Michael Everett, Sally C. Reynolds, Matthew R. Bennett
{"title":"Behavioural inferences from fossil footprints and conservation mapping using large-scale GPR surveys","authors":"Michael Everett, Sally C. Reynolds, Matthew R. Bennett","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100341","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Attempts to reconstruct how prehistoric animals behaved are hindered by the inability to observe individuals directly. Fossilised trackways are one possible source of evidence commonly used to support behavioural inferences. Mapping of trackways is crucial for both research and conservation and is typically done through aerial photography but this is limited by the size of exposure of the footprint surface and the surface expressions of buried tracks. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been used to study buried tracks in the past and offers a solution to this difficulty. We present two large GPR surveys from two playa surfaces in New Mexico, USA that are known to preserve human and megafauna tracks suitable for detection by GPR. Our results demonstrate that: (1) mapping of trackways over large areas using GPR is possible; (2) these trackways can be categorised into different “radar-species” analogous to the concept of ichnospecies; and (3) it is possible to make behavioural inferences from trackways such as predominant directions of travel and evidence of gregarious behaviours.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100341"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"East Eurasian dispersals to the Americas: A spatiotemporal perspective from paleogenomics","authors":"Kae Koganebuchi, Hiroki Oota","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dispersal of modern humans from East Eurasia to the Americas involved multiple migration routes, repeated admixture, and long-term adaptation. Recent paleogenomic studies have provided direct insights into these processes by reconstructing population histories. In this review, we summarize genome-wide data from Upper Paleolithic to early Holocene individuals to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of these dispersals, with particular attention to the Pacific Rim of Northeast Asia.</div><div>We discuss the genetic structure and interactions of key ancestral lineages, including Ancient North Siberians (ANS), Ancient North Eurasians (ANE), and Ancient Paleo-Siberians (APS), and their roles in the formation of ancestral Native American populations. Genomic evidence indicates that Native American ancestry emerged through admixture between East Asian–related and ANS-related lineages, likely during or before a period of population standstill, followed by rapid expansion into the Americas via coastal and/or interior pathways. Within this framework, we examine the position of the Japanese Archipelago and Jomon-related populations along the western Pacific Rim. Although Jomon people are not considered direct ancestors of Native Americans, paleogenomic studies demonstrate that Jomon-related genetic affinities or ancestry components have been detected in several populations around the northern Pacific Rim. Taken together, these results argue for viewing the Japanese Archipelago as potential refugium and interaction zone within the Pacific Rim, rather than as an isolated endpoint.</div><div>We also consider genetic evidence for cold and coastal adaptation, and outline future directions, emphasizing the need for high-coverage ancient genomes, broader sampling in the Japan–Pacific Rim region, and integrative approaches to visualize complex migration scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100342"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of tidal-flat dynamics on shell-midden distribution during the Jomon transgression in Okutokyo Bay, Japan","authors":"Susumu Tanabe, Rei Nakashima","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100329","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100329","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Jomon Transgression was a relative sea-level rise that reached a highstand at 7 ka, during which Tokyo Bay formed a semi-enclosed embayment known as Okutokyo Bay (2200 km<sup>2</sup>). More than 600 Jomon shell middens occur on the surrounding uplands, making this region one of the most densely concentrated shell-midden areas worldwide. Reconstructing shoreline evolution and shell-midden distribution during this transgression provides a representative framework for understanding shell-midden formation processes. We obtained 36 new radiocarbon ages from the Shinoyama Shell Midden, the largest midden in the innermost part of Okutokyo Bay, and we compiled 63 previously published ages from five sediment cores and two shell-midden sites. These data were integrated with sedimentary facies, paleowater-depth reconstructions, relative sea-level changes, Holocene basal topography, and the spatial and temporal distributions of 28 shell middens. We found that (1) river-mouth flats developed in the innermost part of Okutokyo Bay during the peak of the Jomon Transgression (highstand of at least +4 m); (2) shell middens formed between 8 and 6 ka were more closely associated with the spatial dynamics of river-mouth flats than with contemporaneous shoreline positions; and (3) shell-midden formation was largely restricted to within ∼2 km of river-mouth flats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100329"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148177822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teresa Dixon , Andrew Lowry , John Nikolaus Callow , Samuel Marx , Patrick Moss , Rachel Rudd , Hamish McGowan
{"title":"Hydroclimate variability in the Kimberley region, north-west Australia, over the past 65,000 years","authors":"Teresa Dixon , Andrew Lowry , John Nikolaus Callow , Samuel Marx , Patrick Moss , Rachel Rudd , Hamish McGowan","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100327","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100327","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Kimberley region of north-west Australia offers a valuable lens to examine the variability of multiple regional climate systems within the context of human migration and settlement of the Sahul and now Australian continent. Despite its importance, reconstruction of past hydroclimate in the Kimberley has been challenged by its semi-arid environment, which limits archive preservation, and by its remoteness. In recent years, however, a growing body of work has demonstrated the potential of a diverse range of atypical archives for reconstructing Kimberley hydroclimate. Here we present the current state of understanding of the hydroclimate of the Kimberley, drawing on environmental reconstructions spanning the last 65,000 years. Our synopsis is that the Kimberley experienced a drier climate during the last glacial compared with the Holocene, although there remains much discrepancy between records, particularly those from early Marine Isotope Stage 3, when precipitation levels higher than present are indicated by some records. Records suggest that either dry conditions or high variability marked the MIS 2/1 transition before a wet early Holocene, leading into increased hydroclimate variability in the mid-late Holocene. There remains a sparsity of records for this vast region. The obtainment of long, high temporal resolution records is required to resolve discrepancies between existing records, and to shed light on possible causes of local scale palaeoclimate variability and extremes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100327"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148177823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antônia Beatriz Ferreira Andrade , Sebastián Isaías Jorge Muñoz Vásquez , Juan Ramón Vidal-Romani , Rubson Pinheiro Maia , Pedro Edson Face Moura , Eliomara Leite Meira Gomes
{"title":"Morphostructural controls on the orientation of lajedos (rock platforms/rock outcrop) in Quixadá and Quixeramobim - CE","authors":"Antônia Beatriz Ferreira Andrade , Sebastián Isaías Jorge Muñoz Vásquez , Juan Ramón Vidal-Romani , Rubson Pinheiro Maia , Pedro Edson Face Moura , Eliomara Leite Meira Gomes","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Granite geomorphology studies the formation and evolution of landscapes developed on igneous rocks, covering more than 15% of the continents. In Brazil's Northeastern Semi-Arid region, lajedos (rock platforms/rock outcrop) are significant residual landforms, especially in the municipalities of Quixadá and Quixeramobim, Ceará, located in the Ceará Central Domain within the Borborema Province, (Brazil). This research analyzes the morphostructural control on the orientation of these formations, aiming to identify patterns related to regional geological structures. The methodology included a literature review, acquisition and processing of cartographic data, as well as the application of geoprocessing tools and statistical analysis. The Global Moran's I Spatial Autocorrelation Index and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) were used to assess the spatial correlation of the lajedos. Results indicated a predominant northwest (NW) orientation in the Quixadá-Quixeramobim plutons. In the Quixeramobim pluton, a strong spatial correlation was found, particularly near the Senador Pompeu Shear Zone (ZCSP). In contrast, the Quixadá pluton showed a more localized spatial association. This study highlights the importance of statistical and spatial analysis for granitic relief evolution. It suggests that factors such as lithology, mineralogy, and geological structures should be integrated into future research to better explain the spatial distribution of lajedos.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100316"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Expanding the Late Quaternary morphochronology of Atacama's coastal alluvial fans by Schmidt hammer exposure dating reveals spatially distinct genesis","authors":"Janek Walk","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Late Quaternary alluvial fans along the coast of the hyperarid Atacama Desert have been exploited as palaeoenvironmental archives by several studies. However, a regional palaeoenvironmental interpretation remains challenging as established geochronological frameworks are based on a limited number of sites where fan aggradation was constrained by numerical dating. Consequently, it is unclear to what extent fan aggradation and progradation is controlled by large-scale allogenic versus individual autogenic forcing. To therefore expand the regional alluvial fan morphochronology along the south-central coast, the applicability of cost-effective Schmidt hammer exposure dating (SHD) was explored on boulders of plutonic lithology. The independently exposure-dated coastal alluvial fan (CAF) Paposo served as regional age-calibration site for SHD of 11 telescopic CAFs between 24.25°S and 25.25°S. SHD was complemented by the assessment of the CAFs’ terrestrial and shelf morphometry and the hydromorphometric and climatic catchment properties. The results of the successfully calibrated SHD suggest that weathering in the coastal desert allows for age ranges extending over the Late Quaternary. The expanded morphochronology reveals a distinct fan evolution segmenting a synchronous morphogenesis south of 24.85°S from a diachronous one in the north. Spatial segmentation is reflected in specific catchment hydromorphometric characteristics and differences in the relationships between terrestrial fan versus shelf gradients – the latter indicating a dominant allogenic control of eustatic sea-level changes at least in the south. While spatiotemporal variability in Late Quaternary precipitation and tectonic activity may constitute additional relevant factors, diachronism of northern CAF evolution could also be the response to individual autogenic fan dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100305"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth Baker Brite , Azizkhan Toreniyazov , Sydney A. Hunter , Steven Ammerman , Abutalib Bekbauliev , Islambek Khozhalipesov , John M. Marston
{"title":"Climate change and world history: Evidence from the site of Sym-Ota 1 in the Aral Sea Basin","authors":"Elizabeth Baker Brite , Azizkhan Toreniyazov , Sydney A. Hunter , Steven Ammerman , Abutalib Bekbauliev , Islambek Khozhalipesov , John M. Marston","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humans responded to a climatically induced river avulsion in the Amu Darya delta beginning ca. 400 CE by re-engineering the river's main channel to flow west of the Aral Sea. This change, which we refer to as the “Khorezmian pivot,” altered the cultural geography of the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) for over a millennium, influencing major events in world history including the formation of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century CE and the Mongol conquests of western Asia in the 13th century CE. In this study, we present new radiocarbon dating and environmental data from the river-adjacent site of Sym-Ota 1 at the base of the Khorezmian pivot that indicates inhabitants were able to modify the main channel of the Amu Darya 700 years earlier than previously known, by ca. 300 BCE. This suggests that the hydromorphology of the Amu Darya delta has been shaped by over 2000 years of human ecosystem engineering. The riparian agricultural strategies documented at Sym-Ota 1 were likely important features of adaptation to the 400 CE avulsion and the integration and maintenance of culture groups in the ASB such as the Seljuks and Mongols that played major roles in world history.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100313"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hannah Strehlau, Sarah Maryon, Michael Everett, Abigail Hunt, Sally Reynolds, Matthew R. Bennett
{"title":"The taphonomy of human footprints in an estuarine setting: implications for quaternary track-sites in intertidal zones","authors":"Hannah Strehlau, Sarah Maryon, Michael Everett, Abigail Hunt, Sally Reynolds, Matthew R. Bennett","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this paper is to understand the preservation of human footprints formed in estuarine settings, with a specific focus on survival time and morphological modification. To this end, we conducted a taphonomic study by creating five trackways at two different sites on the intertidal mudflats of a modern estuary in North Wales. Trackways were monitored across multiple tidal cycles using photogrammetry to create timelapsed orthomosaics and digital elevation models. Our results exhibit a pattern of morphological footprint decay for individual tracks, while showing persistence at the same time. Under progressive influence of the tides, anatomical detail decreases, push-up ridges erode, and footprint outlines become wider with eventual sediment infill. Despite this, individual tracks remain identifiable and biometric inferences (e.g., foot length) are consistent throughout, with intra-trackway variability comparable to changes observed over time. Estimates for a complete removal of the tracks at the study sites are after five to seven days (10–14 tidal cycles). This will vary between sites as with variations in sediment properties, local hydrodynamics, and track orientation. We suggest that tidal duration is critical for footprint preservation and stress that taphonomic processes are different at sites with aeolian sediment formation. While site-specific, our results offer broader insights into the formation and survival of Quaternary footprints in dynamic coastal environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100317"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valentin Rineau , Paula García-Medrano , Valery Zeitoun , René Zaragüeta , Nick Ashton , Marta Arzarello , Andreu Ollé , Agnes Lamotte , Carlo Peretto , Marie-Hélène Moncel
{"title":"Technological innovations and regional diversity in Western Europe at ca. the MIS 11 threshold: a cladistic approach","authors":"Valentin Rineau , Paula García-Medrano , Valery Zeitoun , René Zaragüeta , Nick Ashton , Marta Arzarello , Andreu Ollé , Agnes Lamotte , Carlo Peretto , Marie-Hélène Moncel","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2026.100314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>The ca</h3><div>Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 interglacial is considered to be a threshold for behavioural innovations in Western Europe. Innovations both in technology and subsistence are observed, as well as the appearance of Neanderthal anatomical features. Core technologies and Large Cutting Tools reflect changes in behaviours and innovations, with for instance, the onset and diffusion of the iconic Levallois core technology associated with more complex and standardized debitage. Following the severe glacial event of MIS 12, the lithic assemblages yield evidence of both innovations, but the chronology of their appearance remains unclear. For tracking these innovations and generally characterizing the technological and typological features of this period of time, a large database of the available ca. MIS 11 assemblages (from MIS 12 to MIS 10) has been built including a revision of some of the assemblages. In order to unravel the relationship between sites of this period, we applied a cladistic approach using three-item analysis, considering the assemblages themselves as the object of analysis, with an emphasis on core technology. We show how three-item analysis is an efficient method capable of correctly analysing characters from lithic technologies that appear to be intrinsically hierarchical. Our results suggest that Levallois core technology survived during the glacial event of MIS 12 and diversified during the long interglacial of MIS 11. Our results also show the absence of cultural endemism, which may be linked to significant mingling between northern and southern Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}