A recent publication by Department of Earth Sciences faculty Tammo Reichgelt and Ran Feng investigated how terrestrial climate in the eastern U.S. changed through time. The researchers used a combination of fossil floras and climate modeling to reconstruct eastern U.S. climate during a past warm interval known as the Miocene. Their research identified a reduced latitudinal temperature gradient and enhanced precipitation seasonality in the eastern U.S. during the Miocene, which may have important implication for future climate change.