Quaternary Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeography

Quaternary Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeography offers an introduction to the study of the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped our present biosphere under the influence of glacial-interglacial cycles. Written by an ecologist with paleoecological expertise, this book reviews the climactic changes that have occurred during the last 2.6 million years, along with the responses of organisms and ecosystems. It offers an understanding of the evolutionary origin of extant biodiversity, its biogeographical patterns, and the composition of modern ecological communities. In addition, it explores human evolution and the influence of our activities on the biosphere, especially in the last millennia.This book offers the latest information on how studying the past can contribute to our understanding of present climate issues for a better future, and is an ideal resource for researchers and students in the natural sciences.

"The diverse sediment, archeological, and fossil records of the Quaternary narrate the story of how we got to today: the origin and movements of our species, the biogeographic re-shuffling of others, and the imprints of a fluctuating climate that have intersected to shape our present world and its pressing environmental challenges. These archives of the near past have grown increasingly valuable in guiding conservation decision-making as we move into an uncertain future. In this light, a book about the Quaternary is extremely timely and, ideally, would equip readers with a toolkit for generating and applying multidisciplinary datasets within a new temporal perspective. I suggest that this volume is best situated for an advanced undergraduate course in geology, where the students are familiar with navigating jargon but unfamiliar with basic biological and anthropological concepts and frameworks."—The Quarterly Review of Biology