Quaternary Palaeoecology: Central and South America, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean Region

Abstract

Huntley (1996) quite correctly stated that “palaeoecology is today more important than ever before because of the insights that it provides into the response of species to a changing environment.” Regrettably this statement very often seems to be ignored. Instead, nowadays palaeoecological changes of the past are repeatedly interpreted in terms of climate changes, only. But can other ecological influences, like competition between the involved taxa, pedogenesis, or human influence simply be neglected?