Combined palaeoecological methods using small-mammal assemblages to decipher environmental context of a long-term Neanderthal settlement in northeastern Iberia

Abstract

Iberian Middle Palaeolithic sites with long-term occupations and allow these human groups to incorporate this region for millennia in their migration routes. Table 2 Number of remains (NR) and minimum number of individuals (MNI) as a percentage of the total for the small-mammal assemblage in Abric Romaní sequence. The extended information of species ocurrence can be found in Appendix B. Recount Crocidura russula Sorex gr. araneuscoronatus Sorex minutus Neomys gr. fodiensanomalus Talpa europaea Soricidae indet. Myotis sp. Myotis gr. myotis-blythii Miniopterus cf. schereibersii Plecotus gr. auritusaustriacus Pipistrellus sp. Pipistrellus pipistrellus Nyctalus lasiopterus Chiroptera indet. Arvicola sapidus Microtus arvalis Microtus agrestis Iberomys cabrerae Chionomys nivalis M. (Terricola) duodecimcostatus M. (Terricola) gerbei Apodemus sylvaticus Eliomys quercinus Sciurus vulgaris Rodentia indet. Taxonomically indet. Total

The mutual ecogeographical range and paleoclimatic reconstruction during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene in the Pampas (Argentina) using meso and microvertebrate fossils

“…Blain et al (2009) applied this quantitative method in amphibians and reptiles, and later, it was used with mammals (e.g. Blain et al, 2018; Fernández-García et al, 2016, 2020; López-García et al, 2010) for the Iberian Peninsula. In the Netherlands and Italy, this method was used to reconstruct paleoclimates inferred with amphibian and reptiles (Blain et al, 2019; Villa et al, 2018).…”

“…However, present methods like Mutual Ecogeographic Range (MER), allow us to reconstruct paleoclimates using a vertebrate fossil assembly (Blain et al, 2009, 2016, 2018), and climate niche on taxa’s distribution (Eronen et al, 2010; Polly et al, 2011) as ecometric (measurable part of a fossil proxy). The MER has been used in the Iberian Peninsula (Blain et al, 2009, 2018 for a review; Fagoaga et al, 2019; Fernández-García et al, 2020), The Netherlands (Villa et al, 2018), Italy (Blain et al, 2019), Great Britain (Farjon et al, 2020; Polly and Eronen, 2011), North America (Smith and Polly, 2013), and México (Cruz et al, 2016, 2021; Hernándcz-Hernández et al, 2020), showing results that match those from other proxies like pollen, microorganisms, and glacier records.…”

Contribution of small mammal taphonomy to the last Neanderthal occupations at the El Salt site (Alcoi, southeastern Spain)

“…In summary, the results obtained in this work suggest a large owl species—more specifically, the European eagle owl—as the most likely predator responsible for the small mammal fossil accumulation in Units X and V. We have found no ground to consider any mixture with any other predator as described in other cases (e.g., Fernández-Jalvo, 1995; Fernández-García et al, 2020). Apart from the taphonomic traits, Bubo bubo is considered one of the main rabbit predators in the Iberian Peninsula and in Mediterranean ecosystems (Hiraldo et al, 1975; Donázar, 1988, 1989; Serrano, 1998; Rufà and Laroulandie, 2019), which agrees with our results.…”

Amphibians and reptiles as palaeonvironmental proxies during the Late Pleistocene (MIS3): The case of Stratigraphic Unit V of El Salt, Alcoi, Spain

“…The differences in MAT most similar to those at El Salt are shown in the Cova dels Xaragalls levels C5 (− 3.04 • C) and C8 (− 2.92 • C) and in the Abric Romaní level N (− 3.10 • C) (López- García et al, 2012aGarcía et al, , 2012bGarcía et al, , 2012cFernández-García et al, 2020). As for the MAP results, the Cova dels Xaragalls level C8 (+100 mm) and the Cova de L'Arbreda level H (+142 mm) are the closest to the SU V of El Salt (López- García et al, 2012aGarcía et al, , 2012bGarcía et al, , 2012cGarcía et al, , 2015.…”

“…Overall, our results in this study and those obtained for other contemporaneous eastern Iberian sites (L'Arbreda Cave, Teixoneres, Abric Romaní, Canyars, and Cova dels Xaragalls) reveal that the palaeoclimatic conditions were cooler and wetter than current conditions (Table 8). In the time interval considered, all of the Iberian sites show a clear trend towards a gradual fall of the MAT and MAP (López-García et al, 2012a, 2012b, 2012cFernández-García et al, 2020).…”