Developing novel biotic paleoclimate proxy based on size - temperature clines of subfossil non - biting midges (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae) - InsectPTemp
Desarrollo de un nuevo proxy biótico del paleoclima basado en clinas de tamaño y temperatura de quironómidos subfósiles (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae)
Principal investigator
Viktor Baranov
Financial institution
MIN CIENCIA E INNOVACION
Fecha de inicio
Fecha de fin
Code
PID2023-150179NA-I00
Brief description
To effectively mitigate the impacts of ongoing climate change, we must “explicitly consider historical and palaeontological findings'' (Kiesling, in 1). One of the best sources of data for understanding the global temperature due to climate change comes from our ability to reconstruct past environments. Our knowledge of the Earth’s past environments is based on numerous indirect indicators (proxies) that are used to reconstruct paleotemperature conditions such as fossil remains of organisms, geochemical isotopic and non-isotopic indicators, as well as mineralogical markers. All proxies have their own limitations, and a broad consensus exists that the best way to reconstruct paleotemperature is to use multiple proxies jointly (i.e. multiproxy approach). However, many proxies are
only available in certain habitats, or during certain geological periods, creating a so-called “proxy gap” - spatial and temporal intervals where no proxies might be available (13). Therefore, the development of new quantitative proxies’ for paleotemperature reconstructions is an important research task for the paleoclimate community. Insects are one of the most ubiquitous and diverse terrestrial organisms and have a rich fossil record going back >410 million years (15). The insect fossil record can provide us with invaluable information for reconstructions of terrestrial paleotemperatures, but insects have (in some cases) demonstrated predictable size relationships with climate variables, mostly temperature. The main goal of InsectPTemp is to test the hypothesis that the size of aquatic fossil insects is a reliable proxy for reconstructing paleotemperatures during their lifetime, independent of their taxonomy. Aquatic insects are better temperature indicators than terrestrial ones, as the lower thermal variability exhibited by aquatic organisms makes them more susceptible to the temperature regime change, making the size-temperature relations more pronounced (18, 19). Note that in this proposal we are using the term “aquatic” in a broad sense for insects often referred to as “merolimnic”, those with at least one life stage dwelling in aquatic habitats.
only available in certain habitats, or during certain geological periods, creating a so-called “proxy gap” - spatial and temporal intervals where no proxies might be available (13). Therefore, the development of new quantitative proxies’ for paleotemperature reconstructions is an important research task for the paleoclimate community. Insects are one of the most ubiquitous and diverse terrestrial organisms and have a rich fossil record going back >410 million years (15). The insect fossil record can provide us with invaluable information for reconstructions of terrestrial paleotemperatures, but insects have (in some cases) demonstrated predictable size relationships with climate variables, mostly temperature. The main goal of InsectPTemp is to test the hypothesis that the size of aquatic fossil insects is a reliable proxy for reconstructing paleotemperatures during their lifetime, independent of their taxonomy. Aquatic insects are better temperature indicators than terrestrial ones, as the lower thermal variability exhibited by aquatic organisms makes them more susceptible to the temperature regime change, making the size-temperature relations more pronounced (18, 19). Note that in this proposal we are using the term “aquatic” in a broad sense for insects often referred to as “merolimnic”, those with at least one life stage dwelling in aquatic habitats.