The fungal ecology of the Brassington Formation (Middle Miocene) of Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and a new method for palaeoclimate reconstruction

Pound, Matthew J.; Nuñez Otaño, Noelia B.; Romero, Ingrid C.; Lim, Michael; Riding, James B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5529-8989; O’Keefe, Jennifer M. K.. 2022 The fungal ecology of the Brassington Formation (Middle Miocene) of Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and a new method for palaeoclimate reconstruction. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 947623. 10.3389/fevo.2022.947623

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.947623

Abstract/Summary

Fossil fungi from periods warmer than modern climates provide unique insights into the future impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Here we report the fossil fungal assemblage from the late Middle Miocene Kenslow Member of central England, associated with climatic conditions warmer than the present-day. The identification of 110 morphotypes, which primarily relate to moist environments and the presence of wood, have been used to develop a new nearest living relative palaeoclimate reconstruction. The fungal assemblage indicates a Köppen–Geiger climate class, represented by temperate conditions, no dry season, and warm summers. This new fungal-based palaeoclimate reconstruction technique holds exciting potential to explore critically important but poorly understood palaeoenvironments, and the resulting qualitative inferences align well with previously published palaeobotanical quantitative estimates of palaeoclimate. These findings show that diverse fungal assemblages can successfully be used to reconstruct past climates for the first time.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.3389/fevo.2022.947623
ISSN:	2296-701X
Date made live:	05 Aug 2022 12:49 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/533021

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.3389/fevo.2022.947623

ISSN:

2296-701X

Date made live:

05 Aug 2022 12:49 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/533021