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Diversity
Special Issues
The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene
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The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Phylogeny and Evolution".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 19477

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Juan Manuel López-García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Interests: small mammals; paleontology; palaeoenvironment; palaeoclimate; Quaternary
Dr. Jordi Revelles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
Interests: palynology; palaeoecology; late prehistory; palaeoenvironment; Holocene
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last 2.6 Ma of Earth’s history is known as the Quaternary Period. This period allows us to learn about the origins of modern environments and reconstruct their transformations. The Quaternary is characterized by a series of over 50 glacial-interglacial climate cycles and is divided into two epochs, the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The Pleistocene epoch (2.6 Ma to 11.7 Ka) is climatically characterized by long glacial cycles or ice ages, and milder interludes or interglacial periods between them. On the other hand, the Holocene is the current interglacial period that began 11.7 ka ago. The rapid climate changes produced during the Quaternary are associated with large-scale redistributions of biodiversity and extinctions. Intensive levels of extinctions occurred at the start of the Late Pleistocene (ca. 132 ka) and during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, where a rapid and global-scale species disappearance without functional replacement occurred. These phenomena can be explained by two main agents: the climatic changes, and the beginning of the expansion of modern humans (Homo sapiens). The aim of this Special Issue will be focused on the contribution of new data and extensive syntheses to provide new knowledge on the climate changes produced during the Quaternary, how the past fauna and flora species distribution were affected, and the possible relation to our hominin ancestors to reconstruct the diverse phenomena of human evolution, faunal and flora diversity changes, and extinctions.

Dr. Juan Manuel López-García
Dr. Jordi Revelles
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fauna
  • flora
  • extinctions
  • paleoenvironment
  • paleoclimate
  • quaternary

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1650 KiB  
Article
Ancient DNA Contradicts the Presence of Social Voles (Genus Microtus, Subgenus Sumeriomys) in the Late Pleistocene of Western Europe
by Adam Nadachowski, Anna Lemanik, Laure Fontana, Danijela Popović, Michał Golubiński, Barbara Bujalska and Mateusz Baca
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040538 - 7 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3069
Abstract
Taxonomic decisions made by palaeontologists are often based on a few morphological features preserved in the fossil material. This practice may sometimes lead to the description of new species based on single specimens, which are, in fact, extreme or aberrant morphological variants of [...] Read more.
Taxonomic decisions made by palaeontologists are often based on a few morphological features preserved in the fossil material. This practice may sometimes lead to the description of new species based on single specimens, which are, in fact, extreme or aberrant morphological variants of known taxa. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of the Late Pleistocene specimens from the archaeological site Petits Guinards (Creuzier-la-Vieux, Allier, France), described as a new vole Microtus (Sumeriomys) bifrons, did not confirm the species distinctness of the studied population. The genetically examined specimens belonged to Stenocranius anglicus and/or Microtus arvalis, the dominant species at the site. Our findings show that it is risky to describe new fossil taxa on the basis of phenotypic outliers or morphologically aberrant, rare specimens that do not fall within the previously known population variability. We also highlight the importance of ancient DNA in resolving taxonomic and nomenclature problems and classifying fossil mammals of the Late Pleistocene age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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17 pages, 4231 KiB  
Article
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction for the Last 3500 Years in the Southern Pyrenees from a Peat Bog Core in Clots de Rialba
by Josep-Manel Rodríguez-González, Marc Sánchez-Morales, Jordi Nadal-Tersa, Albert Pèlachs and Ramon Pérez-Obiol
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030390 - 8 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2182
Abstract
Vegetation landscape dynamics are derived from the relationships established between anthropic activities and climate conditions over time. Paleoenvironmental research in the Pyrenees range (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula) has revealed what these dynamics were like in some regions during the Holocene. However, some fields of [...] Read more.
Vegetation landscape dynamics are derived from the relationships established between anthropic activities and climate conditions over time. Paleoenvironmental research in the Pyrenees range (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula) has revealed what these dynamics were like in some regions during the Holocene. However, some fields of biogeography still present questions that need to be addressed, such as the patterns of Fagus sylvatica and Abies alba and the importance of the fire regime during the Meghalayan (late Holocene). We present a multiproxy study performed in a sedimentary record from the Clots de Rialba peat bog, located at 2093 m a. s. l. (Lleida, southern slope of the Pyrenees mountain range), that covers the last c. 3500 years. Analyses were performed on the organic matter content, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, and sedimentary charcoals larger than 150 μm. The palynological spectra revealed a maximum extension of Abies alba at about 3500 cal yr BP in the Bronze Age, while Fagus sylvatica showed its maximum extent between 3300 and 2800 cal yr BP. A dominance of Pinus was detected throughout the studied period. Other taxa such as cereals, herbaceous plants, aquatic plants, and coprophilous fungi have also been discussed to identify anthropic pressure and climate pulses. In addition, the study of sedimentary charcoals reveals the main forest fire episodes and their recurrences, some of them linked to anthropogenic activities and/or climate variations. These anthropogenic activities would include the use of opening and maintaining forest fires in deforestation in order to obtain pastures and spaces dedicated to cereal agriculture and the appearance of some taxa linked to or introduced by human communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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24 pages, 7989 KiB  
Article
Palaeoeconomy and Palaeoenvironment of Halmyris—A Roman Settlement in Southeast Romania: Archaeozoological and Phytolith Evidences
by Margareta Simina Stanc, Luminița Bejenaru, George Nuțu, Aurel Constantin Mototolea and Mihaela Danu
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030373 - 4 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2442
Abstract
Halmyris (Murighiol, Tulcea County, Romania) is one of the most important Roman settlements located in the inferior sector of the Danube Delta, in the easternmost part of Scythia province during the Late Antiquity. Halmyris was the most easterly fort of the Danubian border [...] Read more.
Halmyris (Murighiol, Tulcea County, Romania) is one of the most important Roman settlements located in the inferior sector of the Danube Delta, in the easternmost part of Scythia province during the Late Antiquity. Halmyris was the most easterly fort of the Danubian border in Roman times and probably served as a supply centre for the imperial fleet; Roman inscriptions inform on the existence of a ‘mariner’s village’ named vicus classicorum. Given that the written information about this settlement is extremely incomplete, the study of animal and plant remains can answer important questions related to economic life (e.g., human use of biological resources) and the relationship between community and environment. This study contributes to understanding the process of Roman domination in the area (e.g., highlighting the improved type of cattle, brought and reproduced here by the Romans), as well as to the knowledge of environmental changes under anthropic pressure (e.g., animal extinction, such as aurochs). In 2014, extensive archaeological research took place in the extramural area of the fort. During research, a total area of 234 sqm was investigated through five trenches west–east oriented and perpendicular to vallum II but not intersecting with it. Phytolith samples were taken from the habitation levels dated to the 5th–6th centuries AD, and faunal remains were collected from four trenches dated to the 4th–6th centuries AD. Phytolith assemblages from the Halmyris site are composed mainly of grass phytoliths. We noticed important amounts of Elongate dendritic forms and a high proportion of silica skeletons. Phytolith analysis resulting from the processing of 12 samples shows that cereals were a relevant part of the subsistence economy of the site, revealing an important signal of cereal processing. Flax fibers, which are the strongest natural fibers, were also identified in samples from Halmyris. The exploited animal resources are varied, including molluscs, fish, birds, and mammals. Most of the skeletal remains belong to the group of mammals. Animal husbandry represented an important occupation; the identified domestic mammals are cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse, donkey, and dog. The predominant species were cattle and sheep/goat, both by the number of identified remains and by the minimal number of individuals. Hunting had small importance for the settlement under study, red deer and wild boar having the highest proportion of wild mammals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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20 pages, 3969 KiB  
Article
Freshwater Landscape Reconstruction from the Bronze Age Site of Borsodivánka (North-Eastern Hungary)
by Angel Blanco-Lapaz, Klára P. Fischl, Astrid Röpke, Tanja Zerl, Nadine Nolde, Michael Schmid and Tobias L. Kienlin
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030340 - 27 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2131
Abstract
This multiproxy work presents the archeozoological analysis of fish and microvertebrate remains from the Middle Bronze Age tell site of Borsodivánka (Borsod Plain, North-eastern Hungary). The fish faunal assemblage provides valuable data on the choice of exploited consumption patterns, taphonomy, and aquatic paleoenvironmental [...] Read more.
This multiproxy work presents the archeozoological analysis of fish and microvertebrate remains from the Middle Bronze Age tell site of Borsodivánka (Borsod Plain, North-eastern Hungary). The fish faunal assemblage provides valuable data on the choice of exploited consumption patterns, taphonomy, and aquatic paleoenvironmental conditions at the site during the Bronze Age. Only freshwater taxa are present in the assemblage, for example, northern pike (Esox lucius); cyprinids: roach (Rutilus rutilus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), common chub (Squalius cephalus) and common nase (Chondrostoma nasus); and percids: European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). Herpetofaunal and micromammal remains are also part of this study, improving our knowledge of the site’s freshwater ecosystem. The grass snake (Natrix cf. natrix) and the European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis), typical of aquatic ecosystems, are associated with the Aesculapian ratsnake (Zamenis longissimus), more typical of forest, shrubland, and grassland. The presence of amphibians such as toads (Bufo/Bufotes sp.) and frogs (Rana sp.) complete the herpetofaunal list. The microvertebrates also support a mature fluvial system, as represented by taxa like the European water vole (Arvicola amphibius). Other micromammals are present, such as the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), the group of the common/field vole (Microtus arvalis/agrestis), the European mole (Talpa europaea), and the house mouse (Mus musculus). All of them are common in forests, shrubland, and grassland. However, the commensal house mouse is more commonly associated with anthropogenic areas. In conclusion, Borsodivánka is characterized by a diverse landscape mosaic, displayed by the co-existence of a well-developed forest and a freshwater inland ecosystem with agricultural land in the wider area. Finally, the Tisza River and its flood plain represented the main water source close to the site, distinguished by the dominance of fish species from deep and slow-flowing waters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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14 pages, 11662 KiB  
Article
Shearwater Eggs in Lobos 3, a Holocene Site of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands)
by Carmen Núñez-Lahuerta, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Manuel Pérez-Pueyo, M. del Carmen Del-Arco-Aguilar, Mercedes Del-Arco-Aguilar, Celia Siverio-Batista, Carolina Castillo-Ruiz and Penélope Cruzado-Caballero
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020144 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2713
Abstract
Two eggs (L29 and N28) were recovered in the Holocene site of Lobos 3, (Islote de Lobos, north Fuerteventura, Canary Islands), the site has been interpreted as a purple dye workshop from the Early Roman Empire Epoch. For the first time, eggs from [...] Read more.
Two eggs (L29 and N28) were recovered in the Holocene site of Lobos 3, (Islote de Lobos, north Fuerteventura, Canary Islands), the site has been interpreted as a purple dye workshop from the Early Roman Empire Epoch. For the first time, eggs from a Holocene deposit of the Canary Islands have been analyzed in terms of size, shape, and biomineral structure, and studied on the basis of several thin sections and SEM analysis. The analysis of the remains allowed the assignation of both eggs to Procellariidae birds, thanks to the relative proportion of the eggshell layers and the vesiculation patterns. The size of the eggs allowed the assignation of L29 to cf. Calonectris/Puffinus, and to cf. Puffinus for N28. The absence of more structural analysis on Procellariiformes eggshells prevent a more specific assignation. The accumulation pattern of the eggs is compatible with a seasonal occupation pattern of the Roman site. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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16 pages, 4181 KiB  
Article
Species- and Trait-Based Reconstructions of the Hydrological Regime in a Tropical Peatland (Central Sumatra, Indonesia) during the Holocene Using Testate Amoebae
by Andrey N. Tsyganov, Elena A. Malysheva, Yuri A. Mazei, K. Anggi Hapsari, Hermann Behling, Supiandi Sabiham, Siria Biagioni and Valentyna Krashevska
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121058 - 1 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2346
Abstract
Paleoecological reconstructions of hydrological regimes in tropical peatlands during the Holocene are important for the estimation of their responses to changing environments. However, the application of some widely used proxies, such as testate amoebae, is hampered by poor knowledge of their morphology and [...] Read more.
Paleoecological reconstructions of hydrological regimes in tropical peatlands during the Holocene are important for the estimation of their responses to changing environments. However, the application of some widely used proxies, such as testate amoebae, is hampered by poor knowledge of their morphology and ecological preferences in the region. The aim of this study is to describe the morphospecies composition of sub-fossil testate amoebae in deposits of a tropical peatland in Central Sumatra (Indonesia) during the Holocene and reconstruct the hydrological regime using morphospecies- and functional-trait-based approaches. In total, 48 testate amoeba morphospecies were observed. Based on morphospecies composition, we distinguished three main periods of peatland development (13,400–8000, 8000–2000, 2000 cal yr BP–present). The application of the morphospecies-based transfer function provided a more reliable reconstruction of the water regime in comparison to the functional trait-based one. The weak performance of the latter might be related to the poor preservation of shells and the greater variation in the functional traits in sub-fossil communities as compared to the training set and linear modeling approach. These results call for future studies on the functional and morphospecies composition of testate amoebae in a wider range of tropical peatlands to improve the quality of hydrological reconstructions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environment and Climate during Pleistocene and Holocene)
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