Arvicolinae rodents of Galería de las Estatuas (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos) and insights into MIS 5- to -4 climatic conditions in Northern Iberia

Alfaro-Ibáñez, M.P. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Cuenca-Bescós, G. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Gómez-Olivencia, A. ; Demuro, M. ; Arnold, L.J. ; Arsuaga, J.L.

Resumen: Well-dated Middle Palaeolithic sequences that lie beyond the limit of radiocarbon dating (i.e., >50,000 years ago) are critical for understanding the long-term palaeoecological changes that took place during Neandertal occupation of Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. Among the two pits excavated in Galería de las Estatuas site, GE (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) represents such sequence, having been previously dated using a combination of single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and U-series. This site is one of the few across Eurasia to have yielded both Neandertal remains and genetic evidence of Neandertal population replacements during marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 to the beginning of MIS 4 (120,000 to 70,000 years ago). Understanding the prevailing climatic and environmental conditions during the period of Neandertal occupation is therefore of great importance. Small mammal remains are one of the best proxies to interpret past environmental and climatic changes, and among these, the Arvicolinae species (Cricetidae, Rodentia) are particularly useful.
Here we provide a revision of the small mammal associations at both Galería de las Estatuas pits undertaking detailed study of Arvicolinae species composition in both excavation pits. Additionally, we present new single-grain OSL dating results to refine the existing chronostratigraphic framework and better contextualise the past climatic changes inferred from the small mammal record. Our results indicate that the lower levels were formed in cold-temperate conditions, with a predominance of an open landscape and Atlantic-type climatic regime. Progressively upward through the sequences, we observe warmer and more humid conditions, with a stronger Mediterranean climate regime and increased development of forest areas, although still with a predominance of open meadows. Finally, both sedimentary sequences seem to end with a deterioration of these climatic conditions, and show a drier environment, dominated by open landscapes and a return to an Atlantic climatic regime. We conclude that at least two marked climatic changes can be identified at each pit (GE-I and GE-II), from MIS 5.4 through to the beginning of MIS 4, by studying the small mammal record together with OSL dating.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108939

Año: 2024

Publicado en: QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS 343 (2024), 108939 [11 pp.]
ISSN: 0277-3791

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FEDER/E18 Aragosaurus-Recursos Geológicos y Paleoambientes
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/FPU20-02031
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2021-122355NB-C31

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Paleontología (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)