ABSENCE OF LAST GLACIAL MAXIMUM RECORDS IN LOWLAND TROPICAL FORESTS

Environmental conditions of the lowland tropical forests during the la st glacial maximum (LGM) between ca 20,000 and 18,000 C-14 yr B.P., ar e reevaluated in terms of dating control and lithology analyzed in sev en pollen records from South America The reevaluation shows that proba bly in none of the published records are LGM sediments present or abun dant, This conclusion is based on the occurrence of abrupt lithologic changes coupled with changes in sedimentation rate interpolated from r adiocarbon dates. These findings suggest that the LGM was represented probably by a hiatus of several thousand years, indicative of drier cl imates than before or after. (C) 1998 University of Washington.