title: CO2-forced climate and vegetation instability during Late Paleozoic deglaciation.
abstract: The late Paleozoic deglaciation is the vegetated Earth's only recorded icehouse-to-greenhouse transition, yet the climate dynamics remain enigmatic. By using the stable isotopic compositions of soil-formed minerals, fossil-plant matter, and shallow-water brachiopods, we estimated atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and tropical marine surface temperatures during this climate transition. Comparison to southern Gondwanan glacial records documents covariance between inferred shifts in pCO2, temperature, and ice volume consistent with greenhouse gas forcing of climate. Major restructuring of paleotropical flora in western Euramerica occurred in step with climate and pCO2 shifts, illustrating the biotic impact associated with past CO2-forced turnover to a permanent ice-free world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. montanez@geology.ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Isabel P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Montañez
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Tabor
authors.forename: Deb
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niemeier
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Dimichele
authors.forename: Tracy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fielding
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Isbell
authors.forename: Lauren P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Birgenheier
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rygel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001272:Atmosphere; D044822:Biodiversity; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002980:Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D005580:Fossils; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D046448:Ice Cover; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D013696:Temperature; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002119:Calcium Carbonate