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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Tracing shifts of oceanic fronts using the cryptic diversity of the planktonic foraminifera Globorotalia inflata

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Author(s):
Morard, Raphael ; Reinelt, Melanie ; Chiessi, Cristiano M. ; Groeneveld, Jeroen ; Kucera, Michal
Total Authors: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: PALEOCEANOGRAPHY; v. 31, n. 9, p. 1193-1205, SEP 2016.
Web of Science Citations: 9
Abstract

The use of planktonic foraminifera in paleoceanographic studies relies on the assumption that morphospecies represent biological species with ecological preferences that are stable through time and space. However, genetic surveys unveiled a considerable level of diversity in most morphospecies of planktonic foraminifera. This diversity is significant for paleoceanographic applications because cryptic species were shown to display distinct ecological preferences that could potentially help refine paleoceanographic proxies. Subtle morphological differences between cryptic species of planktonic foraminifera have been reported, but so far, their applicability within paleoceanographic studies remains largely unexplored. Here we show how information on genetic diversity can be transferred to paleoceanography using Globorotalia inflata as a case study. The two cryptic species of G. inflata are separated by the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC), a major oceanographic feature in the South Atlantic. Based on this observation, we developed a morphological model of cryptic species detection in core top material. The application of the cryptic species detection model to Holocene samples implies latitudinal oscillations in the position of the confluence that are largely consistent with reconstructions obtained from stable isotope data. We show that the occurrence of cryptic species in G. inflata can be detected in the fossil record and used to trace the migration of the BMC. Since a similar degree of morphological separation as in G. inflata has been reported from other species of planktonic foraminifera, the approach presented in this study can potentially yield a wealth of new paleoceanographical proxies. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/17517-3 - Response of the Western Atlantic Ocean to changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation: from millennial to seasonal variability
Grantee:Cristiano Mazur Chiessi
Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Young Investigators