1
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Hu HM, Marino G, Pérez-Mejías C, Spötl C, Yokoyama Y, Yu J, Rohling E, Kano A, Ludwig P, Pinto JG, Michel V, Valensi P, Zhang X, Jiang X, Mii HS, Chien WY, Tsai HC, Sung WH, Hsu CH, Starnini E, Zunino M, Shen CC. Sustained North Atlantic warming drove anomalously intense MIS 11c interglacial. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5933. [PMID: 39009621 PMCID: PMC11251152 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50207-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11c interglacial and its preceding glacial termination represent an enigmatically intense climate response to relatively weak insolation forcing. So far, a lack of radiometric age control has confounded a detailed assessment of the insolation-climate relationship during this period. Here, we present 230Th-dated speleothem proxy data from northern Italy and compare them with palaeoclimate records from the North Atlantic region. We find that interglacial conditions started in subtropical to middle latitudes at 423.1 ± 1.3 thousand years (kyr) before present, during a first weak insolation maximum, whereas northern high latitudes remained glaciated (sea level ~ 40 m below present). Some 14.5 ± 2.8 kyr after this early subtropical onset, peak interglacial conditions were reached globally, with sea level 6-13 m above present, despite weak insolation forcing. We attribute this remarkably intense climate response to an exceptionally long (~15 kyr) episode of intense poleward heat flux transport prior to the MIS 11c optimum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsun-Ming Hu
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan.
- Radiogenic Isotope Facility, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan.
| | - Gianluca Marino
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, GEOMA, Palaeoclimatology Lab, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, 3610, Spain.
| | - Carlos Pérez-Mejías
- Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi'an, China
| | - Christoph Spötl
- Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yusuke Yokoyama
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Jimin Yu
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266237, China
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Eelco Rohling
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584, CB, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Akihiro Kano
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Patrick Ludwig
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Troposphere Research (IMKTRO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Joaquim G Pinto
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Troposphere Research (IMKTRO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Véronique Michel
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, 06300, Nice, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, OCA, IRD, Géoazur, 06560, Valbonne, France
| | - Patricia Valensi
- UMR7194 HNHP (MNHN-CNRS-UPVD), Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Xin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Geography Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Xiuyang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Geography Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Horng-Sheng Mii
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, ROC, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Yi Chien
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Chen Tsai
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hui Sung
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hao Hsu
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan
| | - Elisabetta Starnini
- Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Via dei Mille 19, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Zunino
- Toirano Cave, Piazzale D. Maineri 1, 17055, Toirano (SV), Italy
| | - Chuan-Chou Shen
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan.
- Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, ROC, Taiwan.
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2
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Falcucci A, Arrighi S, Spagnolo V, Rossini M, Higgins OA, Muttillo B, Martini I, Crezzini J, Boschin F, Ronchitelli A, Moroni A. A pre-Campanian Ignimbrite techno-cultural shift in the Aurignacian sequence of Grotta di Castelcivita, southern Italy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12783. [PMID: 38834616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59896-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Aurignacian is the first European technocomplex assigned to Homo sapiens recognized across a wide geographic extent. Although archaeologists have identified marked chrono-cultural shifts within the Aurignacian mostly by examining the techno-typological variations of stone and osseous tools, unraveling the underlying processes driving these changes remains a significant scientific challenge. Scholars have, for instance, hypothesized that the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) super-eruption and the climatic deterioration associated with the onset of Heinrich Event 4 had a substantial impact on European foraging groups. The technological shift from the Protoaurignacian to the Early Aurignacian is regarded as an archaeological manifestation of adaptation to changing environments. However, some of the most crucial regions and stratigraphic sequences for testing these scenarios have been overlooked. In this study, we delve into the high-resolution stratigraphic sequence of Grotta di Castelcivita in southern Italy. Here, the Uluzzian is followed by three Aurignacian layers, sealed by the eruptive units of the CI. Employing a comprehensive range of quantitative methods-encompassing attribute analysis, 3D model analysis, and geometric morphometrics-we demonstrate that the key technological feature commonly associated with the Early Aurignacian developed well before the deposition of the CI tephra. Our study provides thus the first direct evidence that the volcanic super-eruption played no role in this cultural process. Furthermore, we show that local paleo-environmental proxies do not correlate with the identified patterns of cultural continuity and discontinuity. Consequently, we propose alternative research paths to explore the role of demography and regional trajectories in the development of the Upper Paleolithic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Falcucci
- Department of Geosciences, Prehistory and Archaeological Sciences Research Unit, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Simona Arrighi
- Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, Università di Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Spagnolo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Matteo Rossini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Owen Alexander Higgins
- Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, Università di Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Brunella Muttillo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Ivan Martini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Jacopo Crezzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Boschin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Annamaria Ronchitelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Adriana Moroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
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3
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Ruan J, Timmermann A, Raia P, Yun KS, Zeller E, Mondanaro A, Di Febbraro M, Lemmon D, Castiglione S, Melchionna M. Climate shifts orchestrated hominin interbreeding events across Eurasia. Science 2023; 381:699-704. [PMID: 37561879 DOI: 10.1126/science.add4459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
When, where, and how often hominin interbreeding happened is largely unknown. We study the potential for Neanderthal-Denisovan admixture using species distribution models that integrate extensive fossil, archaeological, and genetic data with transient coupled general circulation model simulations of global climate and biomes. Our Pleistocene hindcast of past hominins' habitat suitability reveals pronounced climate-driven zonal shifts in the main overlap region of Denisovans and Neanderthals in central Eurasia. These shifts, which influenced the timing and intensity of potential interbreeding events, can be attributed to the response of climate and vegetation to past variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide and Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet volume. Therefore, glacial-interglacial climate swings likely played an important role in favoring gene flow between archaic humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyang Ruan
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea
- Center for Climate Physics, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Axel Timmermann
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea
- Center for Climate Physics, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Pasquale Raia
- DiSTAR, Monte Sant'Angelo, Napoli Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Kyung-Sook Yun
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea
- Center for Climate Physics, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Elke Zeller
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Climate System, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | | | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, C. da Fonte Lappone, Pesche, Italy
| | - Danielle Lemmon
- Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science, Busan, South Korea
- Center for Climate Physics, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Silvia Castiglione
- DiSTAR, Monte Sant'Angelo, Napoli Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Melchionna
- DiSTAR, Monte Sant'Angelo, Napoli Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
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4
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Badino F, Pini R, Ravazzi C, Chytrý M, Bertuletti P, Bortolini E, Dudová L, Peresani M, Romandini M, Benazzi S. High-resolution ecosystem changes pacing the millennial climate variability at the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in NE-Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12478. [PMID: 37528143 PMCID: PMC10394073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38081-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Observation of high-resolution terrestrial palaeoecological series can decipher relationships between past climatic transitions, their effects on ecosystems and wildfire cyclicity. Here we present a new radiocarbon dated record from Lake Fimon (NE-Italy) covering the 60-27 ka interval. Palynological, charcoal fragments and sediment lithology analysis were carried out at centennial to sub-centennial resolutions. Identification of the best modern analogues for MIS 3 ecosystems further enabled to thoroughly reconstruct structural changes in the vegetation through time. This series also represents an "off-site" reference record for chronologically well-constrained Palaeolithic sites documenting Neanderthal and Homo sapiens occupations within the same region. Neanderthals lived in a mosaic of grasslands and woodlands, composed of a mixture of boreal and broad-leaved temperate trees analogous to those of the modern Central-Eastern Europe, the Southern Urals and central-southern Siberia. Dry and other grassland types expanded steadily from 44 to 43 ka and peaked between 42 and 39 ka, i.e., about the same time when Sapiens reached this region. This vegetation, which finds very few reliable modern analogues in the adopted Eurasian calibration set, led to the expansion of ecosystems able to sustain large herds of herbivores. During 39-27 ka, the landscape was covered by steppe, desert-steppe and open dry boreal forests similar to those of the modern Altai-Sayan region. Both Neanderthal and Sapiens lived in contexts of expanded fire-prone ecosystems modulated by the high-frequency climatic cycles of MIS 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Badino
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pini
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Ravazzi
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Bertuletti
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Lydie Dudová
- Department of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Peresani
- CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, Lab. of Palynology and Palaeoecology, Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, 20126, Milan, Italy
- Department of Humanities, Prehistoric and Anthropology Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44100, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
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5
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Marín-Arroyo AB, Terlato G, Vidal-Cordasco M, Peresani M. Subsistence of early anatomically modern humans in Europe as evidenced in the Protoaurignacian occupations of Fumane Cave, Italy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3788. [PMID: 36882431 PMCID: PMC9992387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30059-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Documenting the subsistence strategies developed by early modern humans is relevant for understanding the success of their dispersal throughout Eurasia. Today, we know that there was not a single colonization event and that the process was progressive while coping with the MIS3 abrupt climatic oscillations. Modern humans expanded into the continent by adapting to different topographic situations and by exploiting resources in diverse ecological niches. The northern part of Italy is one of the first European regions where early modern humans are documented. Here, we present the subsistence regimen adopted by the Protoaurignacian groups in two different levels in Fumane Cave based on archaeozoological data. New radiocarbon dates confirm an overlap between Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian occupations, around 42 and 41,000 cal BP, and reveal that modern humans occupied the cave from GI10 to GS9, the last level coinciding with the Heinrich Event 4. The data indicate seasonal site occupations during late spring/summer and that prey exploitation was focused mostly on ibex and chamois, killed in nearby areas. The whole faunal assemblage suggests the presence of early modern humans in a cold environment with mostly open landscapes and patchy woodlands. The estimation of net primary productivity (NPP) in Fumane, compared with other contemporaneous Italian sites, reflects how the NPP fluctuations in the Prealpine area, where Fumane is located, affected the biotic resources in contrast to known Mediterranean sites. From a pan-European perspective, the spatiotemporal fluctuation of the NPP versus the subsistence strategies adopted by Protoaurignacian groups in the continent supports rapid Homo sapiens dispersal and resilience in a mosaic of environments that were affected by significant climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Marín-Arroyo
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain.
| | - Gabriele Terlato
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain.
| | - Marco Vidal-Cordasco
- Grupo de I+D+I EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones durante la Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de Los Castros 44, 39005, Santander, Spain
| | - Marco Peresani
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
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6
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Vidal-Cordasco M, Ocio D, Hickler T, Marín-Arroyo AB. Ecosystem productivity affected the spatiotemporal disappearance of Neanderthals in Iberia. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1644-1657. [PMID: 36175541 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01861-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
What role did fluctuations play in biomass availability for secondary consumers in the disappearance of Neanderthals and the survival of modern humans? To answer this, we quantify the effects of stadial and interstadial conditions on ecosystem productivity and human spatiotemporal distribution patterns during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (50,000-30,000 calibrated years before the present) in Iberia. First, we used summed probability distribution, optimal linear estimation and Bayesian age modelling to reconstruct an updated timescale for the transition. Next, we executed a generalized dynamic vegetation model to estimate the net primary productivity. Finally, we developed a macroecological model validated with present-day observations to calculate herbivore abundance. The results indicate that, in the Eurosiberian region, the disappearance of Neanderthal groups was contemporaneous with a significant decrease in the available biomass for secondary consumers, and the arrival of the first Homo sapiens populations coincided with an increase in herbivore carrying capacity. During stadials, the Mediterranean region had the most stable conditions and the highest biomass of medium and medium-large herbivores. These outcomes support an ecological cause for the hiatus between the Mousterian and Aurignacian technocomplexes in Northern Iberia and the longer persistence of Neanderthals in southern latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vidal-Cordasco
- Grupo I+D+i EvoAdapta (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante la Prehistoria), Departamento Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - D Ocio
- Mott MacDonald, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Hickler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A B Marín-Arroyo
- Grupo I+D+i EvoAdapta (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante la Prehistoria), Departamento Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
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7
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Pieruccini P, Forti L, Mecozzi B, Iannucci A, Yu TL, Shen CC, Bona F, Lembo G, Muttillo B, Sardella R, Mazzini I. Stratigraphic reassessment of Grotta Romanelli sheds light on Middle-Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and human settling in the Mediterranean. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13530. [PMID: 35941267 PMCID: PMC9358667 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16906-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the European Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, due to its geomorphological setting and archaeological and palaeontological content. The beginning of the sedimentation inside the cave was attributed to the Last Interglacial (MISs 5e) and the oldest unearthed evidence of human occupation, including remains of hearths, was therefore referred to the Middle Palaeolithic. Recent surveys and excavations produced new U/Th dates, palaeoenvironmental interpretation and a litho-, morpho- and chrono-stratigraphical reassessment, placing the oldest human frequentation of the cave between MIS 9 and MIS 7, therefore embracing Glacial and Interglacial cycles. These new data provide evidence that the sea reached the cave during the Middle Pleistocene and human occupation occurred long before MISs 5e and persisted beyond the Pleistocene- Holocene boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Pieruccini
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra, Università Di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso, 35, 10125, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Forti
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra "A. Desio", Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 34. 20133, Milan, Italy.
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto Di Geoscienze E Georisorse, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Beniamino Mecozzi
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra, "Sapienza" Università Di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessio Iannucci
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra, "Sapienza" Università Di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Tsai-Luen Yu
- Marine Industry and Engineering Research Center, National Academy of Marine Research, Kaohsiung, 806614, Taiwan, ROC
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chuan-Chou Shen
- High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, ROC
- Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Fabio Bona
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra "A. Desio", Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 34. 20133, Milan, Italy
- Museo Civico Dei Fossili Di Besano, Via Prestini 5, 21050, Besano, Varese, Italy
| | | | - Brunella Muttillo
- Dipartimento Di Studi Umanistici, Università Di Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d'Este, 32, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Raffaele Sardella
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Della Terra, "Sapienza" Università Di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Mazzini
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto Di Geologia Ambientale E Geoingegneria, Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, 00015, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
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8
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Quaternary Evolutionary Stages of Selinitsa Cave (SW Peloponnese, Greece) Reveal Sea-Level Changes Based on 3D Scanning, Geomorphological, Biological, and Sedimentological Indicators. QUATERNARY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/quat5020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Significant evolutionary stages of Selinitsa Cave (SW Peloponnese, Greece) were revealed by 3D mapping, as well as geomorphological study of the cave and the nearby landscape. Four marine terraces were identified in the area of the coastal cave at 6, 10.7, 16.6, and 30–32 m above sea level (asl), with the terrace at 16.6 m representing Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The widest karstified space of Selinitsa Cave clusters between 15.73 and 18.05 m above sea level (asl), with the peak lying at 16.4 m asl, corresponding to the level where the phreatic/epiphreatic zone was stable for a sufficient period of time. A tidal notch at 16.4 m asl at the cave entrance is correlated to the marine terrace at 16.6 m. Both features correspond to the sea-level stand at which intense karstification occurred. The tidal notch bears a horizontal arrangement of Lithophaga borings at the vertex. Sedimentological investigation of the Selinitsa fine-grained deposit revealed the paleohydrologic regime of the cave. It is characterized by “slack-water” facies, indicating very low water flow speeds, whereas the thickness of the deposit points to stable hydrological conditions for prolonged periods. The cave sediment height of 18.8 m asl indicates a flooding level higher than sea level. The overlying Plattenkalk flysch is most probably the major source of detritus, and the predominance of authigenic dolomite (>98% modal in the carbonate fraction) indicates a hyposaline environment related to mixing of sea water with percolating fresh water. The approach of this study shows the significance of 3D mapping, bio-geo-Relative Sea Level (RSL) indicators, and sedimentology in deciphering the paleogeographic evolution of coastal karstic systems and subsequently defining the paleoclimate regime of coastal areas in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Quaternary.
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Boschin F, Columbu A, Spagnolo V, Crezzini J, Bahain J, FalguèRes C, Benazzi S, Boscato P, Ronchitelli A, Moroni A, Martini I. Human occupation continuity in southern Italy towards the end of the Middle Palaeolithic: a palaeoenvironmental perspective from Apulia. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE 2022; 37:204-216. [PMID: 35874299 PMCID: PMC9291488 DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
After the last interglacial [Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e] Europe was affected by several harsh climatic oscillations. In this context southern Italy acted, like the rest of peninsular Mediterranean Europe, as a 'glacial refugium', allowing the survival of various species, and was involved in the spread of 'cold taxa' (e.g. woolly mammoth and woolly rhino) only during the coldest phases (MIS 4 and MIS 2). Both late Mousterian and early Upper Palaeolithic sites testify to a human occupation continuity in southern Italy and especially in Apulia in this time span. Here we present a focus on three key Apulian Palaeolithic sequences (Grotta di Santa Croce, Riparo L'Oscurusciuto and Grotta del Cavallo - layers F-E) jointly spanning from the late MIS 4 to the demise of Neanderthals around 43 ka. Novel chronological, sedimentological and zooarchaeological data are discussed for the first time in the light of the palaeoenvironmental information provided by recent analyses carried out on a speleothem from Pozzo Cucù cave (Bari) and the results of the magnetic susceptibility analysis from Riparo L'Oscurusciuto. This integrated reading allows a better understanding of the role played by the Apulian region as both a refugium for late Neaderthals and a suitable habitat for the early settling of modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Boschin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
- Centro Studi sul QuaternarioSansepolcroArezzoItaly
| | - Andrea Columbu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e AmbientaliUniversità di BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Vincenzo Spagnolo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
- Centro Studi sul QuaternarioSansepolcroArezzoItaly
| | - Jacopo Crezzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
- Centro Studi sul QuaternarioSansepolcroArezzoItaly
| | - Jean‐Jacques Bahain
- HNHP, UMR7194 ‘Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique’MNHN‐CNRS‐UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 1ParisFrance
| | - Christophe FalguèRes
- HNHP, UMR7194 ‘Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique’MNHN‐CNRS‐UPVD, Département Homme et Environnement du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 1ParisFrance
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Dipartimento di Beni CulturaliUniversità di BolognaRavennaItaly
| | - Paolo Boscato
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
| | - Annamaria Ronchitelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
| | - Adriana Moroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
- Centro Studi sul QuaternarioSansepolcroArezzoItaly
| | - Ivan Martini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra, e dell'AmbienteUniversità Degli Studi di SienaSienaItaly
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10
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Heydari-Guran S, Benazzi S, Talamo S, Ghasidian E, Hariri N, Oxilia G, Asiabani S, Azizi F, Naderi R, Safaierad R, Hublin JJ, Foley RA, Lahr MM. The discovery of an in situ Neanderthal remain in the Bawa Yawan Rockshelter, West-Central Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253708. [PMID: 34437543 PMCID: PMC8389444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neanderthal extinction has been a matter of debate for many years. New discoveries, better chronologies and genomic evidence have done much to clarify some of the issues. This evidence suggests that Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000–37,000 years before present (BP), after a period of coexistence with Homo sapiens of several millennia, involving biological and cultural interactions between the two groups. However, the bulk of this evidence relates to Western Eurasia, and recent work in Central Asia and Siberia has shown that there is considerable local variation. Southwestern Asia, despite having a number of significant Neanderthal remains, has not played a major part in the debate over extinction. Here we report a Neanderthal deciduous canine from the site of Bawa Yawan in the West-Central Zagros Mountains of Iran. The tooth is associated with Zagros Mousterian lithics, and its context is preliminary dated to between ~43,600 and ~41,500 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Heydari-Guran
- Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, Germany
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sahra Talamo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elham Ghasidian
- Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, Germany
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nemat Hariri
- Department of Prehistoric Archaeology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Samran Asiabani
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Faramarz Azizi
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Rahmat Naderi
- DiyarMehr Centre for Palaeolithic Research, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Safaierad
- Department of Physical Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris, France
| | - Robert A. Foley
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marta M. Lahr
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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11
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Speleothem Records of the Hydroclimate Variability throughout the Last Glacial Cycle from Manita peć Cave (Velebit Mountain, Croatia). GEOSCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences11080347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We present stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope records from two partially coeval speleothems from Manita peć Cave, Croatia. The cave is located close to the Adriatic coast (3.7 km) at an elevation of 570 m a.s.l. The site experienced competing Mediterranean and continental climate influences throughout the last glacial cycle and was situated close to the ice limit during the glacial phases. U-Th dating constrains the growth history from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to MIS 3 and the transition from MIS 2 to MIS 1. 14C dating was used to estimate the age of the youngest part of one stalagmite found to be rich in detrital thorium and thus undatable by U-Th. On a millennial scale, δ18O variations partly mimic the Dansgaard–Oeschger interstadials recorded in Greenland ice cores (Greenland Interstadials, GI) from GI 22 to GI 13. We interpret our δ18O record as a proxy for variations in precipitation amount and/or moisture sources, and the δ13C record is interpreted as a proxy for changes in soil bioproductivity. The latter indicates a generally reduced vegetation cover towards MIS 3–MIS 4, with shifts of ~8‰ and approaching values close to those of the host rock. However, even during the coldest phases, when a periglacial setting and enhanced aridity sustained long-residence-time groundwater, carbonic-acid dissolution remains the driving force of the karstification processes. Speleothem morphology follows changes in environmental conditions and complements regional results of submerged speleothems findings. Specifically, narrow sections of light porous spelaean calcite precipitated during the glacial/stadial sea-level lowstands, while the warmer and wetter conditions were marked with compact calcite and hiatuses in submerged speleothems due to sea-level highstands. Presumably, the transformation of this littoral site to a continental one with somewhat higher amounts of orographic precipitation was a site-specific effect that masked regional environmental changes.
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12
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Cuthbertson P, Ullmann T, Büdel C, Varis A, Namen A, Seltmann R, Reed D, Taimagambetov Z, Iovita R. Finding karstic caves and rockshelters in the Inner Asian mountain corridor using predictive modelling and field survey. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245170. [PMID: 33471843 PMCID: PMC7816991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The area of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor (IAMC) follows the foothills and piedmont zones around the northern limits of Asia's interior mountains, connecting two important areas for human evolution: the Fergana valley and the Siberian Altai. Prior research has suggested the IAMC may have provided an area of connected refugia from harsh climates during the Pleistocene. To date, this region contains very few secure, dateable Pleistocene sites, but its widely available carbonate units present an opportunity for discovering cave sites, which generally preserve longer sequences and organic remains. Here we present two models for predicting karstic cave and rockshelter features in the Kazakh portion of the IAMC. The 2018 model used a combination of lithological data and unsupervised landform classification, while the 2019 model used feature locations from the results of our 2017-2018 field surveys in a supervised classification using a minimum-distance classifier and morphometric features derived from the ASTER digital elevation model (DEM). We present the results of two seasons of survey using two iterations of the karstic cave models (2018 and 2019), and evaluate their performance during survey. In total, we identified 105 cave and rockshelter features from 2017-2019. We conclude that this model-led approach significantly reduces the target area for foot survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cuthbertson
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (PC); (RI)
| | - Tobias Ullmann
- Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büdel
- Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Aristeidis Varis
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences (INA), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Abay Namen
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Faculty of History, Archaeology, and Ethnology, Department of Archaeology, Ethnology, and Museology, Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Reimar Seltmann
- Department of Earth Sciences, Centre for Russian and Central EurAsian Mineral Studies, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Denné Reed
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, United States of America
| | | | - Radu Iovita
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PC); (RI)
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13
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Badino F, Pini R, Bertuletti P, Ravazzi C, Delmonte B, Monegato G, Reimer P, Vallé F, Arrighi S, Bortolini E, Figus C, Lugli F, Maggi V, Marciani G, Margaritora D, Oxilia G, Romandini M, Silvestrini S, Benazzi S. The fast-acting "pulse" of Heinrich Stadial 3 in a mid-latitude boreal ecosystem. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18031. [PMID: 33093492 PMCID: PMC7581741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74905-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A 3800 year-long radiocarbon-dated and highly-resolved palaeoecological record from Lake Fimon (N-Italy) served to investigate the effects of potential teleconnections between North Atlantic and mid-to-low latitudes at the transition from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to 2. Boreal ecosystems documented in the Fimon record reacted in a sensitive way to millennial and sub-millennial scale Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation patterns. The high median time-resolution of 58 years allows the identification of five abrupt event-boundaries (i.e., main forest expansion and decline excursions) synchronous with the sharp stadial/interstadial (GS/GI) transitions within dating uncertainties. During Heinrich Stadial 3 (HS 3) we reconstruct more open and dry conditions, compared to the other GS, with a dominant regional scale fire signal. Linkages between local fires and climate-driven fuel changes resulted in high-magnitude fire peaks close to GI/GS boundaries, even exacerbated by local peatland conditions. Finally, palaeoecological data from the HS 3 interval unveiled an internal variability suggesting a peak between 30,425 and 29,772 cal BP (2σ error) which matches more depleted δ18O values in alpine speleothems. We hypothesise that this signal, broadly resembling that of other mid-latitudes proxies, may be attributed to the southward shift of the Northern Hemisphere storm tracks and the associated delayed iceberg discharge events as documented during other HS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Badino
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy. .,Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeoecology, CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG), 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pini
- Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeoecology, CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG), 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Bertuletti
- Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeoecology, CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG), 20126, Milan, Italy.,Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Ravazzi
- Research Group on Vegetation, Climate and Human Stratigraphy, Laboratory of Palynology and Palaeoecology, CNR-Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG), 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Delmonte
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Monegato
- CNR-Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Paula Reimer
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Francesca Vallé
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Arrighi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Carla Figus
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Valter Maggi
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Marciani
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Davide Margaritora
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy.,Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Università di Ferrara, 44100, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Università di Ferrara, 44100, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Sara Silvestrini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Department of Human Evolution Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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