Article
Biology
Doris Doeppes, Federica Alberti, Axel Barlow, Sebastian Krutter, Ronny Friedrich, Michael Hofreiter, Susanne Lindauer, Nadja Kavcik-Graumann, Wilfried Rosendahl, Gernot Rabeder
Summary: The Torrener Barenhohle is an Alpine bear cave near Salzburg, Austria, with an entrance located in a riverbed that floods periodically. Fossil collections have taken place since 1924, and bones scattered on the cave floor have been continuously collected over the last decades.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tanguy M. F. Racine, Christoph Spotl, Paula J. Reimer, Jana Carga
Summary: Caves containing perennial ice deposits, such as M-17 in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, are poorly understood but increasingly studied by scientists. A recent study used wood samples embedded in ice to reconstruct the past mass balance of M-17 and found evidence of positive ice balance during cooler-than-average summers and wetter-than-average springs in certain periods, as well as negative mass balance during warmer-than-average summers and dry springs. The study also revealed that the cave has experienced ice mass loss since its discovery in the 1980s.
Article
Geography, Physical
Diethard Sanders, Maximilian Wallner, Hannah Pomella
Summary: The study radiocarbon-dated a previously uninvestigated rock avalanche deposit, finding it descended in association with snow in a seismogenically active area with a volume of 6 Mm(3) and a runout of 4.76 km.
Article
Geography, Physical
Elena Serra, Fabio Magrani, Pierre G. Valla, Natacha Gribenski, Julien Carcaillet, David Lundbek Egholm
Summary: This study investigates the paleoclimatic conditions and glacier sensitivity during the Lateglacial period in the Western European Alps. The results reveal multiple short-term cooling episodes within the general warming trend, in phase with North Hemisphere climatic oscillations. The study provides valuable insights into the paleoclimate of the region and the glacier's response to temperature and precipitation changes.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bruno David, Lee J. Arnold, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Joanna Freslov, Chris Urwin, Fiona Petchey, Matthew C. McDowell, Russell Mullett, Jerome Mialanes, Rachel Wood, Joe Crouch, Johan Berthet, Vanessa N. L. Wong, Helen Green, John Hellstrom
Summary: The latest research on Cloggs Cave reveals that the youngest megafaunal specimens date back to 44,500-54,160 years ago, more than previously believed, aligning with the continental pattern of megafaunal extinctions. This suggests that the extinction of these megafauna could not have been caused by climate change leading into the Last Glacial Maximum.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Jee Yun Hyun, Tae-Wook Kim, Puneet Pandey, Kyung Seok Kim, Seung-Jun Jeong, Jae-Ku Kang, Dal-Yong Kong, Seung-Ho Jung, Ho-Kweon Jeong, Sang-Hoon Han, Sang-Hyun Han, Hang Lee
Summary: Genetic investigation of archeological or museum samples is crucial for conservation strategies. In South Korea, the discovery of ancient bear bones in Mt. Taebaek provides evidence of the native black bear population long before extinction. This study supports the ongoing bear restoration program and provides the first genetic information record of South Korean black bears.
ANIMAL CELLS AND SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Rachel J. A. Hopkins, Lawrence Guy Straus, Manuel R. Gonzalez Morales
Summary: El Miron in Cantabria, Spain, is an important archaeological site with evidence from the late Middle Paleolithic to the Modern Period. Radiocarbon dating has been crucial in understanding the temporal framework for human activity at the site, with 93 dates obtained over more than two decades. This data helps to enhance the accuracy of the chronostratigraphy and advance archaeological comparisons.
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Kaare Lund Rasmussen, Johannes van der Plicht, Ilaria Degano, Francesca Modugno, Maria Perla Colombini, Guillermo de la Fuente, Thomas Delbey, Amos Frumkin, Uri Davidovich, Roi Porat, Orit Shamir, Naama Sukenik, Greg Doudna, Joan Taylor, Mladen Popovic
Summary: This study reports on interdisciplinary archaeometrical analyses of objects found in the Christmas Cave, revealing the history and cultural background of the cave. The study found evidence of human occupation or visitation in the cave from around 4000 BCE to the Medieval period, including a refuge episode connected to the First Jewish Revolt. The results highlight the importance of archaeometric studies in cave environments where stratigraphy is absent.
Article
Geography, Physical
Kethra Campbell-Heaton, Denis Lacelle, David Fisher
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of sampling depth and edge effects on the delta O-18 records of ice wedges, and compares them to the records of the nearby Agassiz Ice Cap, finding a higher degree of variability in the ice wedge records. The study highlights the importance of sampling location and data processing methods when using ice wedges as proxies.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Francois Lemot, Pierre G. Valla, Peter van der Beek, Marianna Jagercikova, Samuel Niedermann, Julien Carcaillet, Edward R. Sobel, Sergio Ando, Eduardo Garzanti, Xavier Robert, Matthias Bernet, Johannes Glodny, Ludovic Mocochain
Summary: This study demonstrates how karstic archives from the Obiou peak in the Western European Alps record the tectonic and drainage-network evolution of this region during the Neogene. The findings provide evidence for two successive drainage reorganizations through the analysis of cosmogenic-nuclide burial dating, provenance analysis, and detrital thermochronology.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lukas Rettig, Giovanni Monegato, Matteo Spagnolo, Irka Hajdas, Paolo Mozzi
Summary: Glacier-based reconstructions of Equilibrium Line Altitudes (ELAs) are crucial for understanding long-term changes in temperature and precipitation. Our study focuses on the south-eastern part of the European Alps during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), providing new insights into the ELA based on geomorphological evidence.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ian A. Jorgeson, Ryan P. Breslawski, Abigail E. Fisher
Summary: Sweatman critiqued the evaluation of the YDIH and raised three points, but we proved that two of them were incorrect, and the third point had little effect on the results.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Roxana T. Patrut, Adrian Patrut, Grant Hall, Christiaan W. Winterbach, Iain Robertson, Ileana Andreea Ratiu, Victor Bocos-Bintintan, Laszlo Rakosy, Stephan Woodborne
Summary: This study reconstructed a high-resolution climate archive based on carbon isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of the Chapman baobab in northeastern Botswana. The results revealed stable precipitation during the Medieval Warm Period, while increased rainfall variability and drought frequency occurred during the Little Ice Age. The wettest period of the past millennium was registered before 1450, while the driest period occurred in 1835.
Article
Forestry
Christopher Carcaillet, Benjamin Boulley, Frederique Carcaillet
Summary: This study questions the importance of local and large-scale processes on the dynamics of fire in the subalpine belt in the western Alps. The results show that climate is the main driver of fire occurrence, while local conditions play a minimal role in determining variability at the century scale. The mid-Holocene was a key period for climate-driven biomass burning, while fires during the late Holocene appear to be more episodic, suggesting the influence of human activity.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alexandra Fogtmann-Schulz, Claudia Baittinger, Christoffer Karoff, Jesper Olsen, Mads F. Knudsen
Summary: A new biennial record of radiocarbon measured in Danish oak covering the years 1251-1378 CE shows changes in the Hale and Schwabe solar cycles during the Wolf Minimum. The record's spectral analysis revealed peaks at 27 and 9.1 years, suggesting alterations in these cycles, but further research is needed to confirm these findings. The study also reconstructed the solar modulation function indicating a periodicity of approximately 9 years preceding the Wolf Minimum.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Eduardo Q. Alves, Kita D. Macario, Paula Spotorno, Fabiana M. Oliveira, Marcelo C. Muniz, Stewart Fallon, Rosa Souza, Andreia Salvador, Anita Eschner, Christopher Bronk Ramsey
Summary: Scientific expeditions in the 19th century collected valuable interdisciplinary data and samples, which are now held in museums worldwide and provide unique opportunities for research. This study utilized samples from Brazil's coast to investigate the Marine Reservoir Effect (MRE) and revealed variability in C-14 concentration, with implications for environmental and archaeological studies in the region. The results also contribute to the validation of C-14 simulations in numerical models, highlighting the importance of natural history collections beyond biodiversity preservation.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Rick J. Schulting, Christophe Snoeck, John Pouncett, Fiona Brock, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Thomas Higham, Thibaut Deviese, Kelly Delancy, Michael Pateman, William Keegan, Joanna Ostapkowicz
Summary: Research shows that early inhabitants relied on near-shore marine resources, which were quickly over-exploited, leading to a shift towards horticulture based on root crops. The Medieval Warm Period likely facilitated the initial settlement of the islands, while the impact of the Little Ice Age is less clear. Despite the relatively short history of pre-Columbian occupation, Lucayan adaptations to the Bahamian archipelago were dynamic and demonstrated resilience in the face of both human resource depletion and climate change.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alan Cooper, Chris S. M. Turney, Jonathan Palmer, Alan Hogg, Matt McGlone, Janet Wilmshurst, Andrew M. Lorrey, Timothy J. Heaton, James M. Russell, Ken McCracken, Julien G. Anet, Eugene Rozanov, Marina Friedel, Ivo Suter, Thomas Peter, Raimund Muscheler, Florian Adolphi, Anthony Dosseto, J. Tyler Faith, Pavla Fenwick, Christopher J. Fogwill, Konrad Hughen, Mathew Lipson, Jiabo Liu, Norbert Nowaczyk, Eleanor Rainsley, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Paolo Sebastianelli, Yassine Souilmi, Janelle Stevenson, Zoe Thomas, Raymond Tobler, Roland Zech
Summary: The study utilized ancient New Zealand kauri trees to investigate the impact of the Laschamps Excursion on atmospheric radiocarbon levels. Through radiocarbon dating and global chemistry-climate modeling, they found that geomagnetic field minima and Grand Solar Minima led to global climate shifts, causing environmental changes and extinction events.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chris Satow, Agust Gudmundsson, Ralf Gertisser, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Mohsen Bazargan, David M. Pyle, Sabine Wulf, Andrew J. Miles, Mark Hardiman
Summary: Sea-level changes strongly controlled the timing of eruptions of the Santorini Volcano over the last 360,000 years, with eruptions triggered when the sea level fell below -40 meters. Analysis of tephras, sea-level records, and numerical modeling of the magma chamber support these findings.
Article
Geography, Physical
Helen M. Roberts, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Melissa S. Chapot, Alan L. Deino, Christine S. Lane, Celine Vidal, Asfawossen Asrat, Andrew Cohen, Verena Foerster, Henry F. Lamb, Frank Schaebitz, Martin H. Trauth, Finn A. Viehberg
Summary: Dating a composite sediment core from Chew Bahir in south Ethiopia reveals a high-resolution lacustrine sediment record that spans the entire timescale of modern human evolution and dispersal, providing important insights into environmental change and hominin evolutionary adaptation.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Neil J. Loader, Danny McCarroll, Daniel Miles, Giles H. F. Young, Darren Davies, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Megan Williams, Maximilian Fudge
Summary: Stable oxygen isotope dendrochronology is an effective precision-dating method for trees in moist, temperate climatic regions. Despite differences in tree species, they all record a sufficiently similar isotopic signal in their growth rings for precise dating. Interspecies dating using stable oxygen isotopes opens up new opportunities for science-based archaeology and enhances understanding of European historical buildings.
Article
Ecology
Rick J. Schulting, Kristiina Mannermaa, Pavel E. Tarasov, Thomas Higham, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Valeri Khartanovich, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Dmitriy Gerasimov, John O'Shea, Andrzej Weber
Summary: The Mesolithic cemetery of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, was mainly used for a few centuries during a northern hemisphere climatic downturn event. The cemetery's use coincided with the 8.2 ka cooling event and suggests that human response to climate-driven environmental change might have influenced burial practices. The use of the cemetery during this time led to increased social stress and greater mortuary complexity, but this phenomenon lasted only for the duration of the climate downturn.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Verena Foerster, Asfawossen Asrat, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Erik T. Brown, Melissa S. Chapot, Alan Deino, Walter Duesing, Matthew Grove, Annette Hahn, Annett Junginger, Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr, Christine S. Lane, Stephan Opitz, Anders Noren, Helen M. Roberts, Mona Stockhecke, Ralph Tiedemann, Celine M. Vidal, Ralf Vogelsang, Andrew S. Cohen, Henry F. Lamb, Frank Schaebitz, Martin H. Trauth
Summary: This study presents an environmental record from Chew Bahir, southern Ethiopia, which sheds light on the potential influence of climatic variability on hominin biological and cultural transformation. The findings provide valuable insights into key periods of human evolution and cultural innovation.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
T. J. Heaton, E. Bard, C. Bronk Ramsey, M. Butzin, C. Hatte, K. A. Hughen, P. Koehler, P. J. Reimer
Summary: The concentrations of radiocarbon (C-14) in the oceans differ from those in the atmosphere. Understanding these differences is important for dating samples from the marine environment and studying the carbon cycle. The Marine20 radiocarbon age calibration curve provides a global surface ocean record of radiocarbon from 55,000-0 cal yr BP, accounting for oceanic response to atmospheric C-14 variations and known changes in palaeoclimatic variables. Marine20 is an improvement over the previous Marine13 curve and includes guidelines for calibration and estimating regional oceanic C-14 variation.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christopher Bronk Ramsey
Summary: Temporal and spatial variation in radiocarbon (C-14) in the atmosphere has been extensively studied, leading to improvements in measurement precision and the ability to test variation over longer timescales and larger geographic areas. These advancements have required revisions in the interpretation of C-14 measurements. While these revisions and the loss of chronological precision are seen as drawbacks, they have stimulated research in global C-14 records, statistical methods, and measurement techniques. This research has provided valuable information for understanding the global carbon cycle and has allowed for higher measurement precision when atmospheric C-14 variation is considered.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Florian Adolphi, William Austin, Edouard Bard, Alex Bayliss, Maarten Blaauw, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, Michael Friedrich, Timothy Heaton, Alan Hogg, Quan Hua, Konrad Hughen, Bernd Kromer, Sturt Manning, Raimund Muscheler, Jonathan Palmer, Charlotte Pearson, Paula Reimer, Ron Reimer, David Richards, Marian Scott, John Southon, Chris Turney, Lukas Wacker
Summary: The IntCal family of radiocarbon calibration curves, based on over three decades of research, has collated C-14 and calendar age data and made them available through an open-access database since 2010. The aim is to provide transparency in terms of the data used in constructing the calibration curves.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
T. J. Heaton, M. Butzin, E. Bard, C. Bronk Ramsey, K. A. Hughen, P. Koehler, P. J. Reimer
Summary: The Marine20 radiocarbon calibration curve and earlier curves must be used cautiously for calibrating marine C-14 samples from polar regions during glacial periods. We propose an approach that accounts for localized glacial C-14 depletion in polar oceans and provides calibrated age estimates for glacial C-14 samples in high- and low-depletion scenarios.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefan Engels, Christine S. Lane, Aritina Haliuc, Wim Z. Hoek, Francesco Muschitiello, Ilaria Baneschi, Annerieke Bouwman, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, James Collins, Renee de Bruijn, Oliver Heiri, Katalin Hubay, Gwydion Jones, Andreas Laug, Josef Merkt, Meike Mueller, Tom Peters, Francien Peterse, Richard A. Staff, Anneke T. M. ter Schure, Falko Turner, Valerie van den Bos, Frederike Wagner-Cremer
Summary: Vegetation in northwest Europe responded instantly and synchronously to abrupt cooling during the last deglaciation, indicating the severity of environmental impact and the sensitivity of natural terrestrial ecosystems to external forcing.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
C. Bronk Ramsey, R. J. Schulting, V. Bazaliiskii, O. Goriunova, A. W. Weber
Summary: This paper examines the changes in patterns of hunter-gatherer cemeteries from the Late Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age in the Cis-Baikal region of Eastern Siberia using a Kernel Density methodology. The analysis reveals distinct patterns in individual cemeteries and broader regional shifts in burial events frequency, although caution is advised due to sampling biases. Comprehensive datasets from fully excavated cemeteries offer new and important insights into Middle Holocene hunter-gatherer burial practices in Cis-Baikal.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ASIA
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Andrzej W. Weber, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Rick J. Schulting, Vladimir Bazaliiskii, Olga Goriunova
Summary: Analyses of radiocarbon dates and stable isotope values from skeletal remains of around 650 individuals in the Cis-Baikal region of Eastern Siberia provide insights into the culture history, dietary patterns, and cultural differences among Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers. The results show significant variation in patterns of culture change within and between archaeological periods, mortuary traditions, and micro-regions, suggesting a range of changes in strategies over time.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ASIA
(2021)
