Understanding the modern relationships between pollen and vegetation, climate, and human land-use completely, is essential for quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation, climate and human impacts. supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition Program, we have collected more than 700 surface-soil samples together with detail vegetation survey. Hitherto, pollen analysis of 318 samples have been completed, and the submitted modern pollen dataset includes the pollen percentages of 24 common taxa, the sampling sites of the dataset cover the all vegetation types on the east and central Tibetan Plateau. The dataset can be utilized in establishment for pollen-climate, pollen-vegetation calibration-sets.
CAO Xianyong
The growth of the Tibetan Plateau throughout the past 66 million years has profoundly affected the Asian climate, but how this unparalleled orogenesis might have driven vegetation and plant diversity changes in eastern Asia is poorly understood. We approach this question by integrating modeling results and fossil data. We show that growth of north and northeastern Tibet affects vegetation and, crucially, plant diversity in eastern Asia by altering the monsoon system. This northern Tibetan orographic change induces a precipitation increase, especially in the dry (winter) season, resulting in a transition from deciduous broadleaf vegetation to evergreen broadleaf vegetation and plant diversity increases across southeastern Asia. Further quantifying the complexity of Tibetan orographic change is critical for understanding the finer details of Asian vegetation and plant diversity evolution. *: Corresponding author
SU Tao
The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) played a crucial role in shaping the biodiversity in Asia during the Cenozoic. However, fossil records attributed to insects are still scarce from the QTP, which limits our understanding on the evolution of biodiversity in this large region. Fulgoridae (lanternfly) is a group of large planthopper in body size, which is found primarily in tropical regions. The majority of the Fulgoridae bear brilliant colors and elongated heads. The fossil records of Fulgoridae span from the Eocene to Miocene in the Northern Hemisphere, and only a few fossil species from Neogene deposits have been reported in Asia so far. Here, we report a new fossil record of Fulgoridae from the middle Eocene Lunpola Basin, central QTP. The specimen is in lateral compression, with complete abdomen, thorax, and part of the wings preserved, while most of the head is missing. It belongs to the “lower Fulgoroidea” judging by several strong lateral spines on the hind tibia and a row of teeth at the apex of the second metatarsomere. This fossil specimen is assigned to Fulgoridae by comparison with nine families of the “lower Fulgoroidea”. The specimen represents the earliest Fulgoridae fossil record in Asia and was considered a new morphotaxon based on the peculiar legs and wings. Based on the modern distribution of fulgorid and other paleontological evidence, we suggest a warm climate with relatively low elevation during the middle Eocene in the central QTP. Therefore, this new fossil record not only provides important information on insect diversity in the middle Eocene, but also gives new evidence on the paleoenvironment in the core area of the QTP from the perspective of an insect.
SU Tao
Sclerophyllous evergreen broad-leaved forests, mainly made up of sclerophyllous oak, Quercus section Heterobalanus (Øerst.) Menitsky, Fagaceae, represent the most typical forest type in the Hengduan Mountains. Their distribution pattern is closely related to the growth and formation of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The oldest fossil record of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus so far discovered is from the middle Miocene of the Gazhacun Formation in Namling County, southern Tibet. However, our recent discovery of leaf fossils from the upper Eocene of Lawula Formation in Markam Basin, southeastern Tibet, illustrates that their origin is nearly 20 Myr older than previously assumed. By integrating the results from geometric morphometrics, geographical range expansion, and ecological niche shifts of this section in what is now the QTP and the Hengduan Mountains, we infer that the leaves of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus were already adapted to cool and dry conditions in some local regions no later than in the late Eocene. Then, with the growth of the QTP and late Cenozoic global cooling, the expansion of cooler and drier habitats benefited the spread and development of this section and their leaves exhibited morphological stasis through stabilizing selection. Based on published fossil records and recent discoveries, we argue that Quercus sect. Heterobalanus appeared in the subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests of the southeastern margin of what is now the QTP no later than in the late Eocene. Some taxa spread westwards along the Gangdese Mountains and later the Himalaya, and others spread eastwards and southeastwards, gradually becoming a dominant group of species in the Hengduan Mountains. This dispersal route is contrary to the previous “northwards hypothesis” of this section, and further supports the hypothesis of an East Asian origin for Quercus section Ilex Loudon.
SU Tao
This data including the GDGTs data and fatty acid data records of Xiada Co in the west of Qinghai Tibet Plateau during the past 2000 years. These data are obtained by the research team using organic geochemical methods. The Xiada Co sediment core was collected in the summer of 2014. The water depth of the sampling point (33.392°N、79.363°E，4373m) is about 19m. The extraction of biomarkers in lake sediments was carried out by ultrasonic extraction. The extraction and testing of compounds were carried out in the laboratory of environmental change and surface processes, Institute of Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The detection instrument of wax fatty acid compounds in sediments is gas chromatography flame ion detector (GC-FID, model: Agilent 7890a). The test instrument for GDGTs compounds is HPLC-APCI-MS (Agilent 1200 HPLC + 6100 MS), which is tested by three chromatographic columns in series. The model of chromatographic column is (hypersil gold silica, 100 mm) × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μ m). 5-methyl bgdgts isomer and 6-methyl bgdgts isomer were effectively separated by silica gel column in series. This data can provide the climatic and environmental background of human activities in the western plateau of the late Holocene, provide a basis for understanding the process and mechanism of climate change in the western Qinghai Tibet Plateau in the past 2000, and provide boundary conditions for climate simulation.
HOU Juzhi, LI Xiumei
This is Tibet Plateau (TP) annual near-surface temperature dataset during the past millennium with a 2° spatial resolution, which is produced using the paleoclimate data assimilation approach with EnSRF method, MPI-ESM-P model and 396 multi-proxies from the PAGES2k Consoritum. This dataset agrees well with several observational temperature datasets during the instrumental period, and has a similar level of reliability as the Twentieth Century Reanalysis which assimilates surface pressure observations. In addition, the dataset shows a high level of agreement with previous proxy-based reconstructions (average correlation of annual mean TP temperatures is r = 0.61). The dataset can be used to study the temperature variability over the TP and some regions of the TP during the past millennium (1000-2000 AD).
FANG Miao
As one of the largest land mammals, the origin and evolution of the giant rhino Paraceratherium bugtiense in Pakistan have been unclear. We report a new species Paraceratherium linxiaense sp. nov. from northwestern China with an age of 26.5 Ma. Morphology and phylogeny reveal that P. linxiaense is the highly derived species of the genus Paraceratherium, and its clade with P. lepidum has a tight relationship to P. bugtiense. Based on the paleogeographical literature, P. bugtiense represents a range expansion of Paraceratherium from Central Asia via the Tibetan region. By the late Oligocene, P. lepidum and P. linxiaense were found in the north side of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan region likely hosted some areas with low elevation, possibly under 2000 m during Oligocene, and the lineage of giant rhinos could have dispersed freely along the eastern coast of the Tethys Ocean and perhaps through some lowlands of this region.
DENG Tao
The present data are chronological and palynological data from the Luanhaizi Lake core in the Menyuan Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. We used the AMS14C method to test nine dated samples from the LHZ18 core. Bulk samples were collected from plant remains and organic-rich horizons from the core LHZ18 for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)14C dating. Samples were measured at Beta Labs in the USA and Lanzhou University.Pollen analysis was completed at the Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environment Systems,Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, with 140 stratigraphic pollen samples and 10 topsoil pollen samples. Spore pollen identification statistics were carried out under a light microscope.The pollen results mainly include the number of grains of trees, shrubs, herbs and aquatic plants.
HUANG Xiaozhong, ZHANG Jun, WANG Tao
Collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates produced concomitant uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and its basin-ridge geomorphological systems. Surface relief of the Tibetan Plateau has significant dynamic and thermal effects on atmospheric circulation and on regional and global climate. It has been considered as one of the key drivers for the formation of the Asian monsoon, enhanced erosion and weathering, global decreased CO2 during the Cenozoic. Finally, this uplift caused global cooling in the Cenozoic. However, at present, the driving mechanisms of these processes still remain controversies and have not been clearly confirmed by records of chemical weathering from the Tibetan Plateau. This dataset includes major elemental compositions of the Fenghuoshan Group (thick of ~4500 m) from the Hoh Xil Basin which has been dated back to the Late Cretaceous-Eocence. Element was measured in the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences using XRF-1500. The resconstructed Paleogene chemical weathering sequences allow us to constrain the trends of chemical weathering history of the studied area. We found that intensity of chemical weathering is well correlated with global temperature change. These results provide further data supprot for discussing the dynamic mechanisms and links among the Paleogene chemical weathering in the Hoh Xil Basin, uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, and global change.
JIN Chunsheng
A 170-cm-long sediment core was extracted from Lake Xingxinghai at a water depth of 9 m (34°50.44′N, 98°06.34′E) in January 2010 using Austria’s UWITEC platform coring equipment. Both the 210Pb/137Cs and AMS 14C (11 dating data) approaches were applicated into the age-depth model establishment using Bayesian age–depth modelling by the “Bacon” software, and the age-depth model indicates the core covers the past 7400 years. The core was sliced at 0.5-cm interval upper 3 cm and 1-cm interval for other part, finally we got 173 samples totally. Pollen grains were extracted using a procedure including the treatments with 10 % HCl, 10 % NaOH and 40 % HF, followed by a 7-μm mesh sieving and acetolysis treatment (9:1 mixture of acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid). Pollen grains were identified and counted under optical microscope, and at least 300 terrestrial pollen grains were counted for each sample. The mean temporal resolution of pollen spectra is ca. 40 year/sample. The pollen spectra include forty-eight pollen taxa, are dominated by herbaceous taxa (range: 88.5~98.9%; mean: 93.4%), such as Artemisia (up to 54.4%), Cyperaceae (up to 50.1%), Poaceae (up to 48.8%), Chenopodiaceae (up to 17.9%) and Asteraceae (up to 8.5%). Abundance of arboreal pollen is less than 5% through out the core, mainly comprised of Pinus (maximum: 4.9%; mean:1.2%) and Betula (maximum: 3.0%; mean: 0.7%). The pollen dataset includes pollen percentages for the 43 terrestrial pollen taxa together with their depths and ages, and the dataset is valuable to employed in past vegetation and climate reconstructions.
TIAN Fang, CAO Xianyong
1) The data includes 40 14C dating data of multiple Lake cores. The age control of most lake sediment cores is completed by radiocarbon isotope (14C) dating. The data sheet includes Lake core sample number, laboratory sample number, sample depth, 14C results, dating error and corrected results. The chronological framework of Lake cores is the basis for paleoclimate reconstruction. 2) All 14C data are completed in beta analytical Inc, and the laboratory operation is in strict accordance with the standard process. 3) The quality of the 40 dating data is good. 4) The data have been published, which provides basic data for the study of paleoclimate in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau.
HOU Juzhi
In this paper, we review evidence for a major biotic turnover across the Oligocene/Miocene in the Tibetan Plateau region. Based on the recent study of six well-preserved fossil sites from the Cenozoic Lunpola and Nima basins in the central Tibetan Plateau, we report a regional changeover from tropical/subtropical ecosystems in the Late Oligocene ecosystem (26–24 Ma) to a cooler, alpine biota of the Early Miocene (23–18 Ma). The Late Oligocene fossil biota, comprising of fish (climbing perch), insects and plants (palms), shows that the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau was a warm lowland influenced by tropical humidity from the Indian Ocean. In the Early Miocene, the regional biota became transformed, with the evolution and diversification of the endemic primitive snow carp. Early Miocene vegetation was dominated by temperate broad-leaved forest with abundant conifers and herbs under a cool climate, and mammals included the hornless rhinoceros, Plesiaceratherium, a warm temperate taxon. This dramatic ecosystem change is due to a cooling linked to the uplift of Tibetan region, from a Late Oligocene paleo-elevation of no greater than 2300 m a.s.l. in the sedimentary basin to a paleo-elevation of about 3000 m a.s.l. Another factor was the Cenozoic global climatic deterioration toward to an ice-house world.
DENG Tao
In this paper, the data of carbon 14 dating and optical luminescence of a lacustrine sediment profile in nanmucuo lake of zari in the south of Qinghai Tibet Plateau are analyzed. The data are tested by automatic optical luminescence dating instrument and accelerated mass spectrometry. The optical luminescence experiment is carried out in Qinghai Salt Lake Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the carbon 14 dating experiment is carried out in beta Laboratory of the United States. The data are reliable. This data reveals the lake evolution process of South mucuo Lake in zari in the past 5000 to 2000 years. Moreover, it is proved that the PL age is more reasonable than the C 14 age. In addition, it has a good application value in the study of the evolution process of the "ancient Pan Lake" in the hinterland of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the regional climate and environmental changes.
LIU Xiangjun
The surface palynological data in this dataset are from the East Asian palynological database（ http://eapd.sysu.edu.cn/database/ And the surface pollen data of the northeastern margin of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. The precipitation data of surface soil palynological points were obtained from the annual average precipitation data of 126 meteorological stations in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and its surrounding areas (Xinjiang, Gansu, Sichuan) from 1950 to 1980 (the data came from China Meteorological Science Data Sharing Service Network) http://www.data.ac.cn/xiazai/ ）Because topography has a great impact on climate change, Therefore, in ArcGIS, the uneven distribution of annual precipitation data of meteorological stations is transformed into grid data on the surface of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau by Kriging spatial interpolation method, and the precipitation grid data of the surface palynological point can be regarded as the actual precipitation data of the point. By using the method of transformation function, the representative surface palynological types are selected, and the linear regression between them and modern climate is established. The fossil Palynological Assemblages are substituted into the regression equation to obtain paleoclimate parameters. Using the modern analogy method (MAT), assuming that the relationship between vegetation types and climate in the past is corresponding, we can compare the sporopollen spectrum of the strata indicating vegetation types with that of the present representative soil to reveal the similarity between them. Then we can get the corresponding precipitation data of the strata sporopollen by matrix operation with the modern precipitation data of the corresponding points.
HOU Guangliang
The data include the Cenozoic plant fossils collected from Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan by the Department of paleontology, School of Geological Sciences and mineral resources, Lanzhou University from 2019 to 2020. All the fossils were collected by the team members in the field and processed in the laboratory by conventional fossil restoration methods and cuticle experiment methods. The fossils are basically well preserved, some of which are horned The study of these plant fossils is helpful to understand the Cenozoic paleoenvironment, paleoclimate, paleogeographic changes and vegetation features of the eastern Qinghai Tibet Plateau.
YANG Tao
The study of fossils in Bangor and Lunpola is of great significance, and the date of fossils is indispensable. There are volcanic tuffs in this area. Zircon can be used for U-Pb age analysis to determine the age of strata and fossils. This data shows the zircon U-Pb age analysis results of tuff samples from bango and Lunpola fossil sites in a graphical way. The figure shows the shape of a large number of zircons, and indicates the age analysis results on different zircon samples. The data show the large sample size used in related research, and the analysis results are also clear. The image display of this data is intuitive and clear, and the results are reliable, which is of great significance to the study of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau.
SUN Boyang
This data is the distribution data of the prehistoric era sites on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas, which is derived from the Supplementary Maps of the paper: Chen, F.H., Dong, G.H., Zhang, D.J., Liu, X.Y., Jia, X., An, C.B., Ma, M.M., Xie, Y.W., Barton, L., Ren, X.Y., Zhao, Z.J., & Wu, X.H. (2015). Agriculture facilitated permanent human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau after 3600 BP. SCIENCE, 347, 248-250. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of more than 4000m, is the highestand largest plateau all around the world, and also is one of the most unsuitable areas for human life with long-term on the earth. The remains at the archaeological site are direct evidences left behind the ancient human activities. The original data of this data is digitized from the results of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau high-textual census and archaeological survey (Qinghai Volume and Tibet Volume of the Chinese Cultural Relics Atlas). The map was digitized mainly based on the distribution maps of the sites, and the latitude and longitude coordinates and altitude were obtained. a total of 6,950 sites, most of which are distributed in the northern part of the plateau. The age range of the site is between 7000BP and 2300BP. This data set is of reference value for the research on the process and power of human diffusion to the Tibetan Plateau in the prehistoric era and other studies related to human activities in the Tibetan Plateau and the prehistoric era.
DONG Guanghui , LIU Fengwen
We have completed the pollen analyses of 252 sedimentary samples from Dahonggou section in Qaidam Basin covering the Cenozoic. Palynomorph extraction followed the routine process with HCl and HF treatments during the extraction. Airborne pollen-charcoal traps and surface-sediment samples from soils were collected to evaluate the relationship between pollen-charcoal contents and vegetation structure, and effect of sedimentary environment conditions on the pollen dispersal and deposition. Combined with pollen-charcoal data from other sections, we are going to establish the fire history spanning the last 30 Ma years, and to discuss the responds and feedbacks of the vegetation and fire to the climate changes. Our work is beneficial to the knowledge of the processes of aridification in Inner Asia and its mechanism. The submitted pollen data set is according to the proposal, and in order to guarantee data accuracy, 20% of the data have been examined in our lab by random sampling method. Data collection and analysis are continued, we hope our work can contribute more to the project in the next few years.
MIAO Yunfa
Lake sediment is important archive for reconstructing the past climate change, in which the chronological framework of sediments is the basis. Varve is a kind of sedimentary lamina formed in pairs in lake sediments, usually with one year as a cycle. Supported by the projects the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences “Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (Pan-TPE)” and The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, the authors obtained a 1-meter long sediment gravity core from Jiangco in the central Tibet Plateau, and found well preserved varves. Subsequently, core thin sections were made, and the varve and its thickness were counted and measured to obtain the chronological sequence from 81 A.D. to 2015. The precipitation in this area in the past 2000 years has been reconstructed by using the percentage of coarse-grained layer thickness in the total varve thickness, which represents the precipitation. High resolution and high-precision chronology and precipitation records can provide reliable background of climate and environmental change, and provide reference for paleoclimate simulation and the rise and fall of ancient civilization.
HOU Juzhi
Pollen and spores extracted from sediment are considered as the important proxy in reconstructing past vegetation and climate, and which plays essential role in investigating environmental evolution during the Quaternary. Accurate identification of pollen and spore is the base for palynological research, which determines it is quite necessary to establish modern atlas for pollen and spore. Supported by the projects the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences “Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (Pan-TPE)” and The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, authors completed the vegetation and soil surveys in 2018 for the alpine meadow in the east Tibetan Plateau (including Yushu Prefecture, Changdu City, Ganzi prefecture, Naqu City) and alpine forest in the southeast Tibetan Plateau (Linzhi City) , and collected 401 specimens for anther of flowering plants and sporangium of ferns. Pollen and spores were extracted and from these specimens using the standard acid-alkali approach and acetolysis (9:1 mixture of acetic anhydride and sulphuric acid) treatment, and further were refrigerated in glycerin. More than two photographs were took for each pollen and spore type, using the LEICA-dm-2500 optical microscope and its imaging system with scale. The atlas of pollen and spore morphology will be a valuable reference for palynology research and teaching.
CAO Xianyong, TIAN Fang, LI Kai, NI Jian
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