Abstract ATM-9612641 Elias, Scott Anderson, Katherine University of Colorado Title: Mutual Climatic Range Reconstructions of Late Quaternary Climates in Beringia The aim of this grant is to synthesize and quantify paleoclimate reconstructions on the basis of fossil insect data from Eastern Beringia (Alaska, the Yukon Territory) and the Bering Land Bridge using the Mutual Climate Range (MCR) method. The Quaternary insect fossil record is a source of proxy data that provides sensitive, accurate paleoclimatic reconstructions for terrestrial ecosystems. As with any single source of proxy data, fossil insect interpretations cannot provide the complete paleoenvironmental picture. This investigation will promote interdisciplinary cooperation by generating calibrated, quantitative paleotemperature data for fossil beetle assemblages that will be more readily comparable to the reconstructions based on the interpretation of other proxy data, such as pollen response surfaces and transfer functions. A principal objective of this investigation will be to establish the nature, timing and intensity of the major climatic transitions of the late Pleistocene. Secondly, this method will be applied in Eastern Beringia to calibrate existing data and provide seasonal temperature reconstructions.
