Reassessing palaeoenvironmental conditions during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in the Cantabrian region (Southwestern Europe)

Fernández-García, Mónica; Vidal‐Cordasco, Marco; Jones, J. G.; Marín-Arroyo, Ana B.

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107928

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…The Abric Pizarro rockshelter, situated in the Pre-Pyrenean region, presents a unique opportunity to investigate Neanderthal resilience and adaptability during the climatically challenging period of MIS 4. Traditionally, this period, characterised by extreme aridity and changing landscapes, has been considered unsuitable for Neanderthal occupation (d 'Errico and Sánchez Goñi, 2003;Fernández-García et al, 2023). However, the zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains from levels M and P at Abric Pizarro provides compelling data that challenge these assumptions and sheds light on Neanderthal hunting and butchery behaviours, as well as their ability to exploit diverse dietary resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Westbury,

Samper Carro,

Vega Bolivar

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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The examination of faunal assemblages through zooarchaeological analyses constitutes a fundamental approach for gaining insight into the intricate behaviours of Neanderthals. Previous investigations have primarily focused on periods of relative environmental stability, and this has provided a wealth of relevant archaeological data. However, our understanding of Neanderthal resilience during the MIS 4, a period presumably characterised by harsh environmental conditions, remains limited. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the faunal assemblages from Levels M and P at Abric Pizarro. The geographic location of Abric Pizarro in the southeast Pre-Pyrenees, combined with chronometric dating, offers a unique opportunity to explore Neanderthal behaviours during a poorly known chronological period. The detailed zooarchaeological analysis comprised taxonomic identification, taphonomic analysis and age-at-death profiling to explore the adaptability and flexibility in the Neanderthal diet. The findings indicate that Neanderthal groups incorporated a diverse range of protein resources from small herbivores (e.g., caprids) to very large herbivores (e.g., Bos/Bison). These results not only demonstrate an adaptability to changing environments in an area traditionally deemed unsuitable for long-term occupation, but also contributes significantly to our understanding of the complex behaviours exhibited by Neanderthals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Westbury,

Samper Carro,

Vega Bolivar

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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“…These trends are consistent with values observed on bone collagen from previous studies in the studied sites. During the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in the region, by comparing horses and red deer, a decrease in mean δ 13 C (from -20‰ to -21‰) and δ 15 N values (from 6‰ to 2.5 ‰) was observed in contrast to stable red deer mean δ 13 C (Fernández-García et al, 2023;Jones et al, 2018Jones et al, , 2019. This decrease was already interpreted as niche In the same period, at the Mediterranean site of Canyars, higher mean δ 13 Cdiet are observed in both species (between -23.6‰ and -24.4‰), indicating a preference for more open landscapes by bovines and equids.…”

Section: Regional Trends and Ecological Nichesmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Additionally, there is a slight decrease in rainfall and increased fluctuations from the Transitional Aurignacian levels in El Castillo (18B-18C) to the Aurignacian levels in Labeko Koba (VII-V). Previous studies in the northern Iberian region underlined an environmental and ecological shift after GS13/HE5, from 48,000 to 44,000 cal BP, based on a progressive trend to colder temperatures, aridity increase, and open environmental conditions, matching with the late Neanderthal occupations, followed by a population hiatus before the arrival of Anatomically Modern Humans Fernández-García et al, 2023). This episode coincides with the region's maximum extension of the glaciers and a significant decrease in plant biomass and herbivore abundance (Jiménez-Sánchez et al, 2013;Ruiz-Fernández et al, 2022).…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Climatic Evolution In Northern Iberiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological evolution in northern Iberia (SW Europe) during the Late Pleistocene through isotopic analysis on ungulate teeth

Fernández-Garcia,

Pederzani,

Britton

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. During the Late Pleistocene, stadial and interstadial fluctuations affected vegetation, fauna, and human groups that were forced to cope with these pronounced climatic and environmental changes in time and space. These changes were especially abrupt during the Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3. However, little is still known about the local and regional climatic conditions experienced by hominins in Europe. Here we reconstruct the climatic trends in northern Iberia considering the stable isotopic composition of ungulate skeletal tissues found in archaeological deposits dated between 80 to 15,000 cal BP. The carbon and oxygen isotopic composition preserved in the carbonate fraction of tooth enamel provides a reliable and high-resolution proxy of the food and water consumed by these animals, which is indirectly related to the local vegetation, environment, and climate, allowing us to estimate paleotemperatures and rainfall data. This study presents 44 bovine, equid, and cervid teeth from five archaeological sites in the Vasco-Cantabrian region (El Castillo, El Otero, Axlor, Labeko Koba, Aitzbitarte III) and one in the Mediterranean area (Canyars), where human evidence is attested from the Mousterian to the Magdalenian. The carbon isotope values reflect animals feeding on C3 plants with a mix-feeder diet mainly developed in open environments. However, carbon isotope value ranges point to differentiated ecological niches for equids and bovines, especially during the Aurignacian in the Vasco-Cantabrian region. Temperature estimations based on oxygen isotopic compositions and rainfall obtained from carbon isotopic compositions indicate colder and more arid conditions than nowadays from the Late Mousterian to the Aurignacian. The contemporary Mediterranean site shows slightly lower temperatures related to an arid period when animals mainly graze in open landscapes. In the Vasco-Cantabrian region, during the MIS2, the Gravettian data reflect a landscape opening, whereas the Magdalenian point to warmer conditions but still arid.

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“…Despite the abundant record of hominin activities, palaeoclimatic records to support the notion of contemporary climatic stability and mildness are predominantly far removed from archaeological sites (e.g., marine cores in the Bay of Biscay and at the Iberian margin; Roucoux et al, 2005; Martrat et al, 2007; Sánchez Goñi et al, 2008; Moreno et al, 2014). Furthermore, terrestrial records and local reconstructions from archaeological deposits are not abundant and provide inconsistent coverage of the peninsula and are particularly sparse in the region surrounding modern-day Cantabria and the Basque Country (Moreno et al, 2014; Fernández-García et al 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Pleistocene Neanderthal exploitation of stable and mosaic ecosystems in northern Iberia shown by multi-isotope evidence

et al. 2023

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During the last glacial period, rapidly changing environments posed substantial challenges to Neanderthal populations in Europe. Southern continental regions, such as Iberia, have been proposed as important climatic “buffer” zones during glacial phases. Contextualising the climatic and ecological conditions Neanderthals faced is relevant to interpreting their resilience. However, records of the environments and ecosystems they exploited across Iberia exhibit temporal and spatial gaps in coverage. Here we provide new evidence for palaeotemperatures, vegetation structure, and prey herbivore ecology during the late Pleistocene (MIS 5–3) in northern Spain, by applying multiple stable isotope tracers (δ18O, δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) to herbivore skeletal remains associated with Neanderthal occupations at Axlor Cave, Bizkaia. The results show little change over time and indicate stable climatic conditions and ecosystems across different occupations. Large within-layer isotopic variability in nitrogen and sulphur suggests the presence of a mosaic environment and a variety of isotopic ecotones that were exploited by Neanderthals and their prey. We implement a combination of carbonate and phosphate δ18O measurements to estimate palaeotemperatures using a cost-effective workflow. We show that the targeted use of phosphate δ18O measurements to anchor summer peak and winter trough areas enables high-precision seasonal palaeoclimatic reconstructions.

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Reassessing palaeoenvironmental conditions during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in the Cantabrian region (Southwestern Europe)

Cited by 12 publications

References 98 publications

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Ecological evolution in northern Iberia (SW Europe) during the Late Pleistocene through isotopic analysis on ungulate teeth

Late Pleistocene Neanderthal exploitation of stable and mosaic ecosystems in northern Iberia shown by multi-isotope evidence

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