News / Science News

    Six million years ago, atmospheric shifts led to increased diversity of grassland mammals

    Six million years ago, grass-eating mammals became more diverse in South America. Shifts in tropical atmospheric circulation known as Hadley circulation led to changes in climate and vegetation, especially grasses, which expanded the mammals' range.



    South America's grasslands today. Six million years ago, these grasslands expanded.


    The scientists used a computer model to compare predictions of past climate with the record of rainfall and vegetation in ancient soils. South America's climate became drier, subtropical grasslands expanded and the number of mammal species that depended on grasses increased.

    The results offer a new understanding of a time when ecosystems much like today's evolved.

    The study, which took place in and around South America's Andes Mountains, showed that the mountains did not play a role in the ancient climate change and vegetation shift.

    The results offer a different perspective from the prevailing view that high mountains are often responsible for altering atmospheric circulation.

    This research demonstrates that an important climate change event was driven by atmospheric circulation. Mountains can change the circulation of our atmosphere and in turn lead to a changing climate, but in this case, the Andes didn't have a major part. (National Science Foundation)

    MAY 4, 2019



    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    Natural predators of common agricultural pests can save farmers money spent on insecticides while being friendly to health and environment, a study carried out in the cotton fields of China suggests.
    Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has found evidence that a massive star exploded in a lopsided fashion, sending ejected material flying in one direction and the core of the star in the other.
    Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are becoming resistant to the insecticide used in bed nets to prevent the disease. Researchers say it is important to stay ahead of the resistance to avoid what they are calling a public health catastrophe.
    A sensor array off the Pacific Northwest coast has captured the cracking, bulging and shaking from the eruption of Axial Seamount, a nearly mile-high undersea volcano, in more detail than ever before.
    A new model on how stars are formed has added weight to the hypothesis that most – if not all – stars are born in a litter with at least one sibling.
    Loss of water from the rocks of California's Sierra Nevada caused the mountain range to rise nearly an inch (24 millimeters) in height during the drought years from October 2011 to October 2015.

    © 1991-2023 The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin | Titi Tudorancea® is a Registered Trademark | Terms of use and privacy policy
    Contact