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Late Quaternary environmental changes inferred from small mammalian fauna, southern Africa

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Abstract

Relative changes in temperature are inferred from multivariate analysis of the relative abundance of rodents and insectivores represented in Late Quaternary deposits at nine sites in various regions of southern Africa. The major increase in temperature at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum is documented, and relative changes in temperature are calibrated for all sequences. The method of analysis provides an opportunity to correlate sequences from cave deposits which are beyond the range of conventional radio-carbon dating techniques.

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Thackeray, J.F. Late Quaternary environmental changes inferred from small mammalian fauna, southern Africa. Climatic Change 10, 285–305 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143907

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143907

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