Ostracoda as Indicators of Climatic and Human-Influenced Changes in the Late Quaternary of the Ponto-Caspian Region (Aral, Caspian and Black Seas)

The late Quaternary to Recent Ostracoda of the Ponto-Caspian region, defined here as the Aral, Caspian and Black seas, play a fundamental role in our understanding of the geological and hydrological evolution of these three large water bodies. Together with sedimentological and geochemical records, the ostracods provide evidence for both natural (climate-influenced) and man-made environmental change. All three seas possess ostracod faunas that are closely related, the Caspian and Black Sea elements are probably isolated remnants of the late Neogene Paratethys fauna while the Aral Sea comprises a much younger fauna introduced from the basins to the east.