Articles | Volume 12, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-611-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-611-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Fallacies and fantasies: the theoretical underpinnings of the Coexistence Approach for palaeoclimate reconstruction
University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Vienna, Austria
Alastair J. Potts
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Centre of Coastal Palaeoscience, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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38 citations as recorded by crossref.
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Short summary
We critically assess, for the first time since its inception in 1997, the theory behind the Coexistence Approach. This method has reconstructed purportedly accurate, often highly precise, palaeoclimates for a wide range of Cenozoic Eurasian localities. We argue that its basic assumptions clash with modern biological and statistical theory and that its modus operandi is fundamentally flawed. We provide guidelines on how to establish robust taxon-based palaeoclimate reconstruction methods.
We critically assess, for the first time since its inception in 1997, the theory behind the...