Historical biogeography of singleleaf piñon in the Great Basin

Abstract

The transition from Late Pleistocene to Holocene climates triggered biogeographical upheavals worldwide that included species’ range shifts, changes in community composition and structure, altered disturbance regimes, and development of new ecological interactions. The Great Basin, with its hundreds of high mountain ranges interspersed by broad basins, was a prominent stage on which such dynamics unfolded. Many plant and animal species remained scattered at low elevations throughout the Great Basin during the cold Late Pleistocene. Without significant displacements in latitude, they responded to Holocene warming by migrating upslope in elevation where they found favorable habitat. Singleleaf piñon pine (Pinus monophylla, hereafter “piñon”) was unusual among Great Basin tree species for its long-haul Holocene migrations in the Great Basin. The story of piñon’s progress, from its absence in much of the Great Basin to its current widespread dominance, is the focus of this chapter.

Citation

Millar, C.I.; Thomas, D.H. 2024. Historical biogeography of singleleaf piñon in the Great Basin. In: Thomas, D.H., ed. Shoshonean ethnogenesis and the Numic spreadings. The Archaeology of Monitor Valley, Contribution 6. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History.