Chironomid Records / Postglacial Southern Hemisphere

MASSAFERRO; VANDERGOES

Encyclopedia of Quatenary Sciences

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013; p. 398 - 405

The use of fossil chironomid remains as indicators of past environmental conditions is now a well established approach (Walker, 2001). From reconstructing trophic status to climate, chironomids have been deemed among the best indicators for their ability to provide quantifiable estimates of change. The use of chironomids in postglacial environmental reconstructions in Australia, New Zealand, and South America has not been extensive, but in recent years has undergone a resurgence of interest with many workers following the success of chironomid-based reconstructions from Europe and North America. A review by Verschuren and Eggermont (2006) provides a detailed account of chironomid paleoecology in the Southern Hemisphere prior to 2006. In this article, we review the published information about postglacial fossil chironomids from Australia, New Zealand, and South America and outline the directions that chironomid research has followed in these areas. We also discuss the importance of chironomid research in the Southern Hemisphere, identifying directions for future research.