Effects of Rapid Global Warming at the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary on Neotropical Vegetation (original) (raw)

Temperatures in tropical regions are estimated to have increased by 3-5°C compared to Late Paleocene values, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum event (PETM, 56.3 Ma). We investigated the tropical forest response to this rapid warming by evaluating the palynological record of three stratigraphic sections in eastern Colombia and western Venezuela. We observe a rapid and distinct increase in plant diversity and origination rates, with a set of new taxa, mostly angiosperms, added to the existing stock of low-diversity Paleocene flora. There is no evidence for enhanced aridity in the northern Neotropics and the tropical rainforest was able to continue under elevated temperatures and high levels of atmospheric CO2, in contrast to speculations that tropical ecosystems were catastrophically compromised by heat stress.

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