Regional climatic dynamics and cultural divergence in glacial western Europe

Western European climate during the Last Glacial period (50–20 ka BP) was shaped by complex interactions between oceanic and terrestrial conditions, modulated by both orbital and millennial-scale forcings. This study integrates 75 marine and terrestrial palaeoenvironmental records to reconstruct spatiotemporal climate variability across Europe and the Mediterranean region. Sea surface temperature (SST) records reveal a pronounced latitudinal gradient, with strong cooling at high latitudes and relative SST stability at mid-latitudes on multi-millennial timescales, which likely moderated western European climate. Pollen-based vegetation records, in contrast, show a steep longitudinal trend, with intensified environmental shifts southeast of the Alps, where oceanic moderation was limited. On millennial timescales, Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles and Heinrich stadials imprinted distinct signatures on SST and vegetation, especially near the Atlantic margin, linked to disruptions in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. These findings highlight the differentiated sensitivity of oceanic and terrestrial conditions to climate drivers and the climatic role of geographic barriers such as the Alps. The resulting spatial heterogeneity likely influenced human cultural trajectories, with stable long-term conditions but strong Heinrich stadial near the Atlantic coinciding with the emergence of the Châtelperronian industry, while more pronounced climatic long-term trend in southeastern Europe paralleled the development of the Uluzzian complex. This integrated palaeoenvironmental framework provides critical context for interpreting Late Pleistocene human adaptation and innovation in Europe.