The progressive co-evolutionary development of the Pan-Tibetan Highlands, the Asian monsoon system and Asian biodiversity

Author:

Spicer Robert A.123ORCID,Farnsworth Alex34ORCID,Su Tao25,Ding Lin3,Witkowski Caitlyn R.67,Li Shu-Feng2,Xiong Zhongyu3,Zhou Zhekun2,Li Shihu8,Hughes Alice C.9,Valdes Paul J.4,Widdowson Mike10,Zhang Xinwen5,He Songlin3,Liu Jia5,Huang Jian2,Herman Alexei B.11,Xu Qiang12,Liu Xiaoyan13,Jin Jianhua14,Pancost Richard D.67,Lunt Daniel J.4,Zhang Shitao15

Affiliation:

1. School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK

2. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China

3. State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

4. School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK

5. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation & Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China

6. School of Earth Sciences, and Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK

7. Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK

8. State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

9. School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong

10. Geology: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK

11. Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia

12. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir and Exploit, and China National Petroleum Corporation Key Laboratory of Carbonate Reservoirs, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China

13. School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China

14. State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong Province, China

15. Faculty of Land Resource Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

Abstract

Within the ongoing controversy regarding the orogeny of the Tibetan Plateau region, two directly conflicting endmember frameworks have emerged in which either: (1) a high central ‘proto-plateau’ existed before the onset of India–Asia continental collision; or (2) the early Paleogene central Tibet comprised a wide east–west-oriented lowland c. 1–2 km above sea-level, bounded by high (>4.5 km) mountain systems. Reconstructing the development of the plateau correctly is fundamental to running realistic Earth system models that explore monsoon and biodiversity evolution in the region, and understanding the interplay between monsoon dynamics, landscape and biodiversity is critical for future resource management. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of different palaeoaltimetric methodologies as applied across the Tibetan region. Combining methodologies, appreciating the vulnerabilities arising from their underlying assumptions and testing them using numerical climate models produces consilience (agreement), allowing further refinement of both models and proxies. We argue that an east–west-oriented Paleogene Central Tibetan Valley was a cradle and conduit for thermophilic biota, seeding the modern regional biodiversity. The rise of eastern Tibet intensified regional rainfall and erosion, which increased topographic relief and biodiversification. Gradual monsoon development reflected the evolving topography, but modern-like Asian monsoons developed only after a plateau formed in the Miocene.

Funder

Natural Environment Research Council

National Natural Science Foundation of China-Xinjiang Joint Fund

Publisher

Geological Society of London

Cited by 2 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3