Fossils dating back over 600,000 years have shed light on how the animal communities of Southern Europe adapted to changes in warm and cold climates, according to a recent study.
Fossils from more than 600,000 years ago reveal how Southern Europe’s animal community shifted between warm and cold climate fluctuations, according to a study published on October 23, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Beniamino Mecozzi and his team from the Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy.
The Notarchirico site is an important source of data regarding the Early to Middle Pleistocene period, with fossils estimated to be between 695,000 and 614,000 years old. The authors of this study focused on mammalian fossils from this site, examining their relationship with historical climate conditions.
The study suggests that the earliest time frame observed at Notarchirico correlates with a warm climate, showcasing fossil remains of genera such as hippos (Hippopotamus) and rhinos (Stephanorhinus), along with deer and macaque monkeys. This indicates the area likely featured forests, steppes, and bodies of water like lakes or ponds.
However, by approximately 660,000 years ago, the warmer-climate species like macaques and hippos had disappeared. The mammalian community then shifted to include the straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) and other cattle-like species, such as the Pleistocene wood bison (Bison schoetensacki), with a noticeable decline in deer populations. This shift suggests a more open habitat with fewer forests, indicative of a colder climate during a time thought to have experienced one of the most extensive glaciations of the Pleistocene.
Fossils found in the upper layers of the site reveal an abundance of deer, which fed on shrubs and trees, suggesting a subsequent warming of the climate that allowed forests to thrive once more.
Besides illustrating the fluctuations in climate, the fossil evidence from Notarchirico contributes to our understanding of how various species migrated in and out of Europe throughout the Pleistocene. Notably, the site has produced some of the earliest known fossils of the straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), the red deer (Cervus elaphus), and among the earliest evidence of the cave lion (Panthera spelaea) in southwestern Europe.
The authors emphasize, “This study underscores the necessity of renewing excavation and research efforts at previously explored sites, as well as revisiting older museum collections that are often overlooked. By combining reviews of historical paleontological collections with analyses of unpublished materials from fresh research, we can more effectively study how terrestrial ecosystems have adapted over nearly 100,000 years of climatic changes.
The findings presented here are part of the ongoing LATEUROPE research project, led by Dr. Marie Hélène Moncel, in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Basilicata, the Direzione Regionale Musei Basilicata, and the Musei e Parchi Archeologici di Melfi e Venosa. This includes the examination of collections housed at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale “Mario Torelli” and the Parco Paleolitico di Notarchirico.”
