Part Of Siberia Research Articles

Socioeconomic Development of Regions of Siberia and Russian Far East: Statistical Analysis

The economic development of Russia, given the country’s vast territory, the distribution patterns of natural resources and population, and the diverse climate conditions, is logically uneven and characterized by territorial variation. Particular focus of the federal government should be placed on the conditions emerging in Siberia and the Russian Far East. The major limiting factor is the increasing population outflows to the central federal subjects of the Russian Federation, particularly visible among the working-age population. Apart from it, another limiting factor is the natural conditions in these two federal districts, namely, the harsh weather conditions, the typical inland climate, seismic activity, etc. Moreover, a major part of Siberia and the Far East is designated as a territory with special requirements in terms of natural resource development, which is due to the existing national reserves and parks. The Baikal natural area, the basin of Lake Baikal, are of particular importance. These factors have brought to the foreground the need for a break-up of the Siberia Federal District and the Far East Federal District to improve the economic efficiency of such spacious areas of the country. There is a proposal to establish a new federal district known under the working reference as “Central Eurasia” and meant to include the Republics of Buryatia, Tyva, Khakassia, and Sakha (Yakutia), the Trans-Baikal and Krasnoyarsk Territories and the Irkutsk region. The proposed spatial arrangement of productive forces would improve the efficiency of use of both labor and natural resources.

Estimation of Burned Area in the Northeastern Siberian Boreal Forest from a Long-Term Data Record (LTDR) 1982–2015 Time Series

A Bayesian classifier mapped the Burned Area (BA) in the Northeastern Siberian boreal forest (70°N 120°E–60°N 170°E) from 1982 to 2015. The algorithm selected the 0.05° (~5 km) Long-Term Data Record (LTDR) version 3 and 4 data sets to generate 10-day BA composites. Landsat-TM scenes of the entire study site in 2002, 2010, and 2011 assessed the spatial accuracy of this LTDR-BA product, in comparison to Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD45A1 and MCD64A1 BA products. The LTDR-BA algorithm proves a reliable source to quantify BA in this part of Siberia, where comprehensive BA remote sensing products since the 1980s are lacking. Once grouped by year and decade, this study explored the trends in fire activity. The LTDR-BA estimates contained a high interannual variability with a maximum of 2.42 million ha in 2002, an average of 0.78 million ha/year, and a standard deviation of 0.61 million ha. Going from 6.36 in the 1980s to 10.21 million ha BA in the 2010s, there was a positive linear BA trend of approximately 1.28 million ha/decade during these last four decades in the Northeastern Siberian boreal forest.

Typification of the Linnaean name Corispermum squarrosum, with notes on C. hyssopifolium and nomenclatural implications for Agriophyllum (Chenopodiaceae: Corispermeae)

The Linnaean name Corispermum squarrosum (Chenopodiaceae, Corispermeae) is lectotypified here by the specimen LINN 12.3. This specimen is identifiable with the plant currently known as C. uralense, a species occurring in southeasternmost regions of Europe and adjacent parts of Siberia and Kazakhstan, and the name C. squarrosum should be now applied to it. Our lectotypification of C. squarrosum restores the original taxonomic application by Linnaeus to an East European species of Corispermum. It is demonstrated that the epithet “squarrosum” was misapplied to several species of Corispermum and one species of Agriophyllum. This long-standing nomenclatural confusion was initiated by Pallas, who, contrary to Linnaeus, considered a species of Agriophyllum as “the only true C. squarrosum”. That concept was then accepted by Moquin-Tandon and Aellen and followed by some other authors. Nomenclatural implications of the lectotypification of C. squarrosum are explained. As a result of our lectotypification, the most widespread species of Agriophyllum (widely known as A. arenarium and “A. squarrosum” sensu Moquin-Tandon), should be called A. pungens. The generic name Agriophyllum was not validly published by Marschall von Bieberstein in 1819 (provisional name), but it was validated by C.A. Meyer in 1831. Relevant updated nomenclatural citations are provided.

New association Сladophoro fractae–Stuckenietum chakassiensis of the class Ruppietea maritimae from Siberia

New ass. Cladophoro fractae–Stuckenietum chakas­siensis Kipriyanova ass. nov. hoc loco, referred to the alliance Сladophoro fractae–Stuckenion chakassiensis Kipriyanova all. nov. hoc loco, to the order Ruppietalia maritimae J. Tx. ex Den Hartog et Segal 1964 and to the class Ruppietea maritimae J. Tx. ex Den Hartog et Segal 1964 was described in Siberia. Nomenclature type (holotypus) — relevé 3 (author′s number 5.3) in Table. Dominating diagnostic species is Stuckenia chakassiensis (Kaschina) Klinkova (Flora Nizhnego Povolzhiya, 2006). (Synonyms are Potamogetonpectinatus L. subsp. chakassiensis Kaschina in Krasnob. et Safonova, 1986, Novoe o Fl. Sibiri: 245. — P. chakassiensis (Kaschina) Volob. 1991, Sibir. Biol. Zhurn. 5: 75. — P. chakassiensis var. tenuior Volob. 1993, Sibir. Biol. Zhurn. 3: 57. — P. intramongolicus Ma, 1983, Acta Bot. Bor.-Occid. Sin. 3(1): 8, nom. inval. — P. acifolius Ma, 1983, Acta Bot. Bor.-Occid. Sin. 3(1): 8, nom. inval. — Stuckeniaintramongolica (Ma) Tzvel. 1999, Bot. Zhurn. 84(7): 111, nom. illeg.). The species richness (data of fifteen relevés) is 1–4 per relevé, which is explained by relatively high salinity values. A total of 8 species were registered in association communities. Communities with total cover 20–95 %, occupy quite large (from 20 to more than 100 m2) areas in the studied lakes. The main ­layer — submerged plants — is made by shoots of Stuckenia chakassiensis. There are other species with a wide range of halotolerance (Cladophora species), as well as brackish and saline water species (Ruppia maritima, Chara aspera, C. canescens, C. altaica) and Althenia orientalis, Ruppia drepanensis, R. cirrhosa, Lamprotamnium papulosum, which are much rarer in Western Siberia. Other layers are not expressed, except for the emergent plants represented by reed on the border of belts of submergent and emergent vegetation. Communities of associations were observed only in the brackish (oligohaline, mesohaline, polyhaline) waters of the various classes and groups: mainly sodium-chloride in the south of West Siberia, and sodium-bicarbonate in East Siberia. Not too often they were found in sodium-sulfate and magnesium-bicarbonate waters. Salinity range of association in Transbaikalia was 1.11–9.57 g/dm3. Maximum salinity for Stuckenia chakassiensis communities in the Novosibirsk region was 10.32 g/dm3, in the lakes of Khakassia — 28.8 g/dm3. The pH values varied from 6.55 to 10.50. Special publications (Kipriyanova et al., 2016, 2017) are devoted to a description of the hydrochemical preferences of the S. chakassiensis and some other species of the genus Stuckenia in the lakes of Transbaikalia. According to the obtained data in the brackish waters of the lakes of East Siberia, S. chakassiensis forms thickets with rather high productivity (up to 517.4±89.51 g/m2 abs. dry weight) (Kipriyanova et al., 2017). The association′s area of distribution appears to coincide with the range of the species, which is a southern part of Siberia (Kurgan Region, Novosibirsk Region, Altai Territory, the Republic of Khakassia, the Republic of Buryatia, Trans-Baikal Territory), northern Kazakhstan, northern China, Mongolia, and rarely — the South Eastern Europe: Volgograd Region (Chernyshkovsky district, in the estuaries and lakes of the Tsimlyansky sand massif near the hamlets Tormosin and Morskoy ) (Flora of the Lower Volga region, 2006; Krasnaya..., 2006) and in the Caucasus ­(Tzvelev, 1990). The association quite logically fits into the class Ruppietea and the order Ruppietalia. In addition to the actual cenoses of different Ruppia species, the communities of other aquatic halotolerant plants, such as the association of emergent plant Eleocharitetum parvulae (Christiansen 1934) Gillner 1960, the bryophyte cenoses Rielletum helicophyllae Cirujano et al. 1993, Rielletum notarisii Cirujano et al. 1993 may be included into this class (Rivas-Martínez et al., 2002; and others). Some researchers place into this class the communities of halotolerant charophytes of the Charion canescentis Krausch 1964 alliance, and the ass. Ranunculetum baudotii Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952 (Berg et al., 2014). The input of the ass. Cladophoro fractae–Stuckenietum chakassiensis to the Ruppietea class corresponds to principles and methods of the Braun-Blanquet approach (Braun-Blanquet, 1964), since the diagnostic species of the new association is accompanied with different species abundance in the brackish and saline waters: Ruppia maritima, Chara canescens, C. altaica, as well as species with a wide range of halotolerance — Cladophora fracta and others. The character diagnostic species of Сladophoro fractae–Stuckenion chakassiensis alliance are the species specific for continental brackish and saline waters of forest-steppe and steppe zones of Asia such as Stuckenia chakassiensis, S. macrocarpa, Chara altaica.

Phylogeographical structure of the boreal-montane orchidMalaxis monophyllosas a result of multi-directional gene flow

�2 ), but showing a lack of phylogeographical structure. This pattern might be caused by multiple phenomena and processes, e.g. broad-fronted recolonization with accompanying multi-directional gene flow between populations and expansion from at least two refugial areas. Despite the lack of phylogeographical structure, three centres of haplotype diversity were indicated in the European part of the range of M. monophyllos. According to these data, alpine and lowland glacial refugia located between the ice sheets in the European Alps and the Scandinavian glaciers seem most likely to be in Europe. Moreover, models of climatically suitable areas during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) confirmed the Alps as a possible refuge, and indicated an opportunity for the persistence of M. monophyllos populations in Beringia and parts of Siberia. Using two models (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) and Community Climate System Model (CCSM)), we predicted a significant reduction in climatically suitable areas for M. monophyllos in the future (2080). Our study also demonstrated that the biological features of M. monophyllos, including breeding system and dispersal mode, seem to be crucial in understanding its phylogeographical pattern. Our results also highlighted the importance of anthropogenic habitats as reservoirs of genetic diversity and alternative habitats for this species in the context of declining natural populations. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, ••, -. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: anthropogenic habitats - cpDNA - Orchidaceae - plastid DNA diversity centres - species distribution models.

Glaciation of West Siberia – disputable questions and means of their solution

Different approaches to the problem of Quaternary glaciation of the North-West Siberia have been considered in the present paper, in which also analysis of glaciological situation has been done for the region. New obtained materials are given to show evidence of ancient glaciation in the Near-Ural region. As well the middle reach of the Ob’ River along its right-hand bank has been elucidated. The stated data have clearly demonstrated that diverse geological processes occurred to form the Quaternary deposits in the North-West Siberia. Partly it was an activity of glaciers advanced to the lowland from the centers of glaciation in the surrounding mountains. A role of not small importance belonged also to tectonic processes, which Ob’ erosion-accumulative influence and sea transgressions from the Arctic Ocean were connected with. At that all these occurred at the background of deep rock freezing. Study of moraines along the whole length of valleys from the ends of the modern glaciers until the formations of the maximal advance of ancient glaciers confirm our previous conclusion that glaciation also in this part of Siberia could be morphologically of a mountain-valley form only. Developing under conditions of strong permafrost and cryoaridization, the Pleistocene glaciers in the North-West Siberia concentrated in its mountains and did not advance farther than to the foothills. The upland of Siberian Uval, which sometimes has been considered as a moraine relic, presents another formation. It is a completely built system of Ob’ terraces representing the blocks of uplift deposits elevated by tectonics along the renewed ancient faults. The conclusion demonstrates that the subsequent spread of the stone moraine material happened as a result of movement of icebergs which broke of the glaciers with the trapped rock debris during sea transgressions from the Arctic Ocean. It has been established that, according to the results of absolute dating of the studied sediments, the Sartan advance of the glaciers, at any rate, concurred with the sea transgression conditioned by tectonic processes in Arctic.

Biological diversity and population history of Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers from the Cis-Baikal region of Siberia.

In the past decades, prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the Cis-Baikal region has been a subject of multidisciplinary research. In this study, we used nonmetric cranial traits to assess the genetic relationships between various spatial and temporal groups of Cis-Baikal Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers and to reveal genetic continuity between the Cis-Baikal Neolithic-Bronze Age population and modern native Siberians. Cranial series belonging to the bearers of the Early Neolithic Kitoi (n = 72), Late Neolithic Serovo (n = 54), and Early Bronze Glazkovo (n = 98) cultures were examined. Phenotypic differentiation was analyzed by the mean measure of divergence and Nei's genetic distances. Our results revealed several patterns of spatiotemporal biodiversity among the Cis-Baikal Middle Holocene populations, including biological similarity between the Early and Late Neolithic-Bronze Age groups, which suggests that the temporal hiatus between the Early and Late Neolithic does not necessarily imply genetic discontinuity in the region. The following possible scenarios of population history in the Cis-Baikal region are proposed: 1) continuous occupation with outside invasion of new migrant groups in the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age and 2) migration of the Early Neolithic groups to the nearby regions and subsequent return of their descendants to the ancestral territory. A comparison of Cis-Baikal Neolithic populations with modern Siberian natives suggests that the Сis-Baikal region could have been a source area for population expansions into different parts of Siberia in the Neolithic and Bronze Age times.

Persistence of avian influenza viruses in various artificially frozen environmental water types.

Background. This study investigates the viable persistence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in various types of artificially frozen environmental water and evaluates the feasibility of similar occurrence taking place in nature, and allowing for prolonged abiotic virus survival, with subsequent biotic viral recirculation. Methods. Fresh, brackish, and salty water, taken in Japan from aquatic biotopes regularly visited by migratory waterfowl, were seeded with AIVs. We monthly monitored the viability of the seeded viruses in the frozen state at −20°C and −30°C, for 12 months. We also monitored virus viability following repeatedly induced freezing and thawing. Results. The viruses exhibited considerable viable persistence all along that period of time, as well as during freezing-thawing cycles. Appreciable, yet noncrucial variances were observed in relation to some of the parameters examined. Conclusions. As typical waterborne pathogens of numerous northerly aquatic birds, AIVs are innately adapted to both the body temperature of their hosts (40°C to 42°C) and, presumably, to subzero temperatures of frozen lakes (down to −54°C in parts of Siberia) occupied and virus-seeded by subclinically infected birds, prior to freezing. Marked cryostability of AIVs appears to be evident. Preservation in environmental ice has significant ecophylogenetic and epidemiological implications, potentially, and could account for various unexplained phenomena.

Quantifying the relevance of atmospheric blocking for co‐located temperature extremes in the Northern Hemisphere on (sub‐)daily time scales

Atmospheric blocking can influence near‐surface temperature via circulation and radiative forcing. This study investigates the relevance of blocking for co‐located (sub‐)daily temperature extremes and the spatial variability of this relationship in the Northern Hemisphere. It is shown that over large parts of the high‐latitude continents warm temperature extremes often occur simultaneously with atmospheric blocking at the same location. Taking also weak blocks into account, more than 80% of the six‐hourly warm extremes are associated with blocking, e.g., in eastern Canada, Scandinavia and parts of Siberia. On the contrary, cold extremes typically are not related to co‐located atmospheric blocking. This difference between warm and cold extremes points to differences also in the physical driving mechanisms of the extremes. The strong linkage of warm temperature extremes and blocking should be considered when investigating changes of temperature extremes with global warming.

Is the shaman indeed risen in post-Soviet Siberia?

In his exhaustive study of ‘shamanism’ among the Altaic peoples in Southern Siberia, the renowned Soviet ethnographer Leonid P. Potapov contends that ‘under the present conditions there are no remnants or survivals of Shamanism as such left in Altai’. What remains are legends and reminiscences, but these can no longer be told by people with personal experiences of Altaic ‘shamans’ and their rituals. According to Potapov, modern socialist culture has changed the minds of the Altaic peoples to the degree that they are now a materialistically thinking people, and ‘shamanism’ has completely disappeared. In addition, he contends that there are no prospects of its return after the deathblow dealt by Soviet anti-religious repression in the 1930s ‘shamanic’ rituals were forbidden and ritual paraphernalia such as drums and costumes were expropriated by the authorities. Considering that Potapov in his study follows Altaic ‘shamanism’ through 1500 years, depicting it as a ‘religion’ and ‘theology’ which stayed more or less intact over the centuries, his statement seems more like a pious hope based on the Soviet vision of a society liberated from superstition, religion, and spiritual exploitation. Potapov himself delineates Altaic ‘shamanism’s’ development from a ‘state religion’to a ‘folk religion’. From this perspective it might seem remarkable that ‘shamanism’ should not have survived 70 years of atheist repression, missionary work and the Soviet transformation of society. Already by the time Potapov’s book was published, during the very last months of the existence of the Soviet Union, there had, in fact, appeared a number of persons claiming to be ‘shamans’, with an ancestry dating from the time of ‘shamans’ of the first half of the twentieth century. These individuals were also part of organisations and movements promoting the revival of ‘shamanism’ in the autonomous Altai Republic. In other parts of the former Soviet Union similar processes took place. Today, in post-Soviet Altai, as well as in many other parts of Siberia, shamanism exists in the same sense that there is Buddhism, Christianity and Islam in the region.

The alluvial history and sedimentary record of the Priiskovoe site and its place in the Paleolithic prehistory of Siberia

AbstractThe Priiskovoe site in the Transbaikal Region of Siberia has long been considered one of the most ancient examples of the area's Middle Paleolithic. Priiskovoe and many other regional Paleolithic sites are part of a sequence of alluvial sediments found on or close to valley floor environments. We present several key pieces of evidence to suggest that Priiskovoe and its chipped‐stone assemblage are Upper Paleolithic in age. We examine the depositional history of the Selenga and Chikoi rivers and assess Priiskovoe's stratigraphy, geomorphology, and geochronology to argue that the Paleolithic component is dated around 26,000 14C yr B.P. within a thick buried soil ascribed to the Karginsk Interstadial. We then analyze the lithic material to conclude that the artifacts are characteristically Upper Paleolithic in terms of regional raw material selection, tool frequencies, and core reduction. Although several sites in the Transbaikal are potentially Middle Paleolithic contenders, Priiskovoe is best considered part of Siberia's Upper Paleolithic tradition. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Old traditions, new tendencies: Final Paleolithic cultural development in southern Siberia

This paper deals with the study of cultural manifestations in Siberia during the Younger Dryas. In spite of the relative scarcity of data and lack of detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions for the time span under consideration, there is support for continuous and relatively dense human population in all main river basins southern Siberia. The Final Paleolithic saw important changes in subsistence activities as evidenced by the diversification of hunting practices in the southern Siberian mountains. In different parts of Siberia, this time span was manifested by an increase in bird procurement as one of the more important economic resources. At the same time, areas around Lake Baikal witnessed an increase in fishing and the exploitation of riverine resources.

Echinococcus spp. and echinococcosis

Echinococcus spp. are cestode parasites commonly known as small tapeworms of carnivorous animals. Their medical importance lies in the infection of humans by the larval stage of the parasites, predominantly including Echinococcus granulosus, which is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE) and Echinococcus multilocularis, which causes alveolar echinococcosis (AE). A few other species or genotypes are only very rarely or not at all found in humans. Due to the emerging situation in many parts of Europe, the present article will predominantly focus on E. multilocularis . The natural life cycle of E. multilocularis involves predominantly red and arctic foxes as definitive hosts, but domestic dogs can also become infected and represent an important infection source for humans in highly endemic areas. In the definitive host, egg production starts as early as 28 days after infection. After egg ingestion by a rodent or a human, larval maturation will occur practically exclusively within the liver tissue. The geographic distribution of E. multilocularis is restricted to the northern hemisphere. In Europe, relatively frequent reports of AE in humans occur in central and eastern France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Within the past ten years, the endemic area of Europe now includes many more countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, and most former Eastern countries as far as up to Estonia. The Asian areas where E. multilocularis occurs include the whole zone from the White Sea eastward to the Bering Strait, covering large parts of Siberia, western and central parts of China and northern Japan. Worldwide there are scant data on the overall prevalence of human AE. Some well-documented studies demonstrate a generally low prevalence among affected human populations. The annual mean incidence of new cases in different areas including Switzerland, France, Germany and Japan has therefore been reported to vary between 0.1 and 1.2/ 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence of human cases correlates with the prevalence in foxes and the fox population density. Recently, a study documented that a fourfold increase of the fox population in Switzerland resulted in a statistically significant increase of the annual incidence of AE cases [1] (Schweiger et al., 2007). This dramatic increase in red fox populations has also been reported throughout Europe, especially in urban areas. The so-called city-fox phenomenon and, thereafter, the increased proximity of foxes with humans and an urban domestic dog – rodent cycle may, therefore, have significant public health implications [1-3]. In infected humans the E. multilocularis metacestode (larva) develops primarily in the liver. Occasionally, secondary lesions form metastases in the lungs, brain and other organs. The typical lesion appears macroscopically as a dispersed mass of fibrous tissue with a conglomerate of scattered vesiculated cavities with diameters ranging from a few millimeters to centimeters in size. In advanced chronic cases, a central necrotic cavity containing a viscous fluid may form, and rarely there is a bacterial superinfection. The lesion often contains focal zones of calcification, typically within the metacestode tissue. Histologically, the hepatic lesion is characterized by a conglomerate of small vesicles and cysts demarcated by a thin PAS-positive laminated layer with or without an inner germinative layer [4]. Parasite proliferation is usually accompanied by a granulomatous host reaction, including vigorous synthesis of fibrous and germinative tissue in the periphery of the metacestode, but also necrotic changes centrally. In contrast to lesions in susceptible rodent hosts, lesions from infected human patients rarely show protoscolex formation within Correspondence: bruno.gottstein@ipa.unibe.ch Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Gottstein Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2010, 52(Suppl 1):S5 http://www.actavetscand.com/content/52/S1/S5

Patterns of spatial distribution of positive thunderstorm discharges in Eastern Siberia

Patterns of spatial distributions of the thunderstorm positive discharges, which were obtained by using a one-point storm direction and distance finder with observation radius of ∼1200 km in Eastern Siberia in 2003–2007, are considered in this paper. It was found that distributions of positive discharges reflect, in general, overall patterns of thunderstorm activity. Two centers corresponding to maximum activity of the negative storm discharges are located in southwest; however, they were dominating (in terms of their intensity) only in 2005. Two other centers are more intense: the northeastern one was especially strong in 2003, 2004, 2006 and the eastern one was dominating in 2003 and 2007. The northeastern centers are the most active in the beginning and the end of the season. In these areas, ratio of positive and negative discharge fluxes can exceed 1. Activity of the eastern center, whose large part is situated in mountains, can be explained by neighborhood of the Sea of Okhotsk. The mentioned patterns of spatial distributions of positive storm discharges indicate that the geographic conditions play a significant role in their origination in the eastern part of Siberia. In the southern and western regions, a typical electric structure of thunderstorm clouds develops with main negative charge in the lower part of a cloud. At the same time, in the high latitudes, in the mountains, evidently, a different mechanism is realized, leading to the inverted location of charges in a cloud.

On the palaeoclimatic structure of MIS-5 analogues in the midland part of Siberia (palaeobotanical and U/Th dating data)

On the palaeoclimatic structure of MIS-5 analogues in the midland part of Siberia (palaeobotanical and U/Th dating data)

Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian isotopic variation and chemostratigraphy of the Lesser Himalaya, India, Eastern Gondwana

The Rodinia supercontinent had fragmented by 750 Ma and East Gondwana (India, Australia and Antarctica) separated from West Laurentia. Baltica, Africa and South America occupied other side of the Rodinia. Neoproterozoic rifting, breakup of Rodinia low latitude glaciation and global warming events have been recorded from the Lesser Himalaya of India. Chemostratigraphy of the Blaini–Krol–Tal succession indicates Precambrian–Cambrian transition lies in the Lower Tal Formation ( δ 13C = − 4‰ PDB). The Krol belt in the Lesser Himalaya is characterized by positive δ 13C values (+ 1 to 6‰ PDB). The appearance of multicelluler Ediacaran life in the Upper Krol is consistent with hypothesis that increase in atmospheric oxygen played a major role in metazoan evolution and Cambrian diversification of life on Earth. The base of the Terminal Proterozoic System in the Lesser Himalaya is established in the Blaini Formation. The pink cap carbonate of the Blaini Formation shows negative δ 13C value (− 3‰ PDB) and this Blainian glaciation is correlated with Marinoan glacial event other regions of the Eastern Gondwana and South China, parts of Siberia and North Africa. Neoproterozic–Early Cambrian chemostratigraphy in the Lesser Himalaya is consistent in the isotopic variation where there is carbon isotopic similarity between Neoproterozoic Bambui Group in Central Brazil, South America and the Krol Formation of the Lesser Himalaya, India. In the northeastern Lesser Himalaya, India the Neoproterozoic sedimentary succession shows well developed carbonate the Buxa Dolomite shows significantly positive C-isotope ratios ( δ 13C = + 3.7 to + 5.4‰ PDB). The O-isotopic data also shows remarkable consistency with the δ 18O values fluctuating within a narrow range between − 8.9 and − 7.2‰ VPDB. These isotopic results from the Eastern Lesser Himalaya correspond to the Terminal Proterozoic C-isotopic evolution, followed by oscillations during the Precambrian–Cambrian transition in the Lesser Himalaya in Eastern Gondwana.

Climatic change in the Russian Altai, southern Siberia, based on palynological and geomorphological results, with implications for climatic teleconnections and human history since the middle Holocene

Two pollen diagrams from near the Chuya Basin, Russian Altai, are presented together with results from geomorphological archives. The Kuray Range profile (2330 m a.s.l.) is situated just above the forest line and starts with the weak cooling of the middle Atlantic period (ca. 6500–5900 b.p.) that bisects the Holocene optimum, as in other parts of Siberia. Taiga (boreal coniferous forest) with Picea obovata established afterwards but was displaced at ca. 5300 b.p. by the pronounced cooling of the early Sub-boreal. A gradual recovery of taiga stopped and it disappeared around 3400 b.p. at the end of the middle Sub-boreal. Since then the climatic and vegetational conditions much resemble those of the Sub-atlantic. In the last two millennia, three climatic declines are documented in the second diagram from the Tarkhata Valley (2210 m a.s.l.) from the dry limit of Larix sibirica: a cold and wet one around the 5th century a.d., a cold and dry one around a.d. 1200 and the Little Ice Age which started around a.d. 1600. In addition, several of the climatic periods and especially local human influence can be proved by the geomorphological findings. Most of the climatic changes seem to be connected with socio-ecological changes in Asia and even Europe, with movements of the Huns and Mongols, which show the possible dimensions of global climatic change. Hints of teleconnections between Siberia, the Mediterranean and the Himalayas via the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oscillation are discussed.

Some key issues in reconstructions of Proterozoic supercontinents

Supercontinents containing most of the earth's continental crust are considered to have existed at least twice in Proterozoic time. The younger one, Rodinia, formed at ∼1.0 Ga by accretion and collision of fragments produced by breakup of the older supercontinent, Columbia, which was assembled by global-scale 2.0–1.8 Ga collisional events. Little consensus has been reached regarding configurations of these supercontinents because of some unresolved issues concerning continental fits. One of these issues concerns how Siberia was related to Laurentia. Previous reconstructions that consider the Aldan Shield of Siberia as a continuation of the Wyoming Province of Laurentia have been largely abandoned in favor of models connecting Siberia to northern Laurentia, but it remains controversial which part of Siberia is contiguous with northern Laurentia. Also at issue is the western Laurentia–Australia–East Antarctica connection. Most Rodinia reconstructions place Australia, together with East Antarctica, adjacent to either western Canada (the SWEAT hypothesis) or the western United States (the AUSWUS hypothesis). However, recent studies combining paleomagnetic and isotopic age data have called into question the validity of SWEAT, AUSWUS and other variants. Another issue is the position of North China in Rodinia/Columbia. Limited paleomagnetic data seem to be consistent with the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic North China–Siberia/Baltica connection, whereas geological data support the recently proposed Archean to Mesoproterozoic North China–India connection. Controversial issues have also been raised about the timing and history of the amalgamation and fragmentation of South America and West Africa. Both geological and paleomagnetic data suggest that South America (São Francisco and Amazonia Cratons) and West Africa (Congo and West African Cratons) coalesced into a single landmass along the 2.1–2.0 Ga Transamazonian/Eburnean orogens. However, whether they were divorced and then re-married to form part of Gondwana, or remained largely coherent from their amalgamation at 2.1–2.0 Ga until their incorporation into Gondwana is unclear. Also little known is the position of Amazonia–West Africa in the proposed supercontinents, with some workers believing that they existed as a separate landmass, whereas others place Amazonia–West Africa adjacent to Baltica. In summary, although geological and paleomagnetic data are supportive of the existence of Proterozoic supercontinents Rodinia and Columbia, they are insufficient to determine their exact geometries.

Stages in the development of the Darhad dammed lake (Northern Mongolia) during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene

The Darhad Basin in Northern Mongolia was occupied by a paleo-lake since the maximum of the Late Pleistocene glaciation. The lake formed as a result of ice damming of the Shishhid Gol valley, the only outflow from the basin. In addition to the traces of the ice dam, there are distinct signs of sedimentary damming of the Darhad. The last sedimentary dam is still not completely eroded, and the modern lakes Dood Nuur and Targan Nuur are the remnants of the ancient lake. The Darhad dammed lake contains valuable environmental information within a long sedimentary record. The stages of the lacustrine development are recognizable in the landforms and subsurface sediments, although limited dating control did not allow us to build an irreproachable age model. By comparing the existing evidence with the general knowledge on glacial history of inner parts of Siberia, a scenario of the development of this basin during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene is constructed.

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity in Indigenous Populations of the Southern Extent of Siberia, and the Origins of Native American Haplogroups

In search of the ancestors of Native American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups, we analyzed the mtDNA of 531 individuals from nine indigenous populations in Siberia. All mtDNAs were subjected to high-resolution RFLP analysis, sequencing of the control-region hypervariable segment I (HVS-I), and surveyed for additional polymorphic markers in the coding region. Furthermore, the mtDNAs selected according to haplogroup/subhaplogroup status were completely sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of the resulting data, combined with those from previously published Siberian arctic and sub-arctic populations, revealed that remnants of the ancient Siberian gene pool are still evident in Siberian populations, suggesting that the founding haplotypes of the Native American A-D branches originated in different parts of Siberia. Thus, lineage A complete sequences revealed in the Mansi of the Lower Ob and the Ket of the Lower Yenisei belong to A1, suggesting that A1 mtDNAs occasionally found in the remnants of hunting-gathering populations of northwestern and northern Siberia belonged to a common gene pool of the Siberian progenitors of Paleoindians. Moreover, lineage B1, which is the most closely related to the American B2, occurred in the Tubalar and Tuvan inhabiting the territory between the upper reaches of the Ob River in the west, to the Upper Yenisei region in the east. Finally, the sequence variants of haplogroups C and D, which are most similar to Native American C1 and D1, were detected in the Ulchi of the Lower Amur. Overall, our data suggest that the immediate ancestors of the Siberian/Beringian migrants who gave rise to ancient (pre-Clovis) Paleoindians have a common origin with aboriginal people of the area now designated the Altai-Sayan Upland, as well as the Lower Amur/Sea of Okhotsk region.