Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironments of Southern Africa

by Deacon, Janette; Lancaster, N.

• ISBN13: 9780198544494
• ISBN10: 0198544499
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1988-05-19
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Combining the expertise of an archaeologist and a geologist, this important study gives a balanced evaluation of South African climatic history, summarizing such diverse evidence as dune systems, stable isotopes, pollen, fossil bones, and the distribution of Stone Age people. Together, these factors show the effects of climatic changes on terrestrial ecosystems in the southern African landscape. A comprehensive overview of the nature, scale, and timing of changes coincident with the worldwide interglacial-glacial-interglacial cycle is also presented. The potentials and pitfalls of palaeonenvironmental reconstructions and the implications for biogeography, human population distributions, and palaeoclimatic models are also featured. Researchers in these areas will appreciate this unique and insightful exploration into the climatic history of this fascinating region.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Present and Past Climates of Southern Africa

Sources of Palaeoclimatic Evidence in Southern Africa

Palaeoenvironments in the Desert and Semi-desert Ecozones

Palaeoenvironments in the Summer Rainfall Ecozones

Winter and All-year Rainfall Regions: The Cape Ecozone

Summary and Conclusions

Explaining the Palaeoenvironmental Patterns

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