The Cretaceous and Paleogene periods have long been recognized as globally warm ‘greenhouse’ episodes in Earth history, and have consequently been used as analogues for future global warming. The polar regions are considered to be most sensitive to climate fluctuations and therefore research efforts in these areas are attracting interest from a wide audience. The recent increase in the British government's interest in climate change issues and the global debate on the subject means that this Geological Society Special Publication is extremely timely.
The editors’ introduction provides an historical background to the exploration of the James Ross Basin and outlines the 13 papers included in the volume, seven on the Cretaceous and six on the Paleogene. The first two papers (Crame et al. and Whitham et al.) set the scene for the Cretaceous interval, presenting work on the sedimentary sequence and providing a framework for the following papers on the radiation and extinction of floras and faunas. This is a critical sequence for regional stratigraphic correlation and these papers provide thorough reports covering the sedimentology, tectonics, and volcanism of the fault-bounded basin margin. This work is supported by partial strontium isotope data that clarify some key biostratigraphic problems.
Two contributors investigate the macrofloral evidence for climate change and vegetation diversity from the Late Cretaceous to the Cenozoic. Hayes et al. concentrate on angiosperm leaf floras whilst Poole & Cantrill focus on the fossil wood record. Hayes et al. applied a range of quantitative (e.g. CLAMP analyses) and qualitative (NLR) techniques to the flora to deduce palaeoclimatic conditions during the Cretaceous. Poole & Cantrill concentrate on the evolution of biotas and the development of Southern Hemisphere biogeography. These studies provide a wealth of information on the composition and biodiversity of the vegetation that grew on the emergent volcanic arc and a record of the past climates.
The remaining three Cretaceous papers have a palaeontological theme. The first (Kriwet et al.) investigates the palaeogeographical and palaecological implications of Antarctic fish diversity. The second paper (Martin) puts marine lizards into a wider context with their last occurrence coinciding with the K–T boundary. The last of these papers (Martin & Crame) addresses the palaeobiological significance of vertebrate fossils.
The first of the Paleogene papers (Marenssi) investigates the James Ross Basin in a global context by describing erosional surfaces that coincide with sea-level lowstands. The majority of the Paleogene papers focus on Eocene palaeontology discussing mammals (Goin et al. and Bond et al.), penguins (Tambussi et al.) and the climatic significance of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna (Case). I would have liked to have seen photographs to complement the detailed sketches of the holotype described in Bond et al. These papers show the crucial biogeographic importance of Antarctica presenting a new genus, species and biozone. Case et al. include palaeontological evidence for the initiation of cooling during the late middle Eocene.
The final paper (Hambrey & Smellie) presents evidence for the response of Antarctica to global climate and sea level change with the development of the Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Neogene.
As would be expected from the Geological Society Publishing House, this is a high quality, well structured production in hardback format. The clear descriptions and varied techniques described in this book make it a useful resource for undergraduate students approaching palaeoenvironmental or palaeoclimate studies for the first time. Specialists will use the book as a reference in stratigraphic correlation studies across the whole of the Southern Hemisphere, including proposed offshore drilling programmes (e.g. ANDRILL), and for comparison with Northern Hemisphere sections. It provides evidence for climatic conditions on Antarctica that can be used by climatologists and palaeoclimatologists in varied climate change studies. The book will also be a valuable resource for palaeobotanists and palaeontologists, providing a comparison to other key Cretaceous–Paleogene outcrops in the Southern Hemisphere, thus allowing radiations and extinctions to be tracked across the region.
In summary this book will be an important addition to any library that has researchers in Earth Sciences and will be of additional interest to colleagues from many other disciplines.
