ABSTRACT
Biological evidence, in the form of plant and animal remains, has always been a cornerstone in the reconstruction of Quaternary environments. This chapter reviews the palaeoecological aspects of biological evidence. It explores different types of biological evidence that have been used in the analysis of Quaternary environments are evaluated. Pollen data have long been used to reconstruct Quaternary climates. Indeed, some of the earliest systematic attempts to derive climatic parameters from fossil evidence employed pollen records. The chapter examines some of the ways in which Quaternary biological data have been used to inform contemporary ecological theory. It examines some of the ways in which Quaternary biological data have been used to inform contemporary ecological theory. A number of established theories concerning modern species richness and community structures are currently being re-evaluated in the light of recent palaeobiological evidence. The analysis of all forms of biological evidence, however, is time-consuming, often costly and requires a very high level of specialisation.
