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The lowest section of the Upper Dniester River Valley (DRV), located between the uplands of Opillia and Eastern Subcarpathians, was a separate and specific Pleistocene geoecosystem, interesting for the hunter-gatherer communities. This is evidenced by three main (Yezupil, Mariampil and Halych), and a dozen or so additional Palaeolithic open-air sites. They occur as cultural layers within the loess-palaeosol sequences (LPSs) and represent semi-permanent settlement (except for the periods with the maximum intensity of the loess sedimentation); the oldest occur in the Eemian palaeosol. All sites are located on both sides of the river. In the past, the DRV was characterized by local environmental diversity changing with time. In consequence, it has very individual features, so the analysis of environmental changes is a local case study. In order to obtain information about the changes of climate and environment, the multi-proxy analyses were carried out. Chronology was based on the luminescence and radiocarbon dating. The diversity of habitats was local. Its degree was changing with time: it was minimal in the periods with extreme climatic conditions, such as the climate optimum and pessimum, and clearly greater in the climatically intermediate periods with fluctuations. Based on the materials indicating the mesoclimate and local vegetation diversity during the human occupation episodes as well as the location of the Palaeolithic sites, we found that generally the possibilities of choosing a warmer or sheltered place for a camp were not significant for hunters representing different cultures of different ages. Palaeolithic groups very often occupied the same places in the DRV. The camps had a hunting function, the choice of places was dictated primarily by the need to find a good place to observe game animals and to organize hunting – first of all – in the mouth sections of the tributaries of the Dniester River, regardless of the situation of localities relative to riverplains. The settlement attractiveness of such places was essentially timeless.

The Lithuanian onshore section of the south-eastern Baltic Sea region, or the so-called Lithuanian Maritime Region (LMR) – a belt several tens of kilometres wide along the Baltic Sea coast – is characterised by a complicated Quaternary structure and many of unsolved problems related to stratigraphy and palaeogeography. The inter-till lacustrine sediments widespread in the middle part of the Pleistocene thickness play a key role in solving the mentioned problems. The primary inter-till sediments were attributed, as a single lithostratigraphic unit, to the late Saalian Glaciation (MIS 6, Pamarys Sub-Formation; according to the Lithuanian Quaternary Stratigraphic Scheme). Subsequent detailed investigations show that the investigated inter-till succession represents a more complicated sediment complex formed over a wide time interval from the Saalian ice sheet decay at the very end of MIS 6 to the beginning of severe climate cooling during MIS 4. This standpoint is confirmed by the results of a few series of OSL and IR-OSL datings of inter-till sediments, as well as by data of pollen and diatom analysis. The more detailed stratigraphic subdivision of the inter-till sedimentary complex offers a new significant insight into the regional stratigraphic scheme of the Quaternary. As a result of the mentioned investigations, a new original reconstruction of the palaeogeographic situation in the LMR during the MIS 6 – MIS 3 time span was carried out. The lowermost part of the investigated inter-till sediments, attributed to MIS 6, could be correlated with the third MIS 6 warming in Northern Eurasia about 155 ka ago. The reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental changes starting from MIS 6 and lasting to MIS 3 shows that the Eemian Sea MIS 5e in age was absent in the LMR, while part of the south-eastern Baltic Sea region was covered by a continental ice sheet during MIS 4 and, possibly, the very beginning of MIS 3.

An analysis of voluminous data on the European fossil small mammals datable to the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation (MIS 6) allowed establishing the main characteristics of the species composition in the faunas, their distribution and diversity. As is shown by the analysis, the faunas of small mammal underwent cardinal changes within the subcontinent boundaries at that time, with the exception of the faunas of the southern peninsulas. Some subarctic species are proved to penetrate southwards as far as 48° N in Western Europe and up to southern France and the British Isles in Western Europe. The steppe species enlarged their ranges to the north and to the west (up to the British Isles). This fact suggests the disappearance of the continuous forest zone. Occasional forest mammal species persisted in Eastern Europe; in most localities of Western Europe, however, forest mammal remains are present along with those of steppe and subarctic mammals. A structural stability of mammal faunas was preserved on the southern peninsulas that had not been heavily influenced by the glaciation. The transition to the Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial (MIS 5e) was marked by changes in the structure of mammal assemblages on the subcontinent. The ranges of subarctic mammal species shifted northwards, the forest zone was restored gradually, which was served to the restoration of forest species populations. Steppe species ranges shifted to the east of Europe. Unlike the faunas of the Dnieper (Saale) Glaciation, noted for “mixed” composition of mammals belonging to ecologically different groups, the faunas of Mikulino (Eem) Interglacial acquired the zonal structure approximately. The paper was primarily aimed at estimating general regularities in the small mammal fauna distribution beginning from the level of individual species to regional faunal complexes. We concluded that the small mammal fauna of the late Dnieper (Saale) ice age responded to the Mikulian/Eemian warming in a way not unlike the Late Pleistocene “Mammuthus–Coelodonta Faunal Complex” response to the Holocene warming, though with a lesser loss of the species richness.

Data on litho- and biostratigraphy of major sedimentary sequences and their geochronological records were compiled and summarized to describe the Late Pleistocene–Holocene marine and glacial events in the Kola-Northern Karelia region. In the coastal Kola Peninsula and its inner part, three marine units and two glacial events were identified in the Upper Pleistocene sequences. The first marine unit (Ponoi Beds in the regional stratigraphy) can be definitely referred to the significant Late Pleistocene transgression known as the Boreal in northern Eurasia. Data on the Kola Peninsula show that the warm-water Boreal transgression was longer than the Eemian one in western Europe, comprising at least MIS 5e-d (from 130–120 to 105–100 ka BP) in the White Sea depression and MIS 5e-c (earlier at least 90 ka BP) in the Barents Sea. Forested environments dominated on the Kola Peninsula at that time. The second Interglacial marine unit (Strelna Beds) attributed to the subsequent Belomorian transgression was deposited in relatively cold settings at the final phase of the Mikulinian Interglacial (MIS 5), about 100 to 70–80 ka BP. Adjacent areas were covered with open forest and tundra. The third marine unit referred to the Interstadial Leningrad Group was formed 60–40 ka BP in rather a cold marine reservoir, when the environmental conditions were more severe than now. The Late Pleistocene glacial events are correlated to the Podporozhie and Ostashkov Groups (MIS 4 and 2). The Podporozhian glacial unit seems to be associated with the Barents-Kara Ice Sheet and its melting caused the glacioeustatic transgression in the White Sea during the Leningradian Substage (MIS 3). During the Late Glacial and Holocene, a periglacial freshwater lake, brackish-water basin and marine reservoir successively appeared in the White Sea depression successively. Two marine events are suggested here based on the key sedimentary sequences from the coastal isolated lake, i.e. the Late Glacial transgression and the early-middle Holocene (Tapes) transgression.

This article examines the interpretation and implications of Ipswichian (Eemian) Stage temperate deposits discovered by the British Geological Survey east of the Lincoln Gap in eastern England. The fluvial deposits underlie the Southrey Terrace at Coronation Farm, Southrey and The Hermitage, Stainfield in the River Witham valley. Previously unpublished palynological analyses indicate that the temperate deposits compliment published pollen, mollusc and coleopteran assemblages from the same localities. The deposit at Southrey represents Ipswichian (=Eemian) substages Ip IIb and III, whilst that at Stainfield represents the Ip IIb Substage. The combined sequences are compared to those at neighbouring localities in the Witham and Bain-tributary valleys at Tattershall Castle and Tattershall Thorpe. The implications of the correlation of the interglacial deposits provide a re-evaluation of the River Trent-Witham terrace sequence, demonstrating that the Southrey Terrace deposits are not the equivalent of the Late Wolstonian (=Saalian) Balderton Member, but the Middle Devensian (=Weichselian) Substage Fulbeck Member, upstream of Lincoln. This implies that the River Trent was potentially aligned northwards towards the Humber before the Ipswichian Stage interglacial. The revised correlation indicates that glaciation of the region did not occur in the Middle Wolstonian (MIS 8) but during the Late Wolstonian (MIS 6) Substage.

Vegetation changes were documented across the last interglacial period (MIS 5e, Eemian) and continuing through the older part of the last glacial period (MIS 5d–a, early Weichselian). This study was based on pollen data collected at the Jałówka site, NE Poland. Two cold oscillations appeared within warm periods during this stage of the upper Pleistocene. The older oscillation was the temporary intra–interglacial cooling at the end of the Eemian. The younger one was the intra–interstadial cooling that occurred within the oldest interstadial of the early Weichselian (MIS 5c, Brørup). This last event corresponds well to the stadial separating both the Amersfoort and Brørup sensu stricto interstadials in the Netherlands and to the Montaigu event as recognized in France. The development of a pollen sequence allows speculation as to potential correlations with Greenland ice cores and marine records. We suggest that the Eemian in NE Poland may comprise not only MIS 5e, but also a part of MIS 5d. This supposition could shed light on potential for non-synchrony in upper boundaries of the MIS 5e and terrestrial Eemian in Europe. We await the development of more precise independent dating controls to validate our theory more assiduously.

Objectives We provide the first comparative description of the Guercy 1 cranium and isolated cranial fragments from Baume Moula-Guercy and examine their affinities to European Preneanderthals, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens. Materials and methods The Moula-Guercy hominins derive from deposits chronostratigraphically and biostratigraphically dated to the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e). For comparisons we compiled a sample of European and Southwest Asian subadult-adult Middle-to-Late Pleistocene hominins (≈MIS 14-MIS 2; N = 184). This sample represents a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a H. sapiens group, both of which were further divided into three time-successive subgroups defined by associated marine isotope stages (MIS). Metric and morphological observations were made on the original fossils and a virtual reconstruction of Guercy 1. Developmental age and sex and the minimum-maximum number of individuals were assessed. Results Guercy 1 represents the remains of a late stage adolescent (≈15-16.0 years) female. Morphological and metric data combine to associate the total morphological pattern expressed in Guercy 1 with our MIS 7-MIS 5e ("Early Neanderthal") subgroup. Some features, especially those related to the frontal, suggest linkage to a paleodeme comprising the Moula-Guercy, Artenac, La Chaise Abri Suard and, possibly, the Biache-Saint-Vaast samples. Discussion Remains of MIS 7-MIS 5e Neanderthals are rare and fragmentary, especially those dated to the Last Interglacial. The Baume Moula-Guercy sample provides new insights into the total morphological pattern expressed in MIS 5e Neanderthals. Further, our results support earlier suggestions that MIS 7-MIS 5e European hominins represent a morphotype that is distinct from both earlier and later members of the Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group.

An extinct thermophile European water buffalo Bubalus murrensis was recorded in the interglacials of the Middle and Late Pleistocene in Central and Western Europe. The species was unknown after the Eemian Interglacial (c. 123 ka) there and have never been found in Eastern Europe. Here we report on an unexpected record of this exotic species in the center of East European Plain near the Kolomna town (Moscow Region) more than 110 millennia later, in the Bolling – Allerod warming of the Last glacial. The unique paleontological discovery of the last European water buffalo in the center of Eastern Europe occupied mainly by a cold adapted so-called ‘Mammoth fauna’ allow us to discuss this unusual occurrence in paleoenvironmental context and suggest the model of dispersal and final extinction of the species. Based on recent integrated studies, we show that the species could persist in the Ponto-Caspian region and then spread northwards during the last Late Pleistocene warming. Main factors of its extinction could be the rapid global climatic changes and strong regional paleoenvironmental instability as well as increasing activity of Upper Paleolithic hunters. The discovery is important in the context of the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions and a recent phenomenon of global warming.

The studied Radymno loess section is located in the large, fore-Carpathian San River valley (Sandomierz Basin, SE Poland) and shows the sequence building the Pleistocene cover of middle terrace of the San River. Such sequence is quite rare in loess deposits because it combines different depositional environments: subaqueous – the late Eemian-Early Vistulian alluvial-swamp facies of loess with inserts of gyttja type, and subaerial – the Plenivistulian aeolian loess. The main goal of the study was to reconstruct the Late Pleistocene paleoenvironmental changes recorded in this section. For this purpose, pollen and fossil Ostracoda analyses were conducted. These data were supplemented with sedimentological and pedo-lithological analyses. Additionally, the results of earlier investigations published so far have been used: lithological and malacological analyses as well as luminescence (IRSL and TL) dating. Based on the analysis of many indicators, the paleoenvironmental changes have been correlated with those recorded in pollen diagrams obtained from other regions. This correlation indicates that in the Radymno section there is evidence of the vegetation succession typical of the Eemian Interglacial with climatic optimum and of the short-term oscillations in the Early Vistulian and then in the Lower Pleniglacial of Vistulian. The analysis of fossil Ostracoda, which were found in some parts of the profile, provided information about short-term paleohydrological changes, and especially about the functioning of surface water bodies in changing periglacial conditions of the bottom of the San River valley in MIS 5d – MIS 2. High humidity in the environment was caused mainly by floods and high groundwater level, which indirectly conditioned the formation of water bodies in the valley bottom. Correlation with palynological data indicated that these water bodies existed also under dry climate conditions. This proves that the local conditions of the studied area strongly modified the environmental changes dependent on paleoclimate.

Loess-paleosol sequences preserve information that can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironments. A dense network of reliably analyzed sequences from different geographic locations is crucial to address ecological and climatic trends, which occurred during the Pleistocene. This paper focuses on a loess-paleosol sequence in Bůhzdař, situated 9 km NW of Prague, Czech Republic. Geochemical approaches (total organic carbon, XRF elemental analyses, XRD mineralogy, 13C and 18O stable isotopes) are combined with grain-size distributions and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to assess the climatic conditions at the time of formation of the strata. The oldest loess at this location was formed circa 200 ka ago (MIS 7), making it the oldest loess in Central Bohemia for now. The Bůhzdař loess-paleosol sequence was highly affected by several erosion events, Eemian paleosols (MIS 5e) being completely missing. The partly relocated paleosols situated at the lower part of the Bůhzdař sequence represent a period of increased humidity during late MIS 7 and MIS 6. Despite the fact that the Bůhzdař profile is not particularly thick (5 m), significant changes in paleoclimate reconstructions have been detected.

Pollen analyses have been carried out on the infilling deposits of Grotta Romanelli (Apulia, Italy), a reference site for the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic of Italy. The analysis focused on Terre rosse, a fine unit till now ascribed to an interstadial phase following the Würm acme, and on the uppermost unit (Terre brune), recently dated to the latest Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene. Despite the diffuse barrenness and low pollen concentration of many levels, pollen data from Grotta Romanelli gives insights into the palaeoenvironmental setting of the deposits and their chronological attribution. The presence of Olea in all levels of Terre rosse strongly suggests their attribution to the Last Interglacial (Eemian), during which this plant was diffused in the Mediterranean area. The Terre brune deposition occurred when the environment was open, with rare trees and shrubs and prevailing steppe elements. This association reflects the climatic conditions of the Lateglacial, with evidence of both the warm interstadial Bølling/Allerød and the cold stadial Younger Dryas. Mediterranean, mesophilous and riparian arboreal elements are present, especially in the Early Holocene levels. Comparison with modern pollen material allowed some fossil grains, found in high amounts and in clusters, to be tentatively ascribed to the species Crithmum maritimum (Apiaceae), Muscari comosum and to Asparagus maritimus/Ornithogalum (Asparagaceae). The significant occurrence of such entomophilous plants reveals differential transportation inside the cave and, since most of them are edible and/or have medicinal properties, suggests an intentional introduction and possible use during time, by both Neanderthals and modern humans.

Significance With geological sea-level fluctuations driven by climate change, the distribution of mangrove forests has expanded and contracted through time. We studied an inland, isolated mangrove forest located 170 km away from the nearest coastline in the interior of the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). Combining multiple lines of evidence, we demonstrate that this extant forest is a relict from a past, warmer world when relative sea levels were 6 to 9 m higher than at the present. Our finding highlights the extensive landscape impacts of past climate change on the world’s coastline and opens opportunities to better understand future scenarios of relative sea level rise., Climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene played a major role in shaping the spatial distribution and demographic dynamics of Earth's biota, including our own species. The Last Interglacial (LIG) or Eemian Period (ca. 130 to 115 thousand years B.P.) was particularly influential because this period of peak warmth led to the retreat of all ice sheets with concomitant changes in global sea level. The impact of these strong environmental changes on the spatial distribution of marine and terrestrial ecosystems was severe as revealed by fossil data and paleogeographic modeling. Here, we report the occurrence of an extant, inland mangrove ecosystem and demonstrate that it is a relict of the LIG. This ecosystem is currently confined to the banks of the freshwater San Pedro Mártir River in the interior of the Mexico–Guatemala El Petén rainforests, 170 km away from the nearest ocean coast but showing the plant composition and physiognomy typical of a coastal lagoon ecosystem. Integrating genomic, geologic, and floristic data with sea level modeling, we present evidence that this inland ecosystem reached its current location during the LIG and has persisted there in isolation ever since the oceans receded during the Wisconsin glaciation. Our study provides a snapshot of the Pleistocene peak warmth and reveals biotic evidence that sea levels substantially influenced landscapes and species ranges in the tropics during this period.

Remains of Bubalus murrensis, a thermophile bovid, are very rare in the Pleistocene interglacial faunas of Europe. The new specimen collected from the Atlantic shoreline in the Medoc (France) extents the realm of this genus far into the West, whereas the most eastern occurrence is in Romania. The fossil fragment of a horn core most probably originates from exposed interglacial deposits that are attributed to the Holsteinian (MIS 11). The Pleistocene remains of Bubalus are reviewed. All of them represent the same species B. murrensis. Sites that are well stratified belong to the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 9 and/or 11). The Upper Rhine Basin yielded about 20 cranial fragments with an assumed Eemian age. It is, however, possible that these finds predate the Eamian, hence, there is no indisputable evidence for the occurrence of Bubalus in Europe during the Eemian.

The isotopic studies of atmospheric precipitations, snow surveys, surface and groundwaters, which were conducted in 2005–2017 in the Baltic Sea – White Sea region, are presented. Groundwater formed during the last cold period under the influence of the Eemian Sea and the Baltic Ice Lake, and also cryogenic metamorphism was discovered. It was discovered that some relatively small rivers pose as regional drains for groundwater of a significant age. Such reaction of groundwater on the geographic and climatic changes is a consequence of the specific geological and tectonic structure of area, where the Baltic shield is contact with artesian basins and fractured crystalline rocks begins to be covered by the platform sediments.

Proxy data from pollen and mollusc indicator species, periglacial phenomena, changes in geometry of mountain palaeoglaciers and based on selected lithological and geomorphological features enabled reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene climate characteristics in Poland and adjacent areas. Climate during the Eemian was generally stable but with a distinct west-east gradient in summer. Strong influence of the Atlantic air masses moving to the east resulted in the annual precipitation over 600 mm. Climate instability in the late Eemian as well as during stadials and interstadials of the Early Weichselian was expressed by progressive cooling and increasing temperature difference between winters and summers, reflecting stronger continentalism towards the west, accompanied by decreased precipitation. Periglacial frost crackings and polygonal patterns indicated occurrence of permafrost in Poland already at about 49 ka BP and its occurrence until the termination of the last glaciation. These periglacial structures have developed at mean annual temperatures from −9 to −4 °C, with winter extremes up to about −25 °C. Mean summer temperature reached likely around 10 °C as suggested by palaeobotanic record. Palaeoglaciological studies of mountain glaciers across Europe allowed inferring their activity and sensitivity to climatic fluctuations during the Late Weichselian. The Weichselian of central Europe was controlled mostly by the southerly and easterly circulation dominated by climate cyclones and anticyclones, respectively. An inflow of air masses from the west was significantly limited and concentrated mainly within the so-called periglacial corridor between the Scandinavian ice sheet and the Alps. Such circulation pattern determined serious reduction of precipitation during the Last Glacial Maximum that reached 60% in relation to modern conditions. The following Late Pleistocene cold phases (Oldest and Younger Dryas) were slightly warmer and wetter with increasing contribution of the westerlies that were strongly dependent on progressing shrinkage of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets.

The multidisciplinary analysis of two long sedimentary successions of continental and shallow marine deposits from the Venetian plain (NE Italy) provides new data on the stratigraphic architecture and the landscape evolution of the south-eastern Alpine foreland basin during the last 210–220 ka, with further evidences of a warm temperate phase older than MIS 8. We present and discuss a detailed multi-proxy data set from these successions (GER1 and CB cores). The results of stratigraphic, palynological and micropalaeontological analyses are cross-interpreted, showing the potentiality of building a composite section of two close continental successions within the same alluvial system, the Brenta megafan, with 15 km distance between cores along a downstream direction. The chronology of the upper part of the cores is supported by radiocarbon dating, showing the presence of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and post-LGM fluvial deposits. Lower down, the estimated chronology relies on the tight integration between palynostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy, on the recognition of main unconformities, as well as on the correlation with other regional biostratigraphic records and the Northern Hemisphere/global isotopic record. The only marine transgression recorded in the studied successions is attributed to the MIS 7.3 and represents the basal tiepoint for the correlation between the two cores. Below the MIS 7.3 transgressive marine surface there is a fluvial succession with weakly-developed palaeosoils and a poor pollen content suggesting cold climate (possibly MIS 8), that lies on top of a thick peat layer showing palynological evidence of a warm temperate climate. The occurrence of well-preserved Pterocarya and Carya pollen in the basal peat level (GER1 core) is compared to that of other pollen sequences in Europe, providing new insights for the chronological framing of the problematic last occurrence of these taxa in the southern alpine area. Whilst mixed temperate forest persisted throughout MIS 7c-7a, conifers spread during MIS 6. By this time, a glaciofluvial aggradation phase is recorded, highlighting the strong relationship between glacial maxima and alluvial aggradation in the Venetian plain. None of the drilling sites were reached by the Last Interglacial sea transgression. However, the Eemian forest signature is well recorded in CB core, and the following Early to Middle Wurm stadial-interstadial sequence is clearly outlined thanks to the joint analysis of the two successions. Broad-leaved thermophilous forests disappeared at the end of the Early Wurm and only Pinus and Betula persisted throughout the LGM, during which a chronologically well-constrained glaciofluvial aggradation occurred. The last depositional event corresponds to the post-LGM cut-and-fill of fluvial incised valleys in GER1 core, and to soil evolution and very thin burial by Brenta River fluvial deposits in CB core. The comparison between the results of this study with data of previous deep cores in the distal alluvial plain remarks an increasing long-term subsidence towards Venice area.

Pleistocene strata of the Wadden Sea region are mostly covered by an up to 10m thick sediment wedge deposited during the Holocene transgression. However, tidal inlets cut deep into the Holocene succession, causing Middle Pleistocene to early Holocene glacial and interglacial deposits to outcrop at the channel bottom. To investigate how the lithological properties and/or morphologies of these deposits affect the development of Holocene tidal inlets (e.g. limiting erosional processes), we analysed a series of eight cores to verify three high-resolution sub-bottom transects – and thus – to extend point-based data over a broader area. Furthermore, eight additional new cores (16 WASA cores in total), and 14 reinterpreted cores from the LBEG (Geological Survey of Lower Saxony) log database, were correlated to generate three short cross-sections at the transition from the tidal inlet (Riffgat channel) to the island of Norderney, revealing a number of new aspects for the reconstruction of the Pleistocene palaeoenvironments, i.e. the last two glacials (Saalian and Weichselian) and interglacials (Holsteinian? and Eemian). A succession of Middle Pleistocene lacustrine delta deposits, belonging either to the Holsteinian or the Dömnitz temperate stage, suggests the presence of Elsterian tunnel valleys located below the island. Furthermore, we verified the presence of an Eemian mixed tidal-flat system overlain by an Eemian sand tidal flat below the western head of Norderney which is, in contrast to suggestions from previous studies, not fully eroded in this area. Finally, we demonstrate that the Saalian moraine (Drenthe Main Till) functions as a limiting constraint in the vertical development of the Holocene/modern Riffgat channel. Our results provide a better understanding of the Quaternary stratigraphy of the central Wadden Sea as well as the influence of the subsurface geology on the architecture and evolution of tidal channels.

This study examines the role of North Atlantic storms degrading a Late Pleistocene rocky shoreline formed by basaltic rocks overlying hyaloclastite rocks on a small volcanic peninsula connected to Gran Canaria in the central region of the Canary Archipelago. A conglomerate dominated by large, ellipsoidal to angular boulders eroded from an adjacent basalt flow was canvassed at six stations distributed along 800 m of the modern shore at El Confital, on the outskirts of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A total of 166 individual basalt cobbles and boulders were systematically measured in three dimensions, providing the database for analyses of variations in clast shape and size. The goal of this study was to apply mathematical equations elaborated after Nott (2003) and subsequent refinements in order to estimate individual wave heights necessary to lift basalt blocks from the layered and joint-bound sea cliffs at El Confital. On average, wave heights in the order of 4.2 to 4.5 m are calculated as having impacted the Late Pleistocene rocky coastline at El Confital, although the largest boulders in excess of 2 m in diameter would have required larger waves for extraction. A review of the fossil marine biota associated with the boulder beds confirms a littoral to very shallow water setting correlated in time with Marine Isotope Stage 5e (Eemian Stage) approximately 125,000 years ago. The historical record of major storms in the regions of the Canary and Azorean islands indicates that events of hurricane strength were likely to have struck El Confital in earlier times. Due to its high scientific value, the outcrop area featured in this study is included in the Spanish Inventory of Geosites and must be properly protected and managed to ensure conservation against the impact of climate change foreseen in coming years.

More than 900 vertebrate bones, ranging from Late Pleistocene to Holocene in age, have been identified in a collection that was recovered by a single dredging operation for the construction of artificial lakes near Lent (Nijmegen, province of Gelderland, the Netherlands). The Late Pleistocene assemblage comprises mainly Weichselian glacial fauna such as mammoths, reindeer and bison. Some Eemian fauna is represented as well, e.g. straight-tusked elephant. The abundance of certain species over others suggests that preservation bias had a considerable impact on this assemblage, while its time-averaged nature resulted in overrepresentation of certain species. A case study is here conducted on a fragmentary skull of a subadult woolly mammoth bull with embedded blowfly puparia. Some of these puparia are fully developed, indicating prolonged exposure of the mammoth carcass.

This article deals with geomorphological, sedimentary, paleopedological, chronological (OSL and 14C) and archaeological records within a segment of the Jacare-Guacu River alluvial plain in southeast Brazil, aiming to evaluate climatic, hydrological and landscape transformations over the past 115 ka. The results show alternations between humid and drier climates that contribute to different drainage conditions, accounting for seven paleosurfaces and five paleosols amid sandy and gravel deposits along Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Micromorphological and OSL data characterize a humid and warm phase in the Eemian associated to the formation of a paleosol under good drainage conditions, followed between 111 ka and the end of Pleistocene by sandy deposition intercalated with the genesis of two new soils and by a sedimentary discontinuity. The lithics artifacts records of Amerindian settlements since the Pleistocene–Holocene transition contributed to the demarcation of paleosurfaces that formed concurrently with landscape and river level changes, and the density of human activities was found to vary simultaneously with environmental transformations in the area. A phase of ephemeral torrential channels under a drier climate, and predominance of grassland vegetation in the Pleistocene end (~12.4 ka) was followed by the set up of perennial meandering channels of dimensions four times greater than that of the current Jacare-Guacu river, formed under increase of forestal associations and rise in water table, with aggradation of up 7 m, sandy deposition and formation of two new soils in the Early Holocene; from Middle Holocene, the fluvial system experienced incision (

Detailed investigation of landforms and their underlying deposits on the eastern margin of Fenland, East Anglia, demonstrated that they represent a series of glaciofluvial delta-fan and related sediments. Associated with these deposits are glacially dislocated sediments including tills, meltwater and pre-existing fluvial sediments. These ‘Skertchly Line’ deposits occur in the context of a substantial ice lobe that entered Fenland from the N to NE, dammed the streams entering the basin and caused glacial lakes to form in the valleys on the margins. Bulldozing by the ice lobe caused a series of ice-pushed ridges to form at the dynamic margin, especially at the ice maximum and during its retreat phases. Meltwater formed a series of marginal fans that coalesced into marginal accumulations in the SE of the basin. The ice lobe is named the Tottenhill glaciation. Further investigations of the Fenland margin have revealed the extent of the Tottenhill glaciation in the Fenland Basin, to the south and west, in sufficient detail to demonstrate the nature of the Tottenhill ice lobe and the landscape left on deglaciation. The ice lobe is likely to have been prone to surging. This is indicated by the low gradient of the ice lobe, the presence of underlying ductile Mesozoic clays, the evidence of ice-marginal flooding and the presence of arcuate glaciotectonic push moraines. Regional correlation, supported by independent numerical geochronology, indicates that the glaciation occurred ca 160 ka, i.e. during the late Middle Pleistocene, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6, the Wolstonian Stage. Comparison and correlation across the southern North Sea Basin confirms that the glaciation is the equivalent of that during the Late Saalian Drenthe Stadial in The Netherlands. The implications of this correlation are presented. Before the glaciation occurred, the Fenland Basin did not exist. It appears to have been initiated by a subglacial tunnel valley system beneath the Anglian (=Elsterian, MIS 12) ice sheet. During the subsequent Hoxnian (=Holsteinian; approx. MIS 11) interglacial, the sea invaded the drainage system inherited following the glacial retreat. The evolution through the subsequent ca 200 ka Early to Middle Wolstonian substages, the interval between the Hoxnian (Holsteinian) temperate Stage and the Wolstonian glaciation, represents a period during which fluvial and periglacial activity modified the landscape under cold climates, and organic sediments were laid down during a warmer event. Palaeolithic humans were also periodically present during this interval, their artefacts having been reworked by the subsequent glaciation. The deglaciation was followed by re-establishment of the rivers associated with the deposition of Late Wolstonian (Warthe Stadial) gravels and sands, and later, deposits of the Ipswichian interglacial (=Eemian, approx. MIS 5e) including freshwater, then estuarine sediments. Subsequent evolution of the basin occurred during the Devensian Stage (=Weichselian, MIS 5d-2) under predominantly cold, periglacial conditions.

A pioneer comprehensive study of several diminutive last-generation woolly mammoth teeth (M3) found on the coast of the East Siberian Sea between the mouths of the Alazeya and Malaya Kuropatoch'ya rivers was conducted. Two teeth belonged to one individual. These teeth have a similar lamellar frequency and enamel thickness as teeth of Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach. The molar crowns from the lower Alazeya region are similar in size to those of the small Late Pleistocene–Holocene mammoths from Wrangel Island. However, the number of plates (17–19, excluding talons) is much lower than that in the teeth of typical Late Pleistocene M. primigenius (23–25). The age data of the examined teeth are beyond the limits of the 14C dating method (>45 000 years BP). Nevertheless, palaeobotanical data allow correlation of the enclosing sediments with the warm Kazantsevo Interglacial (Eemian, MIS 5e) and reconstruction of the average annual temperature, which was warmer than present-day temperatures. These conditions are confirmed by the δ18O isotopes from the structurally bound carbonate in tooth enamel. The ancient landscape was wetter and more forested than modern landscapes. The diminution of M3 size and loss of posterior plates were a result of the overall decrease in body size, likely in response to landscape change and narrowing of resource space. Mammoths from the lower Alazeya region demonstrate a stage of significant size reduction, although the dwarfing was not finalized. Their teeth are the oldest amongst the small teeth found in west Beringia.

The paper reports pollen analyses of 47 samples from palaeolake sediments at WH-15 Struga near Puznówka on the Garwolin Plain in central Poland. The pollen succession covers Late Saalian (MIS-6) and fully developed Eemian (MIS-5e) successions. The Late Saalian section is well developed (more than 2 m thick) and contains sub-zones reflecting the alternating dominance of steppe-tundra and boreal forest communities. The analysed Eemian succession is an uncommon succession described as a variant with early appearance and culmination of Tilia. In these terms, the successions of WH-15 Struga resemble those of sites of the Eemian interglacial known from the vicinity of Warsaw: Błonie, Warszawa-Żoliborz and Warszawa-Wola. The WH-15 Struga site is one of several recently discovered fossil sites of Eemian lakes on the Garwolin Plain, constituting the southern fragment of the extensive Eemian lakeland in the Polish Lowland.

Two loess-paleosol sequences from the Heilbronn Basin in southwestern Germany, Frankenbach and Talheim, have been investigated to gain information about environmental conditions during the last interglacial-glacial cycle. Since paleoenvironmental research on terrestrial archives is crucial for a better understanding of past climatic and environmental conditions, the profiles were studied using a multi-proxy approach. Applied methods include the analyses of grain-size distribution, element contents, sediment color, rock magnetism, micromorphology, and black carbon (BC) via benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCA). The data reveal that the two profiles show large variations in conservation due to their different geomorphologic positions. Moreover, the results imply a subarctic climate with stable conditions during the Middle Pleniglacial (MIS 3) in-situ soil formation phase while the Lower Pleniglacial (MIS 4) was characterized by erosion and reworking of Eemian and Early Glacial (MIS 5) material but also by accumulation of aeolian material during the late Lower Pleniglacial (MIS 4) in Frankenbach. The results further suggest that the Rhine River floodplain has been a major source for the accumulated material in the two profiles, which indicates westerly wind directions during the time of accumulation. The low GSI and U-Ratio of Upper Pleniglacial (MIS 2) sediments, supported by the overall high content of fine material, imply a larger distance to the source area. We give an overview of loess in the Heilbronn Basin and place it in a wider context of loess in Western Europe.

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and post-IR IRSL dating of potassium-rich feldspar separates were applied to fluvial sediments which had been supposed to be of pre-Eemian (pre-MIS 5e) age. Our aim was to establish a reliable chronology for the upper three terrace levels from a sequence of five fluvial terraces in a region of Northern Bavaria (Germany) characterized by a complex Pleistocene fluvial history. The investigated quartz samples proved to be in dose saturation and the calculated OSL ages could only be interpreted as minimum age estimations. The performance of the used pIRIR225-approach was tested by a set of bleaching experiments, dose recovery tests (DRT) and measurements of sample specific laboratory fading rates. Despite applying a pIRIR225-protocol, the phenomenon of ‘anomalous fading’ remained a major problem for age calculation in this study. Although various fading correction methods were applied, only the model proposed by Huntley and Lamothe (2001) could successfully be used. Overall, the corrected pIRIR225-ages were in good agreement with age constraints derived from stratigraphical and sedimentological findings. For some feldspar samples, however, the determined ages were far beyond a realistic age range for a meaningful interpretation when considering the (morpho-)stratigraphical setting. Although the reasons for these significant age overestimations are not clear so far, they might either indicate methodological limitations of the post-IR IRSL approach or point to serious problems attributed to the luminescence properties of the used K-feldspar separates or to the specific regional environmental settings during sample deposition. Despite these problematic findings, the numerical results derived from the post-IR IRSL measurements could be used to establish a preliminary chronological framework for the various evolutionary stages identified for the research area.

Based on fossil organism remains including plant macrofossils, charcoal, pollen, and invertebrates preserved in syngenetic deposits of the Batagay permafrost sequence in the Siberian Yana Highlands, we reconstructed the environmental history during marine isotope stages (MIS) 6 to 2. Two fossil assemblages, exceptionally rich in plant remains, allowed for a detailed description of the palaeo-vegetation during two climate extremes of the Late Pleistocene, the onset of the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the last interglacial. In addition, altogether 41 assemblages were used to outline the vegetation history since the penultimate cold stage of MIS 6. Accordingly, meadow steppes analogue to modern communities of the phytosociological order Festucetalia lenensis formed the primary vegetation during the Saalian and Weichselian cold stages. Cold-resistant tundra-steppe communities (Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii) as they occur above the treeline today were, in contrast to more northern locations, mostly lacking. During the last interglacial, open coniferous woodland similar to modern larch taiga was the primary vegetation at the site. Abundant charcoal indicates wildfire events during the last interglacial. Zoogenic disturbances of the local vegetation were indicated by the presence of ruderal plants, especially by abundant Urtica dioica, suggesting that the area was an interglacial refugium for large herbivores. Meadow steppes, which formed the primary vegetation during cold stages and provided potentially suitable pastures for herbivores, were a significant constituent of the plant cover in the Yana Highlands also under the full warm stage conditions of the last interglacial. Consequently, meadow steppes occurred in the Yana Highlands during the entire investigated timespan from MIS 6 to MIS 2 documenting a remarkable environmental stability. Thus, the proportion of meadow steppe vegetation merely shifted in response to the respectively prevailing climatic conditions. Their persistence indicates low precipitation and a relatively warm growing season throughout and beyond the late Pleistocene. The studied fossil record also proves that modern steppe occurrences in the Yana Highlands did not establish as late as in the Holocene but instead are relicts of a formerly continuous steppe belt extending from Central Siberia to Northeast Yakutia during the Pleistocene. The persistence of plants and invertebrates characteristic of meadow steppe vegetation in interior Yakutia throughout the late Quaternary indicates climatic continuity and documents the suitability of this region as a refugium also for other organisms of the Pleistocene mammoth steppe including the iconic large herbivores. (C)2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mountain regions such as the Lesser Caucasus are a focus of ongoing environmental changes. To understand their future evolution, information about their former geomorphic and environmental dynamics is required. The former fluvial dynamics derived from fluvial sediment archives can offer such insights. However, the fluvial dynamics of the Lesser Caucasus since the Eemian interglacial have not been systematically investigated so far. Thus, we have studied late Pleistocene and Holocene sediments of several rivers originating from the central Lesser Caucasus. The studied rivers show a mostly coherent record of fluvial dynamics: Minor aggradation occurred during early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, incision during late MIS 5 or early MIS 4, intensive silty aggradation at least during late MIS 3, incision during early MIS 2, coarse-grained aggradation probably during some millenia until ca. 19 ka, and aggradation ca. 14-13 ka. Following incision around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition, aggradation resumed around 6.0, 3.4 – 2.0 and 0.5 – 0.15 cal. ka BP. Generally, periods of aggradation, incision and stability could be linked with regional climatic or anthropogenic influences on regional landscape stability and water availability. The fluvial dynamics of the central Lesser Caucasus mostly differed even between neighbouring regions, and only in cases of significant hemispheric climatic fluctuations as around 20 ka, during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition or the Little Ice Age, were similar over-regional fluvial patterns observed. This demonstrates the individual character of river systems especially in mountain regions such as the southern Caucasus with strong geoecological gradients. Thus, to understand the former landscape dynamics of mountain landscapes, investigations of fluvial sediment archives on a regional to sub-regional scale are necessary.

The coastal cliffs in Klaksvik (Borðoyar Bay) are the only known locality with Eemian sediments in the Faroe Islands. Previous studies carried out there focused on the sedimentology, tephra chemistry, paleoecology including aquatic environment, or the age of the deposits. In the lacustrine, clayey to silty gyttja we collected scattered wood fragments, identified as Larix sp., Pinus sp., Taxus sp. and Betulaceae? In addition, these wood remains contain numerous trace fossils, made by marine wood-boring bivalves (Teredolites longissimus), which together with a discussion about the areal extent of the identified tree species leads us to conclude that they are non-native, i.e. driftwood. Northern Siberia is usually regarded as the most likely source area for driftwood in the eastern North Atlantic region. We combined the approximate transport distance from the areal extent of the wood with the main directions of marine currents in the relevant section of the North Atlantic. Adding the known average marine current velocities during the penultimate interglacial resulted in 130–200 days for transport from North America and 350–1100 days from Siberia. Comparing this with the maximal buoyancy period for the identified tree species, we conclude that the Faroese driftwood may originate not only from Siberia, but also from the eastern coast of North America, especially from the region around the Great Lakes, as well as from western Europe. (Less)

Key geological sections on the southern part of the Kola Peninsula were investigated to reveal the evolution of the Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and the history of the last deglaciation of the area. Methods used were conventional sedimentological techniques, including palaeocurrent analysis and geomorphological observations. Optically stimulated luminescence dating was used to determine the age of sand-rich sediment units exposed in sections. The results indicate that the Eemian (MIS 5e) marine environment in the onshore coastal areas gradually changed into a glaciolacustrine environment. The first ice advance into the western part of the study area took place already during the Early Weichselian (MIS 5b?). After deglaciation, glaciolacustrine conditions were re-established in the area. Only one younger until is observed in the area; it cannot be excluded that this stems from a Middle Weichselian (MIS 4) glaciation over the area, though it is more probable that it is from the last Scandinavian ice sheet advance over the area during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The southern and central coastal areas of the Kola Peninsula deglaciated between 16,000 and 12,000 years ago. The most prominent end moraine ridges, the Keiva II and Keiva I end moraines were formed in an interlobate zone between ice mass in the interior of the Kola Peninsula and the White Sea ice lobe during the Younger Dryas.

This paper demonstrates that the Belgian Continental Shelf and coastal plain occupy a key position between the depositional North Sea Basin and the erosional area of the Dover Strait as it is an area where erosional landforms and fragmented sedimentary sequences provide new evidence on northwest European landscape evolution. The study area hosts 20–30 m thick penultimate to last glacial sand-dominated sequences that are preserved within the buried palaeo-Scheldt Valley. Here, we build on the results of previous seismo- and lithostratigraphical studies, and present new evidence from biostratigraphical analysis, OSL dating and depth-converted structure maps, together revealing a complex history of deposition and landscape evolution controlled by climate change, sea-level fluctuations and glacio-isostasy. This study presents strong new supportive evidence on the development of the incised palaeo-Scheldt Valley landform that became established towards the end of the penultimate glacial period (MIS 6; Saalian) as a result of glacio-isostatic forebulge updoming, proglacial lake drainage and subsequent collapse of a forebulge between East Anglia and Belgium following ice-sheet growth, disintegration and retreat in areas to the north. The majority of the incised-valley fill is of estuarine to shallow marine depositional context deposited during the transgression and high-stand of the last interglacial (MIS 5e: Eemian). A thin upper part of the valley fill consists of last glacial (MIS 5d-2: Weichselian) fluvial sediments that show a gradual decrease and retreat of fluvial activity to inland, upstream reaches of the valley system until finally the valley ceases to exist as the combined result of climate-driven aeolian activity and possibly also glacio-isostatic adjustment. Thus, strong contrasts exist between the palaeo-Scheldt Valley and estuary systems of the penultimate glacial maximum to Last Interglacial (Saalian, Eemian), the beginning of the Last Glacial (Weichselian Early Glacial and Early-Middle Pleniglacial), and the Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene.

Stratified periglacial sediments extensively cover the slopes of central European low mountain areas. Periglacial cover beds and loess-like sediments as most abundant strata influence many near-surface processes, forming an important component of the Earth's critical zone. The present study focusses on the analysis of a complex sequence of periglacial slope deposits with multiple intermediate layers and intercalated slope wash sediments in order to determine and date periods of intermediate layer formation. Since luminescence dating often provides inconsistent data for cover beds, there is need to reconsider the numerical dating strategy. This study hence places stronger emphasis on numerical dating of interbedded, sufficiently bleached slope wash sediments. The gained OSL-ages are more reliable and consistent and thus, provide a temporal framework for relative dating of intermediate layer formation cycles. In combination with paleosol relics the numerical ages allowed a chronostratigraphic interpretation of Late Pleistocene paleoenvironmental dynamics and slope evolution. Our findings not only prove multiple phases of intermediate layer formation in the study area during the last glacial period but also enabled the correlation of single intermediate layers with specific time spans, including Early and Middle Weichselian as well as the Late Glacial. Remnants of the Eemian soil in the studied sequence even indicate a Saalian age for the lowermost intermediate layer. The present study shows that luminescence dating of intercalated slope wash deposits instead of cover beds is a promising numerical dating strategy for the chronostratigraphic interpretation of cover bed sequences. The findings further illustrate that complex, fanned out periglacial sediment sequences form despite their scarcity important paleoenvironmental archives for Late Pleistocene periglacial landscape dynamics in central European low mountain areas.

Loess-palaeosol sequences are highly resolved archives for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and build an important link to correlate European and Central Asian loess sequences. For the loess palaeosol sequence at Toshan, Northern Iran, a luminescence-based chronological framework was established. The timing of dust accumulation and soil formation was investigated and thereby information on changes in palaeoenvironmental conditions in the region obtained. For luminescence dating, the 4e11 mm grain size fraction was used and the pIRIR290 approach was applied to polyminerals. Tests concerning bleachability, dose recovery and anomalous fading were conducted. The results show that residual doses have only minor influence on the determination of the equivalent dose. The Eemian (MIS 5e) soil seems to be preserved but a chronological classification based on luminescence ages for this soil remains difficult. The pIRIR290 age estimates from the lower part of the profile range from 104 ± 9t o 127± 8 ka. Lumi- nescence ages from the central profile-part point to an increase in dust accumulation starting around the MIS 4/MIS 3 transition. Furthermore, a chronological framework for interstadial soils was developed indicating e.g. soil formation at around 40 ka during MIS 3 and 26 ka during MIS 2. The top part of the profile was dated to about 22 ka. The age estimates show that the Toshan loess profile is a highly resolved loess record providing a valuable climate archive for the last glacialeinterglacial cycle reflecting several climatic shifts represented by dust accumulation or enhanced degrees of soil formation (stadials and interstadials).

(IF 4.64 [2018]; Q1); International audience; While numerous high-resolution studies concerning Last Glacial aeolian sequences are available for Europe, the approach of the penultimate glacial in this geographical area is still poorly developed. In order to bridge this gap, this study focuses on the Bulgarian sequence of Harletz, along the Danube River, where extremely high sedimentation rates allow the depiction of high-resolution signals during MIS 6. At Harletz in NW Bulgaria on the western bank of the Ogosta River (tributary of the Danube) a 20 m thick loess-palaeosols section was cleaned and sampled for a multi-disciplinary study and detailed pedostratigraphic approach. High-resolution continuous bulk sampling (5 cm) was carried out to characterise sedimentary grain size, magnetic properties (including magnetic susceptibility and its frequency dependence), colour reflectance (1 cm), and organic carbon. Geochronological control is based on 16 samples collected for OSL and MET-pIRIR dating. Using a cyclo-stratigraphic approach of the sequence combined with dating constraints provided by both MET-pIRIR dates and the age of a tephra layer occurring at a depth of 12 m within the main loess unit, we can demonstrate that the Harletz section exhibits a 10 m thick Late Saalian (Marine Isotope Stage 6, MIS 6) loess accumulation unique in Europe. The lower part of the main loess unit is 4 m thick and overlies a basal brown soil complex allocated to MIS 7, which includes an exceptionally thick (4 m) and detailed succession of loess and four incipient soil horizons never described in European loess until now. The closest and best-dated high-resolution palaeoenvironmental archive suitable for comparison comes from Lake Ohrid located about 400 km to the SW of Harletz. The Ohrid palynological record shows a progressive step-by-step evolution in climate and in environmental change during the transition between MIS 7 and MIS 6 from which a parallel with the Harletz pedosedimentary succession can be proposed. During the younger part of MIS 6 (160-129ka), steppe vegetation with abundant herbs (Artemisia) is dominant in the Lake Ohrid record, in good accordance with a global enhancement of aeolian dynamics, especially well recorded in sections located close to the Danube River from Serbia to Bulgaria and Romania (L2 loess). According to interpretations stemming from this study, the silts and fine sands building the Harletz loess section would have been transported from the Danube braided river system located (at that time) at about 4.5 km to the NW. Based on our data, the main loess units are characterised by a very low to a total absence of coarse sand particles. By contrast, during the Eemian interglacial (MIS 5e), and to a lesser extent throughout MIS 5 and during MIS 3 interstadials, the long distance transport of silt and fine sand particles is stopped and a weak aeolian sedimentation is likely driven by north-easterly winds transporting coarse sand grains from the proximal Ogosta River sandy banks. Finally, the weak development of Last Glacial loess (4 m max.) likely results from a rapid infilling of the sedimentary trap during the Saalian, then followed by a strong anthropogenic erosion of the topsoil and of the upper part of the loess profile since the Early Holocene (Neolithic).

Here we present phosphate oxygen isotope (δ 18OPO4) data from horse (Equus sp.) tooth enamel (bioapatite) from early Eemian and early Weichselian find levels at the archaeological site of Neumark-Nord 2, Germany. Based on the relationship between δ18OPO4 of bioapatite, body water, local precipitation and air temperature, these data are used to reconstruct palaeoclimatic conditions contemporary to the different phases of Neanderthal activity at the site. Bulk enamel samples representing one year of growth were taken from horse teeth from early Eemian (NN2/2b [∼121 ± 5 ka], and NN2/1c) and early Weichselian (NN2/0; ∼93 ± 7 ka) find levels, and δ18OPO4 values were then utilised to calculate δ18O of local environmental water and mean annual air temperatures (MATs) during these phases of MIS5. Results indicate that during the early Eemian MAT was ∼9 °C, with some evidence of variability through time. Although ∼3 °C lower, the calculated early Weichselian MAT exceeds that indicated by other local and regional climate proxy datasets, suggesting that Neanderthal activity may have coincided with more ameliorate phases of the early Weichselian in this area.

Marine, lacustrine and terrestrial records from many sites located in various regions of the world suggest that the climate amelioration at the end of MIS-6 (Late Saalian) was interrupted by the short-termed cooling just prior to the MIS-6/MIS-5e boundary (Saalian/Eemian). This climatic event might be similar to the transition between interstadial conditions of the Allerod and stadial conditions of the Younger Dryas at the end of the Last Glacial (MIS-2). On the other hand, the results of quite numerous palaeobotanical studies show no stadial-interstadial oscillations below the Saalian/Eemian boundary, but reflect the gradual improvement of climate and increasing density of vegetation at that time. In western and central Europe, environment changes at the end of the Late Saalian are poorly recognized. Therefore, each new record illustrating this part of the Late Pleistocene is extremely important. We examined two profiles at the Wola Starogrodzka site, central Poland, by high-resolution analyses of pollen, Cladocera, plant macroscopic remains, mineral grain size and distribution, and organic matter content. The studied sequences represent the closing phase of the Late Saalian (in Poland called the Warta Stage of Odranian), and the early to middle part of the Eemian Interglacial. Change of the stadial-interstadial-stadial type at the end of the Late Saalian was registered both in aquatic and terrestrial environment. The recorded interstadial was correlated with Zeifen interstadial, while the following stadial – with the Kattegat stadial. Quantitative palaeoclimate reconstruction based on pollen data (modern analogue technique) showed the change in mean annual temperature by ca. 3 °C at that time.

The Middle to Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental record from the repeatedly glaciated central and eastern Fennoscandia is poorly known. The majority of the glacial and warm interval records have been interpreted to represent only the last, Weichselian, glacial cycle (119–11.7 ka). We have revised the crucial part of the existing stratigraphic documentation in central and southern Finland. Our findings show that a considerable part of the depositional record extends further back in time and is more complete than previously thought. One record may reach the Middle Pleistocene Holsteinian Interglacial (≈MIS 11), 424-374 ka ago, and a large number of records are tentatively attributed to the Middle Pleistocene Ropersdorf-Schoningen Interglacial (≈MIS 7) 243-191 ka ago. During this possible Ropersdorf-Schoningen Interglacial, the Gulf of Bothnia hosted larger alkaline and smaller dystrophic lakes surrounded by boreal pine forests in a continental climate with warmer summers and colder winters than today. The Eemian (≈MIS 5e) 131-119 ka sea coastal records show detailed evidence of the widespread intermixing of continental fresh and marine waters. During the Early Weichselian Brorup Interstadial (≈MIS 5c) 109-96 ka, central and southern Finland seem to have supported open birch forest tundra, later invaded by spruce; not boreal pine forest as earlier thought. The early birch vegetation faced a tundra phase which may be the Montaigu cooling event c. 103 ka ago. The revised palaeoenvironmental interpretation shows that the development during the three discussed warmer intervals is well in line with the central European vegetational development. Our palaeoenvironmental interpretations concerning Ropersdorf-Schoningen and Brorup warm intervals are preliminary and will need further investigations. No indisputable Middle Weichselian (≈MIS 3, 57-29 ka) sedimentary record seems to have been recorded in the studied area.

Seismic profiles and numerous sediment cores of a planned offshore wind farm area northeast of Rugen Island provide a unique insight into the distribution and thickness of glacial deposits in the southern Baltic Sea. Fine gravel analysis enabled recognition of five tills that correspond to different ice advances. On the basis of a 3D structural model, the main Pleistocene events could be reconstructed and correlated with stratigraphical records in the circum-Baltic area comprising Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 6 to 2. The oldest till was deposited during the Late Saalian Warthe advance (qs2; c. 150–130 ka). It is only preserved in ENE–WSW trending subglacial channels incised into Upper Cretaceous soft chalk. Isolated rafts and remnants of two Middle Weichselian tills occur locally, whereas Eemian interglacial sediments are missing. The older till (qw*) has an unusual fine gravel composition and might have formed during ice advances known only from northern Denmark and northern Poland (c. 65–60 ka). The younger till represents the Warnow advance (qw0) in NE Germany that can be correlated with the Danish Ristinge advance (c. 55–50 ka). Furthermore, two tills deposited during the Late Weichselian Last Glacial Maximum (c. 24–16 ka) occur. One can be correlated with the Pomeranian advance (qw2), while the other has characteristics typical for the Mecklenburg advance (qw3). These advances eroded older Pleistocene deposits, thus probably also removing the till of the Brandenburg/Frankfurt advance (qw1) – in contrast to the onshore areas. The Pomeranian till is limited to the southeast, close to the shallow Adlergrund, but the Mecklenburg till covers the whole study area. This first detailed lithostratigraphical classification of till units from the Arkona Basin allows for the identification and correlation of Pleistocene successions in other parts of the southern Baltic Sea.

The saiga antelope ( Saiga tatarica ), which today is a specialist steppe herbivore adapted to long-distance migrations in massive herds, appeared at irregular intervals in the Late Pleistocene Europe. Its special ecological requirements limited the number and timing of dispersal events. In the Eemian the saiga was absent on the continent. During MIS 5d-a, MIS 4 and MIS 3 its range was restricted to steppe areas north of the Black Sea. In MIS 2 and the Late Glacial (MIS 1) this species was able to colonize Central Europe at least three or four times and Western Europe at least twice. The most successful second migration dates to part of GS-2c, GS-2b and part of GS-2a, from ca. 19.5 to 15.3 cal ka BP when the saiga reached southern France. During GI-1d (Older Dryas), ca. 14.0 cal ka BP, the saiga reached England. The first migration during the GI-2 warm phase (ca. 23.7–23.3 cal ka BP) and the last one (ca. 13.5 cal ka BP) in the GI–1c 2 cool phase were probably restricted to Central Europe.

Marine interglacial deposits are fairly common and widespread in Denmark, but so far none have been reported from the Herning area in central Jylland. In 2014, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) received samples at one metre intervals from a borehole at 55°59.3´N, 8°56.6´E (elevation 27.56 m above sea level), at Hesselvigvej 7 near Kibæk in central Jylland (Fig. 1). The succession consisted of Miocene and Quaternary deposits. The Quaternary part was dominated by glaciofluvial sand and a single till bed, but it also contained a marine clay unit (16–21 m depth, 6.5–11.5 m a.s.l.). This marine clay contained spines of the sea-urchin Echinocardium cordatum, a boreal species known from Eemian and Holocene deposits from Denmark, but unknown from interstadial deposits. A lacustrine unit between 26 and 33 m depth (5.5 m b.s.l. to 1.5 m a.s.l.) consisted of clay, calcareous-rich gyttja and diatomite. Because Quaternary marine deposits are unexpected in this part of Denmark, we report here on analyses of pollen from the lacustrine unit and foraminifera from the marine unit, and we compare these with some interglacial records from Jylland.

Palaeoecological evidence of intra-Saalian warm stages in Central Europe, which was strongly affected by glacial and periglacial processes during the major Middle and Late Pleistocene cold periods, is ambiguous so far. Recently, the first continuous sedimentary sequence of Central Europe containing the Saalian complex (MIS 8–6) with the Eemian interglacial in stratigraphic superposition was recovered from the newly discovered Neualbenreuth Maar (NE-Bavaria). Here we present palynological results from this record allowing us to critically discuss the available biostratigraphical evidence of alternating intra-Saalian warm-cold intervals from Central Europe. The new pollen record from the Neualbenreuth Maar comprises a continuous record of vegetation and climate changes encompassing four warm stages and five cold periods. The dominance of cold and dry tolerant herbs and the sparse representation of pioneer trees and shrubs during most parts of the sequence indicate open landscapes of steppe to woody-steppe character typical of late Middle and Late Pleistocene glacial periods in Central Europe. The pollen assemblages of the warm stage in the upper part of the core clearly support its correlation with the Eemian interglacial. The three pre-Eemian warm stages represent terrestrial analogues of the marine isotope stages (MIS) 7e, 7c, and 7a. During each of these intervals forests were established, but the reduced abundances and lower diversity of thermophilous and sub-oceanic elements in comparison to the Eemian attest to a weak interglacial character. Each of these interglacials shows a similar vegetation succession and only minor differences in the vegetation composition. The intervening stadial periods represent a strong (MIS 7d) and a moderate (MIS 7b) climate deterioration, respectively. The vegetation and climate succession during the Saalian glacial-interglacial complex of Neualbenreuth is broadly in line with the respective palynological signature from the Velay record (French Massif Central) and the Hoogeveen interstadial (The Netherlands). In contrast, there is only limited correspondence with most pollen records from northern and southern Central Europe, which were hitherto classified as MIS 7.

Small mammal remains obtained from the European localities dated to the Eemian (Mikulino) age have been analyzed for the first time at a regional scale based on the present biogeographical regionalization of Europe. The regional faunas dated to the warm interval in the first part of the Late Pleistocene display notable differences in fauna composition, species richness, and diversity indices. The classification of regional faunal assemblages revealed distinctive features of small mammal faunas in Eastern and Western Europe during the Eemian (=Mikulino, =Ipswichian) Interglacial. Faunas of the Iberian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula, and Sardinia Island appear to deviate from the other regions. In the Eemian Interglacial, the maximum species richness of small mammals (≥40 species) with a relatively high proportion of typical forest species was recorded in Western and Central Europe and in the western part of Eastern Europe. The lowest species richness (5–14 species) was typical of island faunas and of those in the north of Eastern Europe. The data obtained make it possible to reconstruct the distribution of forest biotopes and open habitats (forest-steppe and steppe) in various regions of Europe. Noteworthy is a limited area of forests in the south and in the northeastern part of Europe. In these regions, it seems likely that under conditions of relatively high temperatures characteristic of the Last Interglacial and an insufficient moisture supply there could exist open forest stands or forest-steppe landscapes, as suggested by the presence of species indicative of forest-steppe and steppe north of the forest zone. The results obtained are useful in modeling changes in the mammal faunas as well as environmental changes in entire Europe due to global climatic changes (including the global warming recorded at present).

Seeds of the extant Urtica kioviensis Rogow. (Urticaceae) and endocarps of the extinct Potamogeton sukaczevii Wieliczk. (Potamogetonaceae) were recorded in diverse plant macrofossil assemblages recovered from organic sediments exposed during excavations at Saham Toney, Norfolk, UK. Aminostratigraphical data show the sediments were deposited during the Ipswichian (Last Interglacial) Stage. Palynological data indicates deposition during the Carpinus pollen zone of the Ipswichian Stage—the latter part of pollen zone Ip IIb and Ip III. The records are noteworthy not only because they are the first in the British Pleistocene but also because of the geographical occurrences of these two species. Urtica kioviensis is absent from the British flora today and has a modern range in central and eastern Europe (only extending as far west as north–east Germany and Denmark), while the extinct Potamogeton sukaczevii has only been recovered from Late Pleistocene sediments in Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and western Russia. The presence of U. kioviensis along with other exotic species to the British Isles (e.g. Najas minor L. and Salvinia natans L., which today have central and southern ranges in Europe and in the case of S. natans occurs on other continents) may point to more continental conditions or warmer summer conditions during the second half of the Ipswichian Stage in southern Britain. No modern analogues occur in Britain for the assemblages recovered from Saham Toney. Evidence of colder winters or at least warmer summers at the time of deposition does not support the view that sea-level peaked in the Carpinus zone of the Eemian Stage (correlated with the Ipswichian Stage) associated with increased oceanicity. Southern Britain would have been under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and a degree of oceanicity is supported by the presence of two thermophilous taxa, Hedera and Ilex, in the pollen spectra from Saham Toney. Alternative explanations for the presence of these exotic species are that they were tolerating mild winters and cooler summers at the time of deposition or exploiting suitable micro-environments. The distribution of P. sukaczevii is probably an artefact of the distribution of expertise in the identification of Potamogeton fossil endocarps rather than having any palaeogeographic or palaeoclimatic significance. It is an extinct ancestor of the extant P. maackianus A. Benn, an eastern Asian pondweed. Its discovery in Britain encourages a reassessment of plant macrofossil assemblages from western Europe, which may lead to a consideration of the relationship between the Late Pleistocene vegetation of Europe and eastern Asia.

In this study, we analysed morphometrically fossil populations of Microtus arvalis and M. agrestis from eight late Middle to Late Pleistocene archaeological and palaeontological sites in the Carpathian Basin, northern Hungary. The intra- and interspecific variations in both species can be related to climatic oscillations linked to the onset of the Eemian interglacial and the first phases of Marine Isotope Stage 5. The size of M. agrestis can be correlated with the presence/absence of relatively humid climatic and environmental conditions and of surface water resources (such as marshes and flooded areas). A possible immigration event of M. arvalis populations into the Carpathian Basin, also related to the Eemian interglacial, is also identified.

Delineation of the boundary between the Last Interglacial (LIG) and the last (Wisconsinan) Glacial Stage in North America represents a critical, yet unresolved issue. Subdivisions of the late Pleistocene are based on oxygen isotope, ice cover, and pollen stratigraphic data. Boundaries defined by isotope chronology hinge on complex interrelationships between δ18O in foraminifer tests, ice volumes stored on land, and coeval sea-level position. In the absence of adequate pollen-stratigraphic documentation, Pleistocene subdivision boundaries were harder to establish in North America than in Europe. Time-transgressive pollen zones revealed increased lengths of the climatically-floristically defined LIG from the European subarctic to the Mediterranean. Conflicting definitions of “Sangamon,” as representing only the last interglacial of minimum ice cover and higher temperatures or broadly defined, “sensu lato,” also incorporating early part of the Last (Wisconsinan) Glacial Stage persist in the North American literature. The exclusively interglacial age of the Sangamon Geosol, originally used in dating the Sangamonian Stage proved untenable. Designation of an “Eowisconsinan” interval corresponding to Susbtages MIS 5d-a also lacks merit. Despite climate- and vegetation-related discrepancies, pollen- and coastal deposit-based comparisons between Europe and North America during MIS 5 and the Holocene are useful in establishing the climate history of the North American Sangamonian and subsequent early Wisconsinan substages. An overarching MIS 5 cooling trend represented by scattered subarctic and high-mountain ice accumulation events followed the MIS 5e Eemian–Sangamonian temperature peak. Adoption of the general European practice that asymmetrically splits MIS 5 into a short MIS 5e interglacial and a long early Wisconsinan Glacial (MIS 5d-a) interval is preferred in North America as well. Subdivisions in the normalized δ18O curve that serve as the chronological framework and the wealth of European pollen data support this approach. While multiple pre-Sangamon Pleistocene marine-paralic intervals do occur on the NW Gulf coast, all pre-Sangamon Pleistocene marine and brackish-inshore deposits had been removed by erosion in the NE coastal plain. A single inshore-nearshore marine sediment and highstand interval is well-documented in this region. The LIG highstand sequence correlates with varied Eemian marine and paralic MIS 5e deposits encountered along northern and western European, Siberian, and additional shores. Apart from reliably dated Sangamonian S Florida coral reefs, identification and dating of LIG highstand deposits remain highly problematical in SE Atlantic shore terraces.

Quaternary climatic and glacial history must be known in order to understand future environments. Reconstructions of the last Weichselian glacial cycle 117,000–11,700 years (kyr) ago propose that S Finland, adjacent Russia and the Baltic countries in the SE sector of the Eurasian Ice Sheet (EIS), were glaciated during the Middle Weichselian time [marine isotope stage (MIS) 4, 71–57 kyr ago] and that this glaciation was preceded in S Finland by an Early Weichselian interstadial (MIS 5c, 105–93 kyr ago) with pine forest. We apply glacial sequence stratigraphy to isolated Late Pleistocene onshore outcrop sections and show, that these events did not take place. The one Late Weichselian glaciation (MIS 2, 29–11 kyr ago) was preceded in S Finland by a nearly 90 kyr non-glacial period, featuring tundra with permafrost and probably birch forest. Our new Middle Weichselian paleoenvironmental scenario revises the configuration and hydrology of the S part of EIS and gives new setting for the evolution of Scandinavian biota. If future development during the coming glacial cycle proves to be similar, the high-level nuclear waste stored in the bedrock of SW Finland should be located deeper than currently planned, i.e. below any possible future permafrost.

The Eemian and early Weichselian (early Vistulian in Polish stratigraphy) Lobelia lakes were investigated in an attempt to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions of northern Podlasie, northeastern Poland. Lacustrine sediments from six palaeolakes (Choroszczewo, Solniki, Dzierniakowo, Sokolka, Bohoniki and Drahle) were investigated palynologically. Furthermore, macroscopic plant remains were analysed from Bohoniki. Lobelia-lake vegetation was represented by Isoetes, whose microspores were identified in all analysed profiles. In Bohoniki, megaspores of Isoetes lacustris L. were also detected. Patterns of Isoetes occurrence are evidence that during the Eemian interglacial and early Weichselian the existence of Lobelia lakes in northeastern Poland coincided with the boreal climate and the presence of boreal pine forests, which developed in the direct surroundings of the water bodies studied. These communities had the best conditions to develop in the terminal pine phase of the Eemian interglacial (E7 Pinus R PAZ), as well as during the interstadials of the early Weichselian (Brorup and Odderade). All these parts of the Late Pleistocene were relatively cold and humid. There is a similarity in the occurrence of Isoetes between the decline parts of the Eemian interglacial, and the Holocene.