dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Mediterranean deep-sea fauna: historical evolution, bathymetric variations and geographical changes
| Authors | Christian Emig, Patrick Geistdoerfer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0507003 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0507003 |
| Journal | Carnets de G\'{e}ologie / Notebooks on Geology Article 2004/01 (CG2004_A01_CCE-PG) (2004) 10 p., 4 fig., 3 tabl |
Abstract
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.
{
"annotation_id": "3fc40aa4-967d-43ee-ad91-06f04ff13b20",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.802000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.802000Z",
"file_hash": "e10a60da5f4f3ed4a8fc1051371042e6645c47d956d0a9f307b4993b97d87f0c",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "The deep-water fauna of the Mediterranean is characterized by an absence of\ndistinctive characteristics and by a relative impoverishment. Both are a result\nof events after the Messinian salinity crisis (Late Miocene). The three main\nclasses of phenomena involved in producing or recording these effects are\nanalysed and discussed: - Historical: Sequential faunal changes during the\nPliocene and thereafter in particular those during the Quaternary glaciations\nand still in progress. - Bathymetric: Changes in the vertical aspects of the\nBathyal and Abyssal zones that took place under peculiar conditions, i.e.\nhomothermy, a relative oligotrophy, the barrier of the Gibraltar sill, and\nwater mass movement. The deeper the habitat of a species in the Mediterranean,\nthe more extensive is its distribution elsewhere. - Geographical: There are\nstrong affinities and relationships between Mediterranean and Atlantic faunas.\nEndemic species remain a biogeographical problem. Species always become smaller\nin size eastward where they occupy a progressively deeper habitat. Thus, the\nexisting deep Mediterranean Sea appears to be younger than any other deep-sea\nconstituent of the World Ocean.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0507003",
"authors": [
"Christian Emig",
"Patrick Geistdoerfer"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"journal_ref": "Carnets de G\\\u0027{e}ologie / Notebooks on Geology Article 2004/01\n (CG2004_A01_CCE-PG) (2004) 10 p., 4 fig., 3 tabl",
"title": "The Mediterranean deep-sea fauna: historical evolution, bathymetric variations and geographical changes",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0507003"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "4f01883b-9011-4601-ac72-5d163a4e4c62",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}