The chronology of the Petralona hominid remains a key issue in European Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropology. The recent study by Falguères et al., which reports new U-series ages of approximately 300 ka for travertines associated with the Petralona cranium, provides an important opportunity to reassess this long-standing debate. This commentary critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of that contribution, with particular attention to the treatment of analytical precision, geological uncertainties, and stratigraphic constraints inherent to speleothem dating. While the new data represent a valuable analytical advance and independently support a Middle Pleistocene age, the reported narrow error margins warrant cautious interpretation. When broader sources of uncertainty are considered, the results are best viewed as a confirmation rather than a fundamental revision of the established chronological framework. Overall, this commentary situates the findings of the new study within their broader methodological and historical context and underscores their significance for refining, but not redefining, the age and evolutionary placement of the Petralona hominid.

Sediment DNA--the ability to extract DNA from archaeological sediments-- is an exciting new frontier in ancient DNA research, offering the potential to study individuals at a given archaeological site without destructive sampling. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the promise of this approach by recovering hominin DNA from prehistoric sediments, including those dating back to the Middle or Late Pleistocene. However, a lack of open-source workflows for analysis of hominin sediment DNA samples poses a challenge for data processing and reproducibility of findings across studies. Here we introduce a snakemake workflow, sedimix, for processing genomic sequences from archaeological sediment DNA samples to identify hominin sequences and generate relevant summary statistics to assess the reliability of the pipeline. By performing simulations and comparing our results to two published studies with human DNA from ∼25,000 years ago (including shotgun data from a sediment sample and capture data from touch DNA recovered from a deer tooth pendant) we demonstrate that sedimix yields accurate and reliable inferences. sedimix offers a reliable and adaptable framework to aid in the analysis of sediment DNA datasets and improve reproducibility across studies. sedimix is available as an open-source software with the associated code, example data, and user manual with installation instructions available at https://github.com/jierui-cell/sedimix.A permanent archived version of this release is available via Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17244854. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

The interval that spans marine isotope stages (MIS) 18-21 is one of the coolest recorded in the continuous paleoclimatic record from Lake El'gygytgyn, Polar Chukotka. The pollen zones characterizing these isotope stages reflect plant communities that are only associated with glaciations and interstadials. Cooling maxima are noted for MIS20 in the Early Pleistocene and in MIS18 of the Middle Pleistocene. Maximum warmth is established in MIS21 of the Early Pleistocene. Larix, the only coniferous tree found in modern forests in North-East Siberia, is not present in the glacial vegetation. Larch forest-tundra communities are established during interstadials.

In this study, we describe the discovery of a hemimandible of Xenocyon lycaonoides from Olkhonskaya Cave (Eastern Siberia) and analyze its architecture from a functional morphology perspective. The main diagnostic characters of the species are described, and its geographical and stratigraphic distribution in Eastern Siberia is discussed. We estimated the body mass of X. lycaonoides to be ~45–50 kg based on the regression equation. The absolute dimensions of the Xenocyon mandible are comparable to those of a large grey wolf and markedly longer than those of other extant canids. Despite this, both multivariate analysis and the sum of the individual parameters show that the mandibles of Xenocyon are structurally more similar to those of so-called "hypercarnivorous" canids (Lycaon pictus and Cuon alpinus). X. lycaonoides mandibles are characterized by a robust mandibular corpus and a large, strong mandibular condyle. These adaptations allow them to compensate the mechanical stress that occurs when capturing and holding large prey with the canines and then processing food with the carnassial teeth. The crown and roots of the carnassial tooth in X. lycaonoides are relatively large in every dimension (especially the crown width and the anterior root height), which amplifies its anchorage in the alveolus via the periodontal ligament. The increase in the relative sizes of the coronoid and angular processes corresponds to expanded muscular attachment sites. Finally, the markedly increased length of the mandible protractors lever arms, combined with wide, shortened jaws and large body size, indicates that X. lycaonoides was able to generate a greater bite force with its canines and carnassial teeth than any of the extant canids.

The eastern North European Plain is an important area for studying Quaternary climate change and archaeology; however, providing chronological constraints for deposits can be challenging. Amino acid geochronology (AAG) is a relative dating technique that has been useful in correlating isolated Quaternary deposits. The intra-crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) approach to AAG using the opercula of Bithynia snails has previously been used to provide relative dating frameworks across northern and central Europe in areas where the integrated diagenetic temperature can be assumed to be similar. Here, the first aminostratigraphies for the eastern North European Plain are presented, incorporating deposits from at least the last ~1 Ma, which are used to assess the current age attributions to Middle and Late Pleistocene interglacials. These aminostratigraphies are then used to explore expected differences in the extent of IcPD due to differing temperature histories across the study area. Correlations of opercula to regional pollen assemblages representative of the Holsteinian, Eemian and Holocene are used to evaluate the temporal resolution achievable by IcPD within a given interglacial. This work has produced four new aminostratigraphies that can now be used as reference datasets for relative age estimation for the late Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene in the eastern North European Plain.

Abstract A stratigraphic section made of Quaternary alluvial–lacustrine sediments belonging to the Baza Formation (South Spain) has been logged and studied for paleomagnetism, rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy, and electron spin resonance (ESR) quartz dating. Our results indicate that the section, which is found in the vicinity of a number of paleontological and archaeological localities, falls within the mid-Early Pleistocene (Calabrian), within the Matuyama Chron, and runs to the Jaramillo Subchron, encompassing the Cobb Mountain Subchron. The magnetostratigraphic results combined with rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy and ESR provide solid timelines, which allow gross accumulation rates to be estimated, and revealing an upsection decrease of sedimentation in accordance with the lithological and paleodepositional changes. Our study furnishes new chronologies to better understand the timing of the latest stages of endorheic sedimentation that precedes the capture of the Baza Basin by the Gualdalquivir River in the Middle Pleistocene.

The African Early Pleistocene is a time of evolutionary change and techno-behavioral innovation in human prehistory that sees the advent of our own genus, Homo, from earlier australopithecine ancestors by 2.8-2.3 million years ago. This was followed by the origin and dispersal of Homo erectus sensu lato across Africa and Eurasia between ~ 2.0 and 1.1 Ma and the emergence of both large-brained (e.g., Bodo, Kabwe) and small-brained (e.g., H. naledi) lineages in the Middle Pleistocene of Africa. Here we present a newly reconstructed face of the DAN5/P1 cranium from Gona, Ethiopia (1.6-1.5 Ma) that, in conjunction with the cranial vault, is a mostly complete Early Pleistocene Homo cranium from the Horn of Africa. Morphometric analyses demonstrate a combination of H. erectus-like cranial traits and basal Homo-like facial and dental features combined with a small brain size in DAN5/P1. The presence of such a morphological mosaic contemporaneous with or postdating the emergence of the indisputable H. erectus craniodental complex around 1.6 Ma implies an intricate evolutionary transition from early Homo to H. erectus. This finding also supports a long persistence of small-brained, plesiomorphic Homo group(s) alongside other Homo groups that experienced continued encephalization through the Early to Middle Pleistocene of Africa.

The rarity of Late Pleistocene hominin remains from Insular Southeast Asia (ISEA) has hampered our ability to understand a crucial episode of human evolutionary history, namely, the global dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa. Moreover, recent discoveries indicate a surprising level of taxic diversity during this time with at least two species—H. floresiensis and H. luzonensis—endemic to the region when H. sapiens first arrived. A third hominin dubbed the ‘Denisovans’ is shown from DNA evidence to have interbred with the ancestors of contemporary Indigenous populations across ISEA, New Guinea and Australia. Yet, the Denisovans have not been identified from the fossil record of the area despite recent breakthroughs in this regard on mainland East Asia. New excavations by our team at the Trader’s Cave in the Niah National Park (‘Niah Caves’), northern Borneo, have yielded an isolated hominin upper central permanent incisor dated with Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating of sediments to about 52 − 55 thousand years ago. Specimen SMD-TC-AA210 has a massive crown absolutely and relative to its root size, the crown is wide (mesiodistally) and relatively short (labiolingually). Morphologically, it exhibits a very strong degree of labial convexity, pronounced shovelling, and the bulging basal eminence exhibits several upward finger-like projections. Labial enamel wrinking on the enamel-dentine junction is expressed as two large ridges exhibiting numerous spine-like projections, and the lingual extensions on the enamel surface of the basal eminence are expressed as six extensions. This combination of crown size and morphological traits is not normally found in H. sapiens and instead characterises archaic members of Homo such as H. erectus, H. neanderthalensis and Middle Pleistocene hominins sharing a clade with H. heidelbergensis. The Trader’s Cave tooth suggests that an archaic hominin population inhabited northern Borneo just prior to or coincident with the arrival of H. sapiens as documented at the nearby West Mouth of the Niah Great Cave.

Groundwater plays a vital role in the lives of people and ecosystem. In An Giang province located in the Mekong Delta, groundwater contributes significantly to the domestic water supply and economic development. This study surveyed 142 groundwater samples in An Giang to understand the groundwater geochemical characteristics. The results showed that TDS values of groundwater ranging from 80 to 4,540 mg/L. About 46% of the total 142 samples have TDS > 1,000 mg/L and were not suitable for drinking purpose. Hydrogeochemical facies evolution diagram was applied to investigate salinization and 43% of groundwater samples were impacted by salinization processes. The salinization of groundwater was mainly observed in the upper and upper middle Pleistocene aquifers. In both Holocene aquifer in shallow depth (~ 20 m below land surface) and Pliocene aquifers in very deep depth (>150 m below land surface), groundwater geochemistry indicated freshening condition. The freshening in shallow aquifers was due to recent recharges by rainwater or river system. In the deep aquifers, the freshening process was caused by fossil groundwater in the area. These results highlight the vulnerability of deep fresh aquifers to vertical salinization and underscore the need for improved groundwater protection strategies in the area.

BackgroundIn East Asia, the evolutionary histories of Tertiary relicts are complex, involving not only southward retreats during the middle and late Tertiary but also repeated migrations northward or southward during the Quaternary. Three possible scenarios are hypothesized: High-Latitude Origin, Low-Latitude Origin, and Vicariance Origin. The phylogeography of Lindera obtusiloba is investigated using 27 independent nuclear low-copy genes to test these scenarios and explore key diversification processes.ResultsThe genetic diversity and effective population size at low latitudes were approximately two/three times greater than those at high latitudes. A sharp genetic discontinuity with reciprocal monophyletic lineages and limited gene flow that diverged during the middle Pleistocene was revealed between high and low latitudes. The ancestral population was small, and demographic expansions occurred in both regions during the last interglacial period. Both High- and Low-Latitude Origin scenarios were supported by approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) modeling. Ancestral area reconstruction supported the Vicariance Origin scenario. Climate analysis revealed that populations in different regions had different climatic niches and isolation by environment existed, indicating potential ecological adaptation. Ecological niche modeling indicated bidirectional expansion at present, whereas only expansion to low latitudes from high latitudes was observed in the past. Two subclusters were further revealed in both regions. Eastward and postglacial westward migrations were detected at high and low latitudes, respectively.ConclusionsThe evolution of East Asian Tertiary relict species is complex, as none of the three proposed scenarios are fully supported, and the diversification within each region differs for L. obtusiloba. Dual refugia in high and low latitudes offer long-term survival, and populations at high latitudes may develop ecological adaptations. Genomic data with richer genetic information and adaptation loci are likely to help elucidate the origin and adaptation history of East Asian Tertiary relicts in the future.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07827-6.

Aiming to address under-utilized geochemical proxies in the Bohai Sea (BS) due to analytical complexity and diagenetic uncertainty, this study present a 300-kyr high-resolution geochemical and microfossils records from core DZQ01, and identified elemental proxies such as Rb/Sr, Mg/Ca, and Ni/Co ratios to quantify paleoclimate, paleosalinity, and paleoredox variabilty. Six depositional units (DU 6 –DU 1 ) are identified: DU 6 (300–272 cal. ka B.P.) record cold-arid fluvial deposition, and persistent suboxic conditions; DU 5 (272–205 cal. ka B.P.) captures an initial shift toward warmer, more humid conditions followed by renewed cooling and arid conditions, recorded in tidal-flat to shallow-marine facies; DU 4 (205–90 cal. ka B.P.): is dominated by cold and arid conditions punctuated by a short-lived warming event; DU 3 (90–57 cal. ka B.P.) exhibits elevated temperatures and sea levels, fully marine conditions marked by abundant benthic foraminifera and ostracods; DU 2 (57–14 cal. ka B.P.) documents cold-arid conditions, incised-valley fills, and diminished biogenic activity; and DU 1 (14 cal. ka B.P. to present) reflects warm-humid climate, widespread euryhaline assemblages, and high biological productivity in intertidal to shallow-marine setting. Glacial-interglacial cycles in BS are driven by orbital forcing, greenhouse gases, and ocean-atmosphere feedbacks, with glacials cooling/expanded ice sheets and interglacials warming/reconfigured circulation.

ABSTRACT The Hermann’s tortoise (Chersine hermanni), an endangered species, currently ranges from eastern Spain to the Balkans and some Mediterranean islands, though fossil evidence shows a wider past distribution. This study analyses the chelonian remains recovered from Buena Pinta Cave site (Middle to Late Pleistocene), the most complete with semi-articulated specimens from the Calvero de la Higuera Archaeological Complex (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid, central Spain). The morphology of these remains is consistent with C. hermanni. Taphonomic analysis suggests that carnivore activity and water transport were responsible for the accumulation of the assemblage. The nearly complete carapace from Unit 23 may represent an individual that died potentially naturally during brumation. The presence of Chersine hermanni at high altitudes in central Spain (~1,100 metres above sea level) during the middle and Late Pleistocene exceeds the current maximum elevation for the western subspecies (850 metres) and is more comparable to that recorded for the eastern subspecies (1,450 metres). These findings suggest the Iberian populations of C. hermanni had a broader ecological tolerance in the past, inhabiting higher-altitude areas and climatic conditions not currently found within its current range. These results highlight the importance of considering historical distributions when developing conservation strategies for endangered species.

Abstract Megantereon is an iconic sabertoothed cat known from the Quaternary deposits of the Old World, being its evolutionary scenario and phylogenetic relationships hotly debated the last decades. Several authors proposed that there is only one species, i.e. M. cultridens , or two species, plus M. whitei in Eurasia and Africa of Pleistocene, while some authors proposed multiple species present. Here we describe a mostly complete cranium and several fragmented mandibular fragments of a very large and robust form of Megantereon from Bajiazui, Qingyang, northwestern China, assigned to M. inexpectatus . Several new skulls/crania of M. nihowanensis from Longdan (Gansu, China) were analysed and they further provide a better basis for evaluating the intraspecific variability of this lineage. The analyses here reported, support the recognition of two species from a single lineage of Megantereon in northern China since the earliest Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene, with smaller M. nihowanensis in the Gelasian, and slightly larger and more robust M. inexpectatus with more derived dentition during the Calabrian to the early Middle Pleistocene. This scenario is different from what is seen in Europe, where the primitive M. cultridens evolved to smaller and dentally specialized M. adroveri .

Multi-isotope analysis of mammalian fauna from the Middle Pleistocene (MIS6) Lazaret Cave: palaeoecological, palaeoenvironmental and archaeological implications

The genesis and environmental context of hypogene-sourced terrestrial carbonates of the middle Pleistocene in Vedi, Ararat Depression

Japan sea surface paleoceanography and productivity variations through the Middle Pleistocene Transition

The First Occupations of Western Europe: Dispersals and Population Dynamics in the Early to Middle Pleistocene

This study establishes the first numerical age constraints for the Karapürçek Formation in northwestern Anatolia, Türkiye, using thermally assisted optically stimulated luminescence (TA-OSL) dating. This formation represents the sedimentary fill of a former pull-apart basin and thus records a critical phase in the evolution of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). Four luminescence samples from a 200-meter-thick section yielded ages ranging from ~ 724ka to ~ 540ka, constraining deposition of the formation's upper sections to the Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian Stage). The reliability of these Middle Pleistocene ages is underpinned by a detailed signal analysis. This analysis confirms the TA-OSL signal is highly reproducible and exhibits a strong dosimetric response, validating the technique for this challenging geological context. The resulting age-depth model reveals a consistent apparent sedimentation rate of 0.94mm/year, interpreted as a direct record of steady tectonic subsidence driven by transtensional faulting. Integrating these new ages with the formation's total estimated thickness (1500-1800m) allows its full depositional lifespan to be constrained from approximately 2.0 to 0.4Ma. The cessation of deposition is therefore extrapolated to ~ 400ka, a timing interpreted to mark a major tectonic reorganization. At this point, strain was localized from the older Karapürçek Fault onto the currently active Sapanca-Akyazı segment of the NAFZ, signifying the extinction of the ancestral pull-apart basin. By providing the first complete, multi-million-year timeline for this basin's initiation, evolution, and extinction, this study offers a new quantitative benchmark for understanding the maturation of continental transform faults and for refining long-term seismic hazard models.

Surveys and excavations carried out between 2004 and 2019 around the Vlach town of Samarina, in the Pindos Mountains of Western Macedonia (Greece), have yielded potsherds that can be attributed to different historical periods. The data collected so far suggest a long human presence in this region of the northern Pindos spanning from the Middle Pleistocene to the late Middle Ages. The ceramic fragments from the Historical Camp (HC), Kirkouri (KRK), the Holy Cross Church (SMC), Mt. Anitsa (Anitsa), Avgo (VGO), the Mirminda Pass (VLC), Mt. Vasilitsa (VSL), and the saddle between Mts. Bogdhani and Gurguliu have been studied in detail. Despite their fragmentary state, a database has been created with the morphological and typological characteristics of the potsherds and the sites from which they were retrieved. Coarse and fine ware potsherds have been identified. According to their manufacturing characteristics, they can be attributed to different Roman and medieval periods. A diassarion of the Larissa mint shows that connections between the mountain highlands and the lowlands were already active during the period of Emperor Augustus. The Samarina potsherds are probably related to the movements of Vlach shepherds, who spent long periods in these mountains with their flocks. This impression is confirmed by the presence of one vessel wall fragment which was directly in contact with fire and a few small vessel bases. The presence of ceramic vases is closely linked to the transportation of primary or secondary food supplies in a pre-cooked form or as liquids. We know that Vlach shepherds, as many other groups of Eurasian shepherds, never manufactured ceramic vessels even in their villages. Instead, they used different types of wooden and metal containers for cooking, drinking, and other tasks associated with pastoral activities, such as keeping milk and making cheese and butter, for example. Following these observations, our aim has been to define the vessel types used by the Vlach shepherds, which exhibit some kind of uniformity from the Roman to the Middle Ages.

While 3D seismic reflection is well established in hydrocarbon exploration at the kilometer scale in relatively simple offshore settings, its application to shallow faulting in continental basins is rare, owing to difficulties in adapting acquisition and processing to rugged terrains and complex near-surface conditions. We present the first high-resolution 3D seismic study of a seismogenic fault in a structurally complex intramontane basin at depths <200 m. The survey focuses on the Pantano–Ripa Rossa Fault, ruptured during the 1980 Mw 6.9 Irpinia earthquake, the largest Italian event of the past century. This fault cuts across the Pantano di San Gregorio Magno, a small basin filled with Quaternary sediments and showing modest cumulative displacement. Our results demonstrate that in such environments, where morphotectonic analysis and 2D geophysics provide limited constraints, high-resolution 3D seismic imaging is crucial to resolve fault geometry and to assess surface-faulting hazard. The 3D volume reveals a ~35–40 m wide intra-basin deformation zone beneath the 1980 rupture, composed of synthetic and antithetic splays, and highlights lateral variations in fault geometry and stratigraphy. Deformation is distributed and complex, with fault-controlled depocenters, variable sedimentary architectures, and rapid basement-depth changes—features unresolved by 2D data. We infer that the Pantano–Ripa Rossa Fault is relatively young, active since the late Middle Pleistocene, and developed in the hanging wall of the NE-dipping southern basin-bounding fault, challenging previous models that located the master fault along the northern basin margin.