The Mediterranean deep-sea fauna: historical evolution, bathymetric variations and geographical changes
| Autor: | Geistdoerfer Patrick, Emig Christian C. |
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| Jazyk: | English<br />French |
| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Carnets de Géologie, Vol CG2004, p A01 (2004) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 1765-2553 1634-0744 |
| Popis: | The deep-water fauna of the Mediterranean is characterized by an absence of distinctive characteristics and by a relative impoverishment. Both are a result of events after the Messinian salinity crisis (Late Miocene). The three main classes of phenomena involved in producing or recording these effects are analysed and discussed: - Historical: Sequential faunal changes during the Pliocene and thereafter in particular those during the Quaternary glaciations and still in progress. - Bathymetric: Changes in the vertical aspects of the Bathyal and Abyssal zones that took place under peculiar conditions, i.e. homothermy, a relative oligotrophy, the barrier of the Gibraltar sill, and water mass movement. The deeper the habitat of a species in the Mediterranean, the more extensive is its distribution elsewhere. - Geographical: There are strong affinities and relationships between Mediterranean and Atlantic faunas. Endemic species remain a biogeographical problem. Species always become smaller in size eastward where they occupy a progressively deeper habitat. Thus, the existing deep Mediterranean Sea appears to be younger than any other deep-sea constituent of the World Ocean. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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