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Abstract: New data are provided on the history of Holocene vegetation based on pollen records from a coastal sequence on the Cantabrian coast. A core with a continuous record corresponding to a complex sequence reflecting upward shallowing was studied, and two 14C dates of 6180±40 (7030 cal.) yr BP and 2610±70 (2775 cal.) yr BP were obtained. The pollen study highlights the development in the area of an oak forest with Corylus, the presence of an interesting thermophilous floral assemblage and alder forests that spread around 3000 years ago. The latter appears to be related to the availability of large areas of territory close to the Villaviciosa Estuary main channel and to a high phreatic zone. It is interpreted as a response to autocyclic sedimentary discontinuity (channel displacement) rather than as an episode of sea-level fall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pollen analysis from a 14.1 m core recovered from a valley mire at Espinosa de Cerrato (Palencia, Spain), suggests that Pinus woodland has dominated this area of the Northern Meseta throughout almost the entire Holocene, in contrast to many other locations in Iberia where early-Holocene conifer woodland was progressively replaced by deciduous taxa. This unique pattern of vegetation development is attributable to a combination of continental climate, edaphic conditions of these Mesetas, and perhaps fire. These data suggest that vegetation in this area has been remarkably stable over an extended timescale and that arguments concerning Pinus communities not being native in the region are unfounded. Anthropogenic impact can be detected at c. 4500 [sup 14C] yr BP, affecting evergreen Quercus woodlands, and between c. 3000 and 2000 [sup 14]C yr BP affecting Pinus woodlands. The pine forests were replaced by plant communities resembling the present-day landscape (shrubs and cereals) from c. 1500 [sup 14]C yr BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper analyses the evidence provided by three sites (Sima del Elefante, Gran Dolina, and Galería) located in the Trinchera del Ferrocarril of the Sierra de Atapuerca. These three sites are cave infillings that contain sediments deposited from approximately 1.2 Ma to 200 kyr. Pollen, herpetofauna, and small and large mammal remains are used as proxies to obtain a general picture of the environmental changes that occurred at the Sierra de Atapuerca throughout the one million-year period represented at these sites. Similarly, cultural changes are tracked analyzing the evidence of human behavior obtained from the study of several bone and lithic assemblages from these three sites. At least three periods with different cultural features, involving technology, subsistence and behavior, are determined from the available evidence. The first two periods correspond to the Mode 1 technology and Homo antecessor: the first is dated around 1.2 to 1.0 Ma and reflects opportunistic behavior both in technology and subsistence. The second period is around 800 kyr BP. Mode 1 technology is still maintained, but subsistence strategies include systematic hunting and the use of base camps. The third period is dated between 500ka and 200ka and corresponds to the Mode 2 technology and the acquisition of directional hunting and other organizational strategies by Homo heidelbergensis. A transition from Mode 2 to Mode 3 seems to appear at the end of this time-range, and may reflect the early phases of a fourth cultural change. With regard to the environment, our main conclusion is that there was an absence of extremely harsh conditions at Atapuerca throughout this time period. The presence of Mediterranean taxa was constant and the dominant landscape was a savannah-like open environment, probably with small forest patches. An alternation of Mediterranean and mesic species as the dominant component of the tree storey was induced by the climatic cycles, and steppes spread across the landscape during the drier periods. In any case, it is not possible to establish clear cut-off points separating entirely different environmental episodes. Our results show no evidence of any relationship between environmental change and cultural change at the Sierra de Atapuerca. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents pollen analysis of badger coprolites from Cueva de los Torrejones, central Spain. Eleven of fourteen coprolite specimens showed good pollen preservation, acceptable pollen concentration, and diversity of both arboreal and herbaceous taxa, together with a number of non-pollen palynomorph types, especially fungal spores. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the coprolite collection derives from badger colonies that established setts and latrines inside the cavern over the last three centuries. The coprolite pollen record depicts a mosaic, anthropogenic landscape very similar to the present-day, comprising pine forests, Quercus-dominated formations, woodland patches with Juniperus thurifera, and a Cistaceae-dominated understorey with heliophytes and nitrophilous assemblages. Although influential, dietary behavior of the badgers does not preclude palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the coprolite pollen spectra. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]