The evolution of latitudinal temperature gradients from the latest Cretaceous through the Present

Latitudinal temperature gradients are a defining characteristic of the climate system. Using thermometric indicators, including δ18O, plant and animal fossils, glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) proxies, and clumped isotope estimates, we document marine and terrestrial temperature gradients for the latest Cretaceous, Late Paleocene-Early Eocene, Early Oligocene, Pliocene, and Recent. The changes in gradients reflect the transition...