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Ovi-caprid dung as an indicator of paleovegetation and paleoclimate in northwestern China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Ruby Ghosh ,
Sudha Gupta ,
Subir Bera ,
Hong-en Jiang ,
Xiao Li  and
Cheng-Sen Li
Ruby Ghosh
Affiliation:
Palaeobotany–Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata-700019, India
Sudha Gupta
Affiliation:
Palaeobotany–Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata-700019, India
Subir Bera*
Affiliation:
Palaeobotany–Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata-700019, India
Hong-en Jiang
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing-100093, China
Xiao Li
Affiliation:
Bureau of Cultural Relics of Turpan Prefecture, Turpan 838000, Xinjiang, China
Cheng-Sen Li
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing-100093, China
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: +91 0 33 2461 4849. E-mail address:[email protected] (S. Bera).
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Abstract

Diverse palynomorphs and phytoliths recovered from coprolites of ovi-caprids (sheep, goat) collected from Yang-Hai Tomb at Xinjiang Province, China, have been used to elucidate the dietary pattern of ancient livestock and to reconstruct the paleovegetation and paleoclimate of this part of northwest China ca. 2500 14C yr BP. Palynological and phytolith data suggest that a rich dry temperate vegetation prevailed in the area during the said period. Climatic conditions and grassland vegetation type of the area are explored using phytolith indices.

Keywords

Ovi-caprid dungPollensPhytolithsPaleovegetationPaleoclimateca. 2500 years BPXinjiang ProvinceChina
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 70 , Issue 2 , September 2008 , pp. 149 - 157
Copyright
University of Washington

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