The fossil record of Red Sea fringing reefs provides an opportunity to study the history of coral-reef survival and recovery in the context of extreme environmental change. The Middle Pleistocene, the Late Pleistocene, and modern reefs represent three periods of reef growth separated by glacial low stands during which conditions became difficult for symbiotic reef fauna. Coral diversity and paleoenvironments of eight Middle and Late Pleistocene fossil terraces are described and characterized here. Pleistocene reef zones closely resemble reef zones of the modern Red Sea. All but one species identified from Middle and Late Pleistocene outcrops are also found on modern Red Sea reefs despite the possible extinction of most coral over two-thirds of the Red Sea basin during glacial low stands. Refugia in the Gulf of Aqaba and southern Red Sea may have allowed for the persistence of coral communities across glaciation events. Stability of coral communities across these extreme climate events indicates that even small populations of survivors can repopulate large areas given appropriate water conditions and time.
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Tel Aviv Univ, George S Wise Fac Life Sci, Dept Zool, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, IsraelTel Aviv Univ, George S Wise Fac Life Sci, Dept Zool, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
Perkol-Finkel, S
Benayahu, Y
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Tel Aviv Univ, George S Wise Fac Life Sci, Dept Zool, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, IsraelTel Aviv Univ, George S Wise Fac Life Sci, Dept Zool, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
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Univ York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Univ Warwick, Sch Life Sci, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands, EnglandUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Price, A. R. G.
Ghazi, S. J.
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PME, Jeddah 21431, Saudi ArabiaUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Ghazi, S. J.
Tkaczynski, P. J.
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Emapsite, Eversley RG27 0RP, Hants, EnglandUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Tkaczynski, P. J.
Venkatachalam, A. J.
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Univ Warwick, Sch Life Sci, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands, EnglandUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Venkatachalam, A. J.
Santillan, A.
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HUTA Environm Works Ltd, Jeddah 21441, Saudi ArabiaUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Santillan, A.
Pancho, T.
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HUTA Environm Works Ltd, Jeddah 21441, Saudi ArabiaUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Pancho, T.
Metcalfe, R.
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Emapsite, Eversley RG27 0RP, Hants, EnglandUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
Metcalfe, R.
Saunders, J.
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Emapsite, Eversley RG27 0RP, Hants, EnglandUniv York, Dept Environm, York YO10 5DD, N Yorkshire, England