Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110125
Mengying Wu , Hanzhi Zhang , Huayu Lu , Jian Yu , Yang Chen , Chen Chen , Jingjing Wang
The evolution of deserts is sensitive to climate changes. However, the trends and evolutionary processes of deserts under global warming remain controversial. The late Pliocene serves as a climatic analog for future conditions. Therefore, reconstructions of desert distributions during this period can provide a valuable historical reference frame for predicting the evolution of deserts under future warming scenarios. Aeolian depositional sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), located at the down-wind direction of the desert, serve as a direct record of desert expansion and contraction. Previous reconstructions relied on the relationship of the grain-size patterns on the Chinese Loess Plateau and the desert margin position during the Last Glacial Maximum. In contrast, we propose a new model based on Holocene desert margin and loess grain-size distribution, and apply it to reconstruct desert margins during the Pliocene warm period. Our new results show that, during the late Pliocene, the southern margin of the proto-Mu Us sand fields was approximately 260 km north of the modern boundary. This study suggests that, in the absence of human disturbance, deserts in northern China may contract under future global warming.
{"title":"The late Pliocene spatial distributions of proto-Mu Us sand fields margin indicated from the spatial grain size variation of aeolian sediments in the Chinese loess Plateau","authors":"Mengying Wu , Hanzhi Zhang , Huayu Lu , Jian Yu , Yang Chen , Chen Chen , Jingjing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The evolution of deserts is sensitive to climate changes. However, the trends and evolutionary processes of deserts under global warming remain controversial. The late Pliocene serves as a climatic analog for future conditions. Therefore, reconstructions of desert distributions during this period can provide a valuable historical reference frame for predicting the evolution of deserts under future warming scenarios. Aeolian depositional sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), located at the down-wind direction of the desert, serve as a direct record of desert expansion and contraction. Previous reconstructions relied on the relationship of the grain-size patterns on the Chinese Loess Plateau and the desert margin position during the Last Glacial Maximum. In contrast, we propose a new model based on Holocene desert margin and loess grain-size distribution, and apply it to reconstruct desert margins during the Pliocene warm period. Our new results show that, during the late Pliocene, the southern margin of the proto-Mu Us sand fields was approximately 260 km north of the modern boundary. This study suggests that, in the absence of human disturbance, deserts in northern China may contract under future global warming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099
Patricia Pillay , Natalie dos Remedios , William S. Pearman , Anna W. Santure , Melinda S. Allen
Molecular techniques offer powerful complementary tools for determining the taxonomic identity of fragmented, morphologically non-diagnostic, or otherwise taxonomically indeterminant bone from archaeological and palaeontological contexts. This study focuses on the recovery and identification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from tropical subfossil bone assemblages. Materials from multiple archaeological sites spread across three valleys on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands) in the cultural historical region of East Polynesia are used as a case study. We illustrate how aDNA sampling strategies, laboratory protocols, PCR primer selection, and sequencing methods can be optimised to improve the recovery and taxonomic identification of aDNA from tropical subfossil samples. Sanger sequencing was initially employed as a preliminary approach to assess the quality of aDNA samples. Subsequently, a high-throughput technique, bulk bone metabarcoding (BBM), was utilised for pooled specimens to recover and sequence taxonomically diagnostic ‘barcoding’ regions of DNA. To ensure robust identifications, we constructed a custom reference database tailored to our genetic markers and developed a novel decision tree framework to assign each aDNA sequence to a well-supported taxonomic level. Our application of rigorous bioinformatic tools enabled us to quantify the ability of our genetic markers to identify taxa, and provided a replicable framework for subsequent taxonomic identifications. Our BBM analyses detected a wide range of vertebrate taxa, including birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Here we use the archaeological seabird results to illustrate the efficacy of BBM and the outcomes of our iterative approach to enhance aDNA recovery and taxonomic identification. Our analyses provide the first well-dated pre-Western avifaunal records for Nuku Hiva Island, including three seabird taxa that are new to the wider archaeological record of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia.
{"title":"Bones, barcodes, and biodiversity: Optimising bulk bone metabarcoding analysis for tropical subfossil collections from Polynesia","authors":"Patricia Pillay , Natalie dos Remedios , William S. Pearman , Anna W. Santure , Melinda S. Allen","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molecular techniques offer powerful complementary tools for determining the taxonomic identity of fragmented, morphologically non-diagnostic, or otherwise taxonomically indeterminant bone from archaeological and palaeontological contexts. This study focuses on the recovery and identification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from tropical subfossil bone assemblages. Materials from multiple archaeological sites spread across three valleys on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands) in the cultural historical region of East Polynesia are used as a case study. We illustrate how aDNA sampling strategies, laboratory protocols, PCR primer selection, and sequencing methods can be optimised to improve the recovery and taxonomic identification of aDNA from tropical subfossil samples. Sanger sequencing was initially employed as a preliminary approach to assess the quality of aDNA samples. Subsequently, a high-throughput technique, bulk bone metabarcoding (BBM), was utilised for pooled specimens to recover and sequence taxonomically diagnostic ‘barcoding’ regions of DNA. To ensure robust identifications, we constructed a custom reference database tailored to our genetic markers and developed a novel decision tree framework to assign each aDNA sequence to a well-supported taxonomic level. Our application of rigorous bioinformatic tools enabled us to quantify the ability of our genetic markers to identify taxa, and provided a replicable framework for subsequent taxonomic identifications. Our BBM analyses detected a wide range of vertebrate taxa, including birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Here we use the archaeological seabird results to illustrate the efficacy of BBM and the outcomes of our iterative approach to enhance aDNA recovery and taxonomic identification. Our analyses provide the first well-dated pre-Western avifaunal records for Nuku Hiva Island, including three seabird taxa that are new to the wider archaeological record of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110099"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114
Maria João Fernandes Martins , Maria Cristina Cabral , Vitor Hugo Magalhães , Teresa Drago , Francisco Fatela , Anabela Oliveira
Ostracod, geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological proxies from a sediment core collected off Sagres (southwestern Portugal) were used to reconstruct Holocene environmental and hydrodynamic changes.
Reduced variability of geochemical elements between ∼4000 and ∼1290 calibrated years before present suggests relatively stable conditions, regularly disturbed by higher-energy events. At ∼1290 cal yrs BP, a transition from arid to wetter conditions is suggested based on enhanced terrestrial/detrital input after this time. Ostracod assemblages further captured fine-scale hydrodynamic variability, offering greater sensitivity to oceanographic changes.
Our results support a broader pattern of middle-to-late Holocene drying conditions in southern Iberia, followed by a shift to wetter conditions during periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Our study provides new data on offshore ostracods from the western Algarve, underscoring their value for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
利用在葡萄牙西南部Sagres海域采集的介形类、地球化学、矿物学和沉积学指标重建了全新世的环境和水动力变化。地球化学元素在距今~ 4000 ~ ~ 1290校准年间的变异性降低，表明条件相对稳定，经常受到高能事件的干扰。在~ 1290 cal - ybp，基于此之后陆地/碎屑输入的增强，提出了从干旱到湿润的转变。介形虫组合进一步捕获了精细尺度的水动力变异性，对海洋变化提供了更高的敏感性。我们的研究结果支持了全新世中晚期伊比利亚南部干燥条件的更广泛模式，随后在负北大西洋涛动（NAO）指数期间转向湿润条件。我们的研究提供了阿尔加维西部近海介形类的新数据，强调了它们在高分辨率古环境重建中的价值。
{"title":"Environmental change in SW Portugal during the last 3900 years BP: an Ostracoda assessment","authors":"Maria João Fernandes Martins , Maria Cristina Cabral , Vitor Hugo Magalhães , Teresa Drago , Francisco Fatela , Anabela Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ostracod, geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological proxies from a sediment core collected off Sagres (southwestern Portugal) were used to reconstruct Holocene environmental and hydrodynamic changes.</div><div>Reduced variability of geochemical elements between ∼4000 and ∼1290 calibrated years before present suggests relatively stable conditions, regularly disturbed by higher-energy events. At ∼1290 cal yrs BP, a transition from arid to wetter conditions is suggested based on enhanced terrestrial/detrital input after this time. Ostracod assemblages further captured fine-scale hydrodynamic variability, offering greater sensitivity to oceanographic changes.</div><div>Our results support a broader pattern of middle-to-late Holocene drying conditions in southern Iberia, followed by a shift to wetter conditions during periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Our study provides new data on offshore ostracods from the western Algarve, underscoring their value for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110128
Piotr Migoń , Jarosław Waroszewski
Poland has a long history of research aimed at deciphering periglacial inheritance in hillslope morphology of medium-altitude mountains which occur in the southern part of the country (the Sudetes, the Carpathians, the highest parts of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains). Its onset is marked by the seminal publications by Walery Łoziński from the beginning of the 20th century, in which the very term ‘periglacial’ was proposed for the first time. This paper is primarily intended as a review and serves a few specific aims. First, it provides an overview of several key themes in periglacial research such as the origin and significance of bedrock crags, the evidence of cryoplanation, the geomorphic history of blockfields and blockstreams, including the discussion of main controlling factors, a possible occurrence of rock glaciers, and the origin and significance of stacked hillslope deposits, including superimposed soils. Second, the efficacy of periglacial processes is evaluated using various lines of evidence, including dating based on cosmogenic nuclides and optically stimulated luminescence. Then, the discussion is shifted to a question whether all landforms and deposits once considered as the periglacial legacy are indeed causally linked with cold-climate environments. Specific themes addressed are the role of catastrophic wind-related events and shallow mass movements in reshaping hillslope morphology, the contemporary activity of scree slopes in the forest belt, and the renewal of regolith production in the Holocene. Finally, a comparison of periglacial landform inventories in mountain regions of contrasting lithology (basement versus flysch rocks) is offered to identify the role of rock control, whereas the most important research gaps are outlined at the end.
{"title":"Quaternary cold-climate hillslope processes, landforms and deposits in the Polish medium-altitude mountains – state-of-the-art and research perspectives","authors":"Piotr Migoń , Jarosław Waroszewski","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poland has a long history of research aimed at deciphering periglacial inheritance in hillslope morphology of medium-altitude mountains which occur in the southern part of the country (the Sudetes, the Carpathians, the highest parts of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains). Its onset is marked by the seminal publications by Walery Łoziński from the beginning of the 20th century, in which the very term ‘periglacial’ was proposed for the first time. This paper is primarily intended as a review and serves a few specific aims. First, it provides an overview of several key themes in periglacial research such as the origin and significance of bedrock crags, the evidence of cryoplanation, the geomorphic history of blockfields and blockstreams, including the discussion of main controlling factors, a possible occurrence of rock glaciers, and the origin and significance of stacked hillslope deposits, including superimposed soils. Second, the efficacy of periglacial processes is evaluated using various lines of evidence, including dating based on cosmogenic nuclides and optically stimulated luminescence. Then, the discussion is shifted to a question whether all landforms and deposits once considered as the periglacial legacy are indeed causally linked with cold-climate environments. Specific themes addressed are the role of catastrophic wind-related events and shallow mass movements in reshaping hillslope morphology, the contemporary activity of scree slopes in the forest belt, and the renewal of regolith production in the Holocene. Finally, a comparison of periglacial landform inventories in mountain regions of contrasting lithology (basement versus flysch rocks) is offered to identify the role of rock control, whereas the most important research gaps are outlined at the end.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110085
Simone Baes das Neves , João Paulo da Costa , Maria Eduarda Pereira Mello de Carvalho Ventura , Julia Pinheiro do Nascimento , Kleberson de Oliveira Porpino , Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior
Quaternary fossil faunas in intertropical South America, especially small- and large-sized mammals as well as other vertebrates, provide consistent evidence of past environmental conditions. Fossils of small mammals are commonly found in karstic environments, such as caves and natural sinks, which act as both refuges for preservation and sediment traps for surrounding skeletal material. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, with its natural sinks and karst formations, is notable for preserving fossil-rich Quaternary deposits, exemplified by the Lajedo de Soledade site. Here, we target small mammals fossil remains from the Lajedo de Soledade site to reconstruct past environments. We identified and described 99 fossils, among rodents and marsupials, collected in three sedimentary layers in the Araras Ravine, part of the karstic deposits of the Lajedo de Soledade site. We identified Monodelphis domestica, Gracilinanus sp., Galea sp., Kerodon sp., Thrichomys sp., Sigmodontinae gen. et sp. indet., Necromys sp., Holochilus sp., Oligoryzomys sp., Calomys sp., and Wiedomys sp. The distribution across the different layers of Lajedo de Soledade site highlights differences in abundance and composition. For example, Layer B showed higher taxonomic diversity and humid-adapted taxa, whereas Layer C is dominated by species adapted to drier conditions. These represent the first small mammal fossils described for Lajedo de Soledade and provide essential evidence for reconstructing quaternary environmental dynamics in Rio Grande do Norte. It also reinforces the potential of Quaternary deposits to reveal the biogeographical history of mammalian groups, particularly during the Quaternary.
南美洲热带地区的第四纪动物化石，特别是小型和大型哺乳动物以及其他脊椎动物，为过去的环境条件提供了一致的证据。小型哺乳动物的化石通常在岩溶环境中发现，比如洞穴和天然水槽，它们既是保存的避难所，也是周围骨骼物质的沉积物陷阱。北里约热内卢Grande do north州拥有天然汇和喀斯特地貌，以保存富含化石的第四纪沉积物而闻名，Lajedo de Soledade遗址就是例证。在这里，我们的目标是来自Lajedo de Soledade遗址的小型哺乳动物化石遗骸，以重建过去的环境。我们在阿拉拉斯峡谷的三个沉积层中发现并描述了99块化石，这些化石来自啮齿动物和有袋动物，而阿拉拉斯峡谷是Lajedo de Soledade遗址岩溶沉积物的一部分。鉴定出家蝇Monodelphis domestica、Gracilinanus sp、Galea sp、kerdon sp、thriichomys sp、Sigmodontinae gen.等。， Necromys sp., Holochilus sp., Oligoryzomys sp., Calomys sp.和Wiedomys sp.在Lajedo de Soledade遗址不同层间的分布突出了丰度和组成的差异。例如，B层具有较高的分类多样性和湿润适应的类群，而C层以适应干燥条件的物种为主。这是在Lajedo de Soledade发现的第一批小型哺乳动物化石，为重建里约热内卢Grande do Norte第四纪环境动力学提供了重要证据。它还加强了第四纪沉积物揭示哺乳动物类群生物地理历史的潜力，特别是在第四纪。
{"title":"The small mammal fauna (Marsupialia and Rodentia) from Araras ravine, a Quaternary deposit in northeastern Brazil, and their paleoclimatic significance for South American paleoenvironments","authors":"Simone Baes das Neves , João Paulo da Costa , Maria Eduarda Pereira Mello de Carvalho Ventura , Julia Pinheiro do Nascimento , Kleberson de Oliveira Porpino , Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quaternary fossil faunas in intertropical South America, especially small- and large-sized mammals as well as other vertebrates, provide consistent evidence of past environmental conditions. Fossils of small mammals are commonly found in karstic environments, such as caves and natural sinks, which act as both refuges for preservation and sediment traps for surrounding skeletal material. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, with its natural sinks and karst formations, is notable for preserving fossil-rich Quaternary deposits, exemplified by the Lajedo de Soledade site. Here, we target small mammals fossil remains from the Lajedo de Soledade site to reconstruct past environments. We identified and described 99 fossils, among rodents and marsupials, collected in three sedimentary layers in the Araras Ravine, part of the karstic deposits of the Lajedo de Soledade site. We identified <em>Monodelphis domestica</em>, <em>Gracilinanus</em> sp., <em>Galea</em> sp., <em>Kerodon</em> sp., <em>Thrichomys</em> sp., Sigmodontinae gen. et sp. indet., <em>Necromys</em> sp., <em>Holochilus</em> sp., <em>Oligoryzomys</em> sp., <em>Calomys</em> sp., and <em>Wiedomys</em> sp. The distribution across the different layers of Lajedo de Soledade site highlights differences in abundance and composition. For example, Layer B showed higher taxonomic diversity and humid-adapted taxa, whereas Layer C is dominated by species adapted to drier conditions. These represent the first small mammal fossils described for Lajedo de Soledade and provide essential evidence for reconstructing quaternary environmental dynamics in Rio Grande do Norte. It also reinforces the potential of Quaternary deposits to reveal the biogeographical history of mammalian groups, particularly during the Quaternary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110085"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110100
Katarina Gerometta , Giovanni Boschian , Ivor Karavanić
This study presents a geoarchaeological investigation of Zala Cave, located in northwestern Croatia, a site of exceptional significance due to its position in a key geographical corridor between the Adriatic coast and the continental Balkans, a region largely lacking comparable sequences. The cave provides rare evidence of human occupation spanning from the Late Upper Palaeolithic through the Middle Ages. Geoarchaeological, sedimentological, and micromorphological analyses of the cave deposits elucidate the interplay between human occupation, sedimentary processes, and environmental change in a karstic landscape strongly influenced by subterranean hydrology. The stratigraphic sequence documents alternating phases of fluvial sedimentation, frost-related reworking, and human use of the cave. The mineral composition of the deposits, dominated by siliciclastic grains derived from distant Triassic formations and possibly reworked loess, confirms the cave's hydrological connection to external catchments. Sediment architecture reveals periodic flooding from the underground Đulin Ponor–Medvedica–Izvor-Špilja Gojak cave system, which repeatedly transformed the cave into a spring outlet. Periodical erosion and redeposition of sediments generated gaps and mixed layers within the cultural succession, and disrupted the stratigraphic continuity. Epigravettian layers reveal short-term occupation episodes by Late Upper Palaeolithic foragers, while an in situ Mesolithic hearth attests to later visits during more temperate conditions. Sporadic Copper and Bronze Age activity reflects shifting land-use strategies, mostly pastoral. The absence of Neolithic layers and remains hints to possible erosional removal of the Neolithic horizon. Micromorphological evidence of periglacial structures, combustion features, and dung accumulations, demonstrates subsequent and/or alternating phases of cold-climate sedimentation, dwelling, and pastoral use. Overall, Zala Cave represents a key inland node linking the Adriatic and continental Balkans, offering new insights into human mobility, environmental adaptation, and the geomorphic evolution of a karstic corridor during Late Pleistocene–Holocene climatic transitions.
{"title":"Living in a karstic spring: humans, animals, and sediments at Zala Cave (northern-central Croatia) during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene","authors":"Katarina Gerometta , Giovanni Boschian , Ivor Karavanić","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a geoarchaeological investigation of Zala Cave, located in northwestern Croatia, a site of exceptional significance due to its position in a key geographical corridor between the Adriatic coast and the continental Balkans, a region largely lacking comparable sequences. The cave provides rare evidence of human occupation spanning from the Late Upper Palaeolithic through the Middle Ages. Geoarchaeological, sedimentological, and micromorphological analyses of the cave deposits elucidate the interplay between human occupation, sedimentary processes, and environmental change in a karstic landscape strongly influenced by subterranean hydrology. The stratigraphic sequence documents alternating phases of fluvial sedimentation, frost-related reworking, and human use of the cave. The mineral composition of the deposits, dominated by siliciclastic grains derived from distant Triassic formations and possibly reworked loess, confirms the cave's hydrological connection to external catchments. Sediment architecture reveals periodic flooding from the underground Đulin Ponor–Medvedica–Izvor-Špilja Gojak cave system, which repeatedly transformed the cave into a spring outlet. Periodical erosion and redeposition of sediments generated gaps and mixed layers within the cultural succession, and disrupted the stratigraphic continuity. Epigravettian layers reveal short-term occupation episodes by Late Upper Palaeolithic foragers, while an <em>in situ</em> Mesolithic hearth attests to later visits during more temperate conditions. Sporadic Copper and Bronze Age activity reflects shifting land-use strategies, mostly pastoral. The absence of Neolithic layers and remains hints to possible erosional removal of the Neolithic horizon. Micromorphological evidence of periglacial structures, combustion features, and dung accumulations, demonstrates subsequent and/or alternating phases of cold-climate sedimentation, dwelling, and pastoral use. Overall, Zala Cave represents a key inland node linking the Adriatic and continental Balkans, offering new insights into human mobility, environmental adaptation, and the geomorphic evolution of a karstic corridor during Late Pleistocene–Holocene climatic transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110100"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084
Katarzyna Zarzecka-Szubińska , Adrian Marciszak , Grzegorz Lipecki , Paweł Valde-Nowak , Krzysztof Sobczyk , Piotr Wojtal , Damian Stefański
Ciemna Cave is a key site for studying Neanderthal settlement north of the Carpathians. This extensive cave system has so far been mostly known for its essential contribution to the study of Neanderthal culture. Local subsistence strategies were previously inferred mainly from highly fragmented and poorly preserved bone remains from the Ogrójec – the open part of the system. These collections provided only limited evidence of human activity, primarily in the form of burnt bones. The osteological material recovered during the ongoing project in the Main Chamber of Ciemna Cave is much better preserved and provides insight into the diverse activities of Neanderthals. These include carcass processing, fire use, and the production and maintenance of stone tools. Combined with taphonomic data, including evidence of animal activity, these findings allow us to reconstruct the dynamics of Neanderthal occupation in the cave from the end of MIS 6 until MIS 3. This article presents new evidence of Neanderthal lifeways which, together with data on lithic technology and the frequency of various taphonomic traces, contributes to an increasingly nuanced understanding of Neanderthal spatial organization and behavior.
{"title":"Multidirectional processing of mammalian remains by the Neanderthals from the Ciemna Cave, Main Chamber (southern Poland)","authors":"Katarzyna Zarzecka-Szubińska , Adrian Marciszak , Grzegorz Lipecki , Paweł Valde-Nowak , Krzysztof Sobczyk , Piotr Wojtal , Damian Stefański","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ciemna Cave is a key site for studying Neanderthal settlement north of the Carpathians. This extensive cave system has so far been mostly known for its essential contribution to the study of Neanderthal culture. Local subsistence strategies were previously inferred mainly from highly fragmented and poorly preserved bone remains from the Ogrójec – the open part of the system. These collections provided only limited evidence of human activity, primarily in the form of burnt bones. The osteological material recovered during the ongoing project in the Main Chamber of Ciemna Cave is much better preserved and provides insight into the diverse activities of Neanderthals. These include carcass processing, fire use, and the production and maintenance of stone tools. Combined with taphonomic data, including evidence of animal activity, these findings allow us to reconstruct the dynamics of Neanderthal occupation in the cave from the end of MIS 6 until MIS 3. This article presents new evidence of Neanderthal lifeways which, together with data on lithic technology and the frequency of various taphonomic traces, contributes to an increasingly nuanced understanding of Neanderthal spatial organization and behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110084"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101
Jamie C. Wood , Phillip S. Toms , Michael C. Grenfell , Marc S. Humphries
Existing research examining tributary blocked-valley lake and wetland development upon the Mfolozi River floodplain (South African east coast) has highlighted the potential for blocked-valley lakes to act as mainstem palaeoflood archives. Sand and silt units preserved within the organic deposits of these floodplain-impounded features represent relatively large flood events and provide an opportunity to establish the frequency of extreme flooding in the region beyond the timespan of instrumental and historical records, thereby helping to reduce uncertainty around future tropical cyclone activity in a warming world. However, absolute age estimates for these sequences have been limited to radiocarbon dating of organic units, restricting flood history reconstruction. This study had two inter-related aims. Firstly, to evaluate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for chronicling clastic sediments associated with the floodplain's blocked-valley lakes. Secondly, in combination with radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age-depth modelling, to reconstruct flood history across three sites on the Mfolozi floodplain and investigate the climatic factors that drove past extreme flooding in the region. The Finite Mixture Model (FMM) applied to single grain OSL data was identified as the most suitable equivalent dose (De) model, producing age estimates that either aligned with historical records and/or accounted for the largest population of grains with a common dose. The deposition models developed provide evidence for the occurrence of multiple extreme floods since the first event identified at 7.2 ka, providing the first long-term flood record for the region. Comparison of the Mfolozi palaeoflood record with independent sedimentary hydroclimatic evidence from the region indicates a historical tendency for more frequent extreme floods during weakened El Niño conditions (i.e., La Niña or neutral ENSO phases). This suggests that variations in ENSO conditions through the mid-to-late Holocene likely played a fundamental role in triggering extreme flooding along South Africa's east coast.
{"title":"Optical dating of Holocene extreme flood events in eastern South Africa and their connection to ENSO variability","authors":"Jamie C. Wood , Phillip S. Toms , Michael C. Grenfell , Marc S. Humphries","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing research examining tributary blocked-valley lake and wetland development upon the Mfolozi River floodplain (South African east coast) has highlighted the potential for blocked-valley lakes to act as mainstem palaeoflood archives. Sand and silt units preserved within the organic deposits of these floodplain-impounded features represent relatively large flood events and provide an opportunity to establish the frequency of extreme flooding in the region beyond the timespan of instrumental and historical records, thereby helping to reduce uncertainty around future tropical cyclone activity in a warming world. However, absolute age estimates for these sequences have been limited to radiocarbon dating of organic units, restricting flood history reconstruction. This study had two inter-related aims. Firstly, to evaluate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for chronicling clastic sediments associated with the floodplain's blocked-valley lakes. Secondly, in combination with radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age-depth modelling, to reconstruct flood history across three sites on the Mfolozi floodplain and investigate the climatic factors that drove past extreme flooding in the region. The Finite Mixture Model (FMM) applied to single grain OSL data was identified as the most suitable equivalent dose (D<sub>e</sub>) model, producing age estimates that either aligned with historical records and/or accounted for the largest population of grains with a common dose. The deposition models developed provide evidence for the occurrence of multiple extreme floods since the first event identified at 7.2 ka, providing the first long-term flood record for the region. Comparison of the Mfolozi palaeoflood record with independent sedimentary hydroclimatic evidence from the region indicates a historical tendency for more frequent extreme floods during weakened El Niño conditions (i.e., La Niña or neutral ENSO phases). This suggests that variations in ENSO conditions through the mid-to-late Holocene likely played a fundamental role in triggering extreme flooding along South Africa's east coast.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We investigate the tephra and cryptotephra layers preserved in deep-sea sedimentary records (C9001C cores), collected off the Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan, to enhance the accuracy of the timing and dispersal of large explosive eruptions around Japan. The C9001C cores are 365.3 m long and extend to near the Matsuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic polarity boundary. These cores consist of olive-black to dark olive-gray diatomaceous silty clay, with multiple interbedded glassy tephra layers. Previous studies identified more than 50 tephra and cryptotephra layers in the cores, of which 21 had been correlated with source volcanoes. In this study we collected 9 tephra layers (8 visible tephra layers and 1 cryptotephra layer). The newly correlated tephras in C9001C are derived from several regions, including Tohoku (T-6, Hkd-Ku), Hokkaido (Ko-i, C-2, Osr, Mb-1, Kp VIII). Based on similarities in glass composition, two tephra layers are correlated with tephras from the Kyushu region. One of these layers is interpreted as a probable reworked deposit of ACP4, whereas the other is likely derived from a previously undocumented large-magnitude eruption of Aso. Ages constrained by the C9001C age model are estimated as follows: Ko-i (36.8 ± 0.9 ka), reworked ACP4 (39.4 ± 1.0 ka), C-2 (44.6 ± 1.1 ka), undocumented Aso tephra (∼138 ka), T-6 (∼141 ka), Osr (∼189 ka), Mb-1 (∼218 ka), KpVIII (219 ka), Hkd-Ku (724 ka?).
Detailed correlation of tephra layers with their source volcanoes allows a re-evaluation of the frequency and dispersal of tephras from these large-scale eruptions. Using thickness data from the C9001C cores, we assess the eruption magnitude of newly correlated tephras. Estimated magnitudes are ∼ M5.4 for Ko-i and T-6, M4.4–6.9 for Osr. For the undocumented Aso tephra, Mb-1, KpVIII, and Hkd-Ku, available thickness data are too limited to estimate reliable eruption magnitudes. However, considering the observed thicknesses in the C9001C cores and distances from their sources, the undocumented Aso tephra and KpVIII likely represent substantially large eruptions, whereas Hkd-Ku may represent a smaller event than previously inferred. These correlations provide new constraints on eruption ages and the extent of tephra dispersal, both of which were previously unquantified. Our results have important implications for understanding ash transport mechanisms, eruption volume estimation, and the development of hazard assessments.
{"title":"Re-evaluation of the spatiotemporal distribution of large explosive eruptions in Japan during Middle Pleistocene to Holocene: Tephra correlations and accurate age constraints from the deep-sea sedimentary record (Chikyu C9001C cores)","authors":"Yausaki Kaneda , Takeshi Hasegawa , Makoto Okada , Nobutatsu Mochizuki , Festus Tongwa Aka","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We investigate the tephra and cryptotephra layers preserved in deep-sea sedimentary records (C9001C cores), collected off the Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan, to enhance the accuracy of the timing and dispersal of large explosive eruptions around Japan. The C9001C cores are 365.3 m long and extend to near the Matsuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic polarity boundary. These cores consist of olive-black to dark olive-gray diatomaceous silty clay, with multiple interbedded glassy tephra layers. Previous studies identified more than 50 tephra and cryptotephra layers in the cores, of which 21 had been correlated with source volcanoes. In this study we collected 9 tephra layers (8 visible tephra layers and 1 cryptotephra layer). The newly correlated tephras in C9001C are derived from several regions, including Tohoku (T-6, Hkd-Ku), Hokkaido (Ko-i, C-2, Osr, Mb-1, Kp VIII). Based on similarities in glass composition, two tephra layers are correlated with tephras from the Kyushu region. One of these layers is interpreted as a probable reworked deposit of ACP4, whereas the other is likely derived from a previously undocumented large-magnitude eruption of Aso. Ages constrained by the C9001C age model are estimated as follows: Ko-i (36.8 ± 0.9 ka), reworked ACP4 (39.4 ± 1.0 ka), C-2 (44.6 ± 1.1 ka), undocumented Aso tephra (∼138 ka), T-6 (∼141 ka), Osr (∼189 ka), Mb-1 (∼218 ka), KpVIII (219 ka), Hkd-Ku (724 ka?).</div><div>Detailed correlation of tephra layers with their source volcanoes allows a re-evaluation of the frequency and dispersal of tephras from these large-scale eruptions. Using thickness data from the C9001C cores, we assess the eruption magnitude of newly correlated tephras. Estimated magnitudes are ∼ M5.4 for Ko-i and T-6, M4.4–6.9 for Osr. For the undocumented Aso tephra, Mb-1, KpVIII, and Hkd-Ku, available thickness data are too limited to estimate reliable eruption magnitudes. However, considering the observed thicknesses in the C9001C cores and distances from their sources, the undocumented Aso tephra and KpVIII likely represent substantially large eruptions, whereas Hkd-Ku may represent a smaller event than previously inferred. These correlations provide new constraints on eruption ages and the extent of tephra dispersal, both of which were previously unquantified. Our results have important implications for understanding ash transport mechanisms, eruption volume estimation, and the development of hazard assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 110104"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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