Pub Date : 2026-01-30Epub Date: 2025-11-29DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110079
Mário André Trindade Dantas , Thays Oliveira
This study aimed to evaluate the compactness of the ribs and humeri of extinct giant sloth species from the Brazilian Intertropical Region (BIR; Megatheriidae - Nothrotherium maquinense and Eremotherium laurillardi; Megalonychidae - Ahytherium aureum and Australonyx aquae; Scelidotheriidae - Valgipes bucklandi and Catonyx cuvieri; Mylodontidae - Glossotherium phoenesis, Ocnotherium giganteum, and Mylodonopsis ibseni) to assess potential adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle. Bone compactness observed in the ribs (0.453 ± 0.164) and humeri (0.390 ± 0.106) was similar across all studied taxa (t = 0.78, p = 0.44). Members of the Megatheriidae family exhibited the highest values (rib = 0.637 ± 0.103; humeri 0.437 ± 0.107), followed by members of the Scelidotheriidae (ribs = 0.383 ± 0.054; humerus = 0.369), Mylodontidae (ribs = 0.383 ± 0.054; humerus = 0.369), and Megalonychidae (ribs = 0.325 ± 0.080) families. The bone compactness observed in the ribs and humeri of the extinct giant sloths of the Late Pleistocene of the BIR was below the values observed in terrestrial mammals and Thalassocnus spp. (>0.850), the unique giant sloth taxa adapted to aquatic lifestyles, suggesting that none of the BIR taxa were adapted to an aquatic lifestyle.
{"title":"Were the late pleistocene giant sloths from brazilian intertropical region adapted to an aquatic lifestyle? A bone compactness analysis","authors":"Mário André Trindade Dantas , Thays Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the compactness of the ribs and humeri of extinct giant sloth species from the Brazilian Intertropical Region (BIR; Megatheriidae - <em>Nothrotherium maquinense</em> and <em>Eremotherium laurillardi</em>; Megalonychidae - <em>Ahytherium aureum</em> and <em>Australonyx aquae</em>; Scelidotheriidae - <em>Valgipes bucklandi</em> and <em>Catonyx cuvieri</em>; Mylodontidae - <em>Glossotherium phoenesis</em>, <em>Ocnotherium giganteum</em>, and <em>Mylodonopsis ibseni</em>) to assess potential adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle. Bone compactness observed in the ribs (0.453 ± 0.164) and humeri (0.390 ± 0.106) was similar across all studied taxa (<em>t</em> = 0.78, <em>p</em> = 0.44). Members of the Megatheriidae family exhibited the highest values (rib = 0.637 ± 0.103; humeri 0.437 ± 0.107), followed by members of the Scelidotheriidae (ribs = 0.383 ± 0.054; humerus = 0.369), Mylodontidae (ribs = 0.383 ± 0.054; humerus = 0.369), and Megalonychidae (ribs = 0.325 ± 0.080) families. The bone compactness observed in the ribs and humeri of the extinct giant sloths of the Late Pleistocene of the BIR was below the values observed in terrestrial mammals and <em>Thalassocnus</em> spp. (>0.850), the unique giant sloth <em>taxa</em> adapted to aquatic lifestyles, suggesting that none of the BIR taxa were adapted to an aquatic lifestyle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"753 ","pages":"Article 110079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618472","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 : 2026-01-30Epub Date: 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110060
Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek , Slavko Polak , Karol Karbowski , Marjan Temovski , Paweł Mackiewicz , Andrea Savorelli , Krzysztof Stefaniak
The article presents new discoveries of fossil remains of herbivorous mammals from the Plio–Pleistocene transition, including representatives of the genera Megalovis and Metacervocerus, found in the Črnotiče Quarry in Slovenia, in layers dated to the Early Pleistocene. The identified remains of Megalovis latifrons and Metacervocerus rhenanus provide significant evidence of the presence of these species in the southern part of Central Europe during the Early Pleistocene. These remains represent the first described examples of these taxa from Slovenia and provide valuable material for studies on the biogeography and evolution of fauna during the Early Pleistocene. This discovery offers crucial insights into the dispersal of fauna from Asia to Europe and suggests that the southern region of Slovenia may served as a migration corridor for these taxa. The conducted morphometric analysis of the teeth and postcranial bones allowed for a comparison of dimensions in the context of geographical and ecological changes, highlighting morphological variability within these taxa and potential adaptations to changing environmental conditions. In particular, the differences in the dimensions of the teeth and skeletal bones may indicate regional variations in size and morphology of the Megalovis and Metacervocerus representatives, which could result from ecological diversity in Early Pleistocene Europe. Phylogenetic analyses of Megalovis remains suggested at least two migration waves from Central Asia to Europe and shed new insight into the taxonomic affiliation of available samples.
{"title":"Fossil records of Bovidae and Cervidae from the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene of Slovenia: Implications for Eurasian correlations and evolution of ungulate fauna communities","authors":"Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek , Slavko Polak , Karol Karbowski , Marjan Temovski , Paweł Mackiewicz , Andrea Savorelli , Krzysztof Stefaniak","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The article presents new discoveries of fossil remains of herbivorous mammals from the Plio–Pleistocene transition, including representatives of the genera <em>Megalovis</em> and <em>Metacervocerus</em>, found in the Črnotiče Quarry in Slovenia, in layers dated to the Early Pleistocene. The identified remains of <em>Megalovis latifrons</em> and <em>Metacervocerus rhenanus</em> provide significant evidence of the presence of these species in the southern part of Central Europe during the Early Pleistocene. These remains represent the first described examples of these taxa from Slovenia and provide valuable material for studies on the biogeography and evolution of fauna during the Early Pleistocene. This discovery offers crucial insights into the dispersal of fauna from Asia to Europe and suggests that the southern region of Slovenia may served as a migration corridor for these taxa. The conducted morphometric analysis of the teeth and postcranial bones allowed for a comparison of dimensions in the context of geographical and ecological changes, highlighting morphological variability within these taxa and potential adaptations to changing environmental conditions. In particular, the differences in the dimensions of the teeth and skeletal bones may indicate regional variations in size and morphology of the <em>Megalovis</em> and <em>Metacervocerus</em> representatives, which could result from ecological diversity in Early Pleistocene Europe. Phylogenetic analyses of <em>Megalovis</em> remains suggested at least two migration waves from Central Asia to Europe and shed new insight into the taxonomic affiliation of available samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"753 ","pages":"Article 110060"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145600395","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 : 2026-01-30Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110053
Sai Lin , Jinhua Liu , Yingkui Li , Haiping Hu , Changsheng Ye , Qiang Liu , Shunzi Pi
As one of the most important glaciated areas on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Kunlun Mountains (KM) are of great significance in maintaining the ecological balance and sustainable socio-economic development of the arid regions in Central Asia. We reconstructed the glacier extent, ice thickness, and equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) in the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountains (EKM) since the Little Ice Age (LIA) using high-resolution satellite imagery in Google Earth and the PalaeoIce model. The mapped LIA outlines were validated with field observations. We then analyzed the changes in glacier area, ice thickness, volume, and ELA since the LIA. The results showed that, since the LIA, the glacier area in EKM has decreased by about 15 %, the ice volume has lost about 25.2 %, and the ELA has risen by 28 m. The glacier change was spatially heterogeneous in the EKM, in which the retreat of glacier area and volume in the eastern region was greater than those in the central and western regions. Glacier changes in the western region also showed a north-south heterogeneity, with smaller changes in the southwestern part and greater changes in the northwestern part. These changes were closely related to the characteristics of regional glaciers. The glaciers of EKM had relatively smaller changes in response to temperature rise compared with other glaciers on the TP.
{"title":"Glacial changes in the eastern Kunlun Mountains since the Little Ice Age","authors":"Sai Lin , Jinhua Liu , Yingkui Li , Haiping Hu , Changsheng Ye , Qiang Liu , Shunzi Pi","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As one of the most important glaciated areas on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Kunlun Mountains (KM) are of great significance in maintaining the ecological balance and sustainable socio-economic development of the arid regions in Central Asia. We reconstructed the glacier extent, ice thickness, and equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) in the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountains (EKM) since the Little Ice Age (LIA) using high-resolution satellite imagery in Google Earth and the PalaeoIce model. The mapped LIA outlines were validated with field observations. We then analyzed the changes in glacier area, ice thickness, volume, and ELA since the LIA. The results showed that, since the LIA, the glacier area in EKM has decreased by about 15 %, the ice volume has lost about 25.2 %, and the ELA has risen by 28 m. The glacier change was spatially heterogeneous in the EKM, in which the retreat of glacier area and volume in the eastern region was greater than those in the central and western regions. Glacier changes in the western region also showed a north-south heterogeneity, with smaller changes in the southwestern part and greater changes in the northwestern part. These changes were closely related to the characteristics of regional glaciers. The glaciers of EKM had relatively smaller changes in response to temperature rise compared with other glaciers on the TP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"753 ","pages":"Article 110053"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618471","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 : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110051
Brunella Muttillo , Giuseppe Lembo , Sahra Talamo , Laura Tassoni , Simona Arrighi , Clarissa Dominici , Chiaramaria Stani , Martha Cecilia Cano , Carlos López
The Magdalena valley, Colombia's principal fluvial corridor, has long been recognized as a key route for early human dispersal in northern South America. This inter-Andean region served as a strategic passage between the Andean highlands and the tropical lowlands, offering a resource-rich environment that supported human mobility and settlement since the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.
In the Middle Magdalena valley, some of Colombia's oldest preceramic open-air sites have been identified. However, despite their importance, the technological characteristics of their lithic assemblages—the only direct evidence of early human activity—remain poorly understood.
This study presents the first systematic techno-economic analysis of the preceramic stratigraphic unit at the Nare site, integrating use-wear and residue analyses. Moreover, new radiocarbon dates refine the site's chronological framework, placing its main occupation in the Early Holocene.
The lithic assemblage shows a strong reliance on local raw materials (primarily quartz and chert), a predominance of unretouched flakes, some retouch flakes, and a single unifacial tool. A bladelet core suggests an interest in producing elongated, relatively standardized flakes, though the absence of bladelets raises questions about off-site transport or differential site use.
These results refine our understanding of lithic technology in the region and offer a new perspective on the Middle Magdalena's early industries, highlighting a more diverse and flexible technological repertoire. The Nare assemblage demonstrates a wide range of knapping methods, percussion techniques, and raw material management strategies.
This study enhances our understanding of early human adaptation in the region and contributes to broader discussions on lithic technologies and settlement dynamics in northern South America.
{"title":"Early human settlement in the inter-Andean Magdalena valley, Colombia: New technological and chronological insights from the Nare site","authors":"Brunella Muttillo , Giuseppe Lembo , Sahra Talamo , Laura Tassoni , Simona Arrighi , Clarissa Dominici , Chiaramaria Stani , Martha Cecilia Cano , Carlos López","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Magdalena valley, Colombia's principal fluvial corridor, has long been recognized as a key route for early human dispersal in northern South America. This inter-Andean region served as a strategic passage between the Andean highlands and the tropical lowlands, offering a resource-rich environment that supported human mobility and settlement since the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.</div><div>In the Middle Magdalena valley, some of Colombia's oldest preceramic open-air sites have been identified. However, despite their importance, the technological characteristics of their lithic assemblages—the only direct evidence of early human activity—remain poorly understood.</div><div>This study presents the first systematic techno-economic analysis of the preceramic stratigraphic unit at the Nare site, integrating use-wear and residue analyses. Moreover, new radiocarbon dates refine the site's chronological framework, placing its main occupation in the Early Holocene.</div><div>The lithic assemblage shows a strong reliance on local raw materials (primarily quartz and chert), a predominance of unretouched flakes, some retouch flakes, and a single unifacial tool. A bladelet core suggests an interest in producing elongated, relatively standardized flakes, though the absence of bladelets raises questions about off-site transport or differential site use.</div><div>These results refine our understanding of lithic technology in the region and offer a new perspective on the Middle Magdalena's early industries, highlighting a more diverse and flexible technological repertoire. The Nare assemblage demonstrates a wide range of knapping methods, percussion techniques, and raw material management strategies.</div><div>This study enhances our understanding of early human adaptation in the region and contributes to broader discussions on lithic technologies and settlement dynamics in northern South America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110051"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618645","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}
Thick bayhead delta successions were rarely formed in incised valleys during the rapid postglacial transgressions, as accommodation creation generally outpaced sediment supply. Under such conditions, bayhead shorelines tended to develop rather than thick deltaic deposits. However, an unusually thick (∼30 m) bayhead delta-dominated transgressive succession was identified in the Ishikari incised valley, Hokkaido, Japan, through a reanalysis of three sediment cores. Sequence stratigraphic analysis, integrated with engineering boreholes, identified four backstepping parasequences (PS-1 to PS-4, in ascending stratigraphic order) in the succession, each bounded by a flooding surface (FS-1 to FS-4). While FS-1, FS-3, and FS-4 correspond to global or regional sea-level rise events, FS-2 likely reflects a localized increase in accommodation governed by terrace-fringed valley morphology. Each parasequence comprises stacked mouth bars that likely developed during periods of increasing salinity, as indicated by diatom assemblages and bioturbation intensity. This suggests that bayhead delta aggradation occurred in response to progressive basin deepening. Despite episodic landward retreat of the transgressive system at each flooding surface, bayhead delta deposition persisted throughout the transgression. This persistence reflected a sustained balance between sediment supply and accommodation creation, likely maintained by sediment input from multiple tributaries. Moreover, sediment retention, enhanced by the constricted valley geometry and the early formation of coastal barriers at the valley mouth, probably promoted efficient sediment trapping. The Ishikari case, together with other examples from tectonically active settings, demonstrates that even under relatively rapid sea-level rise, small-to medium-sized incised valleys with nearby sediment sources can sustain thick deltaic accumulation.
{"title":"Bayhead delta-dominated transgressive succession in the Quaternary Ishikari incised valley, Hokkaido, Japan","authors":"Gentaro Kawakami , Katsumi Kimura , Tsumoru Sagayama","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thick bayhead delta successions were rarely formed in incised valleys during the rapid postglacial transgressions, as accommodation creation generally outpaced sediment supply. Under such conditions, bayhead shorelines tended to develop rather than thick deltaic deposits. However, an unusually thick (∼30 m) bayhead delta-dominated transgressive succession was identified in the Ishikari incised valley, Hokkaido, Japan, through a reanalysis of three sediment cores. Sequence stratigraphic analysis, integrated with engineering boreholes, identified four backstepping parasequences (PS-1 to PS-4, in ascending stratigraphic order) in the succession, each bounded by a flooding surface (FS-1 to FS-4). While FS-1, FS-3, and FS-4 correspond to global or regional sea-level rise events, FS-2 likely reflects a localized increase in accommodation governed by terrace-fringed valley morphology. Each parasequence comprises stacked mouth bars that likely developed during periods of increasing salinity, as indicated by diatom assemblages and bioturbation intensity. This suggests that bayhead delta aggradation occurred in response to progressive basin deepening. Despite episodic landward retreat of the transgressive system at each flooding surface, bayhead delta deposition persisted throughout the transgression. This persistence reflected a sustained balance between sediment supply and accommodation creation, likely maintained by sediment input from multiple tributaries. Moreover, sediment retention, enhanced by the constricted valley geometry and the early formation of coastal barriers at the valley mouth, probably promoted efficient sediment trapping. The Ishikari case, together with other examples from tectonically active settings, demonstrates that even under relatively rapid sea-level rise, small-to medium-sized incised valleys with nearby sediment sources can sustain thick deltaic accumulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110048"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736999","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 : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110054
João Paulo da Costa , Marcos Cenizo , Mário André Trindade Dantas , Fabiana Monteiro de Oliveira , Kita Chaves Damasio Macario , Guilherme Renzo Rocha Brito , Kleberson de Oliveira Porpino , Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior
The Lajedo de Soledade (NE Brazil) is an extensive carbonate platform intersected by a series of ravines, sculpted by karstification processes. This region stands out for its paleontological relevance due to the diversity of fossil vertebrates found in the Late Quaternary deposits filling several of its ravines. New collections at Ravina das Araras, together with a reanalysis of near-coeval fossil assemblages previously found at Ravina do Leon, revealed the presence of at least nine different avian taxa, including vultures (Pleistovultur nevesi, Cathartes sp.), hawks (Buteoninae indet.), doves and pigeons (Zenaida auriculata and Patagioenas sp.), parakeets (cf. Aratinga sp.), tinamous (Rhynchotus rufescens and Crypturellus sp.), and ducks (Cairina moschata). With the exception of the extinct condor P. nevesi, current representatives of the identified taxa inhabit dry tropical grasslands, savannas and riparian forests of the Caatinga biome, including the Lajedo de Soledade region. For the first time, direct radiocarbon dating and isotopic analysis of the diet of a P. nevesi individual (Ravina do Leon specimen) were obtained, indicating that this bird (estimated body mass = 11.2 kg) fed on carcasses of animals that predominantly inhabited open areas during the Late Pleistocene (i.e., 34,772–36,986 cal yr BP). The Lajedo de Soledade ravines contain Late Pleistocene deposits with a diverse range of vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, anurans, and notably, birds, which is unusual in other regional Quaternary deposits.
Lajedo de Soledade（巴西东北部）是一个广阔的碳酸盐台地，由一系列由岩溶作用雕刻而成的沟壑相交。该地区因其与古生物学的相关性而引人注目，因为在填满其峡谷的晚第四纪沉积物中发现了脊椎动物化石的多样性。在Ravina das Araras的新收藏，以及对先前在Ravina do Leon发现的近同时期化石组合的重新分析，揭示了至少9种不同的鸟类分类群的存在，包括秃鹫（Pleistovultur nevesi, Cathartes sp.），鹰（Buteoninae indet.），鸽子和鸽子（Zenaida auriculata和Patagioenas sp.），长尾小鹦鹉（cf. Aratinga sp.），鸣鸟（Rhynchotus rufescens和Crypturellus sp.）和鸭子（Cairina moschata）。除已灭绝的秃鹰P. nevesi外，目前已确定的分类群代表栖息在Caatinga生物群系的干燥热带草原、稀树草原和河岸森林，包括Lajedo de Soledade地区。研究人员首次对一种nevesi鸟个体（Ravina do Leon标本）的饮食进行了直接放射性碳定年和同位素分析，表明这种鸟（估计体重= 11.2 kg）在晚更新世（即34,772-36,986 cal yr BP）期间主要以生活在开阔地区的动物尸体为食。Lajedo de Soledade峡谷含有晚更新世沉积物，其中有各种各样的脊椎动物，包括哺乳动物，爬行动物，无尾动物，特别是鸟类，这在其他区域第四纪沉积物中是不寻常的。
{"title":"Late Quaternary birds from Lajedo de Soledade, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil","authors":"João Paulo da Costa , Marcos Cenizo , Mário André Trindade Dantas , Fabiana Monteiro de Oliveira , Kita Chaves Damasio Macario , Guilherme Renzo Rocha Brito , Kleberson de Oliveira Porpino , Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lajedo de Soledade (NE Brazil) is an extensive carbonate platform intersected by a series of ravines, sculpted by karstification processes. This region stands out for its paleontological relevance due to the diversity of fossil vertebrates found in the Late Quaternary deposits filling several of its ravines. New collections at Ravina das Araras, together with a reanalysis of near-coeval fossil assemblages previously found at Ravina do Leon, revealed the presence of at least nine different avian taxa, including vultures (<em>Pleistovultur nevesi</em>, <em>Cathartes</em> sp.), hawks (Buteoninae indet.), doves and pigeons (<em>Zenaida auriculata</em> and <em>Patagioenas</em> sp.), parakeets (cf. <em>Aratinga</em> sp.), tinamous (<em>Rhynchotus rufescens</em> and <em>Crypturellus</em> sp.), and ducks (<em>Cairina moschata</em>). With the exception of the extinct condor <em>P. nevesi</em>, current representatives of the identified taxa inhabit dry tropical grasslands, savannas and riparian forests of the Caatinga biome, including the Lajedo de Soledade region. For the first time, direct radiocarbon dating and isotopic analysis of the diet of a <em>P. nevesi</em> individual (Ravina do Leon specimen) were obtained, indicating that this bird (estimated body mass = 11.2 kg) fed on carcasses of animals that predominantly inhabited open areas during the Late Pleistocene (i.e., 34,772–36,986 cal yr BP). The Lajedo de Soledade ravines contain Late Pleistocene deposits with a diverse range of vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, anurans, and notably, birds, which is unusual in other regional Quaternary deposits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110054"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618646","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 : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110055
Ninna Immonen , Kari Strand , Pertti Sarala , Juha Pekka Lunkka
In order to understand sedimentary processes and dynamics of ice sheet oscillations on the eastern flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) near its glaciation centre, we carried out quartz grain surface microtextural, and heavy mineral studies from the Rautuvaara section in north-western Finland which has widely considered as the stratotype for the northern Fennoscandian Late Pleistocene. We investigated the two uppermost Middle-Late Weichselian tills and the interbedded fine sediments, which, according to published age constraints, were deposited during the late Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 2. The purpose of this study is to use varietal heavy mineral analysis to better constrain sediment sources for studied sediments and to test a theory of ice flow origin in this area. Microtextural study is used to identify first cycle subglacial processes from multiple transport processes during deglaciations.
At the stratigraphically lowest studied till bed, the sediment grain characteristics indicate that primary transport processes were subglacial and the SIS advanced from SSW across the area during the Middle Weichselian (MIS 3) as skarn and iron ore minerals are dominant heavy minerals. The upper part of the till bed bears an imprint of some longer distance transport processes from NW granitoid dominant provenance. The grain surface microtextures of the overlying sandy diamicton bed do not show any specific transport signature, suggesting that this bed consist of supra- or englacial debris deposited by a retreating ice front through mass flow. Subsequent layers of interbedded horizontal to rippled and massive sand and silt are characteristic of glaciofluvial transport processes representing shallow to deepening water conditions and gradually basin filling in a glaciolacustrine setting. The occurrence of highly stable detrital minerals in sand, like epidotite, garnet and zircon indicate clear reworking of earlier materials. The uppermost massive till represents Late Weichselian (MIS 2) glacial advance phase again dominantly from SW including reworked Rautuvaara iron ore indicative heavy minerals and showing multiple transport histories in quartz sand grains microtextures, being affected by some chemical abrasion.
{"title":"Microtexture and provenance signatures for oscillations of the late Pleistocene Scandinavian Ice Sheet in Rautuvaara, north-western Finland","authors":"Ninna Immonen , Kari Strand , Pertti Sarala , Juha Pekka Lunkka","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In order to understand sedimentary processes and dynamics of ice sheet oscillations on the eastern flank of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) near its glaciation centre, we carried out quartz grain surface microtextural, and heavy mineral studies from the Rautuvaara section in north-western Finland which has widely considered as the stratotype for the northern Fennoscandian Late Pleistocene. We investigated the two uppermost Middle-Late Weichselian tills and the interbedded fine sediments, which, according to published age constraints, were deposited during the late Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 2. The purpose of this study is to use varietal heavy mineral analysis to better constrain sediment sources for studied sediments and to test a theory of ice flow origin in this area. Microtextural study is used to identify first cycle subglacial processes from multiple transport processes during deglaciations.</div><div>At the stratigraphically lowest studied till bed, the sediment grain characteristics indicate that primary transport processes were subglacial and the SIS advanced from SSW across the area during the Middle Weichselian (MIS 3) as skarn and iron ore minerals are dominant heavy minerals. The upper part of the till bed bears an imprint of some longer distance transport processes from NW granitoid dominant provenance. The grain surface microtextures of the overlying sandy diamicton bed do not show any specific transport signature, suggesting that this bed consist of supra- or englacial debris deposited by a retreating ice front through mass flow. Subsequent layers of interbedded horizontal to rippled and massive sand and silt are characteristic of glaciofluvial transport processes representing shallow to deepening water conditions and gradually basin filling in a glaciolacustrine setting. The occurrence of highly stable detrital minerals in sand, like epidotite, garnet and zircon indicate clear reworking of earlier materials. The uppermost massive till represents Late Weichselian (MIS 2) glacial advance phase again dominantly from SW including reworked Rautuvaara iron ore indicative heavy minerals and showing multiple transport histories in quartz sand grains microtextures, being affected by some chemical abrasion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110055"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145537287","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 : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110052
Nicolaj K. Larsen , Kristian B.K. Romvig , Lis Allaart , Christos Boufidis , Thue S. Bording
The presence of postglacial fracture valleys in Denmark has been known since the early 20th century. Their mode of formation has never been fully understood, but they are often considered to originate from the reactivation of deep-seated faults in postglacial time in relation to glacio-isostatic adjustments. This study investigates fracture valleys from Denmark regarding their morphology, age, and mode of formation using high-resolution LiDAR, and towed Transient Electromagnetic Method (tTEM). Eleven areas in central Jutland have been found to host 371 fracture valleys. The c. 0.04–8 km long fracture valleys are in most places located parallel to tunnel valleys, which are cut into Paleogene clays. Based on the cross-cutting relationship between the fracture valleys and glacial- and periglacial landscape features, our study confirms that they were formed in postglacial time, most likely between c. 18–15 ka BP. Our findings suggest that the fracture valleys in Denmark are unrelated to deep tectonic faults and instead developed on the flanks of tunnel valleys cut into Paleogene clays by differential compaction by glacial loading and unloading during the last glaciation. The differential compaction led to local failures along tunnel valleys that are expressed in the present land surface as 5–10 m deep fracture valleys. Our findings may have important societal implications concerning the risk assessment of neotectonic activity in Denmark.
自20世纪初以来，人们就知道丹麦存在冰期后断裂谷。它们的形成方式从未被完全理解，但它们通常被认为是源于冰川-均衡调整相关的后冰期深部断裂的再激活。本研究利用高分辨率激光雷达和牵引瞬变电磁法（tTEM）研究了丹麦裂缝谷的形态、年龄和形成模式。在日德兰半岛中部的11个地区发现了371个裂缝谷。长0.04 ~ 8 km的裂缝谷多与隧道谷平行，由古近系粘土切割而成。根据断裂谷与冰川和冰缘景观特征的交叉关系，我们的研究证实它们形成于冰期后，最有可能在c. 18-15 ka BP之间。研究结果表明，丹麦的裂缝谷与深部构造断裂无关，而是在末次冰期冰川加载和卸载的不同压实作用下，在古近系粘土中切割的隧道谷两侧发育的。压实差异导致沿隧道谷的局部破坏，在现今地表表现为5 ~ 10m深的断裂谷。我们的发现可能对丹麦新构造活动的风险评估具有重要的社会意义。
{"title":"New insights into the formation of postglacial fracture valleys in Denmark using LiDAR, and towed Transient Electromagnetic Methods","authors":"Nicolaj K. Larsen , Kristian B.K. Romvig , Lis Allaart , Christos Boufidis , Thue S. Bording","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The presence of postglacial fracture valleys in Denmark has been known since the early 20th century. Their mode of formation has never been fully understood, but they are often considered to originate from the reactivation of deep-seated faults in postglacial time in relation to glacio-isostatic adjustments. This study investigates fracture valleys from Denmark regarding their morphology, age, and mode of formation using high-resolution LiDAR, and towed Transient Electromagnetic Method (tTEM). Eleven areas in central Jutland have been found to host 371 fracture valleys. The c. 0.04–8 km long fracture valleys are in most places located parallel to tunnel valleys, which are cut into Paleogene clays. Based on the cross-cutting relationship between the fracture valleys and glacial- and periglacial landscape features, our study confirms that they were formed in postglacial time, most likely between c. 18–15 ka BP. Our findings suggest that the fracture valleys in Denmark are unrelated to deep tectonic faults and instead developed on the flanks of tunnel valleys cut into Paleogene clays by differential compaction by glacial loading and unloading during the last glaciation. The differential compaction led to local failures along tunnel valleys that are expressed in the present land surface as 5–10 m deep fracture valleys. Our findings may have important societal implications concerning the risk assessment of neotectonic activity in Denmark.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110052"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145571024","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 : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-22DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110057
Guangyi Bai , Keliang Zhao , Jian Wang , Lili Lu , Xiaoqiang Li
The eastern coastal zone of China plays a pivotal role in both terrestrial-marine ecosystem interactions and human subsistence in East Asia. During the deglaciation period from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼21ka BP) to the early Holocene, rapid sea-level rise significantly influenced coastal and shelf ecosystems. However, the vegetation ecological landscape across the exposed shelf during this transgression remains poorly constrained. In this study, we integrate pollen and sedimentary records from representative marine and terrestrial cores collected in the eastern coastal zone of China and apply the biomization method to reconstruct vegetation patterns during key periods (LGM, 15 ka BP, 12 ka BP, and 10 ka BP) from the LGM to the early Holocene. Additionally, we examine the potential mechanisms underlying vegetation shifts in the coastal zone.
Our results show that during the LGM, the exposed Bohai and Yellow Sea shelf were primarily covered by steppe and meadow dominated by Artemisia and Chenopodioideae (Amaranthaceae), while the East China Sea shelf supported forest steppe to deciduous broadleaved forest. During the Last Deglaciation, the warmer climatic condition and rising sea level triggered a shift from terrestrial to marine deposition, driving a northward vegetation migration and the replacement of steppe by forest. Concurrently, sea-level fluctuation promoted the development of azonal vegetation in coastal zone. By the early Holocene, vegetation diversity increased, with steppe and meadow re-expanding along the Bohai and Yellow Sea coast, while the East China Sea coast became dominated by mixed deciduous-evergreen broadleaved forest. Our findings offer a scientific framework for predicting coastal ecosystem responses to future warming and illuminate the ecological context of human activities during periods of shelf exposure.
中国东部沿海地区在东亚陆海生态系统相互作用和人类生存中起着关键作用。在末次盛冰期（LGM, ~ 21ka BP）至全新世早期的消冰期，海平面的快速上升对沿海和陆架生态系统产生了显著影响。然而，在这次海侵期间，裸露陆架上的植被生态景观仍然没有得到很好的约束。本研究综合了中国东部沿海代表性海相和陆相岩心的花粉和沉积记录，应用生物化方法重建了LGM -全新世早期关键时期（LGM、15 ka BP、12 ka BP和10 ka BP）的植被格局。此外，我们还研究了海岸带植被转移的潜在机制。结果表明，在LGM期间，裸露的渤海和黄海陆架主要被以蒿科和藜科植物为主的草原和草甸覆盖，而东海陆架则支持森林草原到落叶阔叶林。在末次消冰期，气候变暖和海平面上升引发了从陆地沉积到海洋沉积的转变，推动了植被向北迁移，森林取代了草原。同时，海平面波动促进了海岸带地带性植被的发展。到全新世早期，植被多样性增加，沿渤海和黄海沿岸草原和草甸重新扩张，而东海沿岸以落叶-常绿阔叶林为主。我们的研究结果为预测沿海生态系统对未来变暖的反应提供了一个科学框架，并阐明了大陆架暴露期间人类活动的生态背景。
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Pub Date : 2026-01-15Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110050
Eduardo Méndez-Quintas , Margherita Mussi
{"title":"The Early Acheulean on the Ethiopian highlands: The case of Gombore IB at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Ethiopia)","authors":"Eduardo Méndez-Quintas , Margherita Mussi","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110050","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"752 ","pages":"Article 110050"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145537230","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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