MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) MOD35 visible cloud flags (2000–2008) and ground‐based cloud observations. Cloud climatologies were compared for three elevation zones: highlands (puna grassland), eastern slope (the montane forest) and lowlands. We found that in the dry season (JJA) the study area is part of a localized region of higher cloud frequency relative to other parts the eastern slope, and also relative to the adjacent highlands and lowlands. The highlands exhibited the greatest amplitude mean annual cycle of cloud frequency, with a minimum in June for all times of day. There were contrasts between the three zones with regard to the month in which the minimum cloud frequency occurs between different times of day. Higher lowland and eastern slope cloud frequencies compared with those on the puna in the early hours in the wet season suggest low‐level convergence at lower elevations. Comparisons between satellite products show that ISCCP and MODIS produce very similar annual cycles although the absolute cloud frequencies are higher in ISCCP data.

A New Golden Toad (Bufonidae:Incilius) from Northwestern Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico

We describe Incilius aurarius sp. nov., a new species of toad known from several localities on the humid Caribbean slopes of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, and adjacent highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. This species previously has been confused with populations of Incilius valliceps and Incilius macrocristatus. The new species is morphologically similar to the Mexican species I. macrocristatus but differs by having less prominent crests, a distinctive golden coloration in the males, and the absence of vocal slits.

GIS and Remote Sensing Based Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Food Security: The Case of Central Rift Valley and Adjacent Highlands

The effects of climate change are severe in developing countries like Ethiopiawhere agriculture is the dominant economy. The Remote Sensing and GIS based analysis of climate change impact is crucial to help Ethiopia benefit the most from the technology. This study aims at assessing changes and variations in climatic elements in Central Rift Valley and adjacent highlands of Ethiopia where climate change has resulted in food insecurity. Thirty five years data analyzed from 22 meteorological stations indicate that temperature is rising by 0.37oC in the Central Rift Valley and by 0.48oC in the adjacent highlands every 12 years along with insignificant rise of rainfall in intensity.

Mud volcanoes in the geologic record of Mars: The case of Firsoff crater

We report the detection of mound-like landforms interpreted as mud volcanoes within Firsoff crater, in the Arabia Terra region of Mars. The mounds stratigraphically overlie layered deposits within the crater, which consist of high albedo well-bedded deposits disrupted in meter-sized polygons. Hundreds of mounds are observed on the crater floor, as isolated or composite subcircular cones 100–500 m in diameter and tens of meters high. More than one third of the mounds (35%) have subcircular depressions 5–39 m in diameter at their apices that we interpret as vents. The mounds consist of meter-sized boulders of high albedo, embedded in an apparently finer-grained unit; we interpret these deposits as mud volcanic breccia, containing boulders of reworked light-toned layered deposits carried upward from deeper portions of the succession. The mounds are mainly located near the rim-bordering faults and in places aligned with fractures, suggesting subsurface pathways for fluid migration. The mounds are interpreted as fossil mud volcanoes, recording the upward migration of overpressured fluids through the crater infill from deeper crustal sources, localized by impact-related faults. The geological conditions and processes that might have controlled sedimentary expulsion on Mars are discussed. Mud volcanism has most of its controls in the subsurface. As a consequence, subsurface fluid flow processes could be expected in other craters within Arabia Terra and are less likely in higher, adjacent highland terrains.

Paleoenvironmental and paleoecological reconstruction of a freshwater oasis in savannah grassland at FLK North, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

The records of early hominins are commonly localized both temporally and spatially even in archaeologically rich basins like Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The FLK North site was discovered in 1960, but the reason for the exact location of this dense concentration of fossils and stone tools on a lake-margin flat has not been explained. We present new geological and geochemical information from six excavations in upper Bed I, which revealed up to 1.4-m-thick carbonate deposits, attesting to the presence of freshwater springs in the area surrounding FLK North. The δ 18O signatures of the tufa are typical for meteoric water that has evolved during evaporation. Tuff IF that caps the sequence was deposited on uneven topography with the highest area a low-relief ridge between two faults at the archaeological site and lowest areas being sites of groundwater discharge. The model proposed here is that rainfall on adjacent highlands was transported to the basin where faults acted as conduits for water. Similar hydrogeological settings at modern lakes Manyara and Eyasi, currently support lush groundwater forest and woodland despite arid climate. FLK North may have been an “oasis” offering freshwater and shelter for consuming meat by both carnivores and hominins.

Climate change and human occupation in the Southern Arabian lowlands during the last deglaciation and the Holocene

Paleohydrological and archaeological evidence from the Southern and South-Eastern Arabian Peninsula reveal strong relations between phases of human settlements and climate change linked to the Indian monsoon system. During the early to mid-Holocene, large fresh-water lakes extended in the lowland deserts of Ramlat as-Sab'atayn (Yemen) and Wahiba Sands (Oman), which were very similar to those occurring in the North, in the Rub' al-Khali (Saudi Arabia), at that time. Many archaeological sites, characterized by scattered stone artefacts, ostrich-eggshells and bones around hearths, are related to this lacustrine phase, which culminated around 10 000–8000 cal yr B.P. in the lowland deserts before the lakes progressively dried up. The last record of fresh-water bodies' extensions date back 7300 cal yr B.P. at Shabwa (Yemen) and 7500 cal yr B.P. at al-Haid (Oman). Then, fresh-water was probably available only from seasonal run-off from adjacent highlands, where paleolakes persisted into the late Holocene. Dry climate conditions in the inland desert of Yemen during the late Holocene coincide with a phase of intensive human inhabitation as testified by development of irrigation in the piedmontane areas, numerous necropolises of built collective burials and houses.

Late Quaternary Paleohydrology of the Madre de Dios River, southwestern Amazon Basin, Peru

Late Quaternary climatic and hydrologic variability triggered changes in fluvial deposition and erosion along the course of the Madre de Dios River, Peru, the largest tributary basin of the Madeira basin, itself the largest tributary basin of the Amazon. Three laterally extensive, Quaternary-age, terrace tracts are present within the Madre de Dios basin. Analysis of sedimentary facies, present in the modern cut banks and terraced sequences, along with radiocarbon dates on fossil wood and leaf material preserved in the terraced strata, allow reconstruction of the Late Quaternary depositional history of the sedimentary sequences, including determination of the approximate timing of aggradation and downcutting episodes and its relationship to the timing of past climate change in this portion of the Amazon basin and beyond. The Quaternary sediments underlying the terraces most often recorded deposition in a coarse-grained meandering fluvial system. The T3 terrace, the highest terrace, is underlain by the Miocene (?) Ipururi Formation, which is unconformably overlain by the late Miocene–Pleistocene (?) (> 48,000 cal yrs BP) Madre de Dios Formation, a multistory coarse-sandy to gravelly channel and point bar complex. The latter was downcut before 29,850 ± 100 cal yrs BP. This downcut landscape was infilled by meandering fluvial strata characterized by gravelly channel deposits in a sequence dominated by floodplain and lateral accretion deposits. These strata were in turn downcut to form the T2 terrace before 11,970 ± 100 cal yrs BP. A third episode of aggradation resulted in the deposition of a sand-dominated meandering channel complex that infilled the T2 valley and was subsequently downcut after 3780 ± 50 cal yrs BP. This most recent terrace is infilled by the modern fluvial sediment, which has been actively aggrading since at least 870 ± 50 cal yrs BP. Importantly, the Madre de Dios fluvial system actively aggraded between 30,000 and 25,000 cal yrs BP, (and likely much younger, as dated samples were, thus far, only found near the base of the T2 sequence). This observation implies that some combination of (1) increased precipitation and decreased temperature, (2) decreased evapotranspiration and increased runoff, (3) increased Andean glacial erosion and increased sediment supply, and (4) decreased atmospheric CO 2 (hence decreased rain-forest primary productivity and altered rain-forest physiology/ecology), entering the last glacial maximum period brought about increased floodplain deposition in the southwestern Amazon. Elsewhere in the Amazon basin few, if any, fluvial sediments of this age range have been observed. The start of the next major phase of aggradation coincided with the Younger Dryas and suggested that floodplain sedimentation in the lowlands was again related to cold and wet conditions in the adjacent highlands (and perhaps in the lowlands as well) and that Madre de Dios history was also tied to large-scale global climate. This aggradation may have continued throughout the early and mid-Holocene, until at least 3,780 cal yr BP. If so (and this is uncertain), this episode of sedimentation took place during a dry period.