Pleistocene Distribution Research Articles

Chronology and distribution of Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros: A review of the archival data from Poland

Chronology and distribution of Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros: A review of the archival data from Poland

Chronology and distribution of Central and Eastern European Pleistocene rhinoceroses (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) – A review

The family Rhinocerotidae is a key component of the Cenozoic European fauna. It reached its peak diversity during Miocene and began to decline in the Pliocene; the last representatives became extinct in Europe during the Quaternary. The present state-of-the-art review takes stock of the knowledge accumulated on Central and Eastern European Pleistocene rhinos to date. Eight species were present in Central and Eastern Europe in the Quaternary; five belonged to the genus Stephanorhinus (S. etruscus, S. jeanvireti, S. hundsheimensis, S. hemitoechus, and S. kirchbergensis), one was the woolly rhino Coelodonta antiquitatis, and two species were members of the genus Elasmotherium (E. peii and E. caucasicum). This review also offered the opportunity to critically reconsider some aspects of the systematics and stratigraphic location of the finds. Coelodonta antiquitatis is shown to have still been present as late as the Interplenivistulian and the Last Glacial Maximum; radiocarbon dating of its latest remains provided the timing of the final disappearance of the woolly rhino from the studied region. The Late Pleistocene distribution of Coelodonta antiquitatis in Central and Eastern Europe was found to largely overlap that of the woolly mammoth.

Pleistocene distribution of MacConnell’s Bat (Phyllostomidae) suggests intermittent connections between Amazonia and Atlantic Forest

The historical biogeography of the major South American forested biomes has long intrigued scientists. Paleoclimatic events during the last 130 thousand years promoted connections between forested biomes in the Neotropical region, leading to disjunct distributions of some of the biota. In this context, MacConnell’s Bat, Mesophylla macconnelli, appears to represent a forest-restricted species with its current distribution bisected by dry areas. In this study, we infer past connections between the Amazonia and Atlantic Forest using MacConnell’s Bat and ecological niche models. We obtained 681 records of the species, and estimated its potential distribution during the Last Interglacial (LIG), Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and current periods. Our generated models, based on 260 filtered occurrence records, had very good predictive power, with AUC and TSS adherence values above 0.9. Temperature seasonality and annual precipitation had the highest relative contribution. The potential distribution for the LIG suggested a suitable area connection between the southwestern Atlantic Forest and southern Cerrado and Amazonia. The potential distribution in the LGM suggests range expansion toward northern and eastern Amazonia. The current and inferred past distributions of Mesophylla macconnelli suggest at least two periods of past connection between Amazon and Atlantic Forest. This pattern is found in other forest-associated vertebrates in South America, suggesting that Pleistocene climatic cycles were central to the generation of disjunct distributions in the region.

Pleistocene distribution of the Asiatic wild dog (Cuon Hodgson, 1838) (Carnivora, Bowdich, 1821 – Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria – a review

BOEV Z. 2022. Pleistocene distribution of the Asiatic wild dog ( Cuon Hodgson, 1838) (Carnivora, Bowdich, 1821 – Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria – a review. Acta zool. cracov., 65 (1): 15-20. Abstract. In this article the first summary of data on the past distribution of the dhole in Bulgaria is presented. A total of five Pleistocene localities, with Cuon represented by three taxa ( uon alpinus europaeus, Cuon cf. stehlini and Cuon sp.), are known in the country. These localities all represent former human dwellings from 1.8 Mya to 20,000 BP. The altitudinal distribution of the species in Bulgaria ranged from 260 to 430 m a. s.l

Detrital zircon provenance and transport pathways of Pleistocene-Holocene eolian sediment in the Pampean Plains, Argentina

AbstractThe Pampas of Argentina contain a broad distribution of Pleistocene to Holocene loessic sediments and eolian dune deposits. Models describing the sediment provenance of this eolian system have, at times, conflicted. We address the provenance of these deposits through U-Pb detrital-zircon geochronology. Our results indicate broad similarity in age distributions between samples, with a dominant Permian-Triassic mode, and widespread but lesser Cenozoic, Devonian-Mississippian, Ediacaran-Cambrian, and Mesoproterozoic modes. These data are inconsistent with a large contribution of detritus from Patagonia as previously suggested. These data are consistent with very limited contribution of first cycle volcanogenic zircon to the Pampean eolian system, but abundances of older Neogene zircon indicate proto-sources in the Andes. The ríos Desaguadero, Colorado, and Negro contain populations that were likely within the dust production pathways of most of the loess, paleosol, and eolian dune deposits, but the derivation of the zircon ages in these sediments cannot be explained solely by these river systems. One statistical outlier, a loess sample from the Atlantic coast of the Pampa region, indicates quantitative similarity to the age spectra from the ríos Colorado and Negro, consistent with derivation from these subparallel rivers systems during subaerial exposure of the continental shelf under high global ice-volume. Another statistical outlier, a paleosol sample from the Río Paraná delta region, has zircon ages more closely associated with sediments in the Paraná region than in rivers south of the Pampa region. Collectively, these data point to the complexity of the Pampean eolian system and substantial spatial-temporal variation in this Pleistocene–Holocene eolian system.

Describing a drowned Pleistocene ecosystem: Last Glacial Maximum vegetation reconstruction of the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain

Pleistocene ecosystems provided the stage for modern human emergence. Terrestrial vegetation communities structure resources for human foragers, providing plant food, wood for fuel and tools, and fibre, as well as habitat for animal prey. The Pleistocene distribution of vegetation communities is seldom considered as a key constraint on hunter-gatherers foraging across the landscape. We used modern vegetation patterns along the Cape south coast to develop a rule-based model of the expected vegetation for a given soil type, precipitation regime and fire regime. We then applied this ruleset to present-day environmental conditions to test and validate the model. We also scaled the climate-vegetation ruleset to account for likely effects of low atmospheric [CO2] and lower temperature in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) on plant water use efficiency. The model was then used to postdict vegetation patterns for the LGM using palaeo-landscape reconstruction of geological substrata and soils, and palaeoclimate simulations. This palaeoscape comprised the extensive Palaeo-Agulhas Plain (PAP), which was exposed at lower sea levels during glacial periods. Our model predicts that the PAP was dominated by limestone fynbos in its southern part, and by shale grassland with cappings of dune fynbos-thicket mosaic in the north. Shale and sandstone fynbos were restricted to the western zone, which experienced a stronger winter rainfall regime during the LGM than at present. The entire PAP was dissected by broad and shallow floodplains supporting a mosaic of woodland and grassland on fertile, alluvial soils. This savanna-like vegetation, as well as shale grassland, are poorly represented in the modern landscape, and would have been capable of supporting the diverse megafauna typical of glacial periods. These Pleistocene periods would have presented a very different resource landscape for early modern human hunter-gatherers than the interglacial landscape such as is found in the Cape coastal lowlands today.

Comparing range evolution in two western Plethodon salamanders: glacial refugia, competition, ecological niches, and spatial sorting

AbstractAimPlethodon dunni and P. vehiculum are sister species with widely overlapping ranges, yet the distribution of P. vehiculum extends almost 400 km farther north than its sister species. We explore Pleistocene refugial structure, competition, physiological tolerances and dispersal ability as contributing factors to the range difference between these two species.LocationThe Pacific Northwest of North America, including Oregon, Washington and British Columbia – the full range of both species.MethodsWe used genetic, environmental and morphological data to test hypotheses that explain this range difference. Genetic data were used to explore range expansion dynamics and population structure. Species distributional models were used to compare current niches to mid‐Holocene and Pleistocene distributions. Morphological data were used to assess phenotypic differences between the species and test for evidence of spatial sorting.ResultsBoth species underwent rapid range expansions since the Pleistocene and share similar population structure. Species distributional models are different in distribution at all times periods between species. The species are significantly different in all morphological measurements taken. Only P. vehiculum shows evidence of spatial sorting.Main conclusionsPhysiological tolerance and dispersal ability best explain the distributional difference between these species. Spatial sorting most likely plays a key role in the range expansion of P. vehiculum.

A Late Pleistocene to Holocene succession of leporid species in the southern Vienna Basin (Austria)

The new archaeological and palaeontological site of Smrcka Lorenz-Abris yielded three different leporid species in stratigraphical sequence, mirroring the effect of environmental changes and the influence of humans in this area. Lepus timidus is a species with a wide Late Pleistocene distribution, but disappeared in the Vienna Basin at the end of the Pleistocene. Lepus europaeus appeared in the Holocene and became dominant in lower altitudes in Austria. Interspecific competition as well as anthropogenic and natural environmental changes are the main factors that caused this replacement. At Smrcka Lorenz-Abris, L. europaeus became dominant around 7000 a BP. This site yielded the last evidence of a mountain hare in the Vienna Basin, with a preserved lower jaw that was dated to be from around 14,000 a BP. The most recent immigrant is Oryctolagus cuniculus, which was introduced to Austria, and only found in the upper parts of the section.

The maximum geographic extension of Late Pleistocene Mammuthus primigenius (Proboscidea, Mammalia) and its limiting factors

The maximum geographic extension of fully developed woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, occurred during the last glacial period (MIS 5d–2), i.e. during the 110–14 ka interval. The mapping of the species' widest distribution reveals principal barriers to its expansion that were acting independent of short term environmental fluctuations. The maximum spread of M. primigenius was primarily controlled by the following trans-regional factors: (A) The configuration of inland glaciers; (B) The configuration of high mountain chains; (C) The configuration of semi-deserts and deserts; (D) The configuration of marine shorelines at year-round open water surfaces; (E) The exposure of continental shelf regions; and (F) The replacement of tundra-steppe by extended grasslands. Some of the biogeographic barriers were climate-independent; others were determined by long- or medium-term climatic processes. The effect of Eurasian and North American intra-continental steppes as obstacles to migration has not yet been fully elucidated.The verifiable area of the Late Pleistocene distribution range of M. primigenius, based on geomorphological data, comprises approximately 33,301,000 km2 (surface area). When taking the geographical distribution of a species as a measure of its success, the Late Pleistocene woolly mammoth was one of the most successful large herbivores of the Holarctic Mammoth Fauna.

Small mammal fauna as an evidence of environmental dynamics in the Holocene of Ukrainian area

In Ukraine, changes in composition, morphology and spatial distribution of small mammals provide insight regarding environmental dynamics of the Holocene. During an early stage, conditions were rather close to the Pleistocene ones. Microtus gregalis, Microtus oeconomus, and Lagurus lagurus still dominated but were represented by small-sized forms when compared to the Late Pleistocene. During a middle stage, meadow-steppe elements prevailed; bunodont rodents (hamsters, ground squirrels, birch mice, mice) dominated voles. A late stage was characterised by plenty and widespread forest species. These stages most adequately reflect situation in river valleys, where taphocenoses considered in this paper were mainly connected. Increasing fluvial activity of wet epochs formed open landscapes even in small valleys, and decreasing flow during arid time spans allowed valleys to be overgrown with forest. On watersheds, the same climatic changes caused the opposite effects. Taking this into account, the mid-faunal stage should be dated as Atlantic, despite its seemingly forestless character. The taphocenoses of this stage are contemporary with valley incisions. The early stage, corresponding to relatively high base level position, should be dated as Preboreal–Boreal, and the late stage as Subboreal–Subatlantic.Some tundra-steppe species were stable through all the stages. Ochotona pusilla and Spermophilus superciliosus persisted almost until present. O. pusilla, differing from its Pleistocene distribution, was confined to rocky biotopes, evidently, due to a change of herbage. A special case of range dynamics is represented by Spermophilus pygmaeus. A population of this Left Bank species had come to be isolated on the Dnieper Right Bank, seemingly, as a result of the Dnieper channel change.

Climate-driven diversification and Pleistocene refugia in Philippine birds: evidence from phylogeographic structure and paleoenvironmental niche modeling.

Avian diversification in oceanic archipelagos is largely attributed to isolation across marine barriers. During glacial maxima, lowered sea levels resulted in repeated land connections between islands joined by shallow seas. Consequently, such islands are not expected to show endemism. However, if climate fluctuations simultaneously caused shifts in suitable environmental conditions, limiting populations to refugia, then occurrence on and dispersal across periodic land bridges are not tenable. To assess the degree to which paleoclimate barriers, rather than marine barriers, drove avian diversification in the Philippine Archipelago, we produced ecological niche models for current-day, glacial maxima, and interglacial climate scenarios to infer potential Pleistocene distributions and paleoclimate barriers. We then tested marine and paleoclimate barriers for correspondence to geographic patterns of population divergence, inferred from DNA sequences from eight codistributed bird species. In all species, deep-water channels corresponded to zones of genetic differentiation, but six species exhibited deeper divergence associated with a periodic land bridge in the southern Philippines. Ecological niche models for these species identified a common paleoclimate barrier that coincided with deep genetic structure among populations. Although dry land connections joined southern Philippine islands during low sea level stands, unfavorable environmental conditions limited populations within landmasses, resulting in long-term isolation and genetic differentiation. These results highlight the complex nature of diversification in archipelagos: marine barriers, changes in connectivity due to sea level change, and climate-induced refugia acted in concert to produce great species diversity and endemism in the Philippines.

Morphometric characterization of a large scale rockslide, and probable seismogenic origin of landslides on the western flank of Central Precordillera, Argentina

The distribution of late Pleistocene to Holocene rockslides in the western flank of the eastern mountain ranges of Central Precordillera (30° 40′–31° S), has been analyzed to determine the triggering mechanisms. The mode of failure was determined to be translational sliding. This paper presents the results of research on one of the Holocene rockslides located in the western flank of Sierra de La Dehesa, which is composed of stratified limestones of early Paleozoic age. In order to characterize this slide, high resolution satellite imagery interpretation was carried out, along with the recognition of the landslide detachment zones and landslide bodies with the aim of reconstructing the pre-slide topography. The model proposed for this slide is a translational or planar slide, as the mode of failure was along a broadly planar surface accompanied by shear or tensile fractures and joints. The estimated rock volume involved is 1.24 Mm3. We compared rockslide occurrence patterns to slope, topography, lithology, geological structures, and seismicity records. After analysis of the spatial relationships among all the slides and the distribution of seismic epicenters, historical earthquakes and neighboring Quaternary faults as seismogenic sources, we hypothesize that these Quaternary rockslides in the Central Precordillera have been triggered by shallow seismicity associated with active faults.

Holocene extinction dynamics of Equus hydruntinus, a late-surviving European megafaunal mammal

The European wild ass (Equus hydruntinus) is a globally extinct Eurasian equid. This species was widespread in Europe and southwest Asia during the Late Pleistocene, but its distribution became restricted to southern Europe and adjacent geographic regions in the Holocene. Previous research on E. hydruntinus has focused predominantly on its taxonomy and Late Pleistocene distribution. However, its Holocene distribution and extinction remain poorly understood, despite the fact that the European wild ass represents one of Europe's very few globally extinct Holocene megafaunal mammal species. We summarise all available Holocene zooarchaeological spatio-temporal occurrence data for the species, and analyse patterns of its distribution and extinction using point pattern analysis (kernel density estimation and Clark Evans index) and optimal linear estimation. We demonstrate that the geographic range of E. hydruntinus became highly fragmented into discrete subpopulations during the Holocene, which were associated with separate regions of open habitat and which became progressively extinct between the Neolithic and Iron Age. These data challenge previous suggestions of the late survival of E. hydruntinus into the medieval period in Spain, and instead suggest that postglacial climate-driven vegetational changes were a primary factor responsible for extinction of the species, driving isolation of small remnant subpopulations that may have been increasingly vulnerable to human exploitation. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Late Quaternary species extinctions in Eurasia, suggesting that they were temporally staggered and distinct in their respective extinction trajectories.

Modeled Pleistocene distributions of three climatically sensitive tree taxa in central and northwestern Mexico

Modeled Pleistocene distributions of three climatically sensitive tree taxa in central and northwestern Mexico

The Early Pleistocene human dispersals in the Circum-Mediterranean Basin and initial peopling of Europe: Single or multiple pathways?

The issue of ancient human single or multiple dispersal pathways into Eurasia is theoretically significant for understanding adaptive processes involved in peopling vacant spaces and varied, unfamiliar ecosystems, but receives mostly marginal attention. The Western Asian staging-post remains most plausible, whereas an alternative peopling directly from the Maghreb across the Gibraltar Strait into Iberia and beyond, though problematic, is proposed repeatedly. The present review discusses these issues and findings requiring interpretation, with respect to chronology, fossil human and Palaeolithic evidence, and Early Pleistocene circumstances in the Circum-Mediterranean Basin and Europe.The spatiotemporal distribution of palaeoanthropological occurrences and Ethiopian fossil mammal expansions does not support the hypothesis of a single Early Pleistocene biogeographic event originating in Subsaharan Africa, spreading throughout Western Asia and Europe. On the other hand, this spatiotemporal distribution of ancient human evidence in Europe reveals an intriguing bimodal chronological pattern. Early Pleistocene occurrences in both Eastern Europe and Western Europe prove earlier than those in West-Central Europe and the Italian Peninsula, which are dateable to the Mid-Pleistocene.This Early Pleistocene distribution cluster of occurrences in Iberia and Atlantic Europe refutes implicitly a single linked human-Ethiopian mammal biogeographic event exclusively through Western Asia, while reviving the notion of ‘sweepstake’ dispersal directly across the Strait of Gibraltar, a scenario which, however, demands independent confirmation by reviewing past circumstances favourable for a crossing, as well as suggesting a series of multiple staging-posts. The observed bimodal spatiotemporal configuration becomes more compatible with another hypothesis namely, that Europe was peopled independently by converging population movements from both the Western Asian and Ibero-Moroccan staging posts during the Early Pleistocene, between ca. 1.85–1.40 Ma.

A taxonomic and biogeographic review of the fossil tapirs from Bolivia

Fossil remains of South American tapirs are often fragmentary and scarce compared with those of other mammals that entered South America during the “Great American Biotic Interchange”. Here, we review and add to the Pleistocene tapir remains from the Tarija Valley (Bolivia), and provide a taxonomic re-evaluation of Tapirus tarijensis. T. tarijensis was a large-sized animal, approximating the size of the living Malaysian T. indicus and the extinct North American T. haysii. The geographical distribution of Pleistocene records of Tapirus in South America indicates that T. tarijensis was the only known species inhabiting the Tarija Valley during this time.

Late Pleistocene species distribution modelling of North Atlantic intertidal invertebrates

AbstractAimIn this study we test molecular‐based biogeographical hypotheses of Pleistocene persistence and recolonization in a North Atlantic rocky intertidal invertebrate assemblage using species distribution modelling.LocationNorth Atlantic coastlines.MethodsWe develop a novel application of species distribution models for intertidal taxa by using both oceanographic and terrestrial environmental variables recently made available at biologically relevant pixel resolutions. We use these model‐based distribution estimates to test alternative hypotheses of late Pleistocene history across six amphi‐Atlantic taxa whose hypothesized Pleistocene distributions are constructed from previous population genetic inferences.ResultsSpecies distribution models correctly estimate all six current amphi‐Atlantic distributions on both sides of the Atlantic. Models hindcasted to the Last Glacial Maximum estimate trans‐Atlantic distributional persistence in three of six taxa, and conversely indicate no suitable habitat on the North American coastline in the other three taxa. These results are consistent with the histories inferred from population genetic data for five of six of the taxa, the exception being Nucella lapillus, whose hindcasted trans‐Atlantic persistence at the Last Glacial Maximum contrasts with the mitochondrial DNA‐based estimates of post‐glacial expansion from Europe to North America.Main conclusionsMarine and terrestrial distribution models are broadly concordant with known contemporary distributions and fail to reject five of six historical distributional hypotheses based on population genetic inferences. This demonstrated utility suggests that this technique could be expanded to examine how Pleistocene and contemporary climate change might play a role in intertidal species distributions across the entire community. Future application and development of these marine and terrestrial distribution models will strengthen inferences regarding the processes generating intertidal community assembly and population divergence, and may assist in conservation planning and the design of marine reserves.

Fossil evidence and phylogeography of temperate species: ‘glacial refugia’ and post‐glacial recolonization

AbstractWe present a short synthesis of the Pleistocene distribution dynamics and phylogeographic recolonization hypotheses for two temperate European mammal species, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), for which high‐resolution patterns of fossil evidence and genetic data sets are available. Such data are critical to an understanding of the role of hypothesized glacial refugia. Both species show a similar pattern: a relatively wide distribution in the southern part of Central Europe 60,000–25,000 years ago, and a strong restriction to areas in southern Europe for nearly 10,000 years during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the early Late Glacial (25,000–14,700 years ago). With the beginning of Greenland Interstadial 1 (Bølling/Allerød warming, c. 14,700–11,600 years ago) a sudden range expansion into Central Europe is visible, but the colonization of most of Central Europe, including the northern European Lowlands, only began in the early Holocene. In a European context, regions where the species were distributed during the LGM and early Late Glacial are most relevant as potential origins of recolonization processes, because during these c. 10,000 years distribution ranges were smaller than at any other time in the Late Quaternary. As far as the present distribution of temperate species and their genetic lineages is concerned, so‐called ‘cryptic refugia’ are important only if the species are actually confirmed there during the LGM, as otherwise they could not possibly have contributed to the recolonization that eventually resulted in the present distribution ranges.

Pleistocene distribution range shifts were accompanied by breeding system divergence within Hornungia alpina (Brassicaceae) in the Alps

Impact of glacial history on the phylogeography of silicate-dwelling plants of the European Alps has been particularly well studied, whereas virtually no data are available for species growing on different bedrock types, as for Hornungia alpina. Bayesian clustering of AFLP data only partly support the distinction of three subspecies as morphologically defined. Whereas the phylogeographical N-group corresponds to subsp. alpina, the congruence of the SW-group and SE-group with subsp. brevicaulis, and subsp. austroalpina, respectively, is limited. High levels of rarity and genetic diversity in the N-group suggest Pleistocene survival along the outer margin of the Alpine arc. For subsp. brevicaulis we suggest a single origin from a refugium in the Southwestern Alps, whereas subsp. austroalpina might have originated twice in the Southern and Southeastern Alps. Different levels of genetic diversity and partitioning of genetic variation indicate a divergence in breeding system, which is corroborated by pollinator exclusion experiments revealing self-incompatibility in the N-group and autonomous selfing in the SE-group.

Pleistocene glaciation events shape genetic structure across the range of the American lobster, Homarus americanus

A north/south discontinuity along the northeastern coast of North America in the genetic structure of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) was detected using a suite of 13 microsatellite loci assessed using spatial analyses. Population genetic data laid over existing data on physiographic changes and sea-surface temperatures were used to reconstruct the Pleistocene distribution of this species. A postglacial northern-edge colonization model best explains the relative genetic homogeneity of the northern region compared to the southern region centred in the Gulf of Maine. Population genetic analyses identified significant structure (range of standardized theta 0-0.02) but no significant evidence for isolation by distance. The novel application of spatial genetic analyses to a marine species allowed us to interpret these results by providing a greater insight into the evolutionary factors responsible for shaping the genetic structure of this species throughout is natural range.