Diego J. Álvarez-Lao

Palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate of the Mousterian-Aurignacian transition in northern Iberia: the small-vertebrate assemblage from Cueva del Conde (Santo Adriano, Asturias).

The transition from the Middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian) to the Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian) has been one of the prominent themes in the archaeology of the European Palaeolithic for more than 20 years. One of the most controversial questions concerning this period is the extinction of the Neanderthals and their replacement by modern humans. In this context, Cueva del Conde, located in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, is an archaeo-palaeontological site that records the Mousterian to Aurignacian transition. It has been excavated since the beginning of the 20th century, first by the Conde de la Vega del Sella and systematically by a team from the University of Oviedo since 2001. Three main zones have been identified: the External Zone, dated to approximately 39,110 ± 520 BP (level N104); the Entrance Platform, dated between 38,250 ± 390 BP and 34,730 ± 500 BP; and Gallery A with a radiocarbon date of approximately 31,540 ± 400 BP (level N2a2). The small-vertebrate assemblages recovered from the water-screening of all sediment from the excavation campaigns represent at least 21 small mammal, amphibian and squamate taxa. The small-vertebrate associations in the three zones suggest a patchy landscape, dominated by humid meadows and woodland areas with the existence of water in the vicinity of the cave. The climate shows a more continental pattern during the Mousterian, though it was milder during the Aurignacian. The small vertebrates of the Cueva del Conde Mousterian and Aurignacian levels suggest a climate that differed from modern day temperatures, between -1.1 and -4.4 °C (mean annual temperature), placing these assemblages during Interstadials 9 to 7 (Is9 to 7).

New evidence of sea-level lowstands and paleoenvironment during MIS 6 and 4 in the Cantabrian coastal karst: The Cobiheru cave (North Iberia)

The geomorphological evolution of the Cobiheru Cave shows the influence of the non-carbonate coastal mountain ranges on coastal karst evolution, as well as the temporal distribution of the cold-adapted fauna sites in the Cantabrian Coast. Geomorphological observation and U/Th dating lead to the construction of an evolution model. The model comprises two episodes of cave deposition occurred at ca. 60–70 and 130–150 ka, linked to cold climate conditions, global sea-level lowstands and the erosion of alluvial fans that covered the karst. Moreover, the comparison between the Cobiheru record and some raised beaches identified in previous studies sets the beginning of the sea-level lowering in the Cantabrian Sea during the MIS 5-4 transition. Two palaeoenvironments are inferred based on finding Equus ferus and Elona quimperiana. A wet deciduous forest would have been developed on the emerged marine terrace of the Cobiheru Cave since at least the Middle Pleistocene, and an open landscape with scarce vegetation would have been present at ca. 65 ka. The erosional event identified in the Cobiheru Cave helps to understand the temporal distribution of cold-adapted mammals located in the Asturias region. The probable sites of cold-adapted fauna developed in caves and alluvial fans would have disappeared after 65 ka. Therefore, palaeontological and palaeoclimate research based on cold-adapted mammals suggests the occurrence of an hiatus in the palaeontological record prior to 50 ka. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.