Analysis of the Early Pleistocene small mammals from Pirro Nord 13 (Apricena, southern Italy) and their implications for reconstructing the palaeoenvironment of the early human occupation in Europe.

The Pirro Nord quarry (Apricena, Foggia, southern Italy, 41°48′6″N, 15°23′5″ E) is a well-known palaeontological and archaeological locality comprising an abundant and diverse Early Pleistocene vertebrate assemblage of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles related to the Late Villafranchian and Early Biharian mammal ages. In this study, we describe the small mammal assemblages (insectivores, rodents, and bats) excavated between 2010 and 2022 to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment surrounding the site using Habitat Weighting and the Bioclimatic model methods. The rodent assemblage comprises mostly Allophaiomys cf. ruffoi , Apodemus sp., and Hystrix refossa , whereas Eliomys cf. intermedius was reported for the first time. Insectivores includes Talpa gr. minor-caeca ; Asoriculus sp.; Erinaceus praeglacialis ; and Sorex sp. Bats are represented by Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , Rhinolophus gr. euryale-mehelyi , Myotis gr. myotis-blythii , Myotis sp., and Miniopterus schreibersii. Landscape reconstruction attested to the presence of a rich and diverse environment with open areas and forest patches surrounding the Pirro Nord 13 site. The climate was slightly colder than that of current times in the same area, with higher precipitation. The presence of different ecosystems near the sites constituted suitable conditions for the first human dispersion in Europe, as already revealed by evidence from Barranco León D, Atapuerca TE7–14, and Fuente Nueva 3 elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula. The study of small mammal assemblages improves our understanding of the chronological boundaries of the human occupation of Pirro Nord 13, adding important information in the context of the first peopling of the Mediterranean region between 1.6 and 1.3 million years ago. • New data on climate and landscape of early human arrival in Europe. • Allophaiomys cf. ruffoi dominates Pirro Nord 13 assemblage. • Biochronological position of Pirro Nord 13 is confirmed by the small mammals. • Pirro Nord 13 had open and forested habitats with Mediterranean climate. • Human arrival at Pirro Nord could match milder climatic phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]