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Response of insect herbivores to Paleocene and Eocene climate change Ellen Currano Paleontologic and geologic studies have shown that significant temperature fluctuations, moderate floral turnover, and several large mammalian turnover events occurred during the late Paleocene and early Eocene (56.5 - 52.5 Ma). However, plant-insect interactions, a dominant feature of terrestrial ecosystems, are not well-known during this interval. I intend to use fossil angiosperm leaves, which often preserve insect feeding damage, to determine the effect of Paleocene-Eocene climate change on insect herbivores in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. During this interval, temperature increased to a Cenozoic maximum, and regional precipitation shifted from relatively wet to seasonally dry. Based on modern studies, I expect insect herbivory to increase with temperature (9) and variance in herbivory among a flora’s constituent plant families to increase with aridity (10,11). ©2005 - 2001 Evolving Earth Foundation. All rights reserved |
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