Journal of Quaternary Science最新文献

{"title":"Understanding landform evolution in dryland fluvial systems by examining relict paleochannels in the Kachchh mainland, western India","authors":"Falguni Bhattacharya,&nbsp;Gaurav Chauhan,&nbsp;Kaustubh Sane,&nbsp;Chirag Jani,&nbsp;Suraj Bhosale,&nbsp;Abhishek Lakhote,&nbsp;Anil Chavan,&nbsp;Durga Prasad Adapa,&nbsp;M. G. Thakkar,&nbsp;Subhash Bhandari","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dryland rivers are sensitive indicators of both long-term and short-term climatic fluctuations. These rivers are also useful archives for understanding tectonic responses superimposed on climatic fluctuations, which eventually provide important data for paleoclimatic and paleoseismic studies. In this context, we investigated fluvial sediments along the tributary-paleochannels of the Khari River, which is a major dryland river of the Kachchh region in western India. This study reconstructs sedimentation patterns using lithofacies, architectural elements, facies associations, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence dates and indicates that the Khari River and its paleochannels have evolved in eight phases since MIS-4, depicting both the climatic fluctuations and sedimentation response to tectonics. The adjoining Katrol Hill Fault, the Kachchh Mainland Fault, and their splays tectonically modulated the topography of the Khari basin. Two tectonically induced base-level lowerings at ~74 ka and ~20 ka beveled the Mesozoic bedrocks underlying the alluvium and were followed by high-magnitude-low-frequency ephemeral floods. Climatically induced aggradation phases occurred between approximately 67 ka and 59 ka, 48 ka and 37 ka, and 9 ka and 7 ka, showing a floodplain environment and sustained and wetter hydrological conditions. The lateral erosion of the underlying Mesozoic bedrock at ~50 ka and vertical incision at ~30 ka are marked as climatically governed phases. An uplift event (tectonic activity) is marked at ~7 ka, which led to debris-flow deposition followed by vertical incision of the paleochannel and the Khari River. This study revealed that ephemeral floods, which are characteristic features of drylands, dominated fluvial sedimentation. The combination of enhanced precipitation and steepened topographic relief serves as two essential criteria for sedimentary discharge in these rivers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 2","pages":"219-236"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146223928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adopted “mammoths” from Alaska turn out to be a whale's tale","authors":"Matthew J. Wooller,&nbsp;Pat Drukenmiller,&nbsp;Gonzalo Oteo-García,&nbsp;Francesca Di Paolo,&nbsp;Love Dalén,&nbsp;Nick Baker,&nbsp;Nancy Bigelow,&nbsp;Stormy Fields,&nbsp;Sambit Ghosh,&nbsp;Kathryn E. Krasinski,&nbsp;Ben Lamm,&nbsp;Alistair J. Monteath,&nbsp;Ben A. Potter,&nbsp;Jeff Rasic,&nbsp;Josh Reuther,&nbsp;Audrey Rowe,&nbsp;Beth Shapiro,&nbsp;John Southon,&nbsp;Brian T. Wygal","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Radiocarbon-dated fossils indicate woolly mammoths were extirpated from mainland Beringia around 13 000 years ago. However, environmental DNA in permafrost suggests small “cryptic“ populations survived into the Holocene. Resolving this discrepancy is crucial to understanding the drivers of mammoth extinction. The Adopt-a-Mammoth project, launched in 2022, is increasing the number of radiocarbon-dated mammoth fossils to locate the chronologically youngest specimens. Here, we report results from two “mammoth“ vertebral epiphyseal plates from interior Alaska that produced the youngest radiocarbon ages associated with mammoth specimens (~1900–2700 cal a BP). However, isotopic data indicated that these individuals consumed marine resources, and subsequent ancient DNA analysis revealed the specimens were in fact from a North Pacific Right whale and a Minke whale. Solving the mystery of recent “mammoth” fossils raised new questions. How did the remains of ancient whales become emplaced in sediment so far from the coastline? We briefly consider four scenarios to account for this.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 2","pages":"199-206"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146216783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the intensity of Late Quaternary humid phases in the Nefud Desert, northern Arabia","authors":"Richard Clark-Wilson,&nbsp;Simon J. Armitage,&nbsp;Ian Candy,&nbsp;Paul S. Breeze,&nbsp;Nick A. Drake,&nbsp;Huw S. Groucutt,&nbsp;Abdullah M. Alsharekh,&nbsp;Faisal Al-Jibreen,&nbsp;Michael D. Petraglia,&nbsp;David B. Ryves","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The climate history of the major dryland zones of the world, such as the Saharo–Arabian Desert belt, plays a key role in the dispersal of early humans through these intermittently inhospitable regions. Here, we assess the relative intensity of Late Quaternary humid phases in northern Arabia through lithological, geochemical, palaeoecological and geochronological analysis of three sediment sequences in the Nefud Desert. Two sequences are marl beds that accumulated in perennial, groundwater-fed lake systems during two distinct humid phases that occurred in MIS 5e and MIS 5a. The third records sediment accumulation within an ephemeral lake system during the terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene. The altitude of the two MIS 5 deposits indicates that the water table must have reached altitudes of &gt;929 m ASL (MIS 5e) and &gt;922 m ASL (MIS 5a). In contrast, the sedimentary characteristics of the early Holocene sequence imply that, during this interval, the water table was &lt;917 m ASL. These results indicate that, in relative terms, the humid phase of the Holocene was significantly drier than other Late Quaternary humid phases, a conclusion that is consistent with a growing body of evidence from across the Saharo–Arabian Desert belt. These findings are discussed relative to human dispersal/occupation and palaeoclimatic conditions in northern Arabia during Late Quaternary humid phases.</p>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 2","pages":"207-218"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jqs.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146224037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence for the onset of the last Glacial Period at Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica): Luminescence (pIRIR) dating of glacial till underlying the Holocene patterned ground structures","authors":"Eren Şahiner,&nbsp;Mehmet Korhan Erturaç,&nbsp;Alper Gürbüz","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70035","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Understanding the long-term Quaternary glacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands is crucial for contextualizing ice sheet responses to climate change. While Holocene deglaciation is relatively well-studied, direct terrestrial evidence for pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) events remains scarce. This study investigates the depositional age of glacial sediments underlying Holocene patterned ground on Barton Peninsula, King George Island. A 50.5 cm sediment core (AG-9) from a homogeneous diamicton at ~25 m above present sea level (a.s.l.) revealed a provenance from local Eocene magmatic bedrocks. Feldspar post-infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating, focusing on a cumulative analysis of all accepted aliquots from the core, yielded a Central Age Model De of 226 ± 12 Gy. Combined with an environmental dose rate of 2.32 ± 0.12 Gy/ka and a <i>g</i>-value of 2.07 ± 0.84%/decade, this results in a fading-corrected luminescence age of 121 ± 9 ka. This age places the till deposition within Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS-5e), the Last Interglacial. Key implications include the following: (1) The MIS-5e glaciation provides a <i>terminus post quem</i> (a point in time after which an event must have occurred) for the onset of the subsequent glacial cycle in this locality. (2) The in-situ preservation of the bulk of these MIS-5e deposits, which subsequently served as the substrate for Holocene periglacial landforms, suggests largely continuous and non-erosive ice cover from MIS-5e until Holocene deglaciation. (3) The depositional setting at ~25 m a.s.l. is interpreted as a terrestrial marker of glacial advance to the higher MIS-5e relative sea level, considering subsequent glacio-isostatic adjustments. The MIS-5e age challenges narratives focused solely on LGM/Holocene events, highlights the potential for uncovering older Quaternary terrestrial records, and offers new perspectives on the region's long-term glacial dynamics and ice-sheet sensitivity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"178-191"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The local paleoenvironment of Kalavan-2 based on small-vertebrate remains and its implications for human-environment-dynamics between 60 and 35 ka in the Armenian Highlands","authors":"Dominik L. Rogall,&nbsp;Monika V. Knul,&nbsp;Hugues-Alexandre Blain,&nbsp;Boris Gasparyan,&nbsp;Ariel Malinsky-Buller","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Kalavan-2, a high-altitude (∼1640 m a.s.l.) open-air site in Armenia, preserves stratified Middle Paleolithic occupations with a rich small-vertebrate record. Luminescence dating has placed site formation between ~60 and 45 ka, but without independent chronological control of the microvertebrate accumulation. Here, we apply accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ¹⁴C dating directly to individual rodent bones, made possible by recent advances in collagen extraction. These new radiocarbon ages refine the chronology to late marine isotope stage 3 (ca. 50–35 ka), in agreement with luminescence estimates. In addition, we conducted detailed taphonomic and taxonomic analyses of the microvertebrates, alongside paleoenvironmental reconstruction using the Taxonomic Habitat Index and Habitat Weighting Method. The microfaunal assemblage, dominated by cold-adapted rodents and insectivores, indicates open, montane steppe conditions during occupation, contrasting with today's mixed forest. Combined chronological and faunal evidence suggests episodic high-altitude hunting by Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers, consistent with models of seasonal mobility. More broadly, this study demonstrates the potential of direct ¹⁴C dating on microvertebrate remains to independently anchor Paleolithic chronologies and strengthen reconstructions of human adaptations in marginal environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"153-177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jqs.70029","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145983415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New dating results at Incarcal-I (Spain) shed light on the exceptionally rich late Early Pleistocene fossil record of the Iberian Peninsula","authors":"Mathieu Duval,&nbsp;Oriol Oms,&nbsp;Bienvenido Martinez-Navarro,&nbsp;Rainer Grün,&nbsp;Isaac Rufí,&nbsp;María Prat-Vericat,&nbsp;Sergio Ros-Montoya,&nbsp;Maria Patrocinio Espigares,&nbsp;Joan Madurell-Malapeira","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>More than five decades after the first report of fossil remains found in a limestone quarry near Crespià, NE Spain, we provide here the first dating results for the palaeontological assemblage from Incarcal-I, one of the various fossil-rich sinkholes identified at the locality that has yielded ~2,000 remains representing at least 15 taxa of large mammals. Palaeomagnetism in conjunction with combined U-series and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of fossil teeth consistently constrain the age of Incarcal-I to the latest part of the Early Pleistocene. Specifically, with palaeomagnetic results showing reverse magnetic polarities for the large majority of the samples and no indisputable evidence of normal polarity in the stratigraphic succession, the deposits may be reasonably correlated to the Matuyama Chron (2.61–0.77 Ma), thus providing a minimum age constraint of 0.77 Ma for the sedimentary infill. Additionally, direct dating of two fossil teeth of <i>Hippopotamus antiquus</i> using the most advanced analytical procedures, through a combination of unusually high sampling density (<i>n</i> = 17) for bulk ESR and U-series analyses and high-resolution laser ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses, yields a mean age of 862 ± 52 ka (1σ). Interestingly, the data set collected shows the exceptionally high spatial homogeneity of the ESR and U-series data across dental tissues and of the natural radioactivity of the sedimentary environment. Furthermore, the uncertainty around the uranium uptake modelling carries very little weight in the age calculation, which is unusual for such old fossil teeth. Consequently, this set of evidence supports the robustness and reliability of the ESR chronology, adding a new solid chronological tie point for biochronological inferences. In summary, the various lines of evidence available enable confident positioning of Incarcal-I in the latest part of the Early Pleistocene, that is, somewhere between the end of the Jaramillo Subchron (1.01 Ma) and the Matuyama–Brunhes boundary (0.77 Ma). The numerical dating results indicate that the fossil assemblage of Incarcal-I is coeval with those from other well-constrained key Spanish localities such as Atapuerca Gran Dolina TD4-6, and Vallparadís Station EVT7, highlighting the overall exceptional density of the Iberian fossil record between ~0.8 and ~1.0 Ma. Finally, a critical evaluation of the existing age constraints available for the Calabrian (1.80–0.77 Ma) fossil localities of the Iberian Peninsula is also proposed here, with a first tentative classification of the sites into four main categories (A to D) based on the robustness and precision of their chronostratigraphic framework.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"132-152"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145970192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A global assessment of climatic forcing of lake levels in closed basins by westerly winds and monsoons since the Last Glacial Maximum","authors":"Yuxin Zhang,&nbsp;Lingmei Xu,&nbsp;Yu Li,&nbsp;Xiumei Li,&nbsp;Shuping Huang,&nbsp;Huanyu Sun,&nbsp;Hao Wang","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The internal and external climatic forcings of the Earth frequently influence lake levels by regulating atmospheric circulation systems. Notably, the interaction between westerly winds and monsoons in mid-to-low latitudes triggers complicated lake level modes on millennial scales. A thorough investigation into the mechanisms of climatic forcings affecting lake levels, particularly the interplay between westerly winds and monsoons, could provide valuable insights for predicting future hydroclimate. We present a systematic global study of the response of lake levels to climate forcings in closed basins since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), based on continuous lake level simulations under five different forcing conditions and numerous paleoclimate records. Results show that the change in solar insolation driven by the Earth's orbit was the main climatic forcing affecting lake level patterns in low-latitude monsoon-dominated closed basins since the LGM. In contrast, greenhouse gases and continental ice sheets were the primary forcings controlling lake level patterns in mid-latitude westerly wind-dominated closed basins since the LGM. Additionally, meltwater injection into the North Atlantic caused the dramatic lake level fluctuations during the last deglaciation by influencing the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"118-131"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145964457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Respecting indigenous knowledge in the era of big data: A call for ethical research practices","authors":"Michael-Shawn Fletcher,&nbsp;Anthony John Romano","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70032","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Open data expectations in Quaternary science increasingly intersect with Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP). Research on Indigenous lands and knowledge often proceeds without formal consent or governance, continuing extractive practices. This correspondence argues that ICIP and Indigenous data sovereignty must be integrated across project design, sampling, interpretation, archiving and secondary use. Biophysical data are also culturally situated when they describe landscapes shaped by Indigenous stewardship. Journals, repositories and institutions should require evidence of community permissions and shared decision-making. Ethical research practice demands Indigenous authority over how data are generated, interpreted and circulated.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"192-196"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145964397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Waiting for the rains: An attempt to evaluate the efficiency of the large Roman cistern at Barbariga Stancija (Casematte, Istria, Croatia)","authors":"Fabian Welc,&nbsp;Agata Han,&nbsp;Krzysztof Markowicz,&nbsp;Davor Bulić,&nbsp;Robert Matijašić,&nbsp;Candace M. Rice,&nbsp;Ana Konestra,&nbsp;Andrew McLean","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Access to freshwater has always been a critical factor in sustaining human settlements, especially in regions with limited water resources. In the Mediterranean region, where dry summers and karst landscapes limit water availability, ancient societies developed advanced methods for collecting and storing rainwater. Among these, cisterns played an important role in securing drinking water supplies. Despite their historical importance, the efficiency of these installations remains less studied than that of monumental aqueducts. This study focuses on a large Roman cistern at Barbariga Stancija in south-western Istria, Croatia, where rainwater harvesting was essential for sustaining local settlements and supporting intensive agricultural production. By integrating archaeological evidence, contemporary climatological analysis and paleoclimatic reconstructions, we have developed a quantitative model that simulates the performance of the cistern under varying rainfall conditions. The analysis uses high-resolution meteorological data and Weibull distribution-based simulations to estimate annual water storage capacity and variations in supply reliability. The study also assesses the maximum number of people the cistern could have supported, based on a reconstructed daily per capita water consumption rate. Our results suggest that under average rainfall conditions, the cistern could have reliably supported approximately 25–28 people throughout the year. However, seasonal variations in rainfall led to significant fluctuations in water availability, potentially leading to shortages during the dry summer months. Comparative analyses with other Roman cisterns in the Adriatic region provide a broader context for understanding the functionality and limitations of such storage systems within ancient water management strategies. This research not only enhances our understanding of local Roman hydraulic infrastructure but also contributes to broader discussions on sustainable water management in arid and semi-arid climates. It highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate archaeology, climatology and hydrological modelling to comprehensively assess ancient water supply mechanisms and their implications for modern water conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"99-117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jqs.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145970077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating Aegean Last Interglacial faunas into the Mediterranean palaeobiogeographic framework: New evidence from Karpathos (Greece)","authors":"Christos Psarras,&nbsp;Danae Thivaiou,&nbsp;Frédéric Quillévéré,&nbsp;Jean-Jacques Cornée,&nbsp;Pierre Moissette,&nbsp;Mélody Philippon,&nbsp;Jan Fietzke,&nbsp;Delphine Bosch,&nbsp;Michel Condomines,&nbsp;Olivier Bruguier,&nbsp;Efterpi Koskeridou","doi":"10.1002/jqs.70030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Last Interglacial (LIG) or Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, spanning 129 to 116 kyrs ago, is recognised as one of the warmest periods in the Quaternary, with global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) 1°C–2°C higher than today, sea levels 5–10 m above the current level and biogeographical range expansion of specific tropical species into the Mediterranean. We present new stratigraphic, palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographic data from the uplifted marine terraces of Kastellos Bay, Karpathos (Aegean Sea, Greece). Detailed sedimentological analysis reveals that the so-called “Tyrrhenian” terrace comprises multiple depositional cycles, with only the uppermost bed attributable to MIS 5e. From this unit, we document 64 molluscan taxa, including members of the “Senegalese fauna” and several species not previously reported from Greek LIG deposits. Ecological affinities of the assemblage indicate a heterogeneous infralittoral environment with mean annual SSTs of around 20°C, consistent with other Mediterranean records. By revising and integrating Greek species lists into a Mediterranean–Atlantic framework, we demonstrate that the Aegean Ecoregion forms a key link between eastern and western Mediterranean faunas and shares affinities with the Saharan Upwelling region. These results refine the palaeobiogeographic interpretation of tropical species dispersal into the Mediterranean and highlight the need for robust chronological calibrations of Greek LIG sites to improve reconstructions of faunal dynamics under warm climate scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":16929,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Quaternary Science","volume":"41 1","pages":"80-98"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jqs.70030","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145983918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}