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- Title
Environmental changes in SW France during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition from the pollen analysis of an eastern North Atlantic deep-sea core.
- Authors
Fourcade, Tiffanie; Sánchez Goñi, María Fernanda; Lahaye, Christelle; Rossignol, Linda; Philippe, Anne
- Abstract
Evaluating synchronies between climate and cultural changes is a prerequisite for addressing the possible effect of environmental changes on human populations. Searching for synchronies during the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition (ca. 48-36 ka) is hampered by the limits of radiocarbon dating techniques and the large chronological uncertainties affecting the archaeological and paleoclimatic records, as well by their low temporal resolution. Here, we present a high-resolution, pollen-based vegetation record from the Bay of Biscay, sea surface temperature changes, additional 14C ages, and a new IRSL date on the fine-sediment fraction of Heinrich Stadial (HS) 6. The IRSL measurements give an age of ca. 54.0 ± 3.4 ka. The paleoclimatic results reveal a succession of rapid climatic changes during the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in SW France (i.e. D-O 12-8 and two distinct climatic phases during HS 4). Comparison of the new paleoclimatic record with chronologically well-constrained regional archaeological changes shows that no synchronies exist between cultural transitions and environmental changes. The disappearance of Neanderthals and the arrival of Homo sapiens in SW France encompassed a long-term forest opening, suggesting that Homo sapiens may have progressively replaced Neanderthals from D-O 10 to HS 4 through competition for the same ecological niches.
- Subjects
FRANCE; BAY of Biscay (France &; Spain); MIDDLE Paleolithic Period; PALEOLITHIC Period; PALYNOLOGY; OCEAN temperature; CLIMATE change; NEANDERTHALS
- Publication
Quaternary Research, 2022, Vol 110, p147
- ISSN
0033-5894
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/qua.2022.21