Future Dating Research Articles

Rogue sawflies: rare late Eocene amber fossils provide new calibration points for dating the evolution of Tenthredinoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

True sawflies (Tenthredinoidea) have a substantial fossil record but are rarely encountered in Eocene ambers. Here we describe three new taxa in this superfamily from late Eocene ambers. †Rovnotaxonus aristovi gen. et sp. nov. is the first true sawfly reported from Rovno amber. Based primarily on characters in the fore wing venation, we assign the new taxon to Tenthredinidae: Allantinae: Allantini. We also describe two new species of Diprionidae from Baltic amber: †Eodiprion pectinatus sp. nov. from a female specimen and †Monodiprion gladius gen. et sp. nov. from a male previously reported as †Eodiprion sp. by Schedl (2008); we redescribe †Eodiprion Schedl, 2007 and provide emended diagnoses of the genus and of †Eodiprion groehni Schedl, 2007. We integrate all these fossils as well as †Sambia Vilhelmsen and Engel, 2012 (Tenthredinidae: Tenthredininae) previously described from Baltic amber in a combined data set assembled from previously published morphological and molecular data sets. We analyse the combined data set in a Bayesian framework and implement RoguePlots to evaluate the positions of the fossils. The diprionid fossils are unequivocally placed inside Diprionidae, in a polytomy with extant members of Diprioninae; the Monocteninae, the other subfamily currently recognized in the family, is not retrieved as monophyletic. †Rovnotaxonus is placed inside Allantinae and shares some characters with Taxonus. †Sambia is placed near the base of Tenthredininae. The evaluation of the phylogenetic position of the fossils treated here will make them available for future dating analyses of Tenthredinoidea, helping to further elucidate the evolutionary history of this significant lineage of herbivorous insects. Possible reasons for the comparatively low abundance of true sawflies in late Eocene ambers are discussed. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pubF2095774-CF02-4851-8D73-250B5718EF6F.

Impact of increasing morphological information by micro-CT scanning on the phylogenetic placement of Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in amber

The correct interpretation of fossils and their reliable taxonomic placements are fundamental for understanding the evolutionary history of biodiversity. Amber inclusions often preserve more morphological information than compression fossils, but are often partially hidden or distorted, which can impede taxonomic identification. Here, we studied four new fossil species of Darwin wasps from Baltic and Dominican amber, using micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scans and 3D reconstructions to accurately interpret and increase the availability of morphological information. We then infer their taxonomic placement in a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis by combining morphological and molecular data of extant and fossil Darwin wasps and evaluate the impact and usefulness of the additional information from micro-CT scanning. The results show that although we gained significant morphological information from micro-CT scanning, especially concerning measurements and hidden dorsal and ventral structures, this did not impact subfamily-level placement for any of the four fossils. However, micro-CT scanning improved the precision of fossil placements at the genus level, which might be key in future dating and diversification analyses. Finally, we describe the four new fossil species as Rhyssa gulliveri sp. nov. in Rhyssinae, Triclistus levii sp. nov. in Metopiinae, Firkantus freddykruegeri gen. et. sp. nov. in Pimplinae and Magnocula sarcophaga gen. et sp. nov. in Phygadeuontinae. The first two species are the first known representatives of the subfamilies Rhyssinae and Metopiinae in amber.

Historical explosive activity of Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field (Antarctica) revealed by englacial tephra deposits

Five tephra layers named BRH1 to 5 were sampled in an ice cliff located on the north-eastern flank of Mount Melbourne (northern Victoria Land, Antarctica). The texture, componentry, mineralogy, and major and trace element compositions of glass shards have been used to characterize these layers. These properties suggest that they are primary fall deposits produced from discrete eruptions that experienced varying degrees of magma/water interaction. The major and trace element glass shard analyses on single glass shards indicate that Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field is the source of these tephra layers and the geochemical diversity highlights that the eruptions were fed by compositionally diverse melts that are interpreted to be from a complex magma system with a mafic melt remobilizing more evolved trachy-andesitic to trachytic magma pockets. Geochemical compositions, along with textural and mineralogical data, have allowed correlations between two of the englacial tephra and distal cryptotephra from Mount Melbourne, recovered within a marine sediment core in the Edisto Inlet (~ 280 km northeast of Mount Melbourne), and constrain the age of these englacial tephra layers to between the third and the fourth century CE. This work provides new evidence of the intense historical explosive activity of the Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field and better constrains the rates of volcanism in northern Victoria Land. These data grant new clues on the eruptive dynamics and tephra dispersal, and considerably expand the geochemical (major and trace elements) dataset available for the Mount Melbourne Volcanic Field. In the future, this will facilitate the precise identification of tephra layers from this volcanic source and will help define the temporal and spatial correlation between Antarctic records using tephra layers. Finally, this work also yields new valuable time-stratigraphic marker horizons for future dating, synchronization, and correlations of different palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic records across large regions of Antarctica.

Laser ablation (in situ) Lu-Hf dating of magmatic fluorite and hydrothermal fluorite-bearing veins

Fluorite (CaF2) is a common hydrothermal mineral, which precipitates from fluorine-rich fluids with an exceptional capacity to transport metals and Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Hence, the ability to date fluorite has important implications for understanding the timing of metal transport in hydrothermal systems. Here we present, for the first time, fluorite Lu-Hf dates from fluorite-carbonate veins from the Olympic Cu-Au Province in South Australia. The fluorite dates were obtained in situ using the recently developed LA-ICP-MS/MS Lu-Hf dating method. A fluorite-calcite age of 1588 ± 19 Ma was obtained for the Torrens Dam prospect, consistent with the timing of the formation of the nearby Olympic Dam iron-oxide copper gold Breccia Complex. Veins in the overlying Neoproterozoic successions were dated at 502 ± 14 Ma, indicating a temporal link between Cu-sulphide remobilisation and the Delamerian Orogeny. Additionally, we present a multi-session reproducible date for magmatic fluorite from a monzogranite in the Pilbara Craton (Lu-Hf age of 2866 ± 19 Ma). This age is consistent with a garnet Lu-Hf age from the same sample (2850 ± 12 Ma) and holds potential to be developed into a secondary reference material for future fluorite Lu-Hf dating.

Repercussions of Rejecting Unwanted Advances: Gender Differences in Experience and Concern

Here we investigated how a history of experiencing unwanted advances—both sexual and romantic—impact a person’s stress and strategies when rejecting future advances. In this study (N = 465; 71% women), women reported experiencing unwanted advances earlier in life compared to men, and these women were more likely to have greater worry over such advances. Additionally, women tended to worry more than men about the repercussions of rejecting these advances (e.g., being hit, being yelled at). Lastly, women were more likely to employ a myriad of strategies (e.g., run away, call a friend) to ensure their safety when rejecting an advance. In contrast, men were more likely to remain friends with the rejected person. Ultimately, women have to deal with rejecting advances at an early age and this early onset has consequences for future dating.

Revision of the damselfly Hesperagrion praevolans (Odonata, Zygoptera, Coenagrionidae) from the uppermost Eocene of Florissant (Colorado, USA)

The damselfly family Coenagrionidae is rather frequently found in the Cenozoic fossil record (Nel & Paicheler, 1993), but it remains unknown in the Mesozoic. The known fossils are generally isolated wings, very difficult to accurately attribute to precise genera, to the point that many fossils can be only considered as ‘genera and species undetermined’ (Nel et al., 1997). The oldest described coenagrionid fossil is the late Palaeocene Marado marado Petrulevičius, 2021 (Maíz Gordo Formation, Argentina), a genus and species based on an isolated incomplete wing. Thus, other Eocene representatives of the family are important for future accurate dating of the occurrence of the family and its subdivisions, especially those that have been attributed to extant genera; a future step after the important work of Dijkstra et al. (2014) for the understanding of the evolution of these damselflies.

The Dome Fuji ice core DF2021 chronology (0–207 kyr BP)

Precise ice-core chronologies are essential for identifying the timing and duration of polar climatic changes as well as their phasing with the changes in other parts of the globe. However, existing ice-core chronologies beyond the last 60 kyr show relatively large disagreements with each other and with U–Th chronologies of speleothems. Here, we constructed new ice and gas age scales for the Dome Fuji (DF) core (DF2021) over the last 207 kyr by combining a Bayesian dating model and firn densification model, constrained by various types of chronological and glaciological information including new δO2/N2 age markers, precise synchronization to other high-quality chronologies (volcanic, cosmogenic, and CH4 signals), and high-resolution δ15N of N2 (reflecting past firn thickness). The new chronology is tightly constrained by synchronization to other well-dated records for the last 60 kyr, whereas it is independent from other chronologies for the older period. For the last 60 kyr, the DF2021 chronology agrees with the layer-counted ice core chronologies (GICC05 and a part of WD2014) and U–Th chronologies of speleothems within ∼200 years. For the period 60–130 kyr BP, the timing of all Dansgaard-Oeschger warming events on DF2021 agree with those of corresponding events in the U–Th dated Chinese or European speleothems mostly within 1 kyr (well within 2σ uncertainty of DF2021). The excellent agreement suggests high accuracy of our chronology, and supports the assumption of negligible phasing between the past local summer solstice insolation and δO2/N2 fractionation at bubble close-off (the basis for constructing the δO2/N2 age markers). Between 130 and 207 kyr BP (penultimate glacial period), there is a lower degree of similarity between the variations in atmospheric CH4 and speleothem calcite δ18O than in the last glacial period, making the age comparison challenging. The comparison of DF2021 with 9 U–Th dates at 7 abrupt events shows the mean difference of −0.2 ± 0.8 kyr, which is within the DF2021 uncertainty (on the order of 1.5 kyr). The DF2021 chronology agrees with the AICC2012 chronology within 2 kyr except between ∼103 and 128 kyr BP where AICC2012 is likely too young by up to ∼4 kyr. By analyzing the lag between δ18O of O2 (δ18Oatm) on DF2021 and 65°N summer solstice insolation, the relatively large error in AICC2012 is found to originate in three δ18Oatm age markers assuming a constant lag, which are off by more than 3 kyr. The phasing between δ18Οatm and orbital forcing identified in this study may be useful for future ice core dating, especially where other age constraints are weak or lacking.

Controls on luminescence signals in lake sediment cores: A study from Lake Suigetsu, Japan

The luminescence characteristics of sediments are driven by a range of environmental factors and can be used as indicators of both local and regional environmental shifts. Hence, rapid luminescence profiling techniques are increasingly employed during multiproxy analysis of sediment cores, overcoming the practical limitations of traditional (dating) methods. One emerging application of luminescence profiling is in the palaeoenvironmental investigation of lake cores. This study demonstrates the versatility of rapid core profiling using portable optically stimulated luminescence and laboratory profiling techniques for appraising the luminescence characteristics of the Lake Suigetsu (Japan) sediment cores. These techniques were employed across four key time periods, each selected for their unique environmental context and significance on either a local or global scale, in order to identify relationships between down-core luminescence and environmental change. We demonstrate that the luminescence characteristics of the cores are susceptible to a range of environmental perturbations and can therefore act as proxies of past change. Additionally, the quantification of these luminescence signals, alongside an assessment of dose rate variations down-core, supports the notion that future luminescence dating is feasible. The results of this analysis contribute to the wider understanding of the application of luminescence techniques – both profiling and dating – to lake sediment cores. • Rapid down-core profiling techniques are applied to sediment cores from Lake Suigetsu, Japan. • Down-core luminescence signals are sensitive to a range of catchment-scale environmental changes. • Estimates of dose rate are made from elemental concentrations and provide an assessment of chronometric accuracy.

Magnetostratigraphy of U-Pb–dated boreholes in Svalbard, Norway, implies that magnetochron M0r (a proposed Barremian-Aptian boundary marker) begins at 121.2 ± 0.4 Ma

Abstract The age of the beginning of magnetic polarity Chron M0r, a proposed marker for the base of the Aptian Stage, is disputed due to a divergence of published radioisotopic dates and ambiguities in stratigraphic correlation of sections. Our magnetostratigraphy of core DH1 from Svalbard, Norway, calibrates a bentonite bed, dated by U-Pb methods to 123.1 ± 0.3 Ma, to the uppermost part of magnetozone M1r, which is ∼1.9 m.y. before the beginning of Chron M0r. This is the first direct calibration of any high-precision radioisotopic date to a polarity chron of the M sequence. The interpolated age of 121.2 ± 0.4 Ma for the beginning of Chron M0r is younger by ∼5 m.y. than its estimated age used in the Geologic Time Scale 2012, which had been extrapolated from radioisotopic dates on oceanic basalts and from Aptian cyclostratigraphy. The adjusted age model implies a commensurate faster average global oceanic spreading rate of ∼12% during the Aptian–Santonian interval. Future radioisotopic dating and high-resolution cyclostratigraphy are needed to investigate where to expand the mid-Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous interval by the required ∼4 m.y.

Glacial geomorphology of the Aladağlar, central Taurus Mountains, Turkey

ABSTRACT The Aladağlar is a mountain range located in the central Taurus Mountains (37°45′ N, 35°15′ E) along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, dominated by geomorphic features intervened by karstic and glacial landscapes. The Aladağlar, also known as The Alps of Turkey, is one of the most popular places for mountaineering. Here, we present a comprehensive glacial geomorphological map of the mountain. Despite increased recent research, understanding of the spatial distribution of glacial landforms is still poorly known. To provide a framework for future research, we present a 1:50,000-scale glacial geomorphological map, covering an area of ∼1200 km2. Our map is based on remote sensing and detailed field observations on geomorphological imprints of glacial erosional and depositional landforms, such as glacial valleys, cirques, arêtes, horns, debris-covered glaciers, moraines and outwash fans. Our glacial geomorphological map could be used as a base for future dating and glacier reconstructions efforts.

A new classification ofCarex(Cyperaceae) subgenera supported by a HybSeq backbone phylogenetic tree

AbstractThe field of systematics is experiencing a new molecular revolution driven by the increased availability of high-throughput sequencing technologies. As these techniques become more affordable, the increased genomic resources have increasingly far-reaching implications for our understanding of the Tree of Life. With c. 2000 species, Carex (Cyperaceae) is one of the five largest genera of angiosperms and one of the two largest among monocots, but the phylogenetic relationships between the main lineages are still poorly understood. We designed a Cyperaceae-specific HybSeq bait kit using transcriptomic data of Carex siderosticta and Cyperus papyrus. We identified 554 low-copy nuclear orthologous loci, targeting a total length of c. 1 Mbp. Our Cyperaceae-specific kit shared loci with a recently published angiosperm-specific Anchored Hybrid Enrichment kit, which enabled us to include and compile data from different sources. We used our Cyperaceae kit to sequence 88 Carex spp., including samples of all the five major clades in the genus. For the first time, we present a phylogenetic tree of Carex based on hundreds of loci (308 nuclear exon matrices, 543 nuclear intron matrices and 66 plastid exon matrices), demonstrating that there are six strongly supported main lineages in Carex: the Siderostictae, Schoenoxiphium, Unispicate, Uncinia, Vignea and Core Carex clades. Based on our results, we suggest a revised subgeneric treatment and provide lists of the species belonging to each of the subgenera. Our results will inform future biogeographic, taxonomic, molecular dating and evolutionary studies in Carex and provide the step towards a revised classification that seems likely to stand the test of time.

Revisiting Late Pleistocene glacier dynamics north-west of the Feldberg, southern Black Forest, Germany

Abstract. The southern Black Forest was temporarily covered by a ∼1000 km2 large ice cap during the Late Pleistocene. However, during the last glaciation maximum in the Alps the atmospheric circulation over Europe was presumably characterised by the advection of humid air masses from the Mediterranean Sea. As a consequence, the ice cap of the Black Forest was likely in a leeward position due to its location north of the Alps. This raises the question of whether it reached its last maximum extent simultaneously with the glaciers in the Alps. As modern dating techniques have hitherto not been applied to the southern Black Forest, the timing of the last local glaciation maximum remains poorly constrained. As a first step towards an independent regional glacier chronology, we present a critical re-examination of glacial landforms in the area north-west of the highest summit of the Black Forest (Feldberg, 1493 m a.s.l.). It relies on both the analysis of remote sensing data and field mapping. The review of previous studies highlights important disagreements regarding the location of ice-marginal positions and their correlation. In addition, our findings challenge earlier studies on the glaciation of the Black Forest: some previously described ice-marginal positions could not be confirmed, whereas some of the newly identified moraines are described for the first time. This highlights the need for detailed geomorphological investigations prior to the application of geochronological methods. A multi-ridged series of terminal moraines in one of the studied valleys, Sankt Wilhelmer Tal, is proposed as the main target for future dating. Due to discrepancies with earlier studies, future efforts should reinvestigate other key areas related to the last glaciation of the southern Black Forest.

Exploring Sea Country through high-resolution 3D seismic imaging of Australia’s NW shelf: Resolving early coastal landscapes and preservation of underwater cultural heritage

Almost 2 million square km of Australia’s continental shelf was flooded following the termination of the last glacial maximum, and with it the cultural heritage of the first arrival and coastal occupation of Australia beginning some 65,000 years ago. In order to prospect for this missing cultural record, we must first identify submerged coastal landscapes and landforms that likely provided favourable environments for occupation and resource use. However, this task is challenged by the sheer size of the Australian continental margin. To help address this, we use industry 3D seismic datasets, that cover vast areas of Australia’s continental shelf, to map seafloor bathymetry at high resolution (10–25 m). Our study focuses an area of 6500 square km on the mid/outer shelf regions proximal to Barrow Island. The 3D seismic bathymetry revealed a highly complex and geomorphically mature coastal landscape preserved at depths of 70–75 m below sea level, including coastal barrier dunes, lagoonal systems, tidal flats and estuarine channels. Based on the depth of the submerged shorelines and reconstructed sea level curves, the age range of these coastal landforms is constrained to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (57–29 ka), which overlaps with the known onset of occupation at Barrow Island and the wider Carnarvon bioregion and the adjacent Pilbara. Such feature preservation has significant geoheritage value, but also allows for human behavioural ecology modelling and provides targets for future dating and site survey.

Comprehensive characterization of elevated coastal platforms in the north Iberian margin: A new template to quantify uplift rates and tectonic patterns

The Cantabrian margin, at the northern Iberian Peninsula, shows elevated coastal platforms extending from west to east for >200 km. These erosional surfaces are several kilometers wide, and are bounded inland by a paleoshoreline, and towards the sea by the retreating current cliff. The origin and evolution of these geomorphologic markers remains controversial, one of the main challenges arising from the difficulties in correlating the patchy distribution of the platforms and their variable heights along the margin due to lithological differences, local tectonism, and varying degrees of preservation. With the aim of understanding recent coastal evolution, a systematic quantitative GIS analysis of LiDAR elevation models (5 m resolution) was carried out along 4.000 km2 of the Cantabrian coast between 4.15°W and 7.30°W longitude. The coastline runs parallel to the Cantabrian Mountains, which are supported by an orogenic root present only beneath the eastern half of the coastline under study. The integration on the GIS template of the crust-mantle boundary as a controlling factor of landscape development has helped in the understanding of the recent evolution of the coastal platforms, and in the interpretation of previously unexplained features of their distribution.The two main outcomes of this multiscale approach are: 1) the correlation of most of the fragmented rasas as part of an original unique coastal platform along the Cantabrian margin, and 2) the differentiation of two sectors separated by a highly tectonized area associated to the Ventaniella fault. The western sector has one main, continuous surface showing a 0.08° tilt towards the west, sometimes interrupted by local and recent minor faults with net slips of meters to tens of meters. The eastern sector has several steps of erosional surfaces spread out at various heights without tilt. The Ventaniella fault, separating both sectors, produces an apparent vertical offset of 50 m in the main erosional surface. Our study shows that this fault also separates two distinct evolutions in the elevation of the coastal platform: (1) the western coast, which has risen continuously, probably in response to a lateral gradient in crustal thickness; and (2) the eastern coast, where uplift is discontinuous over time since several of these surfaces formed below the main paleoshoreline. The Cantabrian coast captures the influence that crustal structure has on the expression and evolution of geomorphologic markers at the surface. And vice versa, landform features at the surface can be very sensitive to differential crustal thickness while responding to the same external and climatic forces. In the context of the western European framework, our work provides a regional template within which future absolute geochronological dating can be based to improve our knowledge of the recent evolution of the Atlantic margins.

Sexual conflict during Mesozoic: The first Cretaceous damsel bug in Burmese amber (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nabidae)

The oldest Nabidae, Cretanazgul camillei gen. et sp. nov., is described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and attributed to the extant subfamily Prostemmatinae. This new record is in accordance with the emergence of the Nabidae between 150 and 130 Ma. This new fossil should help to precise future dating of this family. As the amber area of Myanmar was probably an island of the Thetys Ocean during the mid-Cretaceous, originating from the Gondwana, it is possible that the Nabidae have a Gondwanian origin. Cretanazgul possibly practiced traumatic insemination as all extant Prostemmatinae, but it was not possible to find the male internal organ linked to this behavior in this fossil despite 3D reconstruction with CT-scan data and fluorescence imaging.

Block stream characteristics in Southern Carpathians (Romania)

Block streams, as common features in the Southern Carpathians, are essential for understanding the evolution of alpine environments. Despite their widespread occurrence, they have frequently been omitted from previous inventories of periglacial landforms and from the general understanding of landscape development. This study evaluated the environmental controls on spatial distribution and dimensions of 2056 block streams for a better understanding of their evolution and climatic significance. Different lithology classes and topographic characteristics were assessed using standard least-square linear regression and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The majority of the block streams belong to the linear morphological type, but six other types of morphologies were found (e.g. sinuous, curved, and braided). Bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis revealed a high density of landforms on southern slopes (59%), granite terrains (47%), and above 1750 m. Large features occur mainly on southern slopes and in areas with granites. Landform dimensions and spatial distribution are influenced to a certain degree by lithology, slope aspect, and elevation, making it difficult to identify a dominant factor. Block streams developed extensively at the end of the Pleistocene under permafrost conditions. Today, these features suggest inactivity, but during the cool episodes of the Holocene (e.g. Little Ice Age - LIA), the formation of block streams above 2100 m was re-initiated. Future absolute dating and monitoring of landform dynamics will support these findings.

Review of the fossil record of the Australian land snail genus Bothriembryon Pilsbry, 1894 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Bothriembryontidae): new distributional and geological data

The land snail genus Bothriembryon Pilsbry, 1894, endemic to southern Australia, contains seven fossil and 39 extant species, and forms part of the Gondwanan family Bothriembryontidae. Little published data on the geographical distribution of fossil Bothriembryon exists. In this study, fossil and modern data of Bothriembryon from nine Australian museums and institutes were mapped for the first time. The fossil Bothriembryon collection in the Western Australian Museum was curated to current taxonomy. Using this data set, the geological age of fossil and extant species was documented. Twenty two extant Bothriembryon species were identified in the fossil collection, with 15 of these species having a published fossil record for the first time. Several fossil and extant species had range extensions. The geological age span of Bothriembryon was determined as a minimum of Late Oligocene to recent, with extant endemic Western Australian Bothriembryon species determined as younger, traced to Pleistocene age. Extant Bothriembryon species from the Nullarbor region were older, dated Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Cave environments proved an excellent source of fossil Bothriembryon material, where shells often showed signs of predation. The dataset from this study provided insights into the origin and radiation of Bothriembryon, and will enable future phylogenetic dating.

Age Estimates on the Deposition of the Cave Ice Block in the Saarhalle Dachstein-Mammoth Cave (Mammuthöhle, Austria) based on 3H and 14C

ABSTRACTMeasurements of the radiocarbon (14C) and tritium (3H) activity in a 5.8-m-long ice core from the Saarhalle, Dachstein-Mammoth Cave allowed a substantial revision of previous opinions concerning the age of the ice block, and provide useful experience that may be applied to future 14C dating of cave ice deposits. The stepped combustion technique results in a remarkably older radiocarbon age for the 800°C than for the 400°C fractions of the carbonaceous matter from ice layer samples. The highest tritium activity (37.2±1.2 TU) can be linked to the period of anthropogenically increased tritium activity of atmospheric precipitation at the mid-1960s, providing a well-dated radiochemical reference horizon. Compared the 3H-based extrapolated ages of two shallow samples to the expected atmospheric signal an average 14C reservoir bias of ~1500 BP was obtained for the insoluble organic fraction combusted at 400°C. The conventional 14C age measured for the 400°C fraction of the deeper samples has been corrected with the average reservoir bias. The median calibrated age of the deepest analyzed sample of the ice profile is ~1830 cal BC and a linear extrapolation to the bottom ice layer gave 2590 cal BC, making the Saarhalle ice block among the oldest dated cave ice deposits known in the Alpine domain.

Passifloraceae seeds from the late Eocene of Colombia.

The plant fossil record for the neotropics is still sparse and temporally discontinuous. The location and description of new fossil material are fundamental for understanding evolutionary and biogeographic patterns of lineages. A new fossil record of Passifloraceae from the late Eocene of Colombia is described in this study. Plant fossils were collected from a new locality from the Eocene Esmeraldas Formation. Eighteen fossil seeds were selected, described, and compared with fossil and extant angiosperm seeds based on the literature and herbarium collections. Taxonomic affinities of the fossil seeds within Passifloraceae s.l. were evaluated by comparing morphological characters of the seeds in a phylogenetic context. Stratigraphic information associated with the fossil locality was used to interpret the environment and taphonomic processes associated with fossil deposition. A new seed fossil genus and species, Passifloroidesperma sogamosense gen. and sp. nov., is described and associated with the subfamily Passifloroideae based on the presence of a foveolate seed surface, ruminate endosperm, and a seed coat with prismatic palisade cells. The depositional environment of the locality is described as a floodplain associated with river channels. A detailed review of the Passifloraceae fossil record indicates that P. sogamosense is the oldest confirmed record of Passifloraceae. Its late Eocene age provides a minimum age that can be used as a calibration point for the crown Passifloroideae node in future dating analyses that together with its neotropical geographic location can shed light on the origin and diversification of the subfamily.

Beach deposits containing Middle Paleolithic archaeological remains from northern Israel

Beach deposits of the last interglacial maximum, MIS 5e, are common on the Mediterranean coasts, however only a few of them contain archaeological remains. Four beach deposits containing Paleolithic remains were previously identified on the Carmel coast of northern Israel which relate to the MIS 5e sea-level high stand of the last interglacial maximum. Here we report on a newly identified outcrop of beach deposit containing archaeological remains from Rosh Haniqra, on the northern Galilee coast, termed the Rosh Haniqra railway hill section. This beach deposit is in the form of a tilted lens (12.5 m long and 1.5 m thick) and is composed of seven layers, containing limestone pebbles and cobbles, crushed and whole marine shells, flaked flint implements and a mammalian bone, cemented by calcite. While the previously known Carmel coast beach deposits are embedded above or in kurkar deposits (aeolian calcareous cemented quartz sandstone), the Rosh Haniqra railway hill beach deposit lies directly on Cretaceous bedrock and is overlain by a 5 m-thick layer of kurkar. Based on the typology of the lithic artifacts and their similarity to other Middle and Late Mousterian flint assemblages found in beach deposits and loamy red soils along the northern Israeli coast, the Rosh Haniqra railway hill beach deposit probably dates to the MIS 5e high sea stand. However, its attribution to the earlier MIS 7 stage dating to ca. 200 ka, cannot be entirely discounted. Future absolute dating of the deposits may clarify this issue.