Article
Geography, Physical
Sandor Beres, Ferenc Cserpak, Magdalena Moskal-del Hoyo, Tamas Repiszky, Sandra Sazelova, Jaroslaw Wilczynski, Gyorgy Lengyel
Summary: The Zo?ld Cave in Hungary is a Late Epigravettian site with a small archaeological collection dating back to 17.0-14.9 thousand years ago, consisting of faunal remains and lithic artifacts indicating it was a hunting-butchering site. The population in eastern Central Europe during the Late Epigravettian period likely contributed to the formation of the Federmesser culture rather than disappearing without descendants.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Wojciech T. Szczepanski
Summary: This study focuses on the species of the Dasypogon genus in Central Europe. Two species were identified, including a new species - Dasypogon diabolicus sp. nov. The study provides an identification key and descriptions of both male and female species, along with illustrations of their appearance and reproductive organs. It also presents an updated distribution map and proposes a new list of synonyms for D. diadema, establishing a new synonymy for Leptarthrus brevirostris (Meigen, 1804) = Dasypogon caudatus Bigot, 1881 syn. nov.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Valenti Turu, Rosa M. Carrasco, Jose Antonio Lopez-Saez, Xabier Pontevedra-Pombal, Javier Pedraza, Reyes Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, Sebastian Perez-Diaz, Anna Echeverria-Moreno, Jaime Frigola, Francisca Alba-Sanchez, Jesus Sanchez-Vizcaino, Albert Pelachs-Manosa, Raquel Cunill-Artigas, Jordi Nadal-Tersa, Elena Mur-Cacuho, Joan Manuel Soriano-Lopez
Summary: The multidisciplinary study in the Navamuno depression of western Spain reconstructs paleotemperature over the past 16.8 ka, highlighting cold and warm intervals as well as ash/dust events. It reveals evidence of significant fire activity and disruptions in temperature increase, with a trend towards arid climate in the Mid-Holocene and a volcanic event synchronizing with eruptions in other regions. The presence of oceanic aerosols in the last three millennia allowed for the formation of Cl-rich peat layers during a humid period, followed by colder and drier conditions at the onset of the Little Ice Age.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jesper Norgaard, Martin Margold, John D. Jansen, Redzhep Kurbanov, Izabela Szuman, Jane Lund Andersen, Jesper Olsen, Mads Faurschou Knudsen
Summary: This study presents the first dates from the central part of Northeast Siberia, providing age constraints on glaciations in the region. The results indicate limited Late Pleistocene glaciations to the highlands, suggesting the absence of a large, coalescent ice sheet in Northeast Siberia during the Last Glacial Maximum or Marine Isotope Stage 6.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Goncalo Vieira, David Palacios, Nuria Andres, Carla Mora, Lorenzo Vazquez Selem, Barbara Woronko, Carmen Soncco, Jose Ubeda, Gabriel Goyanes
Summary: This study aimed to assess the age of glacial features in Serra da Estrela, Portugal using Cosmic-Ray Exposure dating. The results indicate that glaciers in the region reached their maximum extent around 140 ka and 30 ka, before disappearing around 14.2 ka, showing a certain synchronicity with major glacial phases in the Mediterranean and European mountains.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saad Arif, Michael Gerth, William G. Hone-Millard, Maria D. S. Nunes, Leonardo Dapporto, Timothy G. Shreeve
Summary: The study reveals distinct geographical structuring of CO1 haplogroups in the Polyommatus Icarus butterfly in the British Isles, with evidence of different demographic histories of mitochondrial versus nuclear DNA. While mtDNA-Wolbachia associations in northern Britain could explain the geographic structuring of mtDNA, nuclear genomic structuring suggests multiple colonization events. This two-stage colonization scenario has been proposed to explain genetic diversity in British flora and fauna. Additionally, preliminary evidence for potential Wolbachia-induced feminization in the Outer Hebrides is presented.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte Prud'homme, Peter Fischer, Olaf Joeris, Sergey Gromov, Mathias Vinnepand, Christine Hatte, Hubert Vonhof, Olivier Moine, Andreas Voett, Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons
Summary: Ice core and marine archives provide detailed records of last glacial climate changes. In this study, using earthworm calcite granules, we quantified the warm season land-surface temperatures and precipitation changes in central Europe during the last glacial period. The results show that the Rhine Valley had cooler temperatures and reduced precipitation, and was strongly influenced by westerlies and North Atlantic climate forcing.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Eleonora Regattieri, Silvia Querci, Giovanni Zanchetta, Elena Zanella, Ilaria Isola, Russell N. Drysdale, John C. Hellstrom, Federico Magri
Summary: This study presents a high-resolution multiproxy speleothem record from Rio Martino Cave in Piedmont, Southern Alps, Italy, which covers the first part of the Penultimate Glacial. The findings highlight the significant hydrological and environmental responses in the European Alpine region during early MIS 6, and the connection between regional climate changes and global climatic variations.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Arthur Ancrenaz, Stephane Pochat, Emmanuelle Defive, Alexandre Poiraud, Regis Braucher, Vincent Rinterknecht, Johannes Steiger
Summary: The aim of this study was to build a new chronology of Late Pleistocene glacial fluctuations in the Cantal Mountains and Cézallier Plateau. The research utilized the study of glacial landform-sediment assemblages and new exposure ages to identify four glacial stadials. The results enhance the chronostratigraphy of the western Massif Central and demonstrate the area's sensitivity to atmospheric circulation changes.
Article
Anthropology
Tadeusz Wisniewski, Barbara Niezabitowska-Wisniewska
Summary: Recent archaeological research in the western part of the Lublin Upland in eastern Poland has provided new data on hunter-gatherer settlement in Central Europe during the Late Palaeolithic, and has redefined the eastern boundary of Late Magdalenian and Federmesser Culture settlement.
Article
Geography, Physical
Christian Sanchez-Bandera, Ana Fagoaga, Alexia Serrano-Ramos, Jose Solano-Garcia, Deborah Barsky, Daniel Demiguel, Juan Ochando, Juha Saarinen, Pedro Pinero, Ivan Lozano-Fernandez, Lloyd A. Courtenay, Stefania Titton, Carmen Luzon, Herve Bocherens, Jose Yravedra, Mikael Fortelius, Jordi Agusti, Jose S. Carrion, Oriol Oms, Hugues-Alexandre Blain, Juan Manuel Jimenez-Arenas
Summary: The oldest evidence of human presence in western Europe, found in southeastern Spain, dates back to 1.4 and 1.2 million years ago. Understanding the climate variability during this time is crucial for understanding how early humans adapted to changing conditions. However, quantitative estimates of climate variability in early human sites and direct reconstructions of "cold" periods in Europe during this time have not been done.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tomislav Kurecic, Neven Bocic, Lara Wacha, Koraljka Bakrac, Anita Grizelj, Dinko Tresic Pavici, Christopher Luethgens, Andreja Sironi, Sinisa Radovi, Loris Redovnikovi, Markus Fiebig
Summary: Archaeological excavations in a cave in Croatia exposed an undisturbed sequence of sediments, allowing for the recognition of changes in depositional mechanisms. Using a multiproxy approach, the researchers characterized the cave sediments and revealed several stages in the development of clastic filling in the cave channels, with sedimentation taking place under different climatic conditions during the Pleistocene-Holocene period. Stratigraphic calibration based on luminescence dating and radiometric dating of cave sediments and speleothems was performed for the first time in this study.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
abel Peter Molnar, Laszlo Demeter, Marianna Biro, Milan Chytry, Sandor Bartha, Batdelger Gantuya, Zsolt Molnar
Summary: Recent studies have questioned the prevailing paradigm about the Quaternary ecological and evolutionary history of Central European ecosystems, and proposed an alternative hypothesis. By synthesising recent advances in various research fields and analysing the cold tolerance of native flora, it was found that the flora in the Carpathian Basin has long-term continuity. This has important implications for understanding local biogeography and ecology, as well as developing conservation strategies for ancient species-rich ecosystems and local gene pools.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Louis Arbez, Hadravova Tereza, Aurelien Royer, Montuire Sophie, Horacek Ivan
Summary: Taxonomic identification of fossil small mammals, especially morphologically close species, remains challenging. This study applied geometric morphometrics on Late Pleistocene Lemmini fossils from Central Europe and demonstrated the presence of Myopus, a wood lemming species, during Marine Isotopic Stage 3 and Last Glacial Maximum. The identification of Myopus has a strong impact on paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, revealing a colder climate and an undetected taiga biozone. This work emphasizes the essential contribution of geometric morphometric analyses in understanding small mammal communities.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bas van Geel, Jacqueline F. N. van Leeuwen, Kees Nooren, Dick Mol, Natasja den Ouden, Pim W. O. van der Knaap, Frederik Seersholm, Alba Rey-Iglesia, Eline D. Lorenzen
Summary: This study analyzed the pollen content of a Late-Glacial giant ground sloth coprolite from Mylodon Cave in southern Chile. The findings suggest that Mylodon may have been a selective feeder, as indicated by the presence of large amounts of Fragaria and Azorella pollen in its feces. Additionally, testing of ancient DNA in the sample showed low levels of ancient plant DNA preservation.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joachim Burger, Vivian Link, Jens Blocher, Anna Schulz, Christian Sell, Zoe Pochon, Yoan Diekmann, Aleksandra Zegarac, Zuzana Hofmanova, Laura Winkelbach, Carlos S. Reyna-Blanco, Vanessa Bieker, Jorg Orschiedt, Ute Brinker, Amelie Scheu, Christoph Leuenberger, Thomas S. Bertino, Ruth Bollongino, Gundula Lidke, Sofija Stefanovic, Detlef Jantzen, Elke Kaiser, Thomas Terberger, Mark G. Thomas, Krishna R. Veeramah, Daniel Wegmann
Editorial Material
Geography, Physical
Thomas Terberger, Mikhail Zhilin, Svetlana Savchenko
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Maier, P. Stojakowits, C. Mayr, S. Pfeifer, F. Preusser, B. Zolitschka, M. Anghelinu, D. Bobak, F. Duprat-Oualid, T. Einwoegerer, U. Hambach, M. Haendel, L. Kaminska, L. Kaempf, M. Lanczont, F. Lehmkuhl, P. Ludwig, E. Magyari, P. Mroczek, A. Nemergut, Z. Nerudova, L. Nita, M. Polanska, M. Poltowicz-Bobak, D. Rius, W. Roemer, U. Simon, P. Skrdla, G. Ujvari, D. Veres
Summary: The role of environmental change in the evolution of cultural traits has been a long-standing topic of debate. Fragmentary archaeological and geoscientific archives, along with insufficient chronological resolution, make it challenging to assess environmental impacts on the evolution of material culture. While repeated co-occurrences of certain features may suggest causality, they are not absolute proof.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria Lanczont, Marta Poltowicz-Bobak, Dariusz Bobak, Przemyslaw Mroczek, Adam Nowak, Maryna Komar, Karol Standzikowski
Summary: This paper presents the results of a newly discovered Epigravettian site in the San river valley, Carpathian foreland, indicating the coexistence of Epigravettian and Magdalenian Culture communities in the same area at different times. The geological record allows for the reconstruction of a loess plateau with trees and favorable climate conditions, following the Heinrich event 1. This suggests a unique historical context of cultural interaction and settlement patterns in the region.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
G. Di Maida, M. A. Mannino, J. Zilhao, D. L. Hoffmann, M. Garcia-Diez, A. Pastoors, C. D. Standish, A. W. G. Pike, J. Olsen, V Schimmenti, G. Battaglia, T. Terberger
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Dirk Leder, Raphael Hermann, Matthias Huels, Gabriele Russo, Philipp Hoelzmann, Ralf Nielbock, Utz Boehner, Jens Lehmann, Michael Meier, Antje Schwalb, Andrea Troeller-Reimer, Tim Koddenberg, Thomas Terberger
Summary: The discovery of a 51,000-year-old engraved giant deer phalanx in northern Germany suggests that Neanderthals had the cognitive capacity for conceptual imagination and an awareness of symbolic meaning before Homo sapiens arrived in Central Europe.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Thomas Terberger, Ronald Borgwardt, Joachim Krueger, Sebastian Lorenz, Jens-Peter Schmidt, Lorenz Rahmstorf
Summary: This article presents a significant new find of a Late Bronze Age female figurine discovered in the Tollense valley in northeast Germany. The discovery further suggests a connection between the find spots of the figurines and communication routes, and proposes a possible weight unit.
PRAEHISTORISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Marta Poltowicz-Bobak, Larissa Kulakovska, Dariusz Bobak, Vitaly Usik, Olesia Kononenko, Maria Lanczont, Przemyslaw Mroczek, Karol Standzikowski, Laetitia Demay, Adam Nadachowski, Anna Lemanik
Summary: New research conducted in Doroshivtsi sire in Ukraine has provided fresh insights into a well-known and important Gravettian site in the Middle Dniester Valley by providing new data.
Article
Anthropology
Tomasz Plonka, Dariusz Bobak, Michal Szuta
JOURNAL OF WORLD PREHISTORY
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Marta Poltowicz-Bobak
ANTHROPOLOGIE-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN DIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Boleslaw Ginter, Marta Poltowicz-Bobak
ANTHROPOLOGIE-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN DIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Thomas Terberger, Jurgen Schneider, Jana Esther Fries
PRAEHISTORISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT
(2020)