Abstract
We report here the discovery of forest beds in the Amazon Basin radiocarbon dated to the Wisconsin–Würm glaciation. These are the first dates from the last glaciation determined on Amazonian samples. The locality is in Ecuador, at 1,100 m elevation, near the upper limit of the present Amazonian rainforest. Both pollen spectra and Podocarpus wood in the deposits suggest that vegetation comparable to the present Andean forest grew at least 700 m lower than it does now, suggesting a temperature depression of at least 4.5 °C for the Amazon lowlands.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ferdon, E. N. Studies in Ecuadorian Geography (School of American Research and University of Southern California, Sante Fe, 1950).
Grubb, P. J. et al. J. Ecol. 51, 576–601 (1963).
Florin, R. Acta Horti Bergiani 20, 121 (1963).
Mirov, N. T. The Genus Pinus (Ronald, New York, 1967).
Buchholz, J. T. & Gray, N. E. J. Arnold Arbor. 29, 123–151 (1948).
van Der Hemmen, T. & Gonzalez, E. Leid. geol. Meded. 25, 261–315 (1960).
Dreimanis, A. & Raukas, A. in Quaternary Studies (eds Suggate, R. P. & Cresswcll, M. M.) 109–120 (Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington, 1975).
Hastenrath, S. The Glaciation of the Ecuadorian Andes (Balkema, Rotterdam, 1981).
Damuth, J. E. & Fairbridge, R. W. Bull geol. Soc. Am. 81, 189–206 (1970).
Colinvaux, P. A. Nature 278, 399–400 (1979).
Prance, G. T. Biological Diversification in the Tropics (Columbia University Press, New York, 1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, Kb., Colinvaux, P. Forest changes in the Amazon Basin during the last glacial maximum. Nature 318, 556–557 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318556a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/318556a0
This article is cited by
-
Humid and cold forest connections in South America between the eastern Andes and the southern Atlantic coast during the LGM
Scientific Reports (2024)
-
Dissecting multi drug resistance in head and neck cancer cells using multicellular tumor spheroids
Scientific Reports (2019)
-
The response of tropical rainforests to drought—lessons from recent research and future prospects
Annals of Forest Science (2016)
-
Genetic characterization and structure of the endemic Colombian silvery brown bare-face tamarin, Saguinus leucopus (Callitrichinae, Cebidae, Primates)
Primates (2014)
-
Sensitivity of Bolivian seasonally-dry tropical forest to precipitation and temperature changes over glacial–interglacial timescales
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (2014)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.