Late Early Pleistocene Research Articles

Pliocene and Pleistocene chronostratigraphy of continental sediments underlying the Altiplano at La Paz, Bolivia

Continental sediments underlying the Altiplano plateau provide insight into the late Cenozoic evolution of the Central Andes. We characterize the magnetostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy of the upper part of this fill sequence along a transect extending southwestward from the Cordillera Real at La Paz, Bolivia, where it is best exposed. Multiple polarity reversals and the locally extensive, 2.74-Ma Chijini Tuff enable correlation between our six sections and three previously reported sections. The tuff ties the composite polarity sequence to the geomagnetic polarity time scale, demonstrating that the stratigraphic record extends from the latest Gilbert Chron (ca. 3.8 Ma) to the late Olduvai subchron (ca. 1.8 Ma), or possibly Jaramillo subchron (ca. 1.0 Ma). The sequence provides Earth's longest known record of low-latitude glaciation and the only record of Pliocene tropical glaciation. It includes evidence for 16 late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene glaciations, separated by interglacials of sufficient length (>103-104 a) to produce mature soil profiles. Successively larger ice caps formed directly before, during, and after the globally warm mid-Piacenzian (3.265–3.025 Ma), and throughout Plio-Pleistocene climate deterioration. The late Pliocene glacial units predate the onset of widespread Northern Hemisphere continental glaciation and in most cases unambiguously correspond to specific cool peaks of the astronomically tuned, benthic oxygen isotope (δ18O) record, including marine isotope stages MG2, M2, KM2, and G10. The glacial events broadly coincide with those nearer both poles, suggesting inter-hemispheric climate linkages. The early formation and subsequent expansion of ice caps beyond glacier margins of the Last Glacial Maximum suggest that the Cordillera Real likely attained its modern height before ca. 3.4 Ma. The number and timing of glaciations, and long-term sediment accumulation and incision rates suggest that the local Altiplano surface formed by ca. 1.8 Ma, after which headwaters of the Amazon River system breached the Cordillera Real and began to incise the fill sequence. The sequence spans at least 2 Ma before and during the first main pulses of the Great American Biotic Interchange, providing an important record of faunal migration. The arrival of savanna-adapted North American mammals in the Central Andes during this period points to the influence of glaciation on faunal migration in the southern tropics, similar to influences proposed in North and Central America.

Small-mammal indicators of biochronology at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar (Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, SE Spain)

Abundant small-mammal teeth excavated at the Palaeolithic site of Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar have morphological and metric characteristics that are shown to correspond to Iberomys huescarensis, Stenocranius gregaloides, Terricola arvalidens, Victoriamys chalinei, Mimomys savini, Pliomys episcopalis, Crictetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, Eliomys quercinus, Sciurus sp., Oryctolagus giberti, Lepus sp., Prolagus calpensis, Crocidura kornfeldi, Neomys sp., Sorex sp., Erinaceus cf. europaeus). These taxa have been described in the late Early Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula. The biochronological analysis derived from the study of arvicolid remains in Cueva Negra is consistent with the reverse magnetic polarity of the entire sedimentary fill, indicating that they accumulated during the Matuyama magnetochron, between 0.99 and 0.78 Ma.

A tale of two clades: Comparative study of Glyptodon Owen and Glyptotherium Osborn (Xenarthra, Cingulata, Glyptodontidae)

Glyptodon and Glyptotherium represent the most conspicuous taxa of late Neogene and Pleistocene glyptodonts in South America and North America, respectively. The earliest records of Glyptodon in South America are 1.07 Ma (late early Pleistocene, Calabrian), although the possibility that “Paraglyptodon uquiensis” represents a Pliocene specimen of Glyptodon cannot be rejected. Glyptotherium originated from South American ancestry in northern South America or Central America about 3.9 Ma (early late Pliocene, Zanclean) or earlier. The diversity of South American Glyptodon is currently under study, but preliminary evidence would indicate that no more than three species (G. munizi, G. elongatus and G. reticulatus) are valid, plus a possible new Andean species. In turn, according to the updated taxonomy proposed herein, Glyptotherium includes two chronospecies. The earliest species, Gl. texanum, differs only slightly from the latest species, Gl. cylindricum. The relationship of Glyptodon and Glyptotherium has been problematical since the discovery of the North American lineage, at first identified as various species of Glyptodon and later considered a separate genus. Glyptodon is recognized as a natural group and recent taxonomic and phylogenetic revisions place all North American glyptodontines into Glyptotherium. In this paper, we propose a detailed morphological comparison between the southern South American species of Glyptodon and Glyptotherium in order to identify diagnostic differences and potential synapomorphies. Both genera can be distinguished mainly by differences in the skull, mandible, dentition, dorsal carapace, and caudal armor, Glyptodon being somewhat larger than Glyptotherium. Both clades show a highly conservative evolution, which could be interpreted as an anagenesis. The scarce records of glyptodonts in Central America show more morphological affinity with Glyptotherium than with Glyptodon.

Taxonomical revision of fossil Canis in Middle Pleistocene sites of Zhoukoudian, Beijing, China and a review of fossil records of Canis mosbachensis variabilis in China

Canis mosbachensis is a widely distributed species from the Early to Middle Pleistocene in Europe. In Eastern Asia, Canis variabilis was supposed to be a local subspecies of C. mosbachensis, but such hypothesis has never been tested in details. Here we restudied the Canis materials from type locality, Loc.1 of ZKD (Zhoukoudian) of Middle Pleistocene, as well as other localities that produced important materials of this taxon (e.g. Loc.13 of ZKD). To better evaluate the variability of the Pleistocene Canis, a series of morphotypes are described. Based on morphotype and morphometric, the present study reveals there is only one species present at Loc.1 and Loc.13 of ZKD, which is quite similar to European C. mosbachensis and should be revised as a subspecies of C. mosbachensis, namely C. mosbachensis variabilis. C. m. variabilis is more derived and less hypercarnivorous than the Early Pleistocene Canis chihliensis (as well as European Canis etruscus and Canis arnensis) in craniodental characters, whereas it is less derived and less hypercarnivorous than Canis lupus. A review of fossil records of C. m. variabilis in China was made based on these different characters. Canids from Gongwangling, Lantian of Shaanxi Province (middle or late Early Pleistocene) are the earliest known representatives of C. mosbachensis in China, which are still more primitive than C. m. variabilis from the Middle Pleistocene sites of ZKD. Reliable records of C. mosbachensis are only known from the Early Pleistocene to the late Middle Pleistocene in Northern China. C. m. variabilis is not direct ancestor to C. lupus but a close relative of the latter, while it is far from the Early Pleistocene C. chihliensis. The latter remains more primitive characters that are more similar to those of European Canis etruscus and Canis arnensis.

Oceanographic and climatic evolution of the southeastern subtropical Atlantic over the last 3.5 Ma

The southeast Atlantic Ocean is dominated by two major oceanic systems: the Benguela Upwelling System, one of the world's most productive coastal upwelling cells and the Agulhas Leakage, which is important for transferring warm salty water from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Here, we present a multi-proxy record of marine sediments from ODP Site 1087. We reconstruct sea surface temperatures (U37K′ and TEX86 indices), marine primary productivity (total chlorin and alkenone mass accumulation rates), and terrestrial inputs derived from southern Africa (Ti/Al and Ca/Ti via XRF scanning) to understand the evolution of the Southeast Atlantic Ocean since the late Pliocene. In the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, ODP Site 1087 was situated within the Benguela Upwelling System, which was displaced southwards relative to present. We recognize a series of events in the proxy records at 3.3, 3.0, 2.2, 1.5, 0.9 and 0.6 Ma, which are interpreted to reflect a combination of changes in the location of major global wind and oceanic systems and local variations in the strength and/or position of the winds, which influence nutrient availability. Although there is a temporary SST cooling observed around the initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG), proxy records from ODP Site 1087 show no clear climatic transition around 2.7 Ma but instead most of the changes occur before this time. This observation is significant because it has been previously suggested that there should be a change in the location and/or strength of upwelling associated with this climate transition. Rather, the main shifts at ODP Site 1087 occur at ca. 0.9 Ma and 0.6 Ma, associated with the early mid-Pleistocene transition (EMPT), with a clear loss of the previous upwelling-dominated regime. This observation raises the possibility that reorganisation of southeast Atlantic Ocean circulation towards modern conditions was tightly linked to the EMPT, but not to earlier climate transitions.

Quaternary sealevel changes and coastal evolution of the Island of Trindade, Brazil

The present work presented the first dated paleosealevel indicators and new paleogeographic reconstructions of the Island of Trindade. All evidence for Holocene sealevels point to the elevations higher than the present in the age interval between 5.06 ka and 0.55 ka. The altitude and ages of the reconstructions are in good agreement with hindcast model curves and the empirical sealevel envelope for the mainland eastern and northeastern Brazilian coast. However, the position of paleo vermetid-reef indicates that sealevel was lower than eustatic elevation, suggesting an effect of island subsidence. In contrast to the Brazilian mainland coastal zone, where conspicuous evidences of Pleistocene highstands were recorded, no evidence of sealevels predating the Holocene has ever been observed on the island. This could be attributed to intense coastal erosion and log-term island subsidence.A volcanic edifice rising more than 5500 m above the ocean floor was built by magmatic activity that extended over the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. After the cessation of volcanic build up, the island started to shrink due to subaerial and marine erosion. During Pleistocene sealevel lowstands, alluvial fans were formed beyond the present limits of emerged areas. They were enclosed within and preserved from erosion by the Middle to Late Pleistocene lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. During Late Pleistocene sealevel highstand, intense coastal erosion removed the distal parts of the alluvial fans. It is very likely that at that time the entire coast of the island experienced intense erosion and subsidence as deduced from the absence of Pleistocene coastal deposits, which are widespread along mainland Brazilian coast.The east coast of the island was dominated by high sea cliffs sculpted into volcanic rocks. A volcanic cone was subsequently formed, when the sealevel was lower than present during the Late Pleistocene to early Holocene. During the mid to late Holocene sealevel highstand the volcanic cone was partially eroded and a bay formed, where vermetid-reefs grow and sand beach deposits prograded until the bay was infilled. During the sealevel maximum, wave-cut terraces were formed and sea cliffs were active. During the lowering of the sealevel, cliffs became inactive and vermetid-reefs were eroded. Beach erosion and aeolian deflation presently prevails, indicating a low sediment supply.

Ethiopian highlands as a cradle of the African fossorial root-rats (genus Tachyoryctes), the genetic evidence

Root-rats of the genus Tachyoryctes (Spalacidae) are subterranean herbivores occupying open humid habitats in the highlands of Eastern Africa. There is strong disagreement about species diversity of the genus, because some authors accept two species, while others more than ten. Species with relatively high surface activity, the giant root-rat Tachyoryctes macrocephalus, which is by far largest member of the genus, and the more fossorial African root-rat Tachyoryctes splendens, which eventually has been divided up to 12–13 species, represent two major morphological forms within the genus. In our study, we carried out a multilocus analysis of root-rats’ genetic diversity based on samples from 41 localities representing most of Tachyoryctes geographic distribution. Using two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes, we found six main genetic clades possibly representing separate species. These clades were organised into three basal groups whose branching is not well resolved, probably due to fast radiation in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Climatic changes in that time, i.e. fast and repeated changes between extremely dry and humid conditions, which both limited root-rat dispersal, probably stimulated their initial genetic diversification. Contrary to expectation based on the largest root-rat diversity in Kenya (up to eight species by some authors), we found the highest diversity in the Ethiopian highlands, because all but one putative species occur there. All individuals outside of Ethiopia belong to a single recently diverged and expanded clade. This species should bear the name T. annectens (Thomas, 1891), and all other names of taxa described from outside of Ethiopia should be considered its junior synonyms. However, to solve taxonomic issues, future detailed morphological analyses should be conducted on all main clades together with genetic analysis of material from areas of their supposed contact. One of the most interesting findings of the study is the internal position of T. macrocephalus in T. splendens sensu lato. This demonstrates the intriguing phenomenon of accelerated morphological evolution of rodents occupying the Afroalpine zone in Ethiopia. Finally, we discuss how the distribution of Tachyoryctes is influenced by competition with another group of subterranean herbivores on the continent, the African mole-rats. We assume that both groups do not compete directly as previously expected, but specialisation to different subterranean niches is the main factor responsible for their spatial segregation.

Lithic production strategies during the late Middle Pleistocene at Dali, Shaanxi Province, China: implications for understanding late archaic humans

The Dali hominid site is well known as it contains a human cranium associated with stone artefacts and animal bones. Dating efforts have provided an age range of ~ 300–247 ka for these remains. Renewed study of the cranium in recent years has revealed a mix of archaic traits in the neurocranium and derived features in the face, and thus, this specimen may provide insight into our understanding of modern human evolution in China. However, the technological behaviour possessed by these people has remained unclear due to a lack of new and detailed research. In this paper, we re-examine the lithic assemblages from Dali, originally excavated in 1978 and 1980, and for the first time, we now provide a sound assemblage by removing those geofacts that have been used in past archaeological reports. Although the total number of artefacts is now smaller, our results show that core reduction strategies at Dali are primarily expedient, dominated by simple unifacial unidirectional flaking. In contrast, the formal tools exhibit relatively advanced technology, with artefacts that are diverse in type and characterized by a relatively standardized production strategy. In contrast to the widely accepted model for slow and conservative technological development in Chinese Palaeolithic technology, pre 40 ka, here, we suggest that there is evidence for gradual technological changes from the Early to Middle and early Late Pleistocene.

Hominin hand bone fossils from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa (1998–2003 excavations)

We describe eleven hominin metacarpals and phalanges recovered from Jacovec Cavern and Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Formation between 1998 and 2003. Collectively, the fossils date in excess of 2.0 Ma, and are probably attributable to Australopithecus africanus and/or Australopithecus prometheus. When combined with results of previous studies on Australopithecus postcranial functional morphology, the new data presented here suggest that at least some late Pliocene and/or early Pleistocene hominins from Sterkfontein were arboreally adept. This finding accords with the reconstruction of the site's >2.0 Ma catchment area as well-vegetated and containing significant woody components. In addition, most of the new specimens described here evince morphologies that indicate the hands from which they derived lacked complete modern humanlike manual dexterity, which is integral to the manufacture and use of intentionally shaped stone tools. The absence of lithic artifacts from both stratigraphic units from which the fossils were excavated is consistent with this conclusion.

Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene environmental evolution from the sporopollen record of core PL02 from the Yinchuan Basin, northwest China

To investigate the change of climate during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition in the Asian interior, sporopollen records from the 567.3 m-247.9 m depths (ca. 2.87–1.52 Ma) of the core PL02 in the Yinchuan Basin were studied, which could be regarded as an excellent archive of vegetation and climate changes. The results indicated that the climate of the Yinchuan Basin was relatively warm and humid with a desert steppe environment before 2.6 Ma. At the beginning of the early Pleistocene, the pollen content of xerophytic plants (Nitraria and Chenopodiaceae) increased sharply, the climate became drier than that of the late Pliocene, and the environment obviously worsened. However, from 1.99 Ma to 1.73 Ma, xerophytic plants in the pollen content decreased for a short time, and the climate became more humid. After 1.73 Ma, the pollen content of herbaceous plants continually increased, and the vegetation type shifted from desert steppe to desert, which reflects a cold and dry climate. In the study region, the vegetation change suggested an aridification trend in Central Asia inland since the late Pliocene, which might be related to global cooling and the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

Carrying capacity, carnivoran richness and hominin survival in Europe

Carrying capacity, the maximum biomass that an ecosystem can sustain over the long term, strongly influences several ecological processes and it is also one of the main determinants of biodiversity. Here, we estimate the carrying capacity (CC) of the late Early and early Middle Pleistocene ecosystems of Europe, using equations describing the relationship between CC and climatic variables observed in the present, as well as maps of inferred paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation. Maps of paleoclimate values were interpolated from the composite benthic stable oxygen isotope ratios and a transfer function was used to estimate ungulate carrying capacity (CCU) from the interpolated mean annual temperature and annual precipitation values. Carnivoran carrying capacity was subsequently estimated from ungulate carrying capacity and the effect of CC on the carnivoran faunas was analyzed in 12 paleocommunities from Southern Europe. Our results show that carnivoran species richness is strongly related to ungulate carrying capacity in recent ecosystems, but the late Early Pleistocene paleocommunities from Southern Europe included much richer carnivore guilds than would be expected for a recent community with a similar ungulate carrying capacity. Thus, those late Early Pleistocene ecosystems supported a high number of carnivoran species, but the carnivoran biomass they could support was relatively low. Consequently, carnivorans occurred at low densities in Southern Europe compared to the recent African savanna ecosystems, but likely also compared to coeval East African ecosystems. Consequently, the first Homo populations that arrived in Europe at the end of the late Early Pleistocene found mammal communities consisting of a low number of prey species, which accounted for a moderate herbivore biomass, as well as a diverse but not very abundant carnivore guild. This relatively low carnivoran density implies that the hominin-carnivore encounter rate was lower in the European ecosystems than in the coeval East African environments, suggesting that an opportunistic omnivorous hominin would have benefited from a reduced interference from the carnivore guild.

Discovery of circa 115,000-year-old bone retouchers at Lingjing, Henan, China.

Most Chinese lithic industries dated between 300,000 and 40,000 are characterized by the absence of Levallois debitage, the persistence of core-and-flake knapping, the rarity of prepared cores, their reduction with direct hard hammer percussion, and the rarity of retouched flakes. Here we report the discovery of seven bone soft hammers at the early hominin Lingjing site (Xuchang County, Henan) dated to 125,000–105,000. These artefacts represent the first instance of the use of bone as raw material to modify stone tools found at an East Asian early Late Pleistocene site. Three types of soft hammers are identified. The first consists of large bone flakes resulting from butchery of large herbivores that were utilized as such for expedient stone tools retouching or resharpening. The second involved the fracture of weathered bone from medium size herbivores to obtain elongated splinters shaped by percussion into sub-rectangular artefacts. Traces observed on these objects indicate intensive and possibly recurrent utilization, which implies their curation over time. The last consists of antler, occasionally used. Lingjing bone tools complement what we know about archaic hominin cultural adaptations in East Asia and highlight behavioural consistencies that could not be inferred from other cultural proxies. This discovery provides a new dimension to the debate surrounding the existence of the Middle Palaeolithic in the region. The attribution of East Asian sites to the Middle Palaeolithic assumes that cultural traits such as the Levallois method represent evolutionary hallmarks applicable to regions of the world different from those in which they were originally found. Here, we promote an approach that consists in identifying, possibly from different categories of material culture, the original features of each regional cultural trajectory and understanding the behavioural and cognitive implications they may have had for past hominin populations.

Comments on the paper “very coarse-grained beaches as a response to generalized sea level drops in a complex active tectonic setting: Pleistocene marine terraces at the Cadiz coast, SW Spain”

González-Acebrón et al. (2016) attributed the coastal deposits of Torre Bermeja-La Barrosa area (Cádiz, SW Spain) to the Early Pleistocene (1.3 Ma). They also considered that an extremely high-energy event, such as a tsunami, affected the basal deposits of the sequence. In this paper, both the chronological attribution and the stratigraphic-sedimentary model are discussed. Previous information shows that Sequence 1 is late Pliocene-lowermost Early Pleistocene based on biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, and regional-scale stratigraphic correlation. In addition, stratigraphic, facies, and sedimentary analyses indicate that sediments attributed to Sequence 1 were formed due to south-easternward longshore currents reworking wave- and tidal-dominated coarse-grained delta sediments deposited further to the north.

The macromammal remains and revised faunal list of the Somssich Hill 2 locality (late Early Pleistocene, Hungary) and the Epivillafranchian faunal change

The macromammal remains and revised faunal list of the Somssich Hill 2 locality (late Early Pleistocene, Hungary) and the Epivillafranchian faunal change

Taxonomic and palaeoecological review of the Soricidae (Mammalia) fauna from the late Early Pleistocene Somssich Hill 2 locality (Villány Hills, Southern Hungary)

The present paper is the concluding part of the series describing the Soricidae fauna of the late Early Pleistocene Somssich Hill 2 locality, Southern Hungary. Th e assemblage includes 9 shrew forms: 3 Sorex, 2 Crocidura, 2 Beremendia, 1 Asoriculus, and 1 Neomys species. Th e taxonomic results of the study are summarized, and some new ecological conclusions drawn from the layer-by-layer overview of the specific composition of the fauna are presented here. The forms of cold grassy vegetation dominate in most of the strata, but the indicators of warm grasslands also appear in some layers. The appearance of forest species in most layers correlates with the presence of aquatic shrews. The ratio of cold and warm-indicating species varies in the layers, but dominance of cold indicators decreases in the second half of the succession, while the number of forest and warm indicators increases.

Equid prey acquisition and Archaic Homo adaptability at the early Late Pleistocene site of Xujiayao, China

AbstractBesides active hunting by hominins, there are two methods of scavenging that can provide primary access to intact ungulate carcasses: first‐access scavenging from nonpredator‐related accidents and early‐access aggressive scavenging from carnivore kills. Patterns in mortality profiles of prey animals at archaeological sites provide evidence of prey acquisition strategies, which is an important factor in reconstructing hominin adaptability. The Xujiayao site is an early Late Pleistocene site in the Nihewan Basin, China. Its faunal assemblage is dominated by Equus przewalskii and Equus hemionus. Evidence from previous taphonomic analysis has implied that Archaic Homo was the dominant taphonomic agent in the accumulation of the animal remains. This research applies mortality profile analysis to determine a follow‐up question: how were the equid carcasses acquired? The results of this study indicate that Archaic Homo at Xujiayao probably used both active hunting and scavenging to acquire equids in the early period (lower cultural layer) but mainly used active hunting in the later period (upper cultural layer) due to the fact that the climate changed to much colder conditions in the later period. This research provides new information on the subsistence adaptations of Archaic Homo in northern latitudinal climates of China in the early Late Pleistocene.

Source-to-sink system in the south bank of Qinghai Lake

In the south bank of Qinghai Lake, numerous alluvial fans and coastal deposits have been formed. In terms of their developmental positions and relationships, the denudation system, depositional system, and transportation system consist of source-to-sink systems. Based on the field-investigation evidence and literature survey, it was confirmed that the developmental processes of these “source-to-sink” systems can be divided into three stages: the Early-Late Pleistocene stage, from 39 to 23 ka BP; Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene stage, from 39 to 10.7 ka BP; and modern stage. At the present time, these stages can still be identified as three levels of lake shore terraces. In the Late Pleistocene, the source-to-sink system indicates that the lake level was high, supply of clasts was sufficient, fan deltas had formed, and the lakeside plain continued to develop. At the end of the Late Pleistocene, with the sudden changes in global climate, the climate was dry and cold, and the lake level fell. At this time, the source-to-sink system showed that lake level was relatively low, supply of clasts was reduced, and transportation distance was longer; ancient sediments started to recycle in this system. Until modern times, alluvial fans in the south bank of Qinghai Lake have only rarely been developed, and the supply of clasts is primarily derived from the recirculation of paleo-shore sediments. Meanwhile, a large amount of sandy gravel beaches developed along the lake shore. By studying the multistage source-to-sink systems around modern lakes, the characteristics of the system in lake basins are enriched and provide an important analogy for researches of ancient lake basins.

Taxonomical revision of “Arctonyx” fossil remains from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave (South China) by means of morphotype and morphometrics, and a review of Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Meles fossil records in China

“Arctonyx” fossil remains from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave, Guangxi, are redescribed and analysed in details. Detailed tooth character differences between Arctonyx and Meles are analysed. It is shown that materials from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave actually belong to two species of Meles: Meles minor and Meles magnus n. sp. At the same time, a review of Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Meles records in China is made. During Late Pliocene, Meles are only represented by M. chiai and one archaic form. During Early Pleistocene, Meles from northern and central part of China are represented by two nearly sympatric species Meles chiai and Meles teihardi. Meles from South China are represented by M. minor and M. magnus n. sp., though the distribution of the two species is still unclear. M. magnus n. sp. is so far only known from the Liucheng Gigantopithecus Cave, whereas M. minor is probably also known from Longgupo, Chongqing in the central part of China besides Liucheng. Great diversity of Meles in Early Pleistocene in China indicates that the genus radiated earlier than previously thought. Phylogenetic analysis suggests M. magnus n. sp. is sister group to living M. leucurus, whereas M. minor and M. chiai are early branches in Meles evolution.

Faunal dynamics in SW Europe during the late Early Pleistocene: Palaeobiogeographical insights and biochronological issues

The Pleistocene fossil record of the Mediterranean region is particularly suitable for studying the role of climate change on faunal evolution, and comparing faunal dynamics (FDy) at local and regional levels because of the complex physiographic and climatic heterogeneity of the region, and the complex history of invasions of species of varying geographical origin. This research aims to analyze and compare FDy trends in selected North Mediterranean territories (Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy, Greece), showing current differences in physiographical configuration and climate regime that may be supposed to have roughly been maintained throughout the Pleistocene, differently influencing time of dispersal and distribution patterns of mammalian species. The mammal FDy (changes in biodiversity, taxonomic composition and ecological structure) of each territory is analyzed to verify to what extent the major modifications match climatic and environmental changes. Biogeographic insights and chronological issues are discussed in the light of diachronous/asynchronous dispersal events.

A large mammal assemblage during MIS 5c: Artazu VII (Arrasate, northern Iberian Peninsula)

Artazu VII palaeontological site (Arrasate, Gipuzkoa) is one of the few deposits in the Iberian Peninsula in which humans did not intervene in its formation as the site acted as a natural trap. The vertebrate remains recovered are in a very good state of preservation and display great biodiversity. The large mammal assemblage from Artazu VII is studied in detail in this paper. Fourteen different species are described, including ungulates and carnivores. Morphological and osteometric descriptions are also provided, as well as a morphological study of chamois and leopard compared with the same species of similar chronology both in the surroundings of the site and in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. The existence of biases related to the form of the shaft is tested, as these might relativize the value of the remains as a representative proxy of the fauna in the early Late Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula. The palaeoecology inferred from this association indicates the existence of a woodland mass alternating with meadow biotope, and with a watercourse in the surrounding area.