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In this chapter, I discuss the Neogene and Early Pleistocene fossil record of Coturnicini and provide a synthesis of the evolutionary history of the group in Eurasia based on paleontological data. I discuss the early stages of the evolution of the group, paying special attention to Tologuica, the well-known early representatives of Coturnicini from Mongolia and Eastern Siberia. The coexistence of the genera Chauvireria and Plioperdix in the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene of Eastern Europe mark a separate well-represented stage in the evolution of the group in Eurasia. Possible distinctive specialization and different adaptations of these taxa are briefly discussed. In Western and Central Europe, coturnicines are represented by the separate genera Palaeocryptonyx and Palaeoperdix, both known starting from the Middle Miocene. The genus Palaeoperdix comprises quail-like forms, whereas the species of Palaeocryptonyx are phylogenetically more distant from Coturnix and relatives. The Late Pliocene species Chauvireria minor and Palaeocryptonyxcapeki are considered as the most specialized taxa within these genera (both probably confined to grassy vegetation landscapes), and the Afro-Iberian taxon Marocortyx is considered a transitional form (showing similarities with modern Margaroperdix) between Alectoris-like coturnicines and highly-specialized quails. Africa may have played an important role in the evolution of the group, although some of the diversification of Coturnicini obviously occurred in Asia. The oldest occurrences of modern taxa are discussed, with a special emphasis on the evolution of Coturnix quails, which first occur in Eurasia in the Late Pliocene of Mongolia, but spread across Europe only in the Calabrian of the Early Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nearly complete frontal bone of a racerunner lizard (Lacertidae: Eremias) is described from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave – a famous site of fossil vertebrate fauna in Crimea, north Black Sea region. A comparative study of the frontals in the genus Eremias by micro-CT highlighted a few diagnostic features and suggested that the Eremias from the Taurida cave cannot be attributed to any modern species, including Eremias arguta, which inhabited Crimea currently. The specimen from the Taurida cave represents the first Early Pleistocene record of the genus and the oldest European record of the genus to date. Our data suggests that Eremias dispersed into Crimea already in the Early Pleistocene, not in the Holocene as was suggested earlier. The past range of Eremias in Crimea was wider than today and included midland areas. This record extends the distribution range of Eremias during the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of fallow deer Dama pontica is described from the late Early Pleistocene of Taurida Cave in the Crimea. The antlers of this medium-sized deer had a small first tine near the burr and a primitively narrow proximal fan-shaped palmation. The morphology of D. pontica sp. nov. suggests that this species belongs to a phylogenetic branch of the modern Mesopotamian (Persian, or Iranian) fallow deer, D. mesopotamica (Brooke, 1875). The fossil remains of Dama from the Taurida Cave are the oldest in Europe. According to biochronological data, the age of the Taurida fauna is estimated at 1.8–1.5 Ma. The find indicates that the divergence of the European and Mesopotamian branches of fallow deer occurred no later than 1.5 Ma. Hypotheses about the origin of Dama (s.s.) from 'Pseudodama' at the Early–Middle Pleistocene boundary require revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The typical Mammuthus - Coelodonta Faunal Complex dominated the mid- and high latitudes of continental Eurasia during the Mid-Late Pleistocene; the dominant taxa include woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis), steppe bison (Bison priscus) and diverse horses (Equus spp.), etc. Recent excavations at the Early Pleistocene site Shanshenmiaozui in Nihewan Basin of North China resulted in the discoveries of rich mammalian fossils which include steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii), Nihowan woolly rhino (Coelodonta nihowanensis), archaic Chinese bison (Bison (Eobison) palaeosinensis) and rich collections of early horse fossil. In Nihewan Basin, a couple of sites (Xiashagou, Shanshenmiaozui and Yeniupo) yielded the Mammuthus - Coelodonta - Bison assemblage, which can be regarded as the closest ancestors of the Mammuthus - Coelodonta Faunal Complex or the forerunners of the later Mammuthus - Coelodonta Faunal Complex. Nihewan Basin bears the richest and most complete fossils of Early Pleistocene Coelodonta and Bison to date, and the juvenile specimens of M. trogontherii also represent the richest collection for its kind and its geologic age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of vegetation of open environments with a predominance of grass–forb meadow associations and the participation of pine–oak forests was reconstructed on the basis of study of microphytofossils from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave in central Crimea. These results are consistent with data on the composition of land vertebrates from the Taurida locality. The studied spectrum demonstrates similarity with the spore–pollen assemblage of the Berezan horizon of Ukraine with a maximum age of about 1.8 Ma. Based on the abundance of trichomes and plant fibers similar to those of Ficus carica Linnaeus, 1753 in the coprolites, it is assumed that the extinct hyenas Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Gervais, 1850) ate fig fruits in certain seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fragmentary maxilla and isolated vertebrae of a viperid snake were found in the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave, Crimean Peninsula. The snake is assigned to Vipera cf. renardi based on the morphology of the maxilla. This is the first unquestionable fossil record of the Vipera ursinii-renardi complex dispersed into Crimea earlier than previously supposed, already in the Early Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of giant deer Arvernoceros verestchagini David, 1992 and Megaloceros cf. stavropolensis Titov et Shvyreva, 2016 is recorded in the Early Pleistocene fauna (1.8–1.5 Ma) of Taurida Cave in the Crimea. Incomplete antlers and teeth are described. These autochthonous deer of the Early Pleistocene fauna of the Northern Black Sea region are characteristic of the Psekupsian faunal complex of southeastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material on ducks from the Lower Pleistocene (about 1.8 Ma) of Taurida Cave in the Crimea represents forms new to the locality: Melanitta kirbori sp. nov., Marmaronetta angustirostris, Spatulaquerquedula, Anas aff. A.acuta, and Anas aff. A. platyrhynchos. In addition, new material on the previously known taxa Spatula praeclypeata Zelenkov, 2022 and Tadorna petrina Kurochkin, 1985 is described. The assemblage of ducks from Taurida Cave is the oldest representative fauna of Anatidae for the Early Pleistocene of Europe. The finds of the genera Melanitta and Marmaronetta are the oldest in the fossil record on a global scale. The finds of ducks from the groups of mallards (Anas aff. A. platyrhynchos) and pintails (Anas aff. A. acuta) are the oldest known for these lineages, marking the dispersal of the ancestors of modern Palearctic species from Africa to Eurasia. The evolutionary history of the anatid taxa found in the cave is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The site of LuneryRosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (Lunery, Cher, France) comprises early evidence of human occupation in mid-latitudes in Western Europe. It demonstrates hominin presence in the Loire River Basin during the Early Pleistocene at the transition between an interglacial stage and the beginning of the following glacial stage. Three archaeological levels sandwiched and associated with two diamicton levels deposited on the downcutting river floor indicate repeated temporary occupations. Lithic material yields evidence of simple and more complex core technologies on local Jurassic siliceous rocks and Oligocene millstone. Hominins availed of natural stone morphologies to produce flakes with limited preparation. Some cores show centripetal management and a partially prepared striking platform. The mean ESR age of 1175 ka ± 98 ka obtained on fluvial sediments overlying the archaeological levels could correspond to the transition between marine isotopic stages (MIS) 37 and 36, during the normal Cobb Mountain subchron, and in particular at the beginning of MIS 36. The Lunery site shows that hominins were capable of adapting to early glacial environmental conditions and adopting appropriate strategies for settling in mid-latitude zones. These areas cannot be considered as inhospitable at that time as Lunery lies at some distance from the forming ice cap.

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The Vallparadís Section encompasses various geological layers that span a significant chronological range, extending from the latest Early Pleistocene to the early Middle Pleistocene, covering a timeframe from approximately 1.2 to 0.6 Ma. This period holds particular importance, as it coincides with a significant climatic transition known as the Early–Middle Pleistocene Transition, a pivotal phase in Quaternary climatic history. This transition, marked by the shift from a 41,000-year obliquity-driven climatic cycle to a 100,000-year precession-forced cyclicity, had profound effects on the Calabrian carnivorous mammal communities. Notably, the once diverse carnivore guild began to decline across Europe during this period, with their last documented occurrences coinciding with those found within the Vallparadís Section (e.g., Megantereon or Xenocyon). Concurrently, this period witnessed the initial dispersals of African carnivorans into the European landscape (e.g., steppe lions), marking a significant shift in the composition and dynamics of the region's carnivorous fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Pleistocene sites of Orce in southeastern Spain, including Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3), Barranco León (BL) and Venta Micena (VM), provide important insights into the earliest hominin populations and Late Villafranchian large mammal communities. Dated to approximately 1.4 million years ago, FN3 and BL preserve abundant Oldowan tools, cut marks and a human primary tooth, indicating hominin activity. VM, approximately 1.6 million years old, is an outstanding site because it preserves an exceptionally rich assemblage of large mammals and predates the presence of hominins, providing a context for pre-human conditions in the region. Research suggests that both hominins and giant hyenas were essential to the accumulation of skeletal remains at FN3 and BL, with secondary access to meat resources exploited by saber-toothed felids. This aim of this study aims to correlate the relative abundance of large herbivores at these sites with their estimates of Carrying Capacity (CC) and Total Available Biomass (TAB) using the PSEco model, which incorporates survival and mortality profiles to estimate these parameters in paleoecosystems. Our results show: (i) similarities between quarries VM3 and VM4 and (ii) similarities of these quarries with BL-D (level D), suggesting a similar formation process; (iii) that the role of humans would be secondary in BL-D and FN3-LAL (Lower Archaeological Level), although with a greater human influence in FN3-LAL due to the greater presence of horses and small species; and (iv) that FN3-UAL (Upper Archaeological Level) shows similarities with the expected CC values for FN3/BL, consistent with a natural trap of quicksand scenario, where the large mammal species were trapped according to their abundance and body mass, as there is a greater presence of rhinos and mammoths due to the greater weight per unit area exerted by their legs. Given the usefulness of this approach, we propose to apply it first to sites that have been proposed to function as natural traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the geologically youngest occurrence of the softshell turtle family Trionychidae in Europe, from middle Calabrian (Emilian) strata cropping out at Montalto, Pisa Province (Tuscany, central Italy). This record indicates that the softshell turtles survived well past the glacial pulse at ca. 1.8 Ma. That the most recent finds of Trionychidae all over Europe come from mainland Italy further evokes the role of the Apennine peninsula as a refugium for humid-dwelling herpetofaunas through most of the Plio-Pleistocene. Reduced humidity associated with the intensified cool stages at the beginning of the Early–Middle Pleistocene Transition may have been behind the demise of the last European softshell turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil gazelles have been discovered from the late Miocene to the late Pleistocene in China, but the Neogene gazelles were much more documented. The gazelle specimens unearthed from the early Pleistocene at Tianzhen are described and classified into three species: Gazella sinensis, G. blacki and Procapra cf. przewalskii. Based on the observation of extant Gazella subgutturosa and Procapra, we summarised the differential morphological characters of these species. Meanwhile, we reviewed and revised two diagnostic characters, morphology of p4 and size of horn cores, and we suggest that these should be used carefully in classification. Based on the new diagnostic characters, the Gazella cf. subgutturosa identified by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau in 1930 should be reassigned to G. sinensis. Partial materials of G. paragutturosa described by Bohlin in 1938 may be moved from Gazella to Procapra as P. gutturosa. We infer that the lectotype of G. blacki and other materials described by Chen in 1997 belong to the juvenile individuals based on the internal morphology of their horn cores. The different characters of the early Pleistocene G. sinensis and G. blacki are summarised after reviewing all materials classified into these two species in the previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstructions of palimpsest formation and dynamics in Early Pleistocene African archaeological deposits have undergone significant advances thanks to taphonomic research. However, the spatial imprint of different agents implicated in most of these accumulations still needs to be addressed. We hypothesize that different site formation dynamics may yield diverse spatial distributions of archaeological remains, reflecting the intervention of different agents (i.e., hominins, felids, hyaenids) in palimpsests. This study aims to investigate the spatial patterns of archaeological remains in a selected sample of Early Pleistocene accumulations with the goal of understanding and characterizing their spatial dynamics. Building on previous taphonomic interpretations of twelve paradigmatic archaeological deposits from Olduvai Bed I (FLK Zinj 22 A, PTK 22 A, DS 22B, FLK N 1–2 to 5, FLK NN 3, DK 1–3) and Koobi Fora (FxJj50, FxJj20 East and FxJj20 Main), we explore the spatial patterns of remains statistically and use hierarchical clustering on principal components analysis (HCPC) to group the highest-density spots at these sites based on a number of spatial variables. The results of this approach show that despite sharing a similar inhomogeneous pattern, anthropogenic sites and assemblages where carnivores played the main role display fundamentally different spatial features. Both types of spatial distributions also show statistical differences from modern hunter-gatherer campsites. Additional taphonomic particularities and differing formation processes of the analyzed accumulations also appear reflected in the classifications. This promising approach reveals crucial distinctions in spatial imprints related to site formation and agents’ behavior, prompting further exploration of advanced spatial statistical techniques for characterizing archaeological intra-site patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large comb-antlered deer Eucladoceros orientalis (Radulesco et Samson, 1967) is recorded in the Early Pleistocene fauna (1.8–1.5 Ma) of Taurida Cave, Crimea. The proximal parts of two antlers, two incomplete upper jaws, a lower jaw, dentition, and a metatarsal bone are described. New data on the morphology of this species confirm its assignment to the genus Eucladoceros. E. orientalis, an autochthonous species of the Early Pleistocene fauna of the Northern Black Sea region, is characteristic of the Psekupsian faunal complex of southern Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment of the Marseille basin in the Early Pleistocene was reconstructed through a multiproxy study of fluvial tufa deposits. Palaeomagnetic measurements revealed the Jaramillo subchron and dated the tufa to within the 0.8–1.5 Ma interval, probably between 0.9 and1.2 Ma. Sedimentological studies show varied depositional environments comprising natural dams formed by accumulations of plants promoting the development of upstream water bodies. The very negative δ13C values indicate that the Marseille tufa is not travertine sensu stricto but tufa deposited by local cold-water rivers. Palynological analyses indicate a semi-forested, diverse, mosaic vegetation landscape dominated by a Mediterranean pine and oak forest. Along the streams, the riparian forest was diverse and included Juglans, Castanea, Platanus and Vitis. The potential diet reconstructed from pollen was varied. The most surprising discovery was the presence of proto-cereals, which could potentially enrich the diet with carbohydrates. The identification of spores of coprophilous fungi seems to indicate the presence in situ of large herbivore herds. It is possible that, as in Anatolia, the disturbance of ecosystems by large herbivores was responsible for the genetic mutation of Poaceae and the appearance of proto-cereals. Climatic reconstructions indicate a slightly cooler and wetter climate than the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work describes for a first time a fused fracture of the metacarpals of the medium-sized felid, Lynx issiodorensis, the putative ancestor of all Eurasian extant lynx species. The studied remains, four metacarpals from the same individual, were unearthed from the Early Pleistocene of the Taurida cave (Crimean Peninsula) and studied through computed tomography. These remains exhibit pronounced signs of osteopathology, namely, fracture with displacement of the fifth metacarpal bone fused with the formation of callus and deformation of the bone itself. The pathological process is spread to adjacent metacarpal bones. The likely cause of the injury could be an unsuccessful hunt or an awkward landing from a height. After the injury and in the process of healing the fracture, the studied individual survived with clearly limited hunting abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The site of LuneryRosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (Lunery, Cher, France) comprises early evidence of human occupation in mid-latitudes in Western Europe. It demonstrates hominin presence in the Loire River Basin during the Early Pleistocene at the transition between an interglacial stage and the beginning of the following glacial stage. Three archaeological levels sandwiched and associated with two diamicton levels deposited on the downcutting river floor indicate repeated temporary occupations. Lithic material yields evidence of simple and more complex core technologies on local Jurassic siliceous rocks and Oligocene millstone. Hominins availed of natural stone morphologies to produce flakes with limited preparation. Some cores show centripetal management and a partially prepared striking platform. The mean ESR age of 1175 ka ± 98 ka obtained on fluvial sediments overlying the archaeological levels could correspond to the transition between marine isotopic stages (MIS) 37 and 36, during the normal Cobb Mountain subchron, and in particular at the beginning of MIS 36. The Lunery site shows that hominins were capable of adapting to early glacial environmental conditions and adopting appropriate strategies for settling in mid-latitude zones. These areas cannot be considered as inhospitable at that time as Lunery lies at some distance from the forming ice cap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakeshore environments often preserve a rich record of Pleistocene hominin evidence, and hence are promising vantage points from which to infer hominin evolutionary pathways. However, early Pleistocene sites from fluvial-lacustrine contexts are usually palimpsests, making it essential to understand their formation processes. Focusing on the evidence from the 1.2 Ma-old site of Feiliang (Nihewan Basin, north China), this paper applies a new package of several taphonomic, spatial and fabric approaches to enable a more detailed reconstruction of site formation history. So far, many assemblages from the Nihewan fluvial-lacustrine sequence in North China have lacked this detailed kind of evaluation, even though they are important sources of evidence for hominins’ arrival and adaptations in East Asia. We conclude that the Feiliang assemblage is well preserved and has only undergone minor disturbance mainly by water flow. As various post-depositional modifications are identified at different localities, hominins used this area in varied freshwater environment, and did so recurrently for a long period. This study shows that the interpretation of site structure from lakeshore paleo-landscape should play an important role in the identifying site integrity and in extrapolating hominin behavioural patterns during early Pleistocene in the Nihewan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extinct mountain long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris sarmaticus subsp. nov. is described on the base of jaw remains from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida cave in central Crimea. This is the first record of the genus Plecotus in the Lower Pleistocene of Russia and the first fossil find of P. macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, documenting the early stage of the evolutionary history of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary infill of the Quibas karstic site (Early Pleistocene, southern Spain) represents the only continuous succession with remains of continental vertebrates in Europe from pre-Jaramillo to post-Jaramillo age. The Quibas site, with a significant paleontological record, is dated between 1.1 and 0.9 Ma and offers a unique opportunity to carry out a paleoclimatic reconstruction of the time period immediately after the arrival of the first humans to western Europe. For this reason, defining the dominant sedimentary processes in the different stratigraphic units and the associated paleoenvironment is essential. The Quibas site is made up of two karstic features with two stratigraphic sequences: Quibas-Cueva, containing six lithostratigraphic units, and Quibas-Sima, which contains seven lithostratigraphic units. The detailed description and analyses of the stratigraphic sections have allowed the characterization of various autochthonous and allochthonous facies of cave deposits. Paleoclimatic proxies, inferred from sedimentological analyses, reveal a record of several alternating humid and arid phases resulting from the Early Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles, allowing correlation to the marine oxygen isotope record. The lowermost units (pre-Jaramillo) were deposited during a long-lasting interglacial, correlated to MIS 33–31. It was followed by an increase in aridity in the intermediate units of Quibas-Sima and uppermost unit of Quibas-Cueva (Jaramillo), revealing the beginning of a glacial period at the start of the Jaramillo subchron (1 Ma), which can be correlated to MIS 30. The upper Jaramillo and post-Jaramillo units suggest these were deposited in alternating periods of aridity and humid conditions, although less humid than the pre-Jaramillo period, probably representing the MIS 29 interglacial, the MIS 28 glacial and the MIS 27 interglacial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asia, being the evolutionary center of Coelodonta, offers a unique opportunity to explore the spatiotemporal paleoecologies of this genus. This study utilized bulk and serial stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses on the Coelodonta nihowanensis and other ungulates from the Longdan fauna as well as two modern goats in the Linxia Basin, aiming to explore the paleoecology of C. nihowanensis at the periphery of the Tibetan Plateau during the Early Pleistocene. The isotopic results of these mammals indicated that C3 vegetation was possibly a major component of the local environment in the Linxia Basin, which was influenced by a seasonal summer monsoon. C. nihowanensis specimens in the Longdan fauna were possibly mixed feeders, as indicated by the wide distribution of their δ13C values and the intermediate δ18O values compared to other coexisting ungulates. Moreover, the comparison of the δ13C and δ18O values of similar taxa from the Linxia and Nihewan basins has revealed spatiotemporal differences in the paleoclimate and paleoenvironments of these two regions throughout the Early Pleistocene. This provides a holistic framework for understanding the paleoecology of the C. nihowanensis. The isotopic results of the C. nihowanensis in the Linxia and Nihewan basins suggested varied foraging ecologies across different sites and time spans during the Early Pleistocene. This underscores the adaptability of the C. nihowanensis to diverse environments from west to east in northern China. By scrutinizing the evolutionary ecological history of the woolly rhinoceroses from its ancestor, Coelodonta thibetana, to its final form, Coelodonta antiquitatis, this study sheds light on the ecological adaptation of this genus from the Pliocene to Late Pleistocene, spanning its migration from the Tibetan Plateau to northern Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two recently published analyses make cases for severe bottlenecking of human populations occurring in the late Early Pleistocene, one case at about 0.9 Mya based on a genomic analysis of modern human populations and the low number of hominin sites of this age in Africa and the other at about 1.1 Mya based on an age inventory of sites of hominin presence in Eurasia. Both models point to climate change as the bottleneck trigger, albeit manifested at very different times, and have implications for human migrations as a mechanism to elude extinction at bottlenecking. Here, we assess the climatic and chronologic components of these models and suggest that the several hundred-thousand-year difference is largely an artifact of biases in the chronostrati- graphic record of Eurasian hominin sites. We suggest that the best available data are consistent with the Galerian hypothesis expanded from Europe to Eurasia as a major migration pulse of fauna including hominins in the late Early Pleistocene as a consequence of the opening of land routes from Africa facilitated by a large sea level drop associated with the first major ice age of the Pleistocene and concurrent with widespread aridity across .Africa that occurred during marine isotope stage 22 at ~0.9 Mya. This timing agrees with the independently dated bottleneck from genomic analysis of modern human populations and allows speculations about the relative roles of climate forcing on the survival of hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present the results of a study of the small mammal assemblage recovered from a now disappeared karstic fissure located in a quarry called 'Pedrera del Corral d'en Bruach'. The site was located at 330 m a.s.l. in the Garraf Massif, ca. 20 km south of Barcelona. An archaeological rescue excavation was conducted in 2006 by the Grup de Recerca del Quaternari, focusing on sieving the sediments that had accumulated at the foot of the quarry face. Fortunately, some faunal remains and sediment were recovered, which were later processed and sorted. Two hundred and seventy small mammal remains were identified at genus or species level, bringing to light 15 taxa. The assemblage is typical of the Mammal Neogene 17 (MN17) biozone, placing this site in the Gelasian stage of the Early Pleistocene. It is noteworthy that the first record of the glirid Glirulus pusillus in Iberia is documented. Based on the small mammals identified, the surrounding environment of the Garraf Massif is judged to have been characterised by open forest landscape and more humid environmental conditions than nowadays. Finally, the site provides a remarkable contribution to what is known of the Iberian small mammals of this time period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remains of Lyrurus partium Kretzoi, 1962 and "Lagopus" atavus Jánossy, 1974 (tribe Tetraonini, family Phasianidae, order Galliformes) are described from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave (Crimea); these are the oldest finds of the grouse in Eurasia outside of Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland). The discovery of the primitive black grouse Lyrurus partium indicates that these birds were part of the savanna-like faunal associations of the Northern Black Sea region (along with Otididae and Struthionidae) in the Early Pleistocene. The origin and evolutionary history of the modern Caucasian black grouse T. mlokosiewiczi Taczanowski, 1875 is discussed. The complete tarsometatarsus of "Lagopus" atavus from the Taurida Cave indicates a separate generic status of this poorly studied Plio-Pleistocene form, which is here transferred to the genus Paralyra gen. nov. Therefore, the presence of ptarmigans (genus Lagopus) in the preglacial Plio-Pleistocene faunas of Eastern Europe is not confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently published article in "Nature" (Garba et al., 2024) claims that lithic finds in the lowermost artefact-bearing sediments of lithological unit 26 at the Korolevo I site (Transcarpathia, Ukraine) are the oldest in Europe, dated to ca. 1.42 Ma with cosmogenic nuclides of gravel pebbles. These surprisingly old dates were then used to build hypotheses on the geochronology and routes of the initial Homo erectus colonization of Europe from the east. The present author reviews all published and unpublished Lower Palaeolithic (LP) data of the Korolevo I site, the field investigations of which he also participated in the 1980s, and came to the following negative results. The dated pebbles in Korolevo I unit 26 are of "intrusive" character, they do not date unit 26 and its lithic finds. Also, the proposed Early Pleistocene interglacial MIS 47, 45 and 43 periods for the LP colonization of Europe either via Asia Minor and the Danube River valley or the Caucasus and the southern part of Eastern Europe do not correspond to the known palaeogeographic and archaeological data from Western Eurasia. Besides, our review of LP contexts in Korolevo I suggests that the so-called lowermost LP lithic artefacts found in situ in archaeological horizon VII within lithological unit 26 in Korolevo I in 1984-1986 are distributed randomly horizontally and vertically. Moreover, they are mostly unworked hyalodacite and siliceous sandstone pieces together with several artefacts redeposited from the sediments above. Accordingly, the only certainly LP material in Korolevo I we know so far is situated in archaeological horizon VI, which is geochronologically associated with the Middle Pleistocene inter-Mindel period or MIS 14, dated to ca. 550 ka BP. However, the Korolevo I site still appears to represent the oldest LP human occupation in both Eastern Central Europe and Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reinvestigated the composition and stratigraphical position of a plant macrofossil assemblage including Metasequoia glyptostroboides and Davidia involucrata, which has been reported from the upper part of the Sayama Formation, Kazusa Group in the Sayama Hills, west Kanto region. This fossil assemblage is composed of 24 taxa, including warm temperate plants such as Paliurus sp., Triadica sebifera var. pleistoceaca, and Vernicia sp., which indicate their deposition during an interglacial stage. Cool temperate taxa in the assemblage such as Picea sp. (sect. Picea) and Styrax obassia were possibly transported from mountains surrounding the sedimentary basin. We determined petrographic properties of tephra at the horizon immediately above the plant fossil layer. This shows that this tephra can be correlated to the Zoshiki tephra (ZSK) deposited in ca. 1.3 Ma. Stratigraphic occurrence of exotic taxa between the late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene in southwest Kanto region is similar with that in central Kinki region, which was influenced by warm and oceanic climate in this region facing the Pacific Ocean. Whereas, the ages of appearance of cold-loving plants as Picea maximowiczii in southwest Kanto region were earlier than those in Kinki region, which is possibly caused by distribution of mountains with high altitude areas where cold-loving plants have invaded much earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reconstructs the Early Pleistocene paleoenvironment of the Yuanmou Basin through coproecology of the third member of the Yuanmou Formation. We examined 38 exceptionally well-preserved coprolites from a new fossil locality, and attributed the putative defecating agent to the hypercarnivorous diet canid, Sinocuon yuanmouensis through geochemical and quantitative analyses. A new ichnogenus and ichnospecies, Cuocopros yuanmouensis igen. et. isp. nov., was established based on distinctive characteristics. Multi-disciplinary analysis, including sediment palynology and lithostratigraphy, helped primarily reconstruct a significant climatic event during the early Pleistocene, coinciding with the emergence of Yuanmou Man during the fourth member of the Yuanmou Formation's deposition. The findings provide insights into coexistence between canids, hyaenas, hominoids, and other fauna, revealing a rich paleoecosystem and food chain in the region's history. This study contributes to understanding the complex ecological dynamics during this period in the Yuanmou Basin.

The island of Taiwan, with its diverse microclimates and key position on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, attracts numerous bird enthusiasts due to its diverse avian fauna. Nevertheless, due to the scarcity of fossil records, there is a significant knowledge gap between modern and ancient avifaunas in Taiwan. Currently, there is only a single described Pleistocene fossil; it is attributed to Phasianidae. To address this gap, this study describes two new bird fossils, a left humerus and a left tibiotarsus, and discusses them in detail herein. The fossils were collected from the Liuchungchi Formation (Early Pleistocene, 1.95–1.35 Ma) in Niubu, Chiayi, southwestern Taiwan, which represents a neritic environment. The fossils are identified as from species of Gaviidae (loons), with the humerus belonging to an undetermined species of Gavia and the tibiotarsus to Gavia stellata. Loons are seabirds that are primarily distributed in high- and middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, these birds are extremely rare in modern Taiwan: records are scarce and most are limited to northern and northeastern Taiwan since the 1860s, indicating that the modern Gavia birds only occasionally visit Taiwan. All known Pleistocene fossils of species of Gavia from the northern West Pacific come from Japan. The Taiwan fossils of Gavia provide valuable bird evolutionary and paleobiogeographic information for the subtropical West Pacific and may imply the presence of a distinct avifauna in the region during the Early Pleistocene.

The Quaternary climate is characterized by a notable cooling and significant glacial-interglacial fluctuations driven by the influence of orbital-induced insolation and bipolar ice-volume variability. The Weihe Basin, located in the critical zone of the Asian monsoon region, accumulated thick fluvial-lacustrine deposition and aeolian deposition since the Cenozoic, which is a key placeto explore the environmental evolution during the Quaternary period. Objective The fluvial-lacustrine strata of the Sanmen Formation in the Weihe Basin are considered to be closely related to Palaeo-Sanmen Lake. However, the relationship among the stratigraphic age of the Sanmen Formation, the evolution of the palaeolake as well as the evolution of regional tectonics is still under much debated. Methods In this work, the magnetic susceptibility and grain size records from two sections (Yanyu and Wujiabu) in the southern margin of the Weihe Basin have been generated to investigate sedimentary evolution during the interval of 2.6-1.6 Ma. Results The mean grain size (MGS) and magnetic susceptibility (MS) of the Yanyu loess exhibit large-amplitude variations as proxies for the East Asian winter and summer monsoons. The MGS and MS variations in theWujiabu section show that lithology changes from lacustrine to aeolian facies occurred at 1.95 Ma in the southern margin of the Weihe Basin. In lacustrine environments, MGS is positively correlated with MS and is sensitive to fluctuations in lake level linked with monsoonal precipitation. Conclusion Overall, the climatic characteristics on the margin of the Weihe Basin during the early Pleistocene can be divided into two intervals: ① the lake level frequently fluctuated during 2.6-1.95 Ma, ② the lake shrank from 1.95 to 1.6 Ma. We suggest that the disappearance of Palaeo-Sanmen Lake was affected by the development and integration of the Yellow River.

The Vallparadís Section encompasses various geological layers that span a significant chronological range, extending from the latest Early Pleistocene to the early Middle Pleistocene, covering a timeframe from approximately 1.2 to 0.6 Ma. This period holds particular importance, as it coincides with a significant climatic transition known as the Early–Middle Pleistocene Transition, a pivotal phase in Quaternary climatic history. This transition, marked by the shift from a 41,000-year obliquity-driven climatic cycle to a 100,000-year precession-forced cyclicity, had profound effects on the Calabrian carnivorous mammal communities. Notably, the once diverse carnivore guild began to decline across Europe during this period, with their last documented occurrences coinciding with those found within the Vallparadís Section (e.g., Megantereon or Xenocyon). Concurrently, this period witnessed the initial dispersals of African carnivorans into the European landscape (e.g., steppe lions), marking a significant shift in the composition and dynamics of the region’s carnivorous fauna.

We report on the geologically youngest occurrence of the softshell turtle family Trionychidae in Europe, from middle Calabrian (Emilian) strata cropping out at Montalto, Pisa Province (Tuscany, central Italy). This record indicates that the softshell turtles survived well past the glacial pulse at ca. 1.8 Ma. That the most recent finds of Trionychidae all over Europe come from mainland Italy further evokes the role of the Apennine peninsula as a refugium for humid-dwelling herpetofaunas through most of the Plio-Pleistocene. Reduced humidity associated with the intensified cool stages at the beginning of the Early–Middle Pleistocene Transition may have been behind the demise of the last European softshell turtles.

The Early Pleistocene sites of Orce in southeastern Spain, including Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3), Barranco León (BL) and Venta Micena (VM), provide important insights into the earliest hominin populations and Late Villafranchian large mammal communities. Dated to approximately 1.4 million years ago, FN3 and BL preserve abundant Oldowan tools, cut marks and a human primary tooth, indicating hominin activity. VM, approximately 1.6 million years old, is an outstanding site because it preserves an exceptionally rich assemblage of large mammals and predates the presence of hominins, providing a context for pre-human conditions in the region. Research suggests that both hominins and giant hyenas were essential to the accumulation of skeletal remains at FN3 and BL, with secondary access to meat resources exploited by saber-toothed felids. This aim of this study aims to correlate the relative abundance of large herbivores at these sites with their estimates of Carrying Capacity (CC) and Total Available Biomass (TAB) using the PSEco model, which incorporates survival and mortality profiles to estimate these parameters in paleoecosystems. Our results show: (i) similarities between quarries VM3 and VM4 and (ii) similarities of these quarries with BL-D (level D), suggesting a similar formation process; (iii) that the role of humans would be secondary in BL-D and FN3-LAL (Lower Archaeological Level), although with a greater human influence in FN3-LAL due to the greater presence of horses and small species; and (iv) that FN3-UAL (Upper Archaeological Level) shows similarities with the expected CC values for FN3/BL, consistent with a natural trap of quicksand scenario, where the large mammal species were trapped according to their abundance and body mass, as there is a greater presence of rhinos and mammoths due to the greater weight per unit area exerted by their legs. Given the usefulness of this approach, we propose to apply it first to sites that have been proposed to function as natural traps.

The environment of the Marseille basin in the Early Pleistocene was reconstructed through a multiproxy study of fluvial tufa deposits. Palaeomagnetic measurements revealed the Jaramillo subchron and dated the tufa to within the 0.8–1.5 Ma interval, probably between 0.9 and1.2 Ma. Sedimentological studies show varied depositional environments comprising natural dams formed by accumulations of plants promoting the development of upstream water bodies. The very negative δ13C values indicate that the Marseille tufa is not travertine sensu stricto but tufa deposited by local cold-water rivers. Palynological analyses indicate a semi-forested, diverse, mosaic vegetation landscape dominated by a Mediterranean pine and oak forest. Along the streams, the riparian forest was diverse and included Juglans, Castanea, Platanus and Vitis. The potential diet reconstructed from pollen was varied. The most surprising discovery was the presence of proto-cereals, which could potentially enrich the diet with carbohydrates. The identification of spores of coprophilous fungi seems to indicate the presence in situ of large herbivore herds. It is possible that, as in Anatolia, the disturbance of ecosystems by large herbivores was responsible for the genetic mutation of Poaceae and the appearance of proto-cereals. Climatic reconstructions indicate a slightly cooler and wetter climate than the present.

Buttonquails (family Turnicidae of the order Charadriiformes) are a morphologically specialized group of small, predominantly tropical birds of open landscapes, which is extremely poorly represented in the fossil record. The article describes a fragmentary humerus of a buttonquail from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave in central Crimea. This is the first find of the family Turnicidae in Eurasia in a chronological interval from the Pliocene through the Middle Pleistocene. The find highlights the limited nature of available information on the taxonomic composition of Early Quaternary Eurasian avifaunas, even at the family level, and sheds light on the Late Cenozoic evolutionary history of Turnicidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated teeth and bones of rhinoceroses are sometimes difficult to identify at specific level because our poor knowledge of the morphological variability of fossil and, often, of extant species. During the past century, several studies have been devoted to highlight morphological and morphometric differences among the fossil Pleistocene species, but only a few of them considered the variability of the extant taxa, in particular Dicerorhinus sumatrensis , to support and interpret their results. Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is the closest extant relative of the Eurasian Stephanorhinus , as recently evidenced by molecular analyses, and it provides useful data to better understand the variability in extinct Pleistocene Eurasian taxa. Taking into account the observations on the extant Sumatran rhinoceros, the validity of some morphological traits, often used for specific attribution in Early Pleistocene fossil rhinoceroses, is revised. Sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic stage drive the development of some important features in Eurasian rhinoceroses and a detailed comparison among crania lead to new considerations on taxonomy, and, therefore, on paleobiogeography and biochronology of the different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Pleistocene site of Palan-Tyukan (MNQ18, ca 1.85 Mya) is located in Transcaucasia, northwestern Azerbaijan. More than 300 mammalian bones were laid close to each other in a 25 m2 lens-like accumulation, in a stratum of normally magnetised (the upper part of the Olduvai subchron) yellowish-grey Lower Apsheron loams. The Palan-Tyukan fauna includes two species of sabertoothed cats. The medium-sized sabertoothed cat remains are ascribed here to Megantereon cf. cultridens. The large size of the massive fossil ulna from Palan-Tyukan is comparable to that of a broadly lion-sized felid. We attribute the bone to the species Homotherium cf. crenatidens. The morphological characters and the size of the Panthera remains from Palan-Tyukan suggest its similarities with the P. gombaszogensis remains from Olivola, Upper Valdarno and Dmanisi localities (the initial phase of Early Pleistocene). The occurrence of P. cf. gombaszogensis in Palan-Tyukan provides information on stratigraphic range of these taxa: it represents one of the earliest records of the genus Panthera in all of Eurasia. The hyaenid remains are ascribed here to Pliocrocuta perrieri. A Feliformia community of the Palan-Tyukan type presents evidence of the wider variety of environments ranging from wooded areas and savanna landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Ovis gracilis sp. nov., is described based on the study of fossil remains of Bovidae from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave, Crimea. This not very large sheep had horn cores with homonymous torsion and short sinuses and slender metapodia. The remains of Ovis from Taurida are among the oldest in Europe and present the earliest evidence of the occurrence of Ovis in the Early Pleistocene of the Crimea. The species O. gracilis was part of the fauna of the Taurida Cave, dated to 1.8–1.5 Ma. The appearance of this species in the south of Eastern Europe might be associated with one of the early dispersal waves from Asia, along the Alpine–Himalayan belt during the global cooling just prior to the Olduvai paleomagnetic episode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a detailed survey on the rodent fauna from the site of Barranco de los Conejos (Guadix-Baza Basin, southern Spain). Its rodent fauna is composed of three arvicolines (Orcemys giberti, Manchenomys oswaldoreigi, and Tibericola vandermeuleni) and two murids (Castillomys rivas and Apodemus atavus). The three arvicoline species present ever-growing molars. Orcemys giberti and Manchenomys oswaldoreigi can be considered as descendants of local Mimomys species (Mimomys medasensis and Mimomys tornensis, respectively), while Tibericola vandermeuleni is an eastern inmigrant. Loosening of roots in Orcemys giberti and Manchenomys oswaldoreigi is explained as an adaptation to a fossorial way of life, in relation to the Early Pleistocene glacial–interglacial dynamics, which led to cooler and drier conditions. This environmental change would also explain the dispersal of Tibericola from the eastern Mediterranean.

The Nihewan Basin is infilled by a relatively complete Pliocene to Pleistocene sequence, rich mammalian fossils and containing many Palaeolithic artefacts, implying that it is a unique location for Quaternary multidisciplinary study. Fossil excavations in these deposits have been carried out for nearly a century. The systematic study of the fossils by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau in 1930 laid the foundations for the classic Nihewan Faunal assemblage, which has been widely followed as a standard for the Early Pleistocene biochronology in eastern Asia. With the availability of magnetostratigraphic analyses on several sections in the Nihewan basin, a comprehensive geochronological study is timely pending. Here we report the results of a comprehensive survey of the Xiashagou section, where the classic Nihewan Fauna was discovered. By synthesising the lithostratigraphical, biostratigraphical, and magnetostratigraphical information, together with measurements taken by the authors, the total thickness of the Nihewan Formation in the Xiashagou section being 116 m. Furthermore, the geochronological study demonstrates that the classic Nihewan Fauna was originally recovered from at least 6 fossil horizons, spanning from ∼2.4 Ma to ∼1.8 Ma, i.e., the early Early Pleistocene. The new evidence from the Xiashagou section also suggests several cycles of fluctuations in the biodiversity and population of the classic Nihewan Fauna during the early Pleistocene. The preliminary correlation of these cycles matches the short periods of glaciation in the early Pleistocene.

The ability of early hominins to overcome the constraints imposed by the characteristics of raw materials used for stone tool production is a key topic on the discussion about the evolution of hominin cognitive capabilities and technical behaviours. Thus, technological variability has been the centrepiece on this debate. However, the variability of lithic assemblages cannot be correctly interpreted without understanding site occupational models and function and considering that individual tools represent specific discard moments in a continuous reduction process. In Europe, the earliest technological record is represented by the scarce and scattered Mode 1 technologies, often deriving from occasional occupations or restricted activity areas yielding unrepresentative assemblages. In this paper, we approach the technological behaviours exhibited by Lower Palaeolithic hominins from the subunit TD6.2 of the Gran Dolina site (Atapuerca, Burgos) by including the perspective of reduction intensity studies on the analysis of technological variability. Gran Dolina TD6.2 is a unique and extremely significant archaeological context, as it represents the oldest multi-layered unit of domestic hominin occupations in the Early Pleistocene of Europe. We use the Volumetric Reconstruction Method (VRM) to estimate the original volume of the blanks and quantify the reduction intensity of each core individually to characterise the reduction distribution patterns using Weibull probability distribution functions. Our results suggest differential raw material management in terms of reduction intensity, according to the characteristics of each lithology. This could reflect a solid understanding of raw material qualities and a certain degree of planning. Altogether, the continuity between knapping strategies through reduction denotes constant adaptation to raw material constraints as well as particular knapping conditions, rather than specific compartmentalised mental schemes. In conclusion, Homo antecessor toolmakers would have been situational knappers whose technological behaviour would be highly adaptive. This research constitutes the first reduction approach for the European Early Pleistocene assemblages that will lead to a referential framework for other European Early Pleistocene sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karnezeika is an Early Pleistocene locality in the Peloponnese, South Greece. More than 3000 specimens have been unearthed and studied, revealing the presence of a large mammal assemblage, which corresponds to the middle Villafranchian biochronological unit. The bovid fauna of the site has already been presented, as well as the scarce remains of a large cercopithecid, which characterizes Karnezeika as a primate-bearing fossil site. Herein, we describe the Carnivora of this locality. The carnivore guild of Karnezeika was found to consist of seven different taxa including Vulpes alopecoides , Felis sp., Megantereon cultridens , Ursus etruscus , Pachycrocuta brevirostris , Baranogale helbingi , and a Mustelidae indet. Interestingly, the presence of the giant, short-faced hyena P. brevirostris among the assemblage shows that this species was present in SE Europe before the Olduvai subchron, similarly to Western Europe. Furthermore, based on the new and relatively well-preserved specimens belonging to the rare mustelid B. helbingi , we discuss some possible taxonomic interpretations of this species. Finally, the majority of the carnivora taxa present in Karnezeika indicate a mixed habitat which agrees with previous palaeoenvironmental results concerning the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new form of small antelope is described from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave in the Crimea. A new genus and species Tavridia gromovi is identified from a fragment of the skull roof with a horn core and the lower jaw. This small antelope differed from all known forms in the morphological features of the horn cores and the dental system. Based on the combination of characters, it is assigned to the tribe Antilopini (Eurasia and Africa, Middle Miocene to Recent). The discovery of T. gromovi in the Crimea testifies to the significant diversity of this group of antelopes in the middle of the Early Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird assemblages can be found in archeological sites throughout the Pleistocene. Taphonomy studies are key to understanding how such assemblages were formed. These assemblages can be generated by various agents, including human groups, animals, and natural death. In this paper, we analyzed the avifaunal assemblage from level TE9d at the Sima del Elefante site, where corvid (Corvidae) remains are the most abundant taxa, as reported in previous studies from that deposit. The remains of smaller birds (Charadriiformes, Rallidae) and large raptors (Aquila cf. heliaca/adalberti, Haliaeetus albicilla) have also been documented. Our taphonomic analysis shows that birds of prey were the main accumulators of bird remains at the site. The presence of modifications such as beak/talon marks and different degrees of digestion reinforce the idea that both diurnal and nocturnal raptors were involved. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out the accumulation by natural death of those species that could have nested in the rocky walls of the cave. The absence of evidence of anthropogenic activity on the bird remains from level TE9d therefore indicates that hominins were not involved in this accumulation. These results can be considered a new contribution to the discussion on the origin of avifaunal accumulations in Pleistocene archeological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative hunting by complex social groups is a hallmark of large dogs (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae), whose teeth also tend to be hypercarnivorous, specialized toward increased cutting edges for meat consumption and robust p4-m1 complex for cracking bone. The deep history of canid pack hunting is, however, obscure because behavioral evidence is rarely preserved in fossils. Dated to the Early Pleistocene (>1.2 Ma), Canis chihliensis from the Nihewan Basin of northern China is one of the earliest canines to feature a large body size and hypercarnivorous dentition. We present the first known record of dental infection in C. chihliensis, likely inflicted by processing hard food, such as bone. Another individual also suffered a displaced fracture of its tibia and, despite such an incapacitating injury, survived the trauma to heal. The long period required for healing the compound fracture is consistent with social hunting and family care (food-sharing) although alternative explanations exist. Comparison with abundant paleopathological records of the putatively pack-hunting Late Pleistocene dire wolf, Canis dirus, at the Rancho La Brea asphalt seeps in southern California, U.S.A., suggests similarity in feeding behavior and sociality between Chinese and American Canis across space and time. Pack hunting in Canis may be traced back to the Early Pleistocene, well before the appearance of modern wolves, but additional evidence is needed for confirmation.