Project B3

Reconstruction of atmospheric pCO2 and temperature changes in the Eocene by triple oxygen isotope analysis of fossil mammalian teeth

Niklas Löffler (Postdoc)

Principal Investigators: Thomas Tütken (University of Mainz), Thomas Lehmann (Senckenberg), Wolfgang Müller, Jens Fiebig (Goethe University Frankfurt)

Subproject B3 will reconstruct the atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature for the Palaeocene /Eocene. For this purpose triple oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel of fossil mammals will be used as terrestrial palaeoclimate archive. The D17O anomaly of the oxygen inhaled from the air, which is will partially recorded in the bioapatite, will be used as pCO2 proxy and the drinking water-related d18O value as a temperature proxy. Using empirical transfer functions pCO2 and air temperature will be reconstructed by analysis of mammal fossils from Palaeogene fossil sites such as Messel, Bighorn Basin, Hampshire Basin among others. 

Links

Institute of Geosciences, University of Mainz (Prof. Thomas Tütken):
http://www.paleontology.uni-mainz.de/pub_tt.html

Institute of Geosciences, University of Göttingen (Prof. Andreas Pack):
https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/prof.+dr.+andreas+pack/78572.html 

Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt (Dr. Thomas Lehmann):
https://www.senckenberg.de/thomas-lehmann