ABSTRACT The astragalus plays a fundamental role in the graviportal locomotion of proboscideans, reflecting the biomechanical constraints imposed by large body masses. This study analyses the morphological variability of the astragalus in Quaternary elephantids using linear biometry and 3D geometric morphometrics, incorporating an unpublished astragalus of Mammuthus meridionalis from the Calabrian (ca. 0.9 Ma) of Barranc de la Boella (eastern Iberian Peninsula) within a broad comparative framework of fossil and extant forms. The results reveal a marked allometric relationship, whereby larger individuals have relatively flatter astragali, regardless of their taxonomic affinity. The Barranc de la Boella specimen fits this pattern perfectly, showing dimensions comparable to those of the largest elephantids of the Gelasian, Calabrian and Chibanian. No clear phylogenetic signal is detected in the morphology of the astragalus, suggesting that body size dominates the observed variation and limits its usefulness in discriminating specific taxonomic affinities or ecological adaptations.

Abstract The transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Late Glacial marked a shift from the cold conditions of Greenland Stadial‐2 (GS‐2) to the warmer phases of Greenland Interstadial‐1 (GI‐1), enabling the reoccupation of Alpine regions by Late Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers. Riparo Tagliente, a rockshelter in northeastern Italy, preserves the most extensive Late Glacial stratigraphy in the southeastern Alps and provides key evidence for early human re‐settlement by Late Epigravettian groups. To investigate environmental conditions and resource stability, we analyzed stable carbon and oxygen isotopes ( δ 13 C carb , δ 18 O carb ) in enamel carbonate from red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) second and third molars across stratigraphic units 13 to 5, spanning GS‐2.1a to GI‐1. Tooth δ 13 C values reflect a diet based on C3 plants within relatively open woodland environments, showing limited change across climatic transitions. Intra‐tooth δ 18 O profiles record seasonal conditions, summer in M2 and winter in M3, and were used to estimate past temperatures. Reconstructed mean monthly winter temperatures reached −3.1°C in layer 10, with summer temperatures rising to ~16°C in layer 9 during GI‐1. These results highlight environmental continuity in red deer ecology despite climate fluctuations, suggesting that stable, open habitats supported sustained human use of the site throughout the Late Glacial.

ABSTRACT The Pirro Nord quarry has yielded evidence of one of the earliest hominin presences in western Europe, accompanied by an extremely rich and diverse collection of vertebrate remains, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. The different Early Pleistocene sites of Pirro Nord are considered biochronologically homogeneous and indeed characterise the Pirro Nord Faunal Unit, customarily considered ~1.6–1.3 Ma, although younger numerical ages, clustering at ~0.8 Ma, have been obtained by a recent study. Recently, material recovered during the earliest fieldwork campaigns at Pirro Nord (1969–1971) has been rediscovered in Bari, and it is currently under examination. During this revision, we identified the presence of Crocuta , a hyena that spread in Europe ~0.8 Ma, from a site labelled Pirro III, which may therefore be dated to the latest Early Pleistocene or may be even younger. This finding does not imply that the rest of the fauna of Pirro Nord is younger than previously thought, but it confirms that younger deposits were present.

ABSTRACT Disentangling climate variability and human activity in past nitrogen cycling is key to understanding ecosystems. Previous studies in Ireland observed a widespread, permanent shift in terrestrial nitrogen cycling during Later Prehistory, potentially linked to intensifying land‐use. Here, we investigate whether this shift was climatically or anthropogenically driven by analysing three raised bogs—highly sensitive to climate change—using pollen, testate amoebae‐inferred water‐table depth and geochemical proxies ( δ 15 N, δ 13 C org and C org :N). We identify shifts in bog surface wetness, based on radiocarbon‐ and tephra‐constrained age–depth models: wet conditions ~4700–4450 cal BP, a dry interval ~4400 cal BP, wetter conditions ~4300–3150 cal BP, two drought phases ~3150–3050 and ~2850–2700 cal BP (Late Bronze Age and Terminal Dowris droughts), and renewed wet conditions ~2600 cal BP, consistent with the 2.7 ka event. Bulk peat δ 15 N values broadly tracked bog surface wetness but were more strongly influenced by secondary decomposition, highlighting post‐depositional controls. Overall, our results show that Bronze Age droughts did not produce lasting changes in peat δ 15 N, indicating that sustained nitrogen cycle shifts observed by others after ~3000–2600 cal BP likely reflect cumulative human impacts rather than climate.

ABSTRACT Reconstructing the hydroclimatic history of the karst region in southwestern China (SWC) since the last deglaciation is crucial for understanding the dynamics and evolution of the Asian monsoon and its influence on the chemical weathering of carbonate rocks. Numerous studies have reconstructed paleoenvironmental variability in this region using archives such as lacustrine sediments and stalagmites. However, studies utilizing peat archives that span this period remain limited, and the use of geochemical elements in such settings is underutilized. This study presents a comprehensive element dataset derived from non‐destructive X‐ray fluorescence core scanning of a 650‐cm‐long peat core collected from the southwestern Guizhou Plateau in SWC. Based on an age‐depth model established with 12 AMS 14 C dates, our findings indicate that geochemical proxies, including the Si/Ti, Ti/K, Zr/Rb, and Rb/Sr ratios, reflected in principal component 1 (PC1), primarily reflect exogenous elemental influx. Furthermore, arboreal pollen percentage correlates positively with PC1, suggesting that PC1 serves as a proxy for precipitation and associated catchment weathering processes. In contrast, the PC2 score covaries with yellowness (b*), tracking the growth and accumulation of peatland vegetation. These findings demonstrate the utility of elements and chroma from peat archives for interpreting environmental shifts in this karst region. The record reveals three distinct intervals since 14 000 cal. a BP: (i) from 14 000 to 4500 cal. a BP, generally humid punctuated by intermittent millennial‐scale dry events; (ii) from 4500 to 3600 cal. a BP, there was a shift in sedimentation patterns and a transition towards a drier climate marked by high instability; and (iii) from 3600 to 1400 cal. a BP, was a dry period characterized by minimal exogenous input but enhanced peatland vegetation biomass. Comparisons with regional and global records suggest that these hydroclimatic shifts in SWC were primarily modulated by Indian Summer Monsoon intensity, driven by the meridional migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. This study provides valuable insights into the climatic and vegetation history of SWC, enhancing our understanding of the paleoenvironmental significance of elemental compositions in karst peat archives.

ABSTRACT The second half of the Allerød interstadial in the Netherlands is characterised by pine forest. Excavated trunks of 165 pine trees at Leusden‐Den Treek in the central Netherlands (LETR16) were dated by dendrochronology and radiocarbon. Two chronologically separated pine forest phases occurred during relatively warm periods as recorded in Greenland ice. We developed two hypotheses to explain waxing and waning of the two pine phases, with a gap width of more than 300 years, in relation to the climate fluctuations recorded in Greenland. In both hypotheses, climate change triggered the start and demise of pine forest. In the first hypothesis (1), we link the two pine phases with northward migration and retreats during the Allerød interstadial. Trees generally expanded northwards during warm periods from refugia in South and Central Europe, towards Northwest Europe, and died off on a massive scale during the beginning of cold periods. In an alternative hypothesis (2), the presence and absence of pine are explained as the effects of local changes of the groundwater table and related preservation of pine wood, also triggered by the climate fluctuations as recorded in Greenland ice. The two hypotheses are discussed using palynological and lithological data from four studied sample series at the site (LETR16) where pine trees were found, compared to more downwind sites (LESN18 & LEN226). Based on the lithological and palynological data, it is concluded that particularly changes in groundwater level led to the local disappearance of pine but, on the other hand, resulted in preservation of the pine tree remains.

ABSTRACT The southeastern Caspian coast, a climate transition zone from subtropical to arid conditions and host to several Ramsar wetlands, is highly sensitive to Caspian sea‐level (CSL) fluctuations and climate change. This study investigates the environmental evolution and resilience of the Gomishan Lagoon by integrating paleoenvironmental archives, instrumental observations, re‐analysis data sets, satellite imagery, and future climate projections. The objectives are to decipher the past CSL changes on lagoon development and to evaluate the capacity of this coastal system for self‐restoration under past CSL fluctuations, assess whether this capacity persists under the current phase of rapid CSL decline, and infer its likely future trajectory. Results indicate that CSL variability over the past century comprised complete rise–fall cycles, with the present decline initiating a renewed phase of lagoon desiccation. A ~2.5 m CSL fall since 1996, coupled with rising air temperatures, has accelerated desiccation of the Gomishan Lagoon. By 2023, the extent of desiccation exceeded that observed in 1978 despite comparable CSL, reflecting enhanced sediment infilling. Sedimentary successions preserve evidence of historical lowstands, including desiccation phases during the Sasanian period of late Antiquity (ca. 400–450 AD), the Medieval Period (~1000 AD), and around 1600 AD, accompanied by progressive seaward displacement of the lagoon during regressive phases. Relict beach ridges and back‐barrier depressions further indicate repeated lagoon formation along the southeastern Caspian coast throughout the Holocene. During highstand periods, lagoon capacity in organic material burial and carbon accumulation increased threefold compared to the lowstand periods. Although projected warming is expected to intensify stress on existing wetlands, the combined geomorphological and sedimentological record suggests that, under natural conditions, new lagoons are likely to form seaward, highlighting the multidcadal adaptability of this coastal system under changing climate and sea‐level conditions.

ABSTRACT This paper presents an unconventional perspective on the glacial retraction and postglacial expansion of the lowland Neotropical palm Mauritia flexuosa during the last glacial cycle. The classical view holds that this palm was confined to multiple wet refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), owing to purported Neotropical‐wide arid climates. From these refugia, M. flexuosa is thought to have expanded across much of tropical South America in postglacial times in response to a hypothetical increase in moisture. Here, I reconsider the available paleoecological, phylogeographic, paleoclimatic, and eustatic evidence to propose an alternative scenario. Paleoecological and phylogeographic data are consistent with widespread glacial refugia; however, paleoclimatic reconstructions indicate that general cooling, rather than the assumption of broad Neotropical aridity, played a greater role in driving M. flexuosa retraction to warm refugia up to ~200 m elevation. Within this framework, the continental shelf—exposed during the LGM—would have represented an unexpected landmass for sustaining glacial Mauritia refugia. Postglacial expansion would have been driven mainly by Holocene warming. This new perspective integrates elements of both the refugial and the divergence–vicariance hypotheses, two classical competing explanations for Neotropical biogeography. The evidence suggests that these hypotheses are best viewed as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.