Pleistocene amphibians and squamates from the Upper Jordan Rift Valley, Gesher Benot Ya’aqov and Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet (MIS 20–18 and MIS 4/3)

Abstract

The Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY) and the Mousterian site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet (NMO) are open-air sites situated on the bank of the Upper Jordan River at its southern estuary in the Hula Valley, Israel. Both sites were deposited on the shore of a paleo-Lake Hula, a shallow body of water that persisted throughout a considerable part of the Pleistocene as a fresh-water lake. Most of the amphibian and squamate taxa recovered are aquatic species related to the natural biota of the Hula Valley, alongside some terrestrial species. Twelve amphibian and squamate taxa were recovered at each site. Most of the species recovered from the archaeological contexts do not differ from extant Hula Valley amphibians and squamates, with the exception of a varanid (Varanus sp.) recovered at GBY and the possible presence of the eastern fourlined ratsnake (cf. Elaphe sauromates). The snake’s presence could indicate slightly cooler conditions during human occupation at NMO. A noteworthy continuity in species presence is observed throughout the many archaeological horizons as well as in comparison to the current Hula basin fauna. This suggests a surprising similarity in environmental conditions over a significant portion of the Quaternary in this region.

The anurans and squamates assemblage from Final Natufian Eynan (Ain Mallaha, Israel) with an emphasis on snake-human interactions

“…This phenomenon of many P . apodus remains belonging to a single animal was already reported at the Mousterian open-air site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet [ 45 ]. A single P .…”

“…The appearance of anurans and squamates at prehistoric archaeological sites is usually the result of predator activities or natural death at the site, especially in the case of trogloxene species in caves and shelters [ 49 ], and to a much lesser extent in open-air sites [ 45 ]. In the shelter of caves and at cave entrances toads, legless lizards and snakes can be found sometimes during excavations, since they use the cave and the loose sediment during hot summers or cold winters.…”

“…The possible presence of the Eastern Four-lined Ratsnake (cf. Elaphe sauromates ) south of its current distribution during the Pleistocene, in the Hula Valley, was already evoked on the basis of a couple of vertebrae recovered at the prehistoric site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet [ 45 ].…”

“…Most of the P. apodus remains (NISP 45) are osteoderms that could easily belong to one animal, followed by vertebrae (NISP 11) and only two dentaries (one right and one left). This phenomenon of many P. apodus remains [45]. A single P. apodus has approximately 150 vertebrae and more than a thousand osteoderms, and therefore a very high number of remains can relate to only one lizard.…”

“…The Dice Snake N. tessellata is a very widely dispersed water snake in the Hula Valley nowadays, and a Natrix sp. was the most abundant snake recovered from other prehistoric archaeological sites in the area [45,51]. The Asian Racer is one of the most common and most often encountered snakes in Israel nowadays [3].…”