Observing the past to better understand thefuture: a synthesis of the Neogene climate inEurope and its perspectives on present climatechange

A review of the entire Neogene climate in Europeis a useful tool for climate researchers, synthesizingpresent day knowledge on a variety of past warmer climatemodes thus facilitating the debate regarding possiblefuture climate scenarios in the Old Continent. This workcentres on the European scenario, debating possible futureprojections and describing the Miocene and Plioceneclimate in the Old Continent. With present evidences ofa global warming scenario, it is highly important that welook at past climatic events in order to better predict futureclimate changes impact in biodiversity. The review presentedhere synthesizes the literature regarding climate,faunal and floral evolution for the European Neogene, andaims to help palaeoclimatic researchers and climatologiststo characterize some of the boundary conditions for modellingpossible analogous of IPPC climate scenarios. If thefuture climate projections come to be true, it is shown thatthe Pliocene, and particularly the Mid Piacenzian WarmPeriod, should be considered as the best analogue for theimpact of a warming climate in Europe.