Research paper
Models of historical biogeography and continental biochronology
MARÍA ÁNGELES ÁLVAREZ-SIERRA
Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. masierra@geo.ucm.es
Departamento de Geología Sedimentaria y Cambio Medioambiental, Instituto de Geociencias IGEO (CSIC, UCM), José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Corresponding author
ISRAEL GARCÍA-PAREDES
Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Departamento de Geología Sedimentaria y Cambio Medioambiental, Instituto de Geociencias IGEO (CSIC, UCM), José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. isgarpa@geo.ucm.es
VERÓNICA HERNÁNDEZ-BALLARÍN
Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales MNCN, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. verohernandez@mncn.csic.es
LARS W. VAN DEN HOEK OSTENDE
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands. Lars.vandenHoekOstende@naturalis.nl
KEES HORDIJK
Institute of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands. K.Hordijk@uu.nl
PALOMA LÓPEZ-GUERRERO
Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. palomalopez@geo.ucm.es
Departamento de Geología Sedimentaria y Cambio Medioambiental, Instituto de Geociencias IGEO (CSIC, UCM), José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
ALBERT J. VAN DER MEULEN
Institute of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands. masierra@geo.ucm.es
ADRIANA OLIVER
Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales MNCN, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. adriana@mncn.csic.es
PABLO PELÁEZ-CAMPOMANES
Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales MNCN, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. pablopelaez@mncn.csic.es
ABSTRACT
One of the most important contributions of Nieves López Martínez in Palaeobiogeography is the study of the ‘centre of origin of species’ concept and the proposal of the ‘Asymmetric Time Model’ as an alternative to the ‘Symmetric Time Model’, a key concept in dispersalist Historical Biogeography. As a consequence of these ideas, she discussed the methodology to establish biostratigraphic scales, pointing out that the higher number of ‘First Appearance Datum’ (FADs) over that of ‘Last Appearance Datum’ (LADs) in the fossil record supports the Asymmetrical Time Model. In this study we analyse the middle Miocene micromammal appearance and extinction events (FADs and LADs) based on well-calibrated local biostratigraphic scales from different European basins, in order to determine which of the proposed biogeographical models better fits the Miocene European micromammal record. The results support that the Asymmetric Time Model of palaeobiogeography is only applicable in rare cases. The analysed fossil record only shows one event of occurrence and one of extinction that can be considered synchronous at continental level. Finally, the implications of the biogeographic models in the proposition of biochronologic continental scales are also discussed, pointing out that palaeobiogeographic frameworks need robust biochronologies based on extensive local biostratigraphic data with independent temporal correlation.
Keywords: Micromammals, Historical Biogeography Symmetric/Asymmetric Time Model, dispersals, middle Miocene correlations, diachrony.
How to cite: Álvarez-Sierra, M.A., García-Paredes, I., Hernández-Ballarín, V., Van den Hoek Ostende, L.W., Hordijk, K., López-Guerrero, P., Van der Meulen, A.J., Oliver, A. & Peláez-Campomanes, P. 2013. Models of historical biogeography and continental biochronology. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 28 (2), 129-138.
Received 08 May 2013, Accepted 07 October 2013, Published 31 December 2013
https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.28.2.17847
