QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.3390/quat7010001
Tatina Blyakharchuk, Nikita Shefer, Olga Ponomareva, Hong-Chun Li
{"title":"Late Quaternary Dynamics of Landscape and Climate in the North of the West Siberian Plain Revealed by Paleoecological Studies of Peat and Lake Sediments","authors":"Tatina Blyakharchuk, Nikita Shefer, Olga Ponomareva, Hong-Chun Li","doi":"10.3390/quat7010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat7010001","url":null,"abstract":"West Siberian mires covering more than 50% of area in the subarctic are still poorly investigated despite their thick peat sediments suitable for paleogeographic research of past long-term landscape and climatic changes. In this research, a combination of paleoecological methods were used, including the analysis of pollen, spores, diatoms, NPPs, and macrofossils, the measurement of peat humification, and quantitative paleoclimate reconstruction. This multi-proxy approach was applied to study a palsa bog (frost peat heave mound) located in the north of western Siberia on the border of the northern taiga and forest–tundra (65°18′56″ N, 72°52′27″ E). Chronology is based on 21 radiocarbon dates, which were calibrated in CLAM. Studies have shown that sediments of palsa bog Nadym of a 1050 cm thickness were formed both in the Holocene and earlier periods of the Quaternary. Radiocarbon dating worked well for peat sequences (610 cm thick), but failed for underlying lacustrine and mineral sediments (440 cm thick). Numerous remains of salt-water diatoms and exotic Neogene pollen were found in the lacustrine sediments (650–850 cm). The oldest sediments (850–1050 cm) have signs of secondary epicryogenic diagenesis in the form of cryogenic iron-enriched granules. Both lacustrine and bottom sediments contain abundant coniferous pollen. At the same time, spore–pollen complexes dated to the Last Glacial Age were not found in low sediments because of failed dates. To explain this, the authors turn to the hypothesis of glyacioisostatic compensation, according to which the study area was uplifted during the Last Glacial Age and the ancient deposits underwent secondary diagenesis in subaerial conditions. Holocene lacustrine sedimentation began to form about 9800 cal. a BP. These lacustrine sediments turned out to be enriched in redeposited Neogene pollen and diatoms. It was interpreted as an influence of excess humid climate in combination with geological subsidence of landscape in the study area during the Early Holocene. This caused lake formation and introduction of exotic microfossils via surface run-off from higher-relief areas in the catchment. Syngenetic sedimentation in the Nadym section is associated only with peat-mire deposits covering the last 8400 cal. a BP. For this time, the dynamic of vegetation cover and quantitative changes in paleoclimate were reconstructed using spore–pollen, macrofossil, humus, and NPP data as well as the information–statistical method of V.A. Klimanov. The spore–pollen analysis revealed four main phases in the development of vegetation cover: 1. Spruce–birch forests with open meadows and lakes (8400–7600 cal. a BP); 2. Dominance of spruce forests and thawed eutrophic (minerotrophic) mires (7600 to 6500 cal. a BP); 3. Coniferous–birch forests and thawed mesotrophic mires (6500 to 4500 cal. a BP); 4. Birch–pine forests and oligotrophic (ombrotrophic) bogs with permafrost mounds—palsa bogs (approx. the last 4500 years). Quantitati","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"66 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138945719","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-12-14DOI: 10.3390/quat6040060
David García-Fernández, E. Cerdeño, M. Sanz, Joan Daura
{"title":"The Latest Occurrence of Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis (Rhinocerotidae) in Europe: The Skeletons from the Cova del Rinoceront Site (Castelldefels, Barcelona)","authors":"David García-Fernández, E. Cerdeño, M. Sanz, Joan Daura","doi":"10.3390/quat6040060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040060","url":null,"abstract":"New rhino remains recovered from Cova del Rinoceront (Castelldefels, Barcelona) confirm the presence of Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis (Toula, 1902) at the site and the taxon’s persistence until the late Middle–early Upper Pleistocene in Europe, that is, its latest documented occurrence. The three individuals recovered from the site are compared with specimens of other Pleistocene species, including those of S. hemitoechus, S. kirchbergensis and Coelodonta antiquitatis, but their anatomical characteristics (a long skull, moderate occipital elevation, partial nasal septum, and slender zygomatic arch) do not coincide with the latter’s documented features. Certain similarities are found with the most frequently occurring rhinocerotid at that time in the Iberian Peninsula, S. hemitoechus, but the cranial features of the latter differ. The anatomical characteristics of the Cova del Rinoceront individuals coincide most closely with those of S. hundsheimensis (i.e., a high occipital face, with rounded proximolateral angles and oblique lateral borders, as well as the frontoparietal angle, and facial development). Despite the marked overlaps in the general measurements of S. hundsheimensis and S. hemitoechus, many (cranial and postcranial) dimensions of the Cova del Rinoceront individuals coincide more closely with those of the former, although some bone proportions are more similar to those of the latter specimens. Therefore, S. kirchbergensis and C. antiquitatis can be discarded as they tend to be larger, more robust species.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"11 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139001369","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-12-04DOI: 10.3390/quat6040059
E. Cerdeño, Natalia P. Lucero, J. Chiesa
{"title":"Quaternary Mammals from Central-Western Argentina in the Stratigraphic Context of Southern South America","authors":"E. Cerdeño, Natalia P. Lucero, J. Chiesa","doi":"10.3390/quat6040059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040059","url":null,"abstract":"This is an updated contribution to the Quaternary geology and paleontology from central-western Argentina, focused on San Luis Province. It is mostly based on unpublished data; only some fossils had previously been briefly mentioned in broader faunal contexts. The fossil-bearing sediments correspond to eolian and alluvial environments of moderate energy, dominated by sands and sandy silts. They overlie high-energy fluvial cycles and underlie edaphic horizons. They have a wide distribution, and several radiocarbon dates allow their regional correlation. Stratigraphic sequences with the precise origin of fossils allow for the improvement of lithostratigraphic and faunal correlations with the Pampean Region (central and east Argentina; La Pampa and Buenos Aires provinces), where Pleistocene assemblages are better known, but also with central-western (Cuyo Region), northwestern, and northeastern Argentina. Faunal remains correspond to large mammals, represented by xenarthrans (Cingulata and Tardigrada), macraucheniids (Litopterna), gomphotheres (Proboscidea), and equids (Perissodactyla), a typical Pleistocene mixture of native (xenarthrans and litopterns) and immigrant mammals.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"31 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138604148","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-11-29DOI: 10.3390/quat6040058
J. Rivera-Solís, Adolfo Quesada-Román, Fran Domazetović
{"title":"Past and Present Drivers of Karst Formation of Ciénega de El Mangle, Panama","authors":"J. Rivera-Solís, Adolfo Quesada-Román, Fran Domazetović","doi":"10.3390/quat6040058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040058","url":null,"abstract":"Tropical coastal karst areas represent dynamic, fragile, and biodiverse environments. Central America’s karst regions have been scarcely studied, with most of the research focused on the northern part of the region and on several larger cave systems. The coastal carbonate zones of the Central American region represent a unique karstic landscape, which, so far, has been insufficiently studied. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to describe the (i) landscape geomorphology and (ii) chemical conditions that define Ciénega de El Mangle in Panama as a distinctive karstic site. Carried geomorphological mapping and the characterization of karstic features have resulted in the identification of the different karstic forms and processes that are present within this unique karstic area. Considering that the chosen karstic study area is located in a marine–coastal fringe on the periphery of a lagoon, it is affected by a combination of several factors and processes, including seawater intrusion (through sinkholes), the formation of conchiferous limestone (CaCO3), and NaCl precipitation related to efflorescence. Due to the seasonally humid tropical climate, the chemical weathering processes are intense, thus forming alkaline soils that are hindering the development of mangrove vegetation. The geomorphology of the area results from intense evaporation combined with an influx of brackish groundwater, due to which a landscape has evolved in the marine–coastal strips, of seasonal tropical climates, that exhibit saline beaches, known as a littoral shott. In total, 24 karstic microdolines have evolved within the shott, of which six represent domical geoforms formed by gradual evaporitic precipitation, while seven other geoforms represent active karstic sinkholes filled with brackish water. These results are key for understanding the past and present climate interactions and conditions that have led to the formation of tropical karst environments.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"181 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139211776","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-11-20DOI: 10.3390/quat6040057
Saverio Bartolini-Lucenti, Qigao Jiangzuo, Hao Jiang, Zhaoyu Li, Kun Xie, J. Madurell-Malapeira
{"title":"The Fox from Bajiazui (Qingyang, Central China) and an Update on Early Pleistocene Foxes from China","authors":"Saverio Bartolini-Lucenti, Qigao Jiangzuo, Hao Jiang, Zhaoyu Li, Kun Xie, J. Madurell-Malapeira","doi":"10.3390/quat6040057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040057","url":null,"abstract":"(1) Background: despite the fact that nowadays the genus Vulpes Frisch, 1775, is the most diverse among extant Canidae, its fossil record is utterly scarce, especially in the Asian Pliocene. The sparse nature of this record further complicates the reconstruction of the evolutionary scenario to fit these taxa with extant species. The situation seems to change slightly in the Early Pleistocene when two species are recorded: Vulpes alopecoides (Del Campana, 1913) in Europe and Vulpes chikushanensis, Young, 1930, in Asian localities. Unlike the former, which has an extensive record, the remains of the Chinese V. chikushanensis are sporadic and the validity of the taxon has also been questioned. (2) Methods: the study of the specimens from the Early Pleistocene site of Bajiazui (1.8–1.2 Ma, Qingyang, Gansu) in comparison to an extensive sample of Vulpes spp. The Pliocene–Early Pleistocene is relevant for the delimitation of fossil foxes variability; (3) Results: morphologically and morphometrically, the specimens of Bajiazui fit with the specimens of V. chikushanensis from other Chinese localities of the Early Pleistocene, e.g., Longdan (Gansu) and Huiyu (Fangshang), highlighting some difference with the latest Early Pleistocene forms of Jigushan fox; (4) Conclusions: the revision of the Asian fossil record of Vulpes is crucial in our attempt to understand and reconstruct the evolution of carnivoran guild during the late Early Pleistocene (1.8–0.8 Ma). The fox remains from Bajiazui, although fragmentary, add a valuable piece to our knowledge of V. chikushanensis, a species possibly strongly related to the extant Vulpes corsac (Linnaeus, 1768).","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139258111","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-11-06DOI: 10.3390/quat6040056
Vladimir V. Pitulko, Elena Y. Pavlova
{"title":"Ecological Constraints and Drivers for Human Dispersals and Adaptations in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Environments of the East Siberian Arctic","authors":"Vladimir V. Pitulko, Elena Y. Pavlova","doi":"10.3390/quat6040056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040056","url":null,"abstract":"Starting roughly 50,000 years ago, the Arctic region of East Siberia remained continuously populated by groups of anatomically modern humans including the most uncomfortable episodes in the development of the late Quaternary environment; for some of them, human presence in the area became ephemeral. At present, archaeological fossil records allow for distinguishing three main stages in human occupation of the area: Early (~50 to ~29 ka, MIS 3), middle (~29 to ~11.7 ka, MIS 2), and late (from 11.7 to ~8 ka). For most of the time, they the populated open landscapes of the Mammoth Steppe, which declined at the onset of the Holocene. Human settlement of the Arctic was driven by various abiotic and biotic factors and thus archaeologically visible cardinal cultural and technological changes correspond to the most important paleoclimatic and habitat changes in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Successful peopling of the Arctic was largely facilitated by the adoption of critically important innovations such as sewing technology based on the use of the eyed bone needle and the manufacture of long shafts and pointed implements made of mammoth tusks. Mammoth exploitation is seen in mass accumulations of mammoths formed by hunting. An obvious connection between archaeological materials and such accumulations is observed in the archaeological record. In the lithic technology, the early stage is presented by archaic-looking flake industries. Starting the LGM, the wedge-core based-microblade technology known as the Beringian microblade tradition spread widely following the shrinkage of the mammoth range. At the late stage, starting at the Holocene boundary, microprismatic blade technology occurs. In all stages, the complex social behavior of the ancient Arctic settlers is revealed. The long-distance transport of products, knowledge, and genes occurs due to the introduction of the land transportation system. Initial human settlement of this region is associated with carriers of the West Eurasian genome who became replaced by the population with East Asian ancestry constantly moving North under the pressure of climate change.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"10 5","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135589467","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":"The River Valleys of the Greek Colony of Selinunte: Results of an Offshore Investigation","authors":"Emanuele Lodolo, Luca Baradello, László Szentpeteri, Michele Deponte, Emiliano Gordini, Dario Civile","doi":"10.3390/quat6040055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040055","url":null,"abstract":"The ancient Greek colony of Selinunte, with its acropolis on a promontory on the south-western coast of Sicily, is flanked by two valleys where two modest rivers flow today: the Modione to the west and the Cottone to the east. Archaeological reconstructions, historical documents from various sources, and recent remote sensing surveys indicate two important bays corresponding to the ancient mouths of these two rivers, now completely covered by a thick layer of sediments. It is believed that the ports of the colony were located in these bays, although the remains of these ports are still sparse and contradictory. Here we present a multibeam bathymetric map of part of the marine area immediately off Selinunte and a series of high-resolution seismic profiles acquired parallel to the coastline. They show the geometries and stratigraphic context of the two buried river valleys offshore, from which information about the palaeoenvironmental setting and evolution of the landscape can be derived and which may be used in adequately guiding future archaeological excavation programs.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135779434","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-10-10DOI: 10.3390/quat6040054
Loïc Lebreton, Juan Manuel López-García
{"title":"Stage or Sub-Stage: The Contribution of Small Mammals to the Characterization of Middle Pleistocene Local Climate Variation","authors":"Loïc Lebreton, Juan Manuel López-García","doi":"10.3390/quat6040054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040054","url":null,"abstract":"In western Europe, the Middle Pleistocene is marked by Acheulean settlement and their diversification after the MIS 12. The Arago cave recovery of numerous human settlements correlate to MIS 14, 13 and MIS 12 making it an important site for the understanding of the Lower Palaeolithic in Southwestern Europe. It is also an important site for the understanding of palaeoenvironments and palaeobiodiversity as it has yielded rich faunal associations. The faunal associations allow us to observe three climatic stages within this study: two cold ones and a mild one. Small vertebrates, with their abundance and their diversity, are particularly useful for observing these periods, which historically have been correlated to glacial or interglacial stages. If the first cold phase, dated 438 ± 31 ka, is correlated to the Marine Isotopic Stage 12 (MIS 12), the correlation of the following phases to isotopic stages can be discussed. They may correspond to climatic variations of the MIS 12. Indeed, the latest studies about palaeoclimatic reconstitution which allow us to define the evolution of the palaeo-temperature show that these differences are relatively small. Therefore, instead of a correlation to MIS 12, 13 and 14, the medium complex of the Arago cave could belong solely to MIS 12. The correlation of these environmental changes to other global data, notably the isotopic curve, is challenging because there are various local factors influencing faunal association. We propose here both hypotheses and discuss the various factors which influence the distribution and the representation of the small vertebrate species present on the site.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136356429","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}
QuaternaryPub Date : 2023-10-07DOI: 10.3390/quat6040052
Aviad Agam, Merlin Hattermann, Iddo Pinkas, Jürgen Richter, Thorsten Uthmeier
{"title":"Heat Treatment of Flint at the Late Neanderthal Site Sesselfelsgrotte (Germany)","authors":"Aviad Agam, Merlin Hattermann, Iddo Pinkas, Jürgen Richter, Thorsten Uthmeier","doi":"10.3390/quat6040052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040052","url":null,"abstract":"We examined lithic artifacts from the late Neanderthal site Sesselfelsgrotte (Bavaria, Germany) in order to evaluate the possibility of fire use and intentional flint heat treatment performed by late Neanderthals. We analyzed 1113 flint pieces from the G-layer complex (~60 to 45 kya; Micoquian) and 946 from the lower-layer complex (~115 to 70 kya; Mousterian). Based on macroscopic traits associated with the exposure of flint to heat and fire, we assigned artifacts to one of three groups: burnt, unburnt, and possibly intentionally heated. Our results show that while both complexes demonstrate the clear presence of fire, fire is more common in the younger G-layer complex. Moreover, possibly intentionally heated pieces are significantly more frequent in the G-layer complex, especially among the tools and specifically among side scrapers, suggesting a link between heat treatment and the production of these tools, most probably due to their functional and cultural significance. We therefore suggest that the flint in the G-layer complex of Sesselfelsgrotte underwent intentional heat treatment. The proportions of burnt flint artifacts in both complexes suggest an intensification in fire use at the site over time, while the appearance of possibly intentionally heated artifacts in the G-layer complex suggests the development of this advanced pyrotechnology by Neanderthals sometime between these two timeframes. Our results are supported by sedimentological and faunal data. We view these results as further indication of the advanced cognitive and technological capabilities of Neanderthals, which did not fall short of those of early modern humans.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135301283","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":"The Long-Term Deep Loessal Sediments of Northeast China: Loess or Loessal Paleosols?","authors":"Zhong-Xiu Sun, Nai-Wen Zhang, Ying-Ying Jiang, Qiu-Bing Wang, Gan-Lin Zhang","doi":"10.3390/quat6040053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat6040053","url":null,"abstract":"Previous research assumed deep buried loess as the initial composition of the overlying paleosol and failed to address the long-term continuous pedogenic weathering history in the deep loess-paleosol sequence, which was attributed to little understanding on the difference between loess and paleosol in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence. To distinguish between the loess and paleosol, in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence in northeast China, the morphology, dust deposition fluxes, geochemical characteristics, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size distributions were investigated. Results showed that the loess layers buried at depth could be differentiated from the paleosol by their poor pedogenic development. The presence of coarser grains in the loess as well as lesser amounts of clay and Fe–Mn coatings compared to paleosol indicated weaker weathering of the loess. Also, optical iron clay films deposited on the surface of the skeleton particles were less visible in the loesses than in the paleosols. From the loess evolution perspective, the pedogenic formation process of the newly formed loess soils should be considered as important as that of the reddish paleosol layer based on criteria of formation time, depth within profile, and morphological characteristics. The formation of the reddish or yellowish paleosol layer was constrained by pedogenic environments associated with climatic change and by the relative rates of deposition and pedogenesis. The terms “loessal paleosol” and “loessal paleosol sequence” are suggested to aid in systematically and consistently addressing the long-term pedogenic weathering evolution recorded in the complex formation of deep loess and paleosol sequences in pedology research. The long-term deep loessal sediments of Northeast China are loessal paleosols, which cannot be simply used as a reference for the overlying paleosol and be deducted from pedogenesis consideration.","PeriodicalId":54131,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135301585","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}