EPSS Colloquium spring-2015

The uplift of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau has been suggested to be a major driver of regional and global climate change during the Cenozoic. However, the timing of the surface uplift and its climatic and biotic consequences remain a matter of considerable debate and speculation. Reconstructing the paleo-environments in the Tibetan region not only is crucial for understanding the environmental changes in the region, but also can shed some light on the growth history of the Himalayan-Tibetan plateau and its role in controlling the Asian monsoon evolution and global climate. Mammalian fossils found in the Tibetan region are valuable archives of paleo-environments. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of these fossils reveal significant spatial and temporal variations in herbivores’ diets and habitats in Tibet and surrounding regions during the late Cenozoic. Although large gaps exist in the fossil records, the available isotope data from fossils suggest that tectonic evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau has played an important role in controlling the spread and retreat of C4 grasses as well as the dietary evolution of the mammals in Tibet and surrounding regions by affecting local and regional climate.