‘The most advanced outpost of cultivation’: palynological evidence for cereal agriculture and population resilience in a marginal upland environment - Helen Essell; Gill Plunkett (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Upland farming in Europe is frequently assumed to have been limited and precarious, despite relict spade‐dug ridges providing firm evidence of past crop growing. Direct evidence for crop types in post‑Medieval to Modern (~since 1500 CE) uplands is rare; yet, in Ireland, relict spade‐dug ridges that date to this period are commonly interpreted as potato beds, generally assumed to have been abandoned during the Great Irish Famine of 1845–1852 CE. This assumption has seldom been tested and reinforces narratives of upland marginality and climatic vulnerability. Here, we apply palynology to cultivation ridge soils in three relict field systems associated with disused cottages in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. We find that cereals—not potatoes—were grown in these upland fields, extending the history of cereal growing in the Mournes from the mid‐12th until the 20th century CE. These results show that permanent occupation persisted through a period when uplands were abandoned elsewhere in Ireland, demonstrating the resilience of upland populations in what is widely regarded as a marginal environment. Our findings challenge entrenched assumptions about historic upland agriculture and highlight the importance of empirically testing the nature of past land use.

New geochronological constraints on Late Pleistocene glaciation in the southern Cadí Massif, SE Pyrenees - M. Oliva; J. Ventura; A. Çiner; M. A. Sarıkaya; J. Bonsoms; K. M. Wilcken (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Cadí Massif (42°17′09″ N, 1°38′11″ E; 2649 m a.s.l.) in the southeastern Pyrenees preserves clear evidence of Late Pleistocene glaciation, although previous research has focused almost exclusively on its northern slope. By contrast, the southern slope has remained largely unexplored. In this study, we present the first glacial geochronology for this sector by combining 36 Cl terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) surface‐exposure dating with numerical paleoclimate modeling. We analyzed 18 boulder samples collected from moraines in two major cirques to constrain the timing of glacier fluctuations. Although some exposure ages were interpreted as reflecting post‐depositional disturbance or possible nuclide inheritance, the resulting chronology indicates that the upper plateaus and southern cirques remained glaciated during the late stages of deglaciation following the Last Glacial Cycle, while subsequent moraine systems document later glacial advances. These include small snowdrift glaciers, up to ca . 4 km in length, that persisted during the Younger Dryas stadial at ca . 12–13 ka, with their mass balance sustained largely by wind‐driven snow redistribution and avalanche‐fed accumulation. Paleoclimate simulations indicate that temperatures were ca . 3°C lower during that phase, while precipitation was comparable to present‐day conditions. This integrated approach demonstrates the sensitivity of southern‐slope glaciers to abrupt climate shifts and provides a more comprehensive view of the spatial variability of glacial responses across the Cadí Massif and the broader Eastern Pyrenees.

Holocene vegetation change and fire–plant diversity shifts in Mediterranean France - Cécile Latapy; Marion Lestienne; Andy Hennebelle; Johanne Burmeister; Aymeric LeGall; Gwendal Mouden; Damien Rius; Lisa Bajolle; Jacques‐Louis de Beaulieu; Walter Finsinger; Emmanuel Gandouin; François Demory; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Changes in fire activity are recognized as a major threat to biodiversity and vegetation communities across the Mediterranean Basin. However, long‐term fire–vegetation interactions remain poorly investigated. Here, we combine a high‐resolution charcoal record with pollen data from the “ Étang des Aulnes ” lake (southern France) to reconstruct the last ~8000 years of fire dynamics and assess its influence on vegetation communities and diversity. A significant result is that the highest level of fire frequency and burned biomass occurred around 4200 cal a BP , coinciding with the decline of deciduous oak forests and their replacement by evergreen oak forests/scrublands. Moreover, the relationship between taxonomic richness and burned biomass is assessed and shows that taxonomic richness reaches its maximum at intermediate burned biomass levels. We discuss here how fire may explain this relationship, as well as its limitations, which are influenced by variations in environmental and land‐use conditions. Together, these findings illustrate how long‐term fire dynamics influence vegetation diversity and community trajectories and highlight the structuring role of interacting drivers, such as fire, herbivory, and anthropogenic activities, in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Regional bio‐mobility of bovines during the Harappan period: Evidence from stable C–O–Sr isotopes of faunal bioapatite at Kanmer and Tigrana - Milan K. Mahala; Amzad H. Laskar; Pankaj Goyal; Jeewan S. Kharakwal; Narender Parmar; Yadubir S. Rawat; Angad Lamba; Alok K. Kanungo; Jyotiranjan S. Ray (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Studies on biomobility in the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) or the Harappan Culture provide important insights into pastoral practices, trade and environmental adaptation that shaped the civilisation's economy and social networks. At its height, the IVC engaged in extensive trade across its vast territory, resulting in cultural and economic change across diverse ecological zones. Although archaeological finds indicate trade in artefacts throughout the civilisation, our understanding of human and animal mobility remains limited due to a lack of geochemical and isotopic data on provenance. A key unresolved issue in biomobility is distinguishing between local and broader animal husbandry practices and their trade connections. To address this, we analysed faunal teeth, bone bioapatite and bone‐encased soil using C–O–Sr–Nd isotopes from two Harappan sites, Kanmer (Gujarat) and Tigrana (Haryana), located more than 900 km apart. Our isotope data and the existing literature suggest that, in Kanmer, specialised animal‐feeding methods were used, and local rainfall was the primary water source across all settlements. Data from both sites show that most sheep/goat were raised locally with little movement; however, bovines in Kanmer from the mature and late‐mature phases had diverse, possibly non‐local origins, likely from Haryana. At Tigrana, some animals also showed signs of movement from nearby regions. Regional movement of bovines from a better watered region to a semi‐arid region may indicate trading as an important aspect of this civilisation embedded within broader social and economic networks.

Insect communities of late Pleistocene steppe–tundra and Holocene boreal forest ecosystems in central Yukon Territory, Canada - Scott L. Cocker; Svetlana Kuzmina; Nick Schafstall; Michael A. Monzon; Duane G. Froese (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Subfossil insect communities from the Quartz Creek site provide a detailed record of both Late Pleistocene steppe–tundra and Holocene boreal forest ecosystems in central Yukon Territory, Canada. Fifteen Pleistocene assemblages (marine isotope stages [MIS] 4 to 2) are dominated by steppe–tundra and dry‐tundra taxa, particularly the weevils Connatichela artemisiae and Lepidophorus lineaticollis , indicating a cold and dry environment with widespread Artemisia –grassland habitats. Periodic increases in mesic tundra, riparian and forest‐associated species reflect localised habitat mosaics within an otherwise arid landscape. Separated by a ~20 000‐year stratigraphic hiatus, the Holocene assemblages show a marked increase in taxa associated with shrubs, wetlands, and coniferous forests, including bark beetles such as Scolytus piceae , Polygraphus rufipennis, and Dendroctonus rufipennis , as well as the carpenter ant Camponotus herculeanus . These taxa indicate the presence of boreal forest habitats near the site by at least 6045 cal yr BP. Community composition and biodiversity indices show a clear difference between the Pleistocene and Holocene assemblages, reflecting a shift from relatively species‐poor steppe–tundra communities to more diverse assemblages associated with heterogeneous boreal forest environments. The continued absence of steppe–tundra specialists such as Connatichela artemisiae in our Holocene samples highlights the major restructuring of insect communities associated with the regional collapse of steppe–tundra ecosystems and the subsequent development of boreal forest environments in eastern Beringia.

Black layers in speleothems as a proxy for natural and anthropic processes - Virginia Martínez‐Pillado; Eneko Iriarte; Iñaki Yusta; Saúl González‐Lemos; Hai Cheng; Arantza Aranburu; Juan Luis Arsuaga (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Black layers (BL) in speleothems record natural and anthropogenic processes that complement calcite laminae information. However, their complex composition and genesis often remain understudied. This work presents a multi‐analytical characterization (petrography, dating, trace‐element geochemistry, SEM‐EDS, TEM and computed axial tomography) of BL observed in four Holocene stalagmites from Atapuerca (northern Spain). Based on petrographic criteria (erosional features, alteration of underlying calcite and crystal fabric changes), two BL categories are defined: erosive (BL‐E1 and BL‐E2) and non‐erosive (BL‐C1 and BL‐C2). BL‐E1 shows dissolution surfaces, neomorphism (micritization/sparitization) and enrichments in lithophile and biophile elements; the subtype BL‐E1b includes phosphatic precipitates suggesting bat guano input. Their formation reflects arid intervals with reduced growth rates and/or the occurrence of growth hiatuses, followed by infiltration of terrigenous material and organic matter. BL‐E2 lacks allochthonous minerals and shows only subtle geochemical anomalies, being linked to humid periods where undersaturated drip waters caused erosion without significant detrital input. BL‐C1 consists of calcite bands stained by organic colloids with no geochemical enrichment, indicating moderate humidity. BL‐C2 is composed of soot particles and charcoal fragments, enriched in biophile elements and is attributed to anthropogenic fires inside the cave coinciding with intense human occupation phases (Neolithic to Bronze Age). This study demonstrates that BL in speleothems record both natural and anthropogenic processes and highlights the importance of their study for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.

Refinement of the Quaternary seismic stratigraphy and analysis of buried glacial channels on the Labrador Shelf - Kai‐Frederik Lenz; Felix Gross; A. Catalina Gebhardt; Arne Lohrberg; Ralph Schneider; Henriette Kolling; Florian Riefstahl; Orlando Martinez Bautista; Viktoria Thamm; Sebastian Krastel (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Laurentide Ice Sheet covered vast areas of North America during the Wisconsinan, including the Labrador Shelf, off the coast of eastern Canada. The shelf is characterized by glacial cross‐shelf troughs, which have been considered as predominantly eroded by the last ice advance. Nevertheless, these cross‐shelf troughs contain substantial sedimentary infill that has not yet been thoroughly explored and elucidated. Therefore, we hypothesize that older, potentially non‐glacial, sediments are preserved within these cross‐shelf troughs on the Labrador Shelf. In this study, we investigate the stratigraphic infill of three major trough systems on the Labrador Shelf using 2D seismic reflection data to refine the erosional and depositional processes that produce the geomorphology and stratigraphy of the shelf. The results of the study present an updated Quaternary stratigraphy of the Labrador Shelf, comprising eight seismic units. For the first time, we interpret glaciomarine and open marine deposits between glacial till layers. Additionally, we identified sets of elongated depressions, at three different depth intervals. Some of them are classified as subglacial meltwater channels and some others as ice stream troughs. Finally, we propose a stratigraphic evolution model consisting of 10 phases and spanning two glacial–interglacial cycles. The results support our hypothesis and suggest that the deeper sediment layers on the shelf contain evidence of older glacial–interglacial cycles. They also lend support to the hypothesis of a multiphase origin over multiple glacial cycles for the cross‐shelf troughs. Consequently, new opportunities are provided for the reconstruction of ice‐sheet dynamics and associated oceanographic conditions on the Labrador Shelf, as the sedimentary succession provides an archive to reconstruct dynamics of ice sheets during at least two Quaternary glacial–interglacial cycles.

Integrating ZooMS and taphonomy further highlights differential processing of animal and Neandertal carcasses in the Quina Mousterian at Les Pradelles (Marillac‐le‐Franc, southwest France) - Pauline Raymond; Jean‐Jacques Hublin; Karen Ruebens; Geoff M. Smith; Sandrine Costamagno; Cédric Beauval; Alan Mann; Bruno Maureille (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The cave of Les Pradelles (Marillac‐le‐Franc, France) was repeatedly visited by Neandertals ~55 000 years ago and is a key site in discussions of Neandertal cannibalism. Excavations between 1967 and 1980 (Vandermeersch) and between 2001 and 2013 (Maureille/Mann) produced a rich faunal assemblage (>20 000 bones), alongside Quina Mousterian tools. Here, we provide a combined study of both collections integrating ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) and taphonomic analyses on morphologically unidentifiable bones (Vandermeersch [ n = 762] and Maureille/Mann [ n = 377]). Our results indicate excellent collagen preservation (99.2% identification rate) and consistent glutamine deamidation. While we note an increased representation of bovids and equids in the trabecular fraction, our results confirm Les Pradelles as a reindeer hunting camp. Differences in the fragmentation of Neandertal and reindeer carcasses are illustrated by the relatively low number of ZooMS‐identified Neandertal bones ( n = 5). We show that Neandertal processing was marginal compared to reindeer, but human bodies were processed on multiple occasions across the Quina Mousterian lithofacies. Abundant retouchers ( n = 23) and anthropogenic bone surface modifications (25%) were observed on the ZooMS‐identified fauna, but not on the newly identified Neandertal remains. We show the value of integrating ZooMS, taphonomic and zooarchaeological data to revisit curated collections.

Can DNA from wet, temperate soils be used for palaeoecological reconstruction? - Nick A. Cutler; Doreen Yu‐Tuan Huang; Richard T. Streeter; Andrew J. Dugmore (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Sedimentary ancient DNA in well‐dated contexts ( sed aDNA) has great potential as a palaeoecological proxy. A few studies have attempted palaeoecological reconstructions using sed aDNA from soil; these studies have been mainly restricted to cold and/or dry soils. The study of soils from wet, temperate locations has been limited due to uncertainties surrounding the longevity and mobility of DNA in these environments. We addressed this knowledge gap with a novel field experiment that (i) tracked the movement and longevity of ‘exotic’ DNA applied to a wet, temperate soil and (ii) compared extant plant community structure with recent (decades old) environmental DNA (eDNA) data extracted from shallow ( sed aDNA would be suitable as a palaeo‐proxy for vegetation in similar settings, albeit restricted to the most abundant taxa. Further work in more taxonomically and structurally diverse settings, preferably with different soil types, would be required to establish the broader use of soil sed aDNA as a palaeoecological proxy in wet, temperate soils.

Identification and correlation of the Aso‐3 tephra in the Omaezaki area, central Japan: A valuable key stratum for the MIS 6/5 transition period - Toshinori Sasaki; Takuya Morimoto; Tatsuyuki Ueno; Kazuo Mizoguchi; Norihisa Goto; Hisanori Ominami; Shohei Onaka (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Aso‐3 tephra is one of the most significant widespread marker layers from the Middle to Late Pleistocene, generated by a large caldera‐forming eruption at the Aso volcano in Kyushu, southwestern Japan. Despite its importance, a distal co‐ignimbrite ash correlative has yet to be clearly identified, primarily because although volcanic glass shows a broad chemical composition range, available refractive index and major‐element glass data remain limited. This issue has made it difficult to identify the distribution area of the widespread Aso‐3 tephra and utilize it as a marker layer. Consequently, the ability to synchronize terrestrial and marine records from Japan and the northwestern Pacific during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6/5 transition is limited. This study reports the identification of a previously unrecognized tephra layer (SKR tephra) within the basal part of the Furuya Formation in the Omaezaki area of central Japan as Aso‐3 tephra. Petrological and geochemical analyses reveal that the SKR tephra consists of two compositionally distinct glass groups, whose major element composition closely corresponds to that of the Aso‐3B unit within the Aso‐3 pyroclastic flow deposits. Furthermore, the glass composition of SKR tephra matched that of cryptotephra (MD26.70 tephra) contained within a sample taken from marine core MD012422 off the coast of Shikoku at a depth of approximately 26.7 mbsf. The MD26.70 tephra was deposited during the MIS 6/5 transition, demonstrating that the SKR tephra represents a valuable stratigraphic marker synchronizing terrestrial and marine records for this period. Consequently, the SKR tephra contributes to refining the regional tephra chronology of central Japan. It serves as an indicator layer enhancing the potential for high‐resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Japanese archipelago and the northwestern Pacific during the MIS 6/5 transition.

Columnanidus calitzdorpensis ichnogen. ichnosp. nov: A new Middle Pleistocene subterranean termite trace fossil from South Africa - Miengah Abrahams; Robert A. Muir; Jorge F. Genise; John E. Almond; Gcinamahlubi Hadebe; John C. Hellstrom; Rabia Jacobs; Chris Harris (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Termites are landscape geo‐engineers whose nesting activities substantially modify the physical and chemical properties of soils. Fossilised termite nests commonly constitute the only identifiable evidence of ancient termite activity and represent valuable trace fossil archives for reconstructing past environments. Here, we describe a new ichnogenus and ichnospecies, Columnanidus calitzdorpensis ichnogen. ichnosp. nov., from Quaternary alluvial deposits near Calitzdorp, South Africa. The subterranean nests are subcylindrical structures, reaching ~1 m in height and ~65 cm in diameter, and are characterised by a ~12 cm wide, shelved nest wall surrounding an empty central cavity. Within the nest wall, the gallery and chamber morphology and abundance vary between the inner and outer zones. The nests are preserved as calcretised features, composed of inter‐laminations of clastic sediment and pedogenic carbonate precipitate. U‐series dating of the carbonate laminations yields robust age peaks at 401 ± 46 ka and 323 ± 12 ka, indicating a Middle Pleistocene minimum age for nest formation. These ages coincide with intervals favourable for pedogenic carbonate development under semi‐arid to arid climatic conditions. Hardpan calcretes capping the nests suggest prolonged periods of semi‐arid conditions and sustained pedogenic stability during the Middle Pleistocene in the Calitzdorp region.

Site formation processes and environmental change during the Late Pleistocene–Holocene in Long Long Rak Cave, Mae Hong Son, Thailand - Seriwat Saminpanya; Chanon Dangsepon; Patteera Alaisuk; Worawee Mitaumpan; Kittisak Baisukhan; Palida Thanyaanantachai; Tipsuda Raksuwan (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Cave sediments are key archives of past environmental and climatic change, and yet, detailed terrestrial records from tropical south‐east Asia remain scarce, particularly from archaeologically relevant sites. This study analyses 29 sediment samples from Long Long Rak Cave, an archaeologically significant site with evidence of human burial and occupation dating to ~2 ka, Thailand, using X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), particle‐size analysis and thermoluminescence (TL) dating (six age estimates) to investigate environmental change and sedimentary processes. Sedimentation patterns vary between chambers, reflecting differences in cave morphology and microclimate. Higher‐energy depositional conditions during ~13.4–11.3 ka, as evidenced by coarse sediments, erosional surfaces and Fe/Mn nodules formed under fluctuating redox conditions, indicate variable hydrological conditions with episodic higher‐energy flow events and enhanced sediment transport, broadly corresponding to terminal Pleistocene climatic instability, including the Younger Dryas. This was followed by a transitional phase of reduced and variable water input prior to a stratigraphic discontinuity at ~10.3 ka, which marks a shift to lower‐energy slackwater deposition and reduced sediment supply, marking Early Holocene hydrological adjustment. Evidence for post‐depositional modification includes clay translocation, Fe/Mn oxide and phosphate mobilisation, secondary calcite precipitation and bioturbation by termites and humans. Human activity is restricted to upper deposits dated to ~2 ka, indicating that most natural sediment accumulation predates cultural use of the cave.

Shared foraging behaviors between hyenas and hominins in the Middle Paleolithic Levant: New evidence from Geula Cave, Israel - Meir Orbach; Omry Barzilai; Israel Hershkovitz; Ma'ayan Lev; Reuven Yeshurun (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
While competition with large carnivores is likely to have shaped Middle Paleolithic hominins' subsistence behavior, palimpsested human and carnivore accumulations render the signal challenging to isolate. This study presents a detailed zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of a non‐anthropogenic faunal assemblage from a MIS 5 (~130–80 ka) hyena den and porcupine lair at Geula Cave (Mount Carmel, Israel). The assemblage features abundant hyena and porcupine remains, pervasive gnawing, and negligible anthropogenic impact, which we draw on to assess human–carnivore interaction (or resource use). The ungulate assemblage is diverse and similar to that of contemporaneous anthropogenic assemblages, implying significant hunting‐niche overlap. We propose that high ungulate diversity during MIS 5, possibly driven by interglacial corridor connectivity between Africa and the Levant, reduced competitive pressure and facilitated coexistence. Using hyena prey as an ecological baseline reveals how apparent “human choices” may reflect shared constraints within a competitive predator guild.

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction from Eemian insect remains at Ejstrup, Denmark: Evidence for a riverine setting - Emil Schou Nielsen; Jesper Petersen; Havananda Ombashi; Søren Munch Kristiansen; Tim Kinnaird; Aayush Srivastava; Trine Kellberg Nielsen; Peter Wiberg‐Larsen (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The freshwater environments of the Eemian are well documented, although mostly focussed on lakes. Here, we present results from lake sediments of dark grey, laminated, organic‐rich medium sand, on top of very dark grey gyttja at the site of Ejstrup, west of Kolding, Denmark. Based on pollen counts, the sediments were biostratigraphically classified as mid‐Eemian. Despite the lake deposition, the assemblage of aquatic insect subfossils clearly indicates a river environment. The aquatic assemblage was rich, including five beetle taxa, 23 caddisfly taxa and 29 taxa of dipterans (non‐biting midges, blackflies and brine flies). Specifically, analyses of the species' habitat traits point to a 15–25 m wide river, likely a tributary to a lake. This lowland river was likely fast‐flowing, and meandering, with a sequence of riffle areas containing boulders, stones and gravel, separated by areas of sand, and bordered by silty/muddy areas along the banks. Furthermore, the riverbed may have contained a large amount of submerged dead wood but only sparse vegetation, due to an overall dense riparian canopy dominated by Carpinus betulus , Corylus avellana and Alnus sp. Based on the Trichoptera species, we reconstruct a mid‐Eemian July mean air temperature of 18.1°C, that is, 1.2°C higher than the 1991–2020 average. The Eemian river environment, assumed to be unaffected by human influence, may serve as a useful reference for the present‐day restoration of heavily anthropogenically impacted Danish and European rivers.

Farming in the shadows of Rome: A multi‐proxy palaeoenvironmental record from Loch Clunie—Perthshire - Samantha E. Jones; Maarten Blaauw; Fraser Hunter; Olalla López‐Costas; Antonio Martínez Cortizas; Tim M. Mighall; Gordon Noble (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Roman impacts on local society is a subject of international significance. Loch Clunie, Perthshire, lies only 5.4 km from Inchtuthil, the only Roman legionary fortress in Scotland, and contains two crannogs and a probable lakeside hillfort. Despite this proximity and the likelihood of local–Roman interaction, these sites remain unexcavated. This paper presents palaeoenvironmental evidence for long‐term social‐economic change at Loch Clunie, contributing to a region with few well‐dated environmental–archaeological sequences for the Roman Iron Age and beyond. Pollen, non‐pollen palynomorph and sedimentological analyses are used to investigate patterns of environmental change and social activity from the later prehistoric period through to the late medieval era. The results indicate the presence of a local farming community pre‐dating Roman incursions into Scotland. This is followed by a marked increase in barley cultivation either slightly before or during the early Roman Iron Age. The mid‐Roman Iron Age is represented by a short‐lived vegetation downturn and subsequent recovery. However, the most distinct change occurs during the late Roman Iron Age, represented by a pronounced decline to almost complete disappearance of barley from the third to fourth centuries AD, lasting approximately 400 years. Settlement–economic downturns are emerging at other sites in north‐eastern Scotland with comparable temporal scales, although their causes appear to be complex. At Loch Clunie, there is no evidence to link this event to the Severan campaigns of AD 208–211. Indeed, this event appears slightly later. There is evidence, however, for a rise in lake levels, which could potentially be linked to Late Roman climatic deterioration.

From Highlands to Henge: Refining the Provenance and Transport Pathways of Stonehenge's Altar Stone - Anthony J. I. Clarke; Remy L. J. Veness; Christopher L. Kirkland; Chris D. Clark; Niall Gandy; Andy Emery; Sarah L. Bradley; Jeremy C. Ely; Ignéczi Ádám (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Altar Stone, the 6000 kg central sandstone megalith at Stonehenge in southern England, is suggested to have originated from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, some 700 km away. However, its source location within this large basin remains unresolved and its mode of transport uncertain. Proposed mechanisms include Neolithic human transport via marine or overland routes or southward movement as a glacial erratic. Here, we combine sandstone provenance analysis with ice flow modelling to constrain potential sources and transport pathways. Ice sheet reconstructions show that southward transport vectors from northeast Scotland were highly localised, making precise source determination critical to evaluating glacial erratic transport plausibility. Candidate source areas farther south within the Orcadian Basin are more compatible with southward glacial dispersal, but show weaker correspondence with the detrital zircon age spectra that characterise the Altar Stone. By contrast, sandstones from Caithness on the mainland of northeast Scotland provide the closest match in zircon age structure; yet, modelled glacial transport from this region is predominantly towards the north‐east, with a localised south‐eastward pathway directed towards Dogger Bank. Glacial dispersal to Dogger Bank would reduce the anthropogenic transport distance required to Stonehenge from 700 km to 400 km. However, such a model raises an additional temporal problem, as Dogger Bank was inundated by post‐glacial sea‐level rise before the Altar Stone likely arrived at Stonehenge. Glacial transport may have provided an intermediate stage in the stone's journey, but alone cannot account for the final emplacement on Salisbury Plain. Even under a glacially assisted scenario, substantial anthropogenic transport would have remained necessary.

Hydraulic reconstruction of catastrophic drainage from the Late Glacial, Lake Fraser, British Columbia, Canada - Sean M. Loeffler; John J. Clague; Brendan G. N. Miller; Sophie L. Norris (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Glacial Lake Fraser, which formed in British Columbia against the retreating Cordilleran Ice Sheet, stored ~520 km 3 of water before its near‐total drainage into the Salish Sea during an outburst flood event. Despite the impact of the outburst flood on sediment transport and landscape evolution in the Fraser River valley, its peak discharge and drainage duration are not well constrained. Here, multiple numerical modelling techniques are used to provide insight into the characteristics of the outburst flood. Boulder fields and giant gravel bars that provide evidence of water depth and flow dynamics are used to calibrate a step‐backwater model of peak discharge. This numerical estimate of peak discharge is compared with several ice‐dam failure scenarios, involving different parameters for the failure mechanism, duration and size, simulated using the HEC‐RAS dam‐breach model. The glacial Lake Fraser outburst flood had a peak discharge of at least 500 000–800 000 m 3 s −1 , and incision of the ice dam was likely relatively gradual, meaning that the lake drained over the course of several weeks. These findings improve our understanding of flood dynamics and enable more detailed estimations of the regional impacts of this event.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Insights into Neanderthal technological practices: Evidence of anthropogenic modifications on animal bones at the Abri 122/1200 Middle Paleolithic site (Eastern Carpathians, Romania) - Monica Mărgărit; Ștefan Vasile; George Murătoreanu; Mihai Caminschi; Loredana Niță; Teodora Florentina Matură; Daniel Veres; Mădălina Stănescu; Ionel Geambașu; Gabriel Sebastian Șerbănescu; Marian Cosac (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Archeological evidence has demonstrated that Neanderthals utilized mammal bone remains as tools. These findings are geographically widespread, stretching from the Altai Mountains in Central Asia to the Atlantic Ocean. Such an extensive distribution is indicative of a broad pattern of Neanderthal behavior concerning tool use and resource exploitation, although a notable lacuna exists in the archeological record within the Carpathian region that appears as a blank area on the existing map. The main purpose of our study is to address and fill this geographical gap. To this end, we focused on the site of Abri 122/1200 in Romania as a representative case study. The luminescence dating results indicate that the Middle Paleolithic occupation of the cave spans from the Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian) to the Late Pleistocene, approximately from Marine Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7, around 230 000 years ago) to MIS 3. A crucial aspect of our investigation involved differentiating between taphonomic marks on faunal remains: those resulting from natural processes such as scavenging or environmental factors and those stemming from technological activities like tool production or usewear. Through meticulous analysis, we successfully identified and isolated a consistent set of faunal remains categorized into five distinct typological groups. Our observations reveal that technological interventions on these bones are infrequent; the majority of fragments appear to have been used in their natural state without extensive modification. Fragments show evidence of being used in activities such as the processing of lithic tools, hides, or plant materials, which indicates a more complex utilization pattern than previously assumed. The assemblage from Abri 122/1200 thus exemplifies the importance of re‐evaluating other Middle Paleolithic contexts within the Carpathian region. It highlights the variability, origin, and technological significance of bone production and utilization by Neanderthals, challenging traditional perceptions of their technological capabilities and resourcefulness.

Ostracod faunal and geochemical evidence for the impact of Hoxnian (MIS 11c) sea levels in eastern England - Tom S. White; Jonathan A. Holmes; David J. Horne; David R. Bridgland (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Marine isotope substage 11c (~426–366 ka) is widely regarded as the most recent Pleistocene interglacial that is broadly analogous to the Holocene. The timing and magnitude of sea‐level changes during MIS 11 have been much debated, particularly concerning whether sea levels were significantly higher than during the Holocene. Empirical evidence derived from terrestrial (onshore) records in northern Europe that might contribute to this debate has until now been rare. Here, we present data from three contemporaneous fluvial sequences in the lower reach of the ancestral River Thames, in which intrusion of saline water is marked by the appearance of fossils (ostracods, molluscs, vertebrates and foraminiferids) indicative of brackish and nearshore environments. The maximum input of saline water to each site was estimated using trace‐element ratios (Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca) for valves of the ostracods Cyprideis torosa (Jones), Scottia browniana (Jones) and Ilyocypris spp. Correlation with the Hoxnian pollen record places the onset of brackish conditions in the Lower Thames within the late‐temperate substage (Ho III) of the interglacial. Comparison with the tidal reach of the modern Thames shows that palaeosalinity values reconstructed at Clacton, presently situated on the coast, are equivalent to areas much further upstream during MIS 11. This is consistent with global records that place the MIS 11 sea‐level maximum later in the interglacial than the time represented by the Clacton sequence. The data have important implications for palaeobiogeographical reconstructions of the southern North Sea basin, particularly with respect to the first breaching of the Weald–Artois anticline and the opening of the English Channel, and the ability of early human populations to colonise Britain during MIS 11.

Making palaeoclimatology research policy‐relevant: Insights and experience from the DECADAL Project - Celia Martin‐Puertas; Laura Boyall; Alice M. Milner; Ashley M. Abrook; Amen Al‐Yaari; Alice Carter‐Champion; Daisy Fallows; Katy Flowers; Paul Lincoln; Simon Blockley; Achim Brauer; Armand Hernandez; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Quaternary palaeoclimatology uniquely provides insights and new evidence about climate variability trends and extremes prior to the instrumental record; yet, its knowledge is rarely integrated into governmental decision‐making. This opinion piece shares lessons and experience from the UKRI‐funded DECADAL project, which bridges palaeoclimate science and policy through co‐production with UK climate services and policy institutions. The views expressed represent a joint perspective of the academic and non‐academic actors involved in the project, highlighting the challenges that we faced and the solutions that we adopted. We found that an iterative collaboration through aligning research questions, outputs and formats with user needs builds trust, increases relevance and creates pathways for long‐term policy uptake. DECADAL demonstrates that engaging with relevant policy and other end‐user groups does not compromise scientific excellence; rather, it drives methodological innovation and rigour, fosters creativity and produces high‐impact, original publications that also have relevance beyond an academic audience. We argue that embedding policy engagement should be viewed as a collective community endeavour rather than the effort of an individual or research team. By embracing co‐production, palaeo‐scientists can strengthen the societal value of their research, open new avenues for innovation and collaboration, and collectively shape climate‐informed decision‐making.

Decoupling glacier retreat and surface stabilization on the Snežnik Plateau (Slovenia), insights from in situ cosmogenic 36 Cl exposure and depth‐profile ages - Onur Altınay; Mehmet Akif Sarıkaya; Uroš Stepišnik; Manja Žebre; Cengiz Yıldırım; Attila Çiner; Klaus M. Wilcken (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Glaciokarst landscapes pose distinctive challenges for cosmogenic dating because meltwater and runoff can be rapidly rerouted into ponors and conduit networks, weakening glacier–river coupling and promoting local sediment storage. We reconstruct glacier retreat and postglacial stabilization on the Snežnik Plateau (SW Slovenia) using in situ cosmogenic 36 Cl exposure ages from moraine boulders and 36 Cl depth‐profile ages from moraine matrix and glaciofluvial outwash. At Sviščaki (NW sector), boulder ages span 13.0 ± 1.7 to 8.0 ± 1.0 ka and, together with a moraine‐matrix depth‐profile age of 11.4 ± 0.7 ka, indicate deglaciation by the Late Glacial and surface stabilization by ~11 ka. At Praprotna Draga (NE sector), the oldest boulder ages are ~15 ka, while an adjacent outwash/alluvial‐fan depth profile (~12 ka) suggests that proglacial reworking waned near the Late Glacial–Early Holocene transition. In contrast, the Gomance piedmont polje yields an outwash depth‐profile age of 8.4 ± 0.2 ka, consistent with prolonged storage and repeated burial–exposure dynamics in a karst sediment sink. Overall, the Snežnik chronology shows that cosmogenic ages in glaciokarst commonly track stabilization and process filtering rather than uniquely dating maximum ice extent.

Quantifying user variability in the traditional X‐ray ice‐rafted‐debris counting technique - Neil McDonald; Tom Bradwell; S. Louise Callard; Jaime L. Toney (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The flux of icebergs is most commonly constrained in the palaeo‐record by manually counting gravel clasts in sediment core X‐ray images—a trusted method in Quaternary science and palaeoceanography for nearly 40 years. In this study, we explore the reproducibility (user consistency and between‐user variability) of the traditional clast‐counting technique, something that has rarely been quantified. A participatory study was undertaken whereby 14 individuals counted gravel clasts (>2 mm) on X‐radiographs in cm intervals of two different glaciomarine sediment cores: (i) a matrix‐supported subaqueous diamicton facies and (ii) a clast‐poor to clast‐moderate laminated facies. Pairwise comparisons of all 14 users' counts using Spearman's rho indicate statistically significant relationships in all but one case ( p p

Decoupling climate and human impacts on the nitrogen cycle during the Irish Bronze Age - Sarah Ferrandin; Gill Plunkett; Neil Ogle (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Disentangling climate variability and human activity in past nitrogen cycling is key to understanding ecosystems. Previous studies in Ireland observed a widespread, permanent shift in terrestrial nitrogen cycling during Later Prehistory, potentially linked to intensifying land‐use. Here, we investigate whether this shift was climatically or anthropogenically driven by analysing three raised bogs—highly sensitive to climate change—using pollen, testate amoebae‐inferred water‐table depth and geochemical proxies ( δ 15 N, δ 13 C org and C org :N). We identify shifts in bog surface wetness, based on radiocarbon‐ and tephra‐constrained age–depth models: wet conditions ~4700–4450 cal BP, a dry interval ~4400 cal BP, wetter conditions ~4300–3150 cal BP, two drought phases ~3150–3050 and ~2850–2700 cal BP (Late Bronze Age and Terminal Dowris droughts), and renewed wet conditions ~2600 cal BP, consistent with the 2.7 ka event. Bulk peat δ 15 N values broadly tracked bog surface wetness but were more strongly influenced by secondary decomposition, highlighting post‐depositional controls. Overall, our results show that Bronze Age droughts did not produce lasting changes in peat δ 15 N, indicating that sustained nitrogen cycle shifts observed by others after ~3000–2600 cal BP likely reflect cumulative human impacts rather than climate.

Early deglaciation history of the southeastern Baffin Island shelf (Eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago) - Alexis P. Belko; Alexandre Normandeau; Patrick Lajeunesse; Audrey Limoges (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
During the last glacial period, the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) was the largest terrestrial ice sheet on Earth. Its evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum profoundly influenced Earth's geodynamics and surface processes. Investigating the past dynamics of the LIS provides critical insights into how contemporary ice sheets may respond to ongoing climate change. In this paper, we combine lithostratigraphy, targeted foraminiferal assemblage analysis, and swath bathymetry to reconstruct the early phase of retreat of the LIS margin across the Broughton and Merchants fjord–cross‐shelf–trough systems in southeastern Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Radiocarbon dates based on mixed foraminiferal assemblages provide a revised deglacial chronology for southeastern Baffin Island. In Broughton Trough, the absence of moraines indicates a continuous retreat without prolonged stabilization until at least 12.9 k cal a BP. However, turbidites preserved in sediment cores record meltwater discharge during glacial retreat. In contrast, the Merchants Ice Flow stabilized on a grounding‐zone wedge (GZW) between the LGM and 12.0 k cal a BP. Within the associated turbidite sequence downflow of the GZW, the transition between the presence of the foraminiferal species Islandiella helenae typically associated with ice‐edge or seasonally open‐water conditions and the absence of ice‐rafted debris suggests the development of an ice shelf during this stabilization phase. Previously reported terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dates show that the inter‐trough region appears to have deglaciated more rapidly than the adjacent troughs, acting as a transitional zone between the Broughton and Merchants ice flow sectors. When integrated with previously published terrestrial record, these results provide an updated deglaciation history of southeastern Baffin Island.

The Anthropocene: Proposal, rejection, consequences, alternatives, and a lesson - Valentí Rull (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The term “Anthropocene” was proposed in 2000 to denote a new epoch in the Geological Time Scale, characterized by the global human impact on the Earth system. In 2023, the Anthropocene Working Group submitted a formal proposal to the International Commission on Stratigraphy, which rejected it on the grounds that it did not meet the criteria for establishing a new geological epoch. Consequently, the Anthropocene currently lacks a formal definition or geological status. The possibility of submitting a different proposal remains, but defining a globally synchronous chronological boundary—essential for a geological epoch—is challenging due to the heterogeneous and uneven nature of human impacts. Alternatively, the Anthropocene could be considered a geological event or episode, which are time‐transgressive and do not require formalization, although this would necessitate terminological adjustments, since the suffix “‐cene” inherently denotes an epoch in stratigraphic terminology. In the absence of a precise definition, the best approach is either to clarify the concept of the Anthropocene used in each case or to adopt a different name free of stratigraphic implications while a formal geological solution is pursued. Using the term to refer to anything other than a geological epoch is incorrect and may create inconsistencies. Currently, the Anthropocene remains in a definitional void but is widely used in environmental research, activism, and broader professional and popular contexts. The genie is out of the bottle.

Astragalus ecomorphology in Quaternary elephantids - Darío Fidalgo; Palmira Saladié; Josep Valverdú; Antonio Pineda; Rosa Huguet; Joan Madurell‐Malapeira; Antonio Rosas (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The astragalus plays a fundamental role in the graviportal locomotion of proboscideans, reflecting the biomechanical constraints imposed by large body masses. This study analyses the morphological variability of the astragalus in Quaternary elephantids using linear biometry and 3D geometric morphometrics, incorporating an unpublished astragalus of Mammuthus meridionalis from the Calabrian (ca. 0.9 Ma) of Barranc de la Boella (eastern Iberian Peninsula) within a broad comparative framework of fossil and extant forms. The results reveal a marked allometric relationship, whereby larger individuals have relatively flatter astragali, regardless of their taxonomic affinity. The Barranc de la Boella specimen fits this pattern perfectly, showing dimensions comparable to those of the largest elephantids of the Gelasian, Calabrian and Chibanian. No clear phylogenetic signal is detected in the morphology of the astragalus, suggesting that body size dominates the observed variation and limits its usefulness in discriminating specific taxonomic affinities or ecological adaptations.

Late Quaternary climatic variability in the Eastern Mediterranean recorded in Hermes Cave, Corinth Rift, Greece - Ch. Pennos; S. Pechlivanidou; S. Modestou; A. Persoiu; S.F.M. Breitenbach; U. Ninnemann; R.L. Gawthorpe; J. Maccali; S‐E. Lauritzen; R.Ø. Skoglund; Th. Thuesen (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Greek peninsula lies at the intersection of major atmospheric circulation systems, making it a key location for reconstructing past climate variability in the Eastern Mediterranean. In this study, we present a new high‐resolution multi‐proxy speleothem record from Hermes Cave, located on the shoulder of the Corinth Rift in southern Greece. Stalagmite ZCG1 grew during two distinct intervals (~123–98 ka and ~36–7 ka), separated by a pronounced hiatus of ~62 ka. We combined 230 Th/U dating, stable isotope (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) analyses and trace‐element (Sr/Ca) ratios to reconstruct climatic and hydrologic changes from the latter part of the Last Interglacial through to the Holocene. The early part of the record documents humid conditions followed by a long‐term trend towards higher δ 18 O and δ 13 C values, pointing to progressive aridification that culminated in growth cessation near 98 ka. Growth resumed during MIS 3 under initially dry conditions that gradually became wetter towards the Holocene, with millennial‐scale variability coinciding with Heinrich events and the Last Glacial Maximum. The Holocene section of the record documents a sustained humid phase, with several distinct episodes of reduced effective moisture, most notably during the 8.2 ka event. Comparison with marine sediment cores from the Gulf of Corinth highlights a strong coupling between regional hydroclimate, vegetation cover, and sediment flux into the marine environment. This study demonstrates that stalagmites from Hermes Cave provide a robust terrestrial complement to offshore records, offering critical insights into the timing, mechanisms and regional expression of Late Quaternary climate variability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

A new, ~4500‐year varve record and high‐resolution tephrochronology from lake Hämälänlampi, eastern Finland, provides age constraints for the Furnas C and the Glen Garry/Askja A‐2000 eruptions - Maarit Kalliokoski; Veera Erola; Saija Saarni (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The northern European distal cryptotephra framework is constantly developing both in terms of identification of new tephra horizons and improved age constraints for the already well‐established tephra marker horizons. However, many prehistoric tephra layers have only been dated by the radiocarbon method, with its inherent problems. Here, we present a new ~4500‐year, continuously varved lacustrine sediment record and tephrochronology from lake Hämälänlampi, eastern Finland. The varve chronology was established by repeated varve counts from epoxy‐impregnated sediment blocks and selected elemental maps (Si, K, Fe and Mn) produced by micro‐XRF scanning. The sediment core was investigated for the presence of cryptotephra, and the exact location of the nine identified cryptotephra horizons was pinpointed with either 0.5‐ or 1‐cm depth resolution. The volcanic glass shards were geochemically characterised and correlated to their source eruptions. As a result, we report the first findings of the Hekla 1947, Furnas C and Hekla C tephras in Finnish environmental records, and provide varve ages for the Furnas C, Hekla Y, Hekla C and Öræfajökull 3.5 ka tephras for the first time. We also suggest a new, high‐resolution varve age 128–117 BCE for the Glen Garry tephra, based on integration of varve ages from several studies.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Marine Isotope Stage 4 glaciation in northern England, UK: Evidence from Victoria Cave, North Yorkshire - Tom C. Lord; Peter Wilson; Joyce Lundberg; Adrian P. Palmer; Matt W. Telfer; Rhiannon E. Stevens; Phillip J. Murphy; Mark Lewis (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Victoria Cave, north Yorkshire, England, contains a long sequence of Pleistocene clastic sediments and calcite flowstones. Earlier work, using U–Th dating, established that the flowstone units formed in interglacial stages corresponding to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 13, 11, 9, 7 and 5. The intervening laminated sediments were therefore assigned to glacial stages (MIS 12, 10, 6 and 2) and regarded as rhythmites that settled from ponded glacial meltwater in the cave. Victoria Cave is a rare instance of cave rhythmites that formed over a number of glacial–interglacial cycles. The macro‐ and micromorphologies of the rhythmites support the above interpretation, and the mineralogy demonstrates that the sediments probably derive from rock types within the local area. An OSL age of 66 ± 8.4 ka from the uppermost unit of the rhythmites and two 14 C ages of 46.1–54.9 cal. ka BP and 48.9–>55.0 cal. ka BP, for horse and reindeer, respectively, from the overlying Bone‐bearing Cave Earth provide a new chronology for these Late Pleistocene sediments. Together, these results indicate that the youngest rhythmites in Victoria Cave formed during MIS 4 and not MIS 2 as previously assumed. This provides strong support for more widespread glaciation in northern England in MIS 4 (~71–59 ka) than has previously been recognised. The MIS 4 rhythmites represent the most tightly constrained cave rhythmites in Britain and the first terrestrial‐based evidence from this area for glaciation at that time.

Elemental geochemical constraints on paleoprecipitation in westerlies‐dominated arid Asia: A comparative surface soil study from NE Iran and SW Tajikistan - Jiamei Lei; Qiang Wang; Yining Tang; Jia Jia; Xiangfeng Tang; Yongqiu Wu; Mi Wang; Davlatkhudzha Murodov; Farhad Khormali; Xin Wang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Westerlies‐dominated arid Asia spans the dry mid‐latitude Asian interior from NE Iran across the Central Asian interior to NW China and the southern Mongolian Plateau. Although elemental geochemical proxies are widely used in monsoonal Asia, their applicability to loess deposits in this broader arid domain remains insufficiently tested, especially in its western and central sectors. Here, we investigate the geochemical characteristics of modern surface soils (0–2 cm) from the Iranian Loess Plateau and SW Tajikistan to evaluate their relationships with present‐day climatic conditions and their implications for paleoclimatic reconstruction. Specifically, we aim to (i) characterize elemental geochemical parameters and their paleoclimatic significance and (ii) identify robust proxies for paleoprecipitation reconstruction. Our results indicate (i) low chemical weathering intensity in both regions; (ii) a coupled influence of provenance and climate on weathering processes; and (iii) in NE Iran, strong relationships between the mean annual precipitation and the indices C [(Fe + Al + Mn + Cr + Co + Ni)/(Ca + Mg + Na + K + Sr + Ba)] ( r = 0.73, p r = 0.72, p 2 O + Na 2 O)/(Fe 2 O 3 + MnO 2 )] ( r = −0.71, p

The Glacial Legacy of the Geneva Basin: Morphology and implications of an intricate tunnel valley system revealed from 3D seismic data - Ovie Emmanuel Eruteya; Emna Meftah; Andrea Moscariello (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Like other perialpine basins and glaciated margins, the Geneva Basin in SW Switzerland is characterised by buried tunnel valleys, which are elongated incisions widely attributed to subglacial meltwater erosion beneath continental ice sheets. However, an inclusive understanding of the geological control on the evolution of the glacial landscape concerning the associated tunnel valley network is limited in the Geneva Basin. The lack of high‐density and high‐quality subsurface data sets mostly hampers this. Here, we present an updated map of the top Molasse bedrock underlying the glacio–fluvial Quaternary deposit based on the integration of the newly acquired 180 km 2 3D seismic data set and pre‐existing 2D seismic and borehole data sets. A seismogeomorphological interpretation coupled with attribute analysis of the data set revealed a drastic change in the morphology of the bedrock when compared to previous interpretations. This is especially within the perimeter of the 3D seismic data, revealing an intricately well‐defined geometry of the tunnel valleys network mapped in the Geneva Basin when compared with earlier studies. The bedrock was eroded by four tunnel valleys now named Montbrillant–Aire la Ville valley, Thônex–Plan‐les‐Ouates valley, Versoix–Avully valley, and Petit Lac–Avusy valley, and (smallest–largest) mostly trending NE–SW, reaching a depth of ca. 250 m in the Geneva Bay area. The seismic data also portray structural controls related to faults on the deepening and alignment of segments of the tunnel valleys. The longitudinal profiles generated for the tunnel valleys show a markedly undulatory thalweg, with predominantly U‐shaped and some localised V‐shaped cross‐sectional morphology. This geometry indicates that incision processes operated across significant topographic gradients along the tunnel valley axis. This characteristic is consistent with a polyphase origin for the tunnel valley network, likely modulated by repeated episodes of subglacial meltwater catastrophically eroding the Molasse substratum. This was associated with successive glacial advance–retreat cycles of the Rhône and Arve glaciers. This study demonstrates the unmatched capability of 3D seismic data sets in resolving the configuration of buried Quaternary tunnel valleys within this peri‐alpine realm. Importantly, it shows that an updated Molasse bedrock depth and Quaternary isopach map is vital for groundwater management, geothermal energy, resource extraction, and infrastructure planning in the Geneva Basin.

Deglaciation of the Burren glacio‐karst, western Ireland, during Termination 1: Implications for North Atlantic climate and karstification - Gordon Bromley; Colin Bunce; Brenda Hall; Aaron Putnam; Frank McDermott (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Burren uplands in western Ireland form one of the most extensive and best‐preserved examples of glacio‐karst in Europe. Subsumed by the Irish ice sheet during the Late Pleistocene, granite erratic boulders and in situ silica veins in the limestone bedrock provide a rare opportunity to reconstruct the timing and rate of deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using cosmogenic beryllium‐10 ( 10 Be) surface‐exposure dating. Such information is key to establishing seasonal climatic conditions in the circum‐North Atlantic during the last glacial termination, particularly Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1: ~18.0–14.7 ka), and quantifying landscape denudation rates in temperate maritime karst systems. This study reports a new deglacial chronology from the Burren, constrained with in situ 10 Be and supported by minimum‐limiting U‐Th and 14 C ages, that reveals pronounced thinning and retreat of terrestrial ice between ~18.0 and 17.0 ka. In conjunction with existing measurements of Burren karst features, we applied the new age constraint for postglacial exposure to refine long‐term denudation rates, which are broadly similar to other maritime European karstlands. The close agreement between the 10 Be surface‐exposure ages and independent ages for Burren deglaciation also permits an empirical test of our chosen production rate and confirms it is applicable to this period and these latitudes. From a palaeoclimatological perspective, the Burren 10 Be record indicates deglaciation during HS1, a pattern that we propose supports recent hypotheses invoking globally warming Heinrich summers despite anomalous wintertime cooling of the circum North Atlantic.

New insights from western Latvia into Holocene spatial and temporal patterns of tufa deposition in central European alkaline fens - Rafał Kiełczewski; Krzysztof Pleskot; Mariusz Gałka; Magdalena Marzec; Liene Aunina; Anna Cipriani; Karina Apolinarska (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
We present a sediment record from the Maitiku Springs alkaline spring‐fed fen in western Latvia, documenting the history of fen development and CaCO 3 precipitation. Our ultimate goal is to determine whether new data from this previously underexplored eastern Baltic region align with spatial and temporal patterns of tufa deposition in Central Europe. Our analysis integrates geochemical proxies, palaeobiological data and radiocarbon‐dated terrestrial plant macrofossils recovered from two sediment cores extracted from the fen dome's top and slope. The Maitiku fen has been active since approximately 9.4 ka BP and shows two main phases of intensive CaCO 3 precipitation: between 6.3 and 5.2 ka BP, and from around 3.6 ka BP to the present. These results support the view that, in the eastern Baltic, CaCO 3 precipitation was largely limited during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), with current tufa formation initiating only in the late Holocene (after 5000 cal a BP). This pattern contrasts with that of the southern Baltic region, where the HTM coincided with the peak of tufa deposition, commonly followed by a decline in carbonate precipitation later in the Holocene. We attribute this regional difference primarily to contrasting hydroclimatic conditions during the HTM, linked to frequent anticyclonic circulation over northern Europe.

Proglacial lake records of Holocene glacier behaviour and catchment processes in Slettedalen, Northeast Greenland - Kathryn Adamson; Matt Carney; Stamatia Galata; Tom Bishop; Timothy Lane; Vikas Mackevicius; Rochelle Taylor (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Constraining Arctic catchment response to Holocene climate change is vital for understanding future environments. We present detailed sedimentological, geochemical and grain size end‐member analysis of two Holocene (~7.0 ka to present) lake sequences, S1 and S2, close to Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland. They provide new insights into glacier behaviour and catchment processes during a period of profound environmental change. The lowermost unit (>6.8 ka) captures the retreat of Dombjerg glacier and exposure of the S1 and S2 basins—unified by high water levels—when they received large volumes of glacigenic sediment. During the Holocene Thermal Maximum (~6.8–3.5 ka), Dombjerg glacier receded. High runoff, slope processes and fluvial activity dominated. S1 and S2 became largely disconnected, forming two depocentres; S1 was characterised by glacial and glaciofluvial inputs and S2 was characterised by alluvium and colluvium. Dombjerg glacier advanced during Neoglacial cooling (after ~2.0 ka). S1 and S2 were again unified by higher lake levels, facilitating the throughflow of glacigenic material into both depocentres. The LIA is poorly expressed or absent in the Slettedalen records, commensurate with regional reconstructions. At present, the basins are connected only by streamflow, and coarse‐grained sediment reflects renewed runoff and slope instability under ongoing climate warming.

Insights into Red Deer Ecology during the Late Epigravettian: New isotopic evidence from Riparo Tagliente (Italian Prealps) - Mahym Amanova; Dorothée G. Drucker; Federica Fontana (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Late Glacial marked a shift from the cold conditions of Greenland Stadial‐2 (GS‐2) to the warmer phases of Greenland Interstadial‐1 (GI‐1), enabling the reoccupation of Alpine regions by Late Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers. Riparo Tagliente, a rockshelter in northeastern Italy, preserves the most extensive Late Glacial stratigraphy in the southeastern Alps and provides key evidence for early human re‐settlement by Late Epigravettian groups. To investigate environmental conditions and resource stability, we analyzed stable carbon and oxygen isotopes ( δ 13 C carb , δ 18 O carb ) in enamel carbonate from red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) second and third molars across stratigraphic units 13 to 5, spanning GS‐2.1a to GI‐1. Tooth δ 13 C values reflect a diet based on C3 plants within relatively open woodland environments, showing limited change across climatic transitions. Intra‐tooth δ 18 O profiles record seasonal conditions, summer in M2 and winter in M3, and were used to estimate past temperatures. Reconstructed mean monthly winter temperatures reached −3.1°C in layer 10, with summer temperatures rising to ~16°C in layer 9 during GI‐1. These results highlight environmental continuity in red deer ecology despite climate fluctuations, suggesting that stable, open habitats supported sustained human use of the site throughout the Late Glacial.

Contextualizing Early to Middle Pleistocene hominin ecology in the Indian Subcontinent - Anubhav Preet Kaur; Juha Saarinen; Rajeev Patnaik; Parth R. Chauhan; Robin Dennell (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The paleoecology of early hominin dispersal(s) out of Africa remains a central topic of discussion in paleoanthropology. While African and Eurasian records are relatively well documented, the Indian Subcontinent has remained underrepresented in this discourse. Here, we present the first multiproxy paleoecological reconstruction of Early‐to‐Middle Pleistocene (2.58–0.4 Ma) environments in the northern Indian Subcontinent, combining dental δ 13 C and δ 18 O isotope analysis, dental mesowear, and dental ecometric trait data from 289 mammalian dental specimens from the Pinjor Formation, Upper Siwalik Hills of northern India. δ 13 C values indicate a predominantly C 4 ‐based herbivore guild throughout the study period, with progressive broadening toward mixed C 3 –C 4 diets after ~1.77 Ma. Strong temporal variation in δ 18 O values indicates that hydroclimatic variability was possibly the primary driver of this ecosystem reorganization across this interval. In conformity to results from the dental enamel, climate estimates based on dental ecometric trait data document a similar transition from drier, open grassland conditions before ~1.77 Ma to a more productive, structurally heterogeneous savannah mosaic ecosystems after ~1.77 Ma. These results demonstrate that the region sustained a predominantly savannah mosaic ecosystem, with an increase in habitat heterogeneity after the Early to Middle Pleistocene Climate Transition, corresponding to an increase in precipitation. This mosaic landscape sustained resource availability and opportunities, critical for survival of hominins dispersing through the region. This study fills a critical geographic gap by adding to the growing body evidence indicating that hominins occupied diverse and regionally variable environments during early out‐of‐Africa dispersal(s).

Geochronological reconstruction of the Lateglacial deglaciation in the Arve Valley (Northern French Alps) - Quentin Portal; Christian Crouzet; Jean‐François Buoncristiani; Julien Carcaillet (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The timing and spatial patterns of glaciers retreat in the Northern French Alps during the Lateglacial (19.0–11.7 ka) remain debated, reflecting discrepancies among available chronological data sets. The complex interactions between major glaciers, such as the Rhône and Arve glaciers to the north and the Isère glacier to the south, represent a significant challenge for reconstructing post‐Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glacial retreat. In this study, we present a new framework for understanding Lateglacial glacier history in the Arve Valley, integrating 18 new in situ 10 Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure ages obtained from erratic and morainic boulders together with refined geomorphological interpretations based on LiDAR‐derived Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Results, expressed as minimum exposure ages, indicate that glacier recession began around 17.6 ka, with the Arve glacier remaining in the downstream sector of the valley until the end of a readvance phase around 15.9 ka. Following this readvance, the glacier receded by more than 30 km in a few hundred years at most, before continuing to withdraw towards the Mont‐Blanc massif prior to the Younger Dryas readvance. These findings provide new constraints on the timing of deglaciation in the Northwestern Alps and contribute toward a better understanding of post‐LGM glacier retreat in a complex confluence system.

Late Holocene environmental history of Dojran, Macedonia: Investigating the interplay of imperial dynamics and climatic change - Alessia Masi; Lucrezia Masci; Georgios C. Liakopoulos; Monica Bini; Alexander Francke; Ilaria Isola; Carlo Ricotta; Laura Sadori; Alexander Sarantis; Sławomir Sprawski; Jakub Sypiański; Irene Tunno; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
This study presents a high‐resolution, multi‐proxy reconstruction of environmental and land‐use change from Lake Dojran over historical times (last 2500 years), combining pollen, biomarkers, radiocarbon dating, Ottoman taxation records and other historical data. Our results show that vegetation dynamics were persistently shaped by human activity, with climatic variability acting as a secondary driver. Agricultural expansion, arboriculture, pastoralism and woodland clearance correspond to the differing political and economic regimes of the Macedonian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Phases of stability—such as the (Roman) Augustan era and the 16th‐century Pax Ottomana —coincide with strong agricultural intensification, while climatic anomalies, conflict and epidemics are reflected in declines in cultivation. The integration of palaeoecological data with spatially resolved Ottoman records allows the identification of distinct socio‐ecological zones within the catchment, including cereal‐oriented lowlands and pastoral uplands, explaining divergent land‐use trajectories. These combined data sets demonstrate the value of a consilient approach, revealing how environmental, economic and administrative factors interacted to shape long‐term landscape transformation and local resilience.

Reconstructing the Holocene explosive eruptive history of the Erciyes volcano (Turkey) using proximal and distal tephra records - Ivan Sunyé‐Puchol; Rengin Özsoy‐Ünal; Xavier Bolós; Victoria C. Smith; Efe Akkas; Lorenzo Tavazzani; Jan Aymerich; Manuela Nazzari; Pierre Lacan; Victoria Cullen; Olivier Bachmann; Piergiorgio Scarlato; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Mount Erciyes, the largest active volcano of Central Anatolia (Turkey), erupted explosively during the Holocene, producing the Karagüllü, Perikartin and Dikkartin tuff rings. Even though major cities like Kayseri and its ~1 million residents sit directly on these pyroclastic deposits, the timing and magnitude of the explosive eruptions have remained poorly constrained. To assess regional ash dispersal and improve the Erciyes Holocene explosive eruptive history, here, we integrate tephrostratigraphic observations, glass shard geochemistry and radiocarbon dating of organic‐rich palaeosols. Our results indicate that the Karagüllü tuff ring formed around 11 258 ± 56 cal yr BP, followed by the Perikartin eruption at 9700 ± 100 cal yr BP. Although no stratigraphic contacts are evident with the other eruption deposits and there is no radiocarbon datable material in or below Dikkartin, its glass composition matches the regional S1 tephra dated to approximately 9000 cal yr BP, and this date can be assigned to the Dikkartin eruption. Distal correlations also confirm the widespread dispersal of the Karagüllü tephra, as it is identified as a cryptotephra layer in the Black Sea and Romanian lakes, indicating that the Central Anatolian eruptions dispersed volcanic ash over several hundred to more than a 1000 km across Europe and the eastern Mediterranean in the early Holocene. These correlations enhance the regional tephrochronological framework and underscore the need to re‐assess volcanic hazards in Central Turkey and surrounding areas.

"Two tribes": Handaxe shape variation shows distinct regional cultural groups in southeastern Britain between 424 000 and 374 000 BP - Mark White; Frederick Foulds; Aaron Rawlinson; Ceri Shipton; Rob Davis; Nick Ashton (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
This paper examines regional and chronological variations in Acheulean handaxe morphology during Marine Isotope Stage 11 (c. 425–365 ka BP) in Britain. Using a data set of 737 handaxes from 13 securely dated sites in East Anglia and the Thames Valley, we apply three‐dimensional geometric morphometric analysis to examine morphological variability. Our results show that two distinct handaxe forms were present in different areas of Britain during MIS 11: sub‐stage MIS 11c assemblages in East Anglia are dominated by ovate handaxes with twisted edges, while contemporaneous Thames Valley assemblages are characterised by pointed forms. By sub‐stage MIS 11a, Thames Valley sites shift to ovate handaxes with twisted edges, whereas East Anglia now shows a predominance of pointed forms. Statistical models indicate that rather than raw material constraints or reduction intensity, regional factors such as cultural groups drive these differences. These patterns suggest persistent technological norms, strong knowledge transmission and cultural resilience across climatic oscillations. Our findings highlight the role of small‐scale, juxtaposed cultural groups in shaping Acheulean variability and adapting to dynamic Middle Pleistocene environments.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Rethinking glacial retreat and postglacial expansion of the Neotropical palm Mauritia - Valentí Rull (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
This paper presents an unconventional perspective on the glacial retraction and postglacial expansion of the lowland Neotropical palm Mauritia flexuosa during the last glacial cycle. The classical view holds that this palm was confined to multiple wet refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), owing to purported Neotropical‐wide arid climates. From these refugia, M. flexuosa is thought to have expanded across much of tropical South America in postglacial times in response to a hypothetical increase in moisture. Here, I reconsider the available paleoecological, phylogeographic, paleoclimatic, and eustatic evidence to propose an alternative scenario. Paleoecological and phylogeographic data are consistent with widespread glacial refugia; however, paleoclimatic reconstructions indicate that general cooling, rather than the assumption of broad Neotropical aridity, played a greater role in driving M. flexuosa retraction to warm refugia up to ~200 m elevation. Within this framework, the continental shelf—exposed during the LGM—would have represented an unexpected landmass for sustaining glacial Mauritia refugia. Postglacial expansion would have been driven mainly by Holocene warming. This new perspective integrates elements of both the refugial and the divergence–vicariance hypotheses, two classical competing explanations for Neotropical biogeography. The evidence suggests that these hypotheses are best viewed as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

A twofold development and demise of pine stands in the Netherlands during the Allerød interstadial: two hypotheses to explain a link to climate change recorded in Greenland ice - Wim Z. Hoek; Jos Bazelmans; Otto Brinkkemper; Petra Doeve; Bas van Geel (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The second half of the Allerød interstadial in the Netherlands is characterised by pine forest. Excavated trunks of 165 pine trees at Leusden‐Den Treek in the central Netherlands (LETR16) were dated by dendrochronology and radiocarbon. Two chronologically separated pine forest phases occurred during relatively warm periods as recorded in Greenland ice. We developed two hypotheses to explain waxing and waning of the two pine phases, with a gap width of more than 300 years, in relation to the climate fluctuations recorded in Greenland. In both hypotheses, climate change triggered the start and demise of pine forest. In the first hypothesis (1), we link the two pine phases with northward migration and retreats during the Allerød interstadial. Trees generally expanded northwards during warm periods from refugia in South and Central Europe, towards Northwest Europe, and died off on a massive scale during the beginning of cold periods. In an alternative hypothesis (2), the presence and absence of pine are explained as the effects of local changes of the groundwater table and related preservation of pine wood, also triggered by the climate fluctuations as recorded in Greenland ice. The two hypotheses are discussed using palynological and lithological data from four studied sample series at the site (LETR16) where pine trees were found, compared to more downwind sites (LESN18 & LEN226). Based on the lithological and palynological data, it is concluded that particularly changes in groundwater level led to the local disappearance of pine but, on the other hand, resulted in preservation of the pine tree remains.

Evolution of lagoon formation and desiccation along the southeast Caspian coast: A historical and modern perspective - Hamid A. K. Lahijani; Hamid Nazari; Junsheng Nie; Fei Peng; Wenjiao Xiao; Razyeh Lak; Parisa Habibi; Muna Hosseindoost; Seddigheh Amjadi; Majid Pourkerman; Keivan Kabiri; Milad Behravesh; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The southeastern Caspian coast, a climate transition zone from subtropical to arid conditions and host to several Ramsar wetlands, is highly sensitive to Caspian sea‐level (CSL) fluctuations and climate change. This study investigates the environmental evolution and resilience of the Gomishan Lagoon by integrating paleoenvironmental archives, instrumental observations, re‐analysis data sets, satellite imagery, and future climate projections. The objectives are to decipher the past CSL changes on lagoon development and to evaluate the capacity of this coastal system for self‐restoration under past CSL fluctuations, assess whether this capacity persists under the current phase of rapid CSL decline, and infer its likely future trajectory. Results indicate that CSL variability over the past century comprised complete rise–fall cycles, with the present decline initiating a renewed phase of lagoon desiccation. A ~2.5 m CSL fall since 1996, coupled with rising air temperatures, has accelerated desiccation of the Gomishan Lagoon. By 2023, the extent of desiccation exceeded that observed in 1978 despite comparable CSL, reflecting enhanced sediment infilling. Sedimentary successions preserve evidence of historical lowstands, including desiccation phases during the Sasanian period of late Antiquity (ca. 400–450 AD), the Medieval Period (~1000 AD), and around 1600 AD, accompanied by progressive seaward displacement of the lagoon during regressive phases. Relict beach ridges and back‐barrier depressions further indicate repeated lagoon formation along the southeastern Caspian coast throughout the Holocene. During highstand periods, lagoon capacity in organic material burial and carbon accumulation increased threefold compared to the lowstand periods. Although projected warming is expected to intensify stress on existing wetlands, the combined geomorphological and sedimentological record suggests that, under natural conditions, new lagoons are likely to form seaward, highlighting the multidcadal adaptability of this coastal system under changing climate and sea‐level conditions.

Taphonomic insights into fossil preservation and accumulation of Pleistocene Pongo ‐bearing assemblages from Tham Khao Phak Kut in Krabi, Peninsular Thailand - Holly E. Anderson; Prasopsook Sritangwong; Jirasak Charoenmit; Nattanakorn Songpracha; Kantapon Suraprasit (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
This paper presents the first systematic taphonomic study of cave deposits from the newly discovered fossil site of Tham Khao Phak Kut cave (TKPK), Ao Luek District, Krabi Province in Peninsular Thailand. Two fossil‐bearing loci (TKPK 1 and TKPK 2) have yielded moderate accumulations of isolated teeth and bone fragments from small to large‐sized animals, preserved in sedimentary remnants on cave walls and ceilings. The two diverse Pleistocene vertebrate assemblages include chiropterans, primates, rodents, carnivorans, proboscideans, perissodactyls, artiodactyls, and birds, mostly analogous to extant rainforest‐associated faunas of Peninsular Thailand, except for three locally extinct taxa: Pongo sp., Hystrix indica , and Naemorhedus goral . The large mammal faunas of both loci suggest a Middle to Late Pleistocene age, as compared with those from other dated sites. At least two primary taphonomic pathways are inferred: a prime‐aged dominated macrofauna component initially produced by natural accumulation but subsequently gnawed by porcupines, scavenged by carrion beetles and transported to the cave by low‐energy water action over a short distance, and a microfauna component likely accumulated by small carnivores, both ultimately buried by colluvial flow. This study represents the first record of orangutan fossils in Peninsular Thailand and offers key insights for future chronological and palaeoenvironmental studies of Pleistocene Pongo ‐associated faunas in mainland Southeast Asia.

Karst environment evolution processes over the past 14 ka inferred from the geochemical composition of a 650‐cm peat record in southwestern China - Jiasheng Wang; Haijun Peng; Mengxiu Zeng; Yougui Song; Yongqiu Wu; Kai Li; Jianghong Wu; Yunfeng Liu; Qianyu Wu; Zhangrong Wu; Kaikai Liu (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Reconstructing the hydroclimatic history of the karst region in southwestern China (SWC) since the last deglaciation is crucial for understanding the dynamics and evolution of the Asian monsoon and its influence on the chemical weathering of carbonate rocks. Numerous studies have reconstructed paleoenvironmental variability in this region using archives such as lacustrine sediments and stalagmites. However, studies utilizing peat archives that span this period remain limited, and the use of geochemical elements in such settings is underutilized. This study presents a comprehensive element dataset derived from non‐destructive X‐ray fluorescence core scanning of a 650‐cm‐long peat core collected from the southwestern Guizhou Plateau in SWC. Based on an age‐depth model established with 12 AMS 14 C dates, our findings indicate that geochemical proxies, including the Si/Ti, Ti/K, Zr/Rb, and Rb/Sr ratios, reflected in principal component 1 (PC1), primarily reflect exogenous elemental influx. Furthermore, arboreal pollen percentage correlates positively with PC1, suggesting that PC1 serves as a proxy for precipitation and associated catchment weathering processes. In contrast, the PC2 score covaries with yellowness (b*), tracking the growth and accumulation of peatland vegetation. These findings demonstrate the utility of elements and chroma from peat archives for interpreting environmental shifts in this karst region. The record reveals three distinct intervals since 14 000 cal. a BP: (i) from 14 000 to 4500 cal. a BP, generally humid punctuated by intermittent millennial‐scale dry events; (ii) from 4500 to 3600 cal. a BP, there was a shift in sedimentation patterns and a transition towards a drier climate marked by high instability; and (iii) from 3600 to 1400 cal. a BP, was a dry period characterized by minimal exogenous input but enhanced peatland vegetation biomass. Comparisons with regional and global records suggest that these hydroclimatic shifts in SWC were primarily modulated by Indian Summer Monsoon intensity, driven by the meridional migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. This study provides valuable insights into the climatic and vegetation history of SWC, enhancing our understanding of the paleoenvironmental significance of elemental compositions in karst peat archives.

Occurrence of Crocuta (Carnivora, Hyaenidae) from a potential Middle Pleistocene site at Pirro Nord (Apricena, southern Italy) - Alessio Iannucci; Dario Stefanelli; Jacopo Conti; Maria Marino; Raffaele Sardella (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Pirro Nord quarry has yielded evidence of one of the earliest hominin presences in western Europe, accompanied by an extremely rich and diverse collection of vertebrate remains, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. The different Early Pleistocene sites of Pirro Nord are considered biochronologically homogeneous and indeed characterise the Pirro Nord Faunal Unit, customarily considered ~1.6–1.3 Ma, although younger numerical ages, clustering at ~0.8 Ma, have been obtained by a recent study. Recently, material recovered during the earliest fieldwork campaigns at Pirro Nord (1969–1971) has been rediscovered in Bari, and it is currently under examination. During this revision, we identified the presence of Crocuta , a hyena that spread in Europe ~0.8 Ma, from a site labelled Pirro III, which may therefore be dated to the latest Early Pleistocene or may be even younger. This finding does not imply that the rest of the fauna of Pirro Nord is younger than previously thought, but it confirms that younger deposits were present.

Micromorphology: A practical guide to the microscale analysis of glacial sediments and processes Edited by EmrysPhillips and JohnMenzies, 2025, Published by the Quaternary Research Association, ISBN: 0 907780 296 242; ISSN: 0264 9241 - Lewis A. Owen (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Neanderthal incursions at a high‐altitude “bear cave”: Reassessing Caverna Generosa in the southern Alps - Davide Delpiano; Lucia Angiolini; Marco Peresani; Fabio Bona (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
High‐altitude “bear caves” provide unique windows into Middle Paleolithic human behavior, often reflecting sporadic Neanderthal occupations in challenging alpine environments. In this study, we present updated evidence from Caverna Generosa, a “bear cave” situated at 1450 m a.s.l. in the Lombard Prealps, Italy. Our research integrates new lithic analyses with recent micromorphological and paleontological data, offering a comprehensive understanding of the site's occupational history. Radiometric recalibration of existing dates, combined with comparative analyses of other high‐altitude Neanderthal sites, refines the chronological framework of these occupations in a late phase of the Middle Paleolithic. Although sparse, the lithic assemblages from Caverna Generosa provide valuable insights into Neanderthal technological behaviors. The pronounced fragmentation of the reduction sequence, along with the presence of end‐products, indicates a level of planning and mobility consistent with hunter–gatherer strategies in challenging environments. These results contribute to broader discussions on Neanderthal toolkits and adaptations to high‐altitude habitats, highlighting the complexity of their subsistence strategies and settlement patterns. This research further underscores the importance of “bear caves” as key sites for understanding Neanderthal life in alpine regions and demonstrates the potential for integrating sporadic and episodic occupation evidence with data from more residential sites to reconstruct coherent patterns of land use and territory occupation.

Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of sea level, coastal and vegetation changes along the southern Solway Firth, United Kingdom - Dayang Siti Maryam Binti Mohd Hanan; Katherine Selby; Sarah L Bradley; Sally Derrett (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Holocene relative sea level (RSL) changes were reconstructed from four sites along the less‐studied southern Solway Firth. A multiproxy approach, including lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical analyses, combined with radiocarbon dating, produced ten sea level index points (SLIPs). These SLIPs constrained Holocene RSL changes in the region between ~8300 cal BP and ~6018 cal BP and captured the Main Postglacial Transgression. These ten new points are combined with the ten pre‐existing SLIPS from the southern Solway Firth to greatly refine the trend of Holocene RSL changes across this region. The Main Postglacial Transgression was shown to occur between ~8320 and 7500 cal BP, reaching a highstand of 3.26 ± 0.56 mOD. The new data were combined with 73 existing SLIPS from two sites around the northern Solway Firth and compared to RSL predictions from glacial isostatic modelling. Comparison between the corrected SLIPs and RSL predictions using British and Irish ice sheet reconstructions showed that the timing of the Main Postglacial Transgression is best captured with a hybrid model for the presence of thick and thin ice sheets. Pollen analysis at Cowgate Farm and Herd Hill provided a record of vegetation and coastal changes, acting as a chronostratigraphic marker when compared to published pollen records of the region. The records show a general transition from saltmarsh to reed swamp, then peat bog as RSL declined through the mid to late Holocene, with some indications of human clearance in the Bronze Age.

Holocene sea‐level and environmental changes on the Isle of Mull, Scotland - Katherine A. Selby; Jane Wheeler; William E. N. Austin; Heather Austin; Tom Hill; Sarah L. Bradley; Sally Derrett (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Sea‐level and coastal changes are reconstructed on the Isle of Mull, western Scotland, from 10 988 to 10 507 cal BP to the present. This research has produced the first SLIP for the Isle of Mull. A multiproxy approach including pollen, spore, foraminifera and diatom analyses reveals palaeoenvironmental changes from two coastal sites. Marine phases are recorded from 10 988 to 10 507 cal BP in eastern Mull, when the relative sea level (RSL) was higher at 1.98 ± 0.15 mOD, and coinciding with the end of the Loch Lomond Stadial. The sea‐level record for north‐west Mull commences from 7570 to 7431 cal BP (285 cm [4.56 mOD]), showing higher RSL at 4.69 ± 0.14 mOD and approximately corresponding with the timing of the highstand recorded at nearby Arisaig. RSL is higher than present levels following marine transgression at 2273–1926 cal BP (153 cm [6.47 mOD], RSL: 3.78 ± 0.13 mOD) in north‐west Mull and at 3460‐2469 cal BP (317 cm [7.31 mOD, RSL: 2.39 ± 0.14 mOD]) in eastern Mull. Sea‐level index points generally align well with RSL changes recorded regionally, though there is some indication that RSL was higher in north‐west Mull. The data point at 10 988‐10 507 cal BP can contribute to constraining the thickness of the British and Irish ice sheet as the thickest central dome of the ice sheet extended along this area of the British Isles. Coastal vegetation changes show little variation from grass‐, sedge‐ and heather‐dominated heathlands, with oak and birch shrublands throughout the Holocene. Following marine regression, there is indication of arboreal expansion in eastern areas, whilst a progressively more open environment is evident in north‐west Mull. Corresponding changes in the herb pollen mosaic, NPPs and microcharcoal levels indicate a long‐term anthropogenic presence on the island.

Reconstructing post‐crisis recovery in the hinterlands of Constantinople: A high‐resolution first‐millennium CE pollen record from Lake Yeniçağa (NW Türkiye) - Cristiano Vignola; Mustafa Doğan; Warren Eastwood; John Haldon; Alessia Masi; Neil Roberts; Çetin Şenkul; Adam Izdebski (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Facing a novel plague pandemic, military invasions, and political–economic transformations, societies of the eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire had to adapt to a variety of pressures and new ways of exploiting their natural environments during the mid‐1 st millennium CE. As a result, the rural economy of Anatolia transitioned from the intensive mixed‐farming regime of the Graeco‐Roman era to a more varied medieval agricultural system. We reconstruct here for the first time this transition in a region of Anatolia located close to Constantinople through pollen analysis of a sediment core from Lake Yeniçağa, dated to between ~2300 and ~1200 cal a BP. After discussing data for the Hellenistic–Roman era, we document repeated attempts at the recovery of mixed farming during the 6 th to 8 th c. CE. These attempts were only successful toward the end of our study period, with the stabilization of the military situation in the region, as is also visible in the written sources that we analyze in parallel in this paper. Crucially, this model of land exploitation was also constrained by the climatic oscillations that reflected its transitional location between the Aegean, Central Anatolian, and Black Sea climate regions. Thus, our study provides a perfect illustration of the interplay between environment and society in relation to the primary production sector (agriculture), in the dynamic context of a strong elite presence in the nearby capital city.

From Ice to Isolation: A geochemical reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental evolution of Gairloch, NW Scotland (UK), since the Last Glacial Maximum - Jennifer Taylor; David Selby; Jeremy M. Lloyd; Louise Best; Luca Podrecca; Bradley B. Sageman; Alexander R. Simms (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Complex relative sea‐level (RSL) changes are associated with the deglaciation of the British and Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS). Sediment archives from Loch Bad na h‐Achlaise, an isolation basin in NW Scotland, UK, span Late Glacial to Holocene time and record sea‐level change and ice proximity via a geochemical and biostratigraphic multiproxy approach. Osmium and carbon isotope, carbon and nitrogen content, and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) data suggest that the basal sedimentary unit reflects a glaciomarine depositional setting, a finding previously unresolved due to an inadequate biostratigraphic framework. The 187 Os/ 188 Os record from the basin captures the RSL history of this site and illustrates the interplay between the local signal of glacial isostatic adjustment and the non‐local signal of glacio‐eustatic sea‐level rise. By coupling the 187 Os/ 188 Os data with a detailed age–depth model, our study demonstrates a period of RSL fall between 16.2 and 15.9 cal ka BP, which culminates in basin isolation. The close agreement between the biostratigraphy, where available, and the 187 Os/ 188 Os record confirms the viability of this isotope system as an RSL proxy not reliant on microfossil preservation and thus a potentially effective approach when poor microfossil preservation hampers palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.

Cordilleran Ice Sheet early deglaciation inferred from evolution of Late‐Pleistocene glacial Lake Dzulh Stun in east‐central British Columbia, Canada - Brendan G. N. Miller; John J. Clague; Andrée Blais‐Stevens (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
We document the early decay of the Late‐Pleistocene Cordilleran Ice Sheet in the central portion of the Rocky and Cariboo Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Trench in east‐central British Columbia. Glacial lakes impounded at the eastern margin of the ice sheet occupied watersheds on the west flank of the central Rocky Mountains, leaving extensive glaciolacustrine deposits and shorelines. Some of the lakes overflowed across high divides onto the westernmost Interior Plains. These lakes expanded westward and eventually coalesced to form glacial Lake Dzulh Stun, which grew to occupy ~400 km of the Rocky Mountain Trench and extended farther west into the adjacent Cariboo Mountains. Meltwater from the margin of the ice sheet located in the central Cariboo Mountains crossed the crest of the range in places and flowed into this lake. At this time, high elevations on the east side of the Cariboo Mountains were ice‐free, while major cross‐cutting valleys remained obstructed by ice. The lake drained to the north along the Parsnip River valley, through the Rocky Mountains and onto the Interior Plains, accompanied by an ~400 m (1213–808 m ASL) lowering in its level. These events occurred during perhaps a millennium within the period 13–14.5 ka before present.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

From shape to source: sedimentary charcoal morphology as a proxy for tropical burned biomass composition - Fiona Cornet; Vincent Montade; Stéphanie C. Bodin; Justine Descloitre; Maxime Réjou‐Méchain; Gaëlle Viennois; Julie C. Aleman; Chimène Assi‐Kaudjhis; William F. Kenney; Richard Oslisly; Monique G. Tossou; Laurent Bremond; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Sedimentary charcoal elongation is increasingly being used in paleoecology to distinguish herbaceous from woody fuel in past fires. However, the relationship between charcoal morphotypes and plant types has never been formally tested in tropical environments, despite its potential to improve understanding of fire regimes and deforestation, and to analyze long‐term ecosystem resilience. Separation between herbaceous and woody charcoal commonly relies on a fixed elongation threshold, but this arbitrary division overlooks the morphological continuum of charcoal and may bias interpretations. To address this, we developed a Bayesian model to classify charcoal fragments into herbaceous and woody subpopulations based on their elongation distributions. We applied it to 19 sediment charcoal records spanning the last 30 years across a broad geographic and vegetation gradient in West and Central Africa. Compared with contemporary vegetation cover derived from remote sensing, the estimated proportion of woody charcoal was significantly positively correlated with tree cover, validating our approach and confirming charcoal elongation as a reliable proxy for past fire‐related biomass sources. Finally, we applied the model to a paleosequence from Lake Sélé (Benin) to reconstruct temporal changes in biomass and compared results with fossil pollen data, further assessing the proxy relevance for reconstructing past fire regimes and advancing tropical paleoecology.

Small mammal assemblages from paleosols in Eastern Europe indicate evolutionary trends and predominantly warm and dry climates across Middle and Late Pleistocene Interglacials - Anastasia K. Markova; Andrey Yu. Puzachenko; Alexander I. Tsatskin (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
We studied nine local small mammal faunas directly recovered from interglacial (and one interstadial) paleosols of the Middle (seven) and Late (two) Pleistocene on the East European Plain. The oldest faunas, dated to the Muchkap (MIS 15) and Likhvin (MIS 11) interglacials, belonged to the Late Tiraspolian and Gun'ki small mammal complexes, respectively. Later faunas, corresponding to the Kamenka, Romny, and Mezin paleosols, included chronotaxa morphologically close to modern species. The youngest Middle Pleistocene fauna most likely correlates with the Romny interglacial (MIS 7). The youngest overall fauna dates to the Bryansk (=Denekamp) interstadial (late MIS 3). We performed the first comprehensive analysis of the quantitative composition of these faunas using multivariate analysis and inferred qualitative relationships among them. The main component of variation in faunal composition identified by non‐metric multidimensional scaling (first NMDS axis) reflects evolutionary changes in the phyletic lineages of steppe lemmings ( Lagurus ) and narrow‐headed voles ( Stenocranius ). The other two components correlated with the geographical position (longitude and latitude, respectively) of the sections, most likely reflecting a relatively stable pattern of variation in ecological conditions across the East European Plain. The faunal composition suggests that the animals inhabited semi‐arid and arid steppe habitats, and that the paleosols formed during the warmest and driest phases of the interglacials in Eastern Europe. The non‐analog Bryansk interstadial complex is associated with conditions of periglacial, mosaic steppe–tundra‐like environments. Based on the analysis of the small mammal faunas, we also present a biostratigraphic scheme for the Middle and Late Pleistocene of the central and southern parts of the East European Plain (Eastern Europe).

Paleoenvironments of the Late Quaternary Tonica thermokarst lake, northeastern Illinois, USA, and an extinct elk‐moose ( Cervalces ) - Russell W. Graham; Robert E. Warren; Edwin R. Hajic; Terrence J. Frest; Donald P. Schwert; Jacqueline A. Ferguson; Melissa I. Pardi; Eric C. Grimm; Frances B. King (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Tonica Depression (TD), a late Quaternary sediment‐filled basin in northeastern Illinois, formed as a thermokarst lake as evidenced by a basal trash layer, its depositional history, and its occurrence on a late‐Pleistocene permafrost landscape. Stratigraphy and radiocarbon ages reveal that a multiproxy paleoenvironmental record extends throughout the late Wisconsin. Burning of organically enriched sediments has abbreviated the Holocene sequence. The lowest stratum is a glacial diamicton that forms the basin's floor, and at a slightly higher elevation, the rim. Lithofacies 1, supraglacial and debris flow deposits, are draped by undated Peoria Silt (PS). PS yielded molluscs and Coleoptera indicative of spruce forest ( Picea ) in a cold and harsh climate. Lithofacies 2 (ca. 17 500–18 500 cal yr BP) is a “trash zone” with white spruce ( Picea glauca ) wood, cones and needles with pollen, Coleoptera, molluscs, and vertebrates, including an elk‐moose. A “marl,” Lithofacies 3 (ca. 14 600–17 400 cal yr BP), attests to the deepening of the lake (>2 m) as also reflected by the molluscs, coleoptera, and pollen. The environment was an open spruce forest, but the climate was warmer than the previous ones. The top of this zone is composed of a brick‐red deposit with burned organic matter. Lithofacies 4 (ca. 14 600 cal yr BP) is composed of organic silt and lacustrine organic silt: a peaty silt loam. Finally, Middle Archaic artifacts on the rim of TD document human settlement around the depression during the dry and warm Middle Holocene (ca. 6747 cal BP). Tonica is the first well‐studied thermokarst lake from temperate latitudes in the United States, and it provides an excellent paleoenvironmental record of the late Pleistocene of north central Illinois.

Origins and environmental impacts of distal rhyolitic tephra layers on Chatham Island, New Zealand - Anna L. Miller; Simon J. Barker; Katherine A. Holt; Stephen B. Piva; Colin J. N. Wilson (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Chatham Island, ~700 km east of mainland New Zealand, preserves several macroscopic tephra beds, sourced from the central Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ) some 850 km away. These layers, often enclosed within peat, provide insights into the eruptive characteristics, timing and paleoenvironmental impacts of large explosive rhyolitic eruptions in a distal setting. We report the nature, origins and impacts of these tephras by documenting bulk and centimetric‐scale stratigraphic changes in glass shard geochemistry and millimetric‐scale changes in pollen assemblages in the enclosing peats. Three layers are investigated: the ~25.5 ka Kawakawa–Ōruanui Tephra (KOT), the ~345 ka Rangitawa Tephra and one newly discovered tephra. The KOT shows no stratigraphic variability in glass composition throughout ~15 cm thickness. The Rangitawa Tephra contains three glass populations that were deposited sequentially throughout the eruption and further link this tephra to the Whakamaru supereruption. The new tephra has two glass populations and is matched to the ~322 ka Matahina caldera‐forming eruption. High‐resolution sampling of peat bracketing the KOT and Rangitawa Tephra reveals marked changes in local vegetation following the deposition of both tephras. The nature of the changes varies between events and can be explained by differing paleoenvironmental settings, climate and/or tephra thickness.

Journal of Quaternary Science 40 th anniversary Special Issue - Mary Edwards; Achim Brauer (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Adopted “mammoths” from Alaska turn out to be a whale's tale - Matthew J. Wooller; Pat Drukenmiller; Gonzalo Oteo‐García; Francesca Di Paolo; Love Dalén; Nick Baker; Nancy Bigelow; Stormy Fields; Sambit Ghosh; Kathryn E. Krasinski; Ben Lamm; Alistair J. Monteath; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

Characterisation of the bone–sedimentary matrix interface and its influence on mechanical cleaning - Noé Valtierra; Andrea Díaz‐Cortés; Héctor Del Valle; Antoine Souron; Miguel Á. Moreno‐Ibáñez; Éric Pubert; Nicolas Vanderesse; David M. Martín‐Perea; Lucía López‐Polín; Lloyd A. Courtenay (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The study of archaeological or palaeontological bone material often requires a preliminary cleaning treatment to remove the sedimentary matrix adhering to the specimen surface. The characteristics of this matrix and its interaction with the bone material determine the methods to be applied. However, the impact of this interaction on the effectiveness of cleaning treatments has received little attention. This study aims to characterise bone cortical preservation, the surrounding sedimentary matrix and their interaction at the contact interface, to understand how these factors influence the cleaning process and outcome. Specimens from three sites, each with carbonated concretions requiring similar cleaning methods, were included in the study. Despite the use of comparable techniques, different levels of impact were observed after cleaning. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used to characterise the three factors: optical and electron microscopy, micro‐computed tomography, X‐ray diffraction and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that variability in the degree of interaction between the concretion and the bone can influence the cleaning process, even when the specimens initially appear to have similar characteristics. These findings provide valuable insights for optimising cleaning treatments and understanding their impact on subsequent analyses, with significant implications for zooarchaeological and taphonomic research.

Assessing the intensity of Late Quaternary humid phases in the Nefud Desert, northern Arabia - Richard Clark‐Wilson; Simon J. Armitage; Ian Candy; Paul S. Breeze; Nick A. Drake; Huw S. Groucutt; Abdullah M. Alsharekh; Faisal Al‐Jibreen; Michael D. Petraglia; David B. Ryves (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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 >929 m ASL (MIS 5e) and >922 m ASL (MIS 5a). In contrast, the sedimentary characteristics of the early Holocene sequence imply that, during this interval, the water table was

MIS3 climate changes based on loess records in the Hanzhong Basin, south of the Qinling Mountains, China - Haiyan Wang; Jiangli Pang; Chunchang Huang; Yali Zhou; Peini Mao; Dan Yang; Wentong Zhang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) was a relatively warm and humid, although variable, time in the last glacial period in the northern hemisphere. This climate phase is well‐recorded in various archives (e.g., ice cores, speleothems, and loess) from many parts of the world, including China, although its expression (e.g., warm–humid vs. cool–dry) differed between the hemispheres. However, despite its location in a critical climatic boundary zone and high sensitivity to climate changes, few studies have investigated the MIS3 climate based on the loess records in the Hanzhong Basin (China). In this study, we performed systematic sampling of a loess−paleosol sediment sequence and performed physicochemical analyses and optically stimulated luminescence dating after detailed field observations and descriptions. The results indicated that the time of formation of the lower part of the Malan loess ( L 1 − 2 ) occurred between 55.0–25.6 ka BP, corresponding to MIS3. The magnetic susceptibility, clay content ( a *, a */ b *, and contents of Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , Chemical Index of Alteration, and eluvial coefficient were all significantly higher, while the sand content (>50 μm), L *, ba , a , and the contents of Na 2 O, CaO, and Na/K were lower than those in the loess L 1 − 1 (corresponding to MIS2). These findings indicate that the degree of weathering of the loess in MIS3 was higher than that in MIS2, suggesting that the change to a warm–humid climate during MIS3 is reflected in the sediment of the Hanzhong Basin. However, the climate was not as warm or as humid as that during the mid‐Holocene, as indicated by the weaker degree of weathering of the paleosol S 0 . The climate fluctuated obviously during MIS3, including three warm–humid intervals and three dry–cold intervals. Although the relatively warm–humid and unstable characteristics of the late MIS3 in the Hanzhong Basin are similar to the climate records in other parts of the world, they are considered to be regionally specific responses of the Hanzhong Basin to global climate change.

Holocene climate oscillations, seismotectonic events and human–environmental interactions reconstructed from the Giannades palaeolake on Corfu (Eastern Mediterranean, Greece) - Esra Reichert; Peter Fischer; Bernd Zolitschka; Tina Georg; Lea Obrocki; Denis Scholz; Katja Sporn; Andreas Vött (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The Mediterranean is particularly sensitive to rapid climate changes (RCCs) during the Holocene. An increasing number of natural climate archives revealed that socio‐economic developments were influenced by such RCCs since the Palaeolithic. However, multi‐millennial and high‐resolution archives are still rare and often located in mountainous regions, where they do not represent environmental conditions close to human settlements. Here, we present a 16 m‐long Holocene sediment record from the Giannades coastal palaeolake on Corfu, western Greece, which combines multiproxy analyses including high‐resolution X‐ray fluorescence core scanning with a robust radiocarbon‐based age–depth model. A mean sedimentation rate of 1.6 mm/a characterises this lake record from 10.59 cal ka BP (basal age) until it started to desiccate around 1.8 cal ka BP. The environmental conditions of the Giannades palaeolake document a sensitivity to RCCs during the Early and Mid‐Holocene correlating with sapropel S1 of the Mediterranean Sea and with the 8.2 ka event of the North Atlantic. Furthermore, signals of local to regional seismotectonic events were recorded, as evidenced by comparison with data from geomorphological and geoarchaeological studies of other coastal sites on Corfu. After a period of stability during the early Late Holocene, a two‐phased desiccation started at 2.3 cal ka BP. This is coincident with a prominent seismotectonic event of the fourth/third century BCE, but also with the Roman Warm Period and related human landscape modifications.

Comparing the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e) with the present interglacial period (MIS 1) using a multidimensional functional diversity analysis: The marine molluscs from Santa Maria Island (Azores Archipelago, central Atlantic) as a case study - Sérgio P. Ávila; Samuel Arruda; Luís Silva; Ana Hipólito; Rui Quartau; Ricardo S. Ramalho; Patrícia Madeira; Carlos S. Melo; Lara Baptista; Ana Cristina Rebelo; Gustavo M. Martins; Gonçalo Castela Ávila; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Marine fossil records hold outstanding importance for ecological, evolutionary and biogeographical studies. Santa Maria Island in the Azores Archipelago (central Atlantic) features a remarkable marine fossil record spanning from the Pliocene to recent times. This record includes late Pleistocene outcrops with fossiliferous deposits dated from the last interglacial period (MIS 5e). In this study, we describe a newly discovered MIS 5e outcrop (Ponta do Cedro) and investigate its marine mollusc assemblages. Fifteen taxa (11 gastropods and four bivalves) constitute new records for the MIS 5e highstand deposits of the Azores, increasing the total number of MIS 5e mollusc taxa to 160 (132 gastropods and 28 bivalves). Four genera/species are reported herein for the first time in the global/world fossil record, further emphasising the exceptional palaeobiodiversity of the MIS 5e mollusc assemblages on Santa Maria. Using a functional diversity‐based approach, we compared, for the first time, the MIS 5e fossil record with the modern molluscs from the Azores. To achieve this, we compiled two data sets with information covering 35 functional traits from a total of 420 mollusc taxa: 160 from the MIS 5e sedimentary deposits of Santa Maria and 365 modern shallow‐water molluscs reported from the Azores. After excluding taxa lacking complete functional trait information, the final data set included 385 mollusc taxa: 132 from the MIS 5e deposits and 320 modern species. All functional alpha‐diversity indices were higher for the modern assemblage compared to the MIS 5e, except for Functional Divergence (FDiv), which was greater in the MIS 5e assemblage. This suggests higher productivity, along with the use of a larger number of ecological niches and thus increased niche specialisation for the modern communities compared to the MIS 5e ones. Conversely, the MIS 5e communities appear to have been less resilient to invasions and climate change than their modern counterparts. However, the higher FDiv observed in the MIS 5e communities indicates more efficient use of available resources by these communities, when compared with the modern ones. The results of the multidimensional functional beta‐diversity reveal that the nestedness‐resultant value is significantly higher than the turnover component. This indicates that the MIS 5e assemblage is a subset of the modern assemblage. Finally, this study provides the first baseline for comparing MIS 5e mollusc assemblages with others, highlighting the unique palaeobiodiversity and functional characteristics of the MIS 5e fossil record on Santa Maria Island.

Geochronology of the Whittlesey sedimentary succession, eastern England: The ‘Pompeii’ of the British late Middle Pleistocene to Holocene record - H. E. Langford; M. D. Bateman; R. M. Briant; D. J. Horne (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The sedimentary succession at Whittlesey preserves a unique British late Middle Pleistocene to Holocene record back to a time equivalent to at least marine oxygen isotope stage 8 (ca. 250 ka). This study builds on previously published sedimentology, geochronology and palaeoecology results to establish 20 sedimentary facies associations, with 14 of them dated by luminescence, amino acid geochronology or radiocarbon age‐estimate techniques. This remarkable fluvial archive provides insight into the past three glacial–interglacial cycles for eastern England and is ideally located geographically to inform reconstructions of past ice limits, sea level, temperature and drainage networks affecting the North Sea and Fenland. This robust chronostratigraphic framework provides a reference against which to assess previous work in the region and highlights future research directions.

Late Pleistocene subsistence and settlement during the initial human colonization of southern South America: Faunal evidence of Cueva Lago Sofía 1 and Tres Arroyos 1, southern Patagonia - Rafael Labarca; Alfredo Prieto; Mauricio Massone (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Archeological findings in central and southern Patagonia indicate that highly mobile hunter–gatherers swiftly settled in the cold and treeless late‐Pleistocene steppes as early as 13 000 cal a BP. In southern Patagonia, the faunal assemblages from these initial sites have helped clarify taxonomic issues, explore the timing of megafaunal extinction, and reconstruct the paleoecological dynamics involving extinct and extant taxa and humans. Nonetheless, essential aspects such as subsistence strategies and the mobility of these early inhabitants have been less thoroughly studied. This paper offers a detailed zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the faunal remains from late Pleistocene archeological sites Cueva Lago Sofía 1 in the Última Esperanza area and Tres Arroyos 1 rock shelter in northern Tierra del Fuego. We identified at least 17 taxa, including both extinct and living species; taphonomic evidence suggests that Canidae and Camelidae were the primary groups exploited. Extinct taxa probably served as supplementary resources. We propose that Cueva Lago Sofía 1 functioned as a logistic camp for animal processing, while the faunal evidence from Tres Arroyos 1 aligns with a small base camp that was recurrently occupied. The results are compared with other contemporary sites in Patagonia and discussed in the context of human exploration models and spatial usage proposed for the region.

Understanding landform evolution in dryland fluvial systems by examining relict paleochannels in the Kachchh mainland, western India - Falguni Bhattacharya; Gaurav Chauhan; Kaustubh Sane; Chirag Jani; Suraj Bhosale; Abhishek Lakhote; Anil Chavan; Durga Prasad Adapa; M. G. Thakkar; Subhash Bhandari (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

New dating results at Incarcal‐I (Spain) shed light on the exceptionally rich late Early Pleistocene fossil record of the Iberian Peninsula - Mathieu Duval; Oriol Oms; Bienvenido Martinez‐Navarro; Rainer Grün; Isaac Rufí; María Prat‐Vericat; Sergio Ros‐Montoya; Maria Patrocinio Espigares; Joan Madurell‐Malapeira (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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 Hippopotamus antiquus using the most advanced analytical procedures, through a combination of unusually high sampling density ( n = 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.

Integrating Aegean Last Interglacial faunas into the Mediterranean palaeobiogeographic framework: New evidence from Karpathos (Greece) - Christos Psarras; Danae Thivaiou; Frédéric Quillévéré; Jean‐Jacques Cornée; Pierre Moissette; Mélody Philippon; Jan Fietzke; Delphine Bosch; Michel Condomines; Olivier Bruguier; Efterpi Koskeridou (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

A global assessment of climatic forcing of lake levels in closed basins by westerly winds and monsoons since the Last Glacial Maximum - Yuxin Zhang; Lingmei Xu; Yu Li; Xiumei Li; Shuping Huang; Huanyu Sun; Hao Wang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

Respecting indigenous knowledge in the era of big data: A call for ethical research practices - Michael‐Shawn Fletcher; Anthony John Romano (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

Mid‐to‐late Holocene climatic changes in the Eastern Mediterranean region: Speleothem‐based high‐resolution isotope record from Dim Cave, southern Türkiye - Mehmet Oruç Baykara; Mehmet Özkul; Chuan‐Chou Shen; Ezgi Ünal İmer; Horng‐Sheng Mii; Hsun‐Ming Hu; Chung‐Che Wu; Sándor Kele; Attila Demény (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Human–environment interactions have been affected by sudden climate changes in the Eastern Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Recent studies project a 20% decrease in precipitation by the end of this century compared to the 20th century. Therefore, high‐resolution paleoclimate data are needed to develop robust future climate projections and modeling studies for the Eastern Mediterranean. This study investigates the mid‐to‐late Holocene paleoclimatic shifts and their impacts on civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean using high‐resolution isotope records from the Dim‐3 stalagmite (Dim Cave, southern Türkiye). A precise and robust age–depth model was constructed using 23 U/Th dating results, spanning from 4149 to 996 years (yr) BP. The isotope results show the driest conditions occurring at 3986 yr BP, with a rapid shift to wetter conditions after 3890 yr BP. These wetter conditions were followed by a prolonged dry period from 3280 to 2720 yr BP. A subsequent wet period between 2720 and 2228 yr BP was interrupted by a 698‐year growth hiatus in the stalagmite. In the final section of the record (1530–972 yr BP), initially wet climatic conditions transitioned to drier periods around 1425 yr BP and again between 1150 and 1075 yr BP. The Dim‐3 isotope record shows enriched isotopic values between 4140 and 3890 yr BP, coinciding with the “4.2 ka drying event.” While a brief humid period was observed between 3050 and 2920 yr BP, the overall isotope values show an enriched trend from 3250 to 2800 yr BP, indicating the imprint of the 3.2 ka and Bond 2 events.

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 - Eren Şahiner; Mehmet Korhan Erturaç; Alper Gürbüz (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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 g ‐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 terminus post quem (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.

Waiting for the rains : An attempt to evaluate the efficiency of the large Roman cistern at Barbariga Stancija (Casematte, Istria, Croatia) - Fabian Welc; Agata Han; Krzysztof Markowicz; Davor Bulić; Robert Matijašić; Candace M. Rice; Ana Konestra; Andrew McLean (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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.

Introduction: Southern Hemisphere records of Late Quaternary climate change, people and dust - Rewi Newnham; Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons; Jasper Knight; Lydia MacKenzie; Patrick Moss (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)

Intensification of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds during the last deglaciation (18.5–14.0 cal ka BP): Evidence from Pearly Beach wetland on the southern Cape coast of South Africa - Marc Humphries; Rachel Mey; Paula Reimer; Lynne J. Quick (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The southwestern Cape of South Africa experiences a complex and dynamic climate, shaped by the interplay between the temperate Southern Hemisphere westerly winds and the subtropical easterlies. Despite the climatic sensitivity of the region, relatively few studies have examined how conditions have varied since the last deglaciation in response to significant changes in global boundary conditions. Here, we present a 30 000‐year sedimentary record from a coastal wetland at Pearly Beach on the southern Cape coast, focusing on climatic changes that occurred during the last glacial–interglacial transition. Downcore variations in grain size and inorganic geochemical composition provide evidence for a period of heightened storm activity between ~18.5 and 14.0 cal ka BP, which we interpret to reflect intensified westerly wind‐driven activity. This period of increased storminess coincides with a slowdown in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1: ∼18–14.6 ka) and subsequent warming in the southeast Atlantic Ocean. We propose that this warming enhances moisture uptake by westerly frontal systems, leading to stronger storms in the southern Cape. The intensification of westerly‐driven storms occurred concurrently with a broader cooling trend across South Africa, suggesting that AMOC variability during HS1 may have influenced climate across much of the region.

The mineral and isotopic signatures of glacially eroded sediments exported from Hudson Strait to the Labrador Sea during Hudson Strait Heinrich events H0 to H4 - John T. Andrews; David J. W. Piper; Matthew E. Kirby; Donald C. Barber (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
The sediment signature of glacial erosion products exported from Hudson Strait to the Labrador Sea during Hudson Strait Heinrich (HS‐H) events is evaluated using four distinct proxies: paired δ 18 Ο and δ 13 C data on the carbonate fraction, εNd and U–Pb isotopes in the silicate fraction, the mineral composition of the 2 mm granules. Most detrital carbonate was eroded from Ordovician limestones on the floor of Hudson Strait. Silicate components were derived largely from Paleoproterozoic metamorphic and igneous bedrock, mostly on southern Baffin Island. A five‐component sediment unmixing model shows that HS‐H sediments were predominantly from Hudson Strait, whereas intervening sediment in the SW Labrador Sea has a predominant signature from Labrador but includes some detrital carbonate. Carbonate derived from the Western Basin and red sandstone granules from Keewatin are most abundant in the early part of HS‐H 1, 2, and 4. Sediment budgets imply 10–15 m deepening of Hudson Strait over the last glacial cycle. The magnitude and longevity of detrital carbonate transport by icebergs during HS‐H events require the inmixing of debris throughout the entire ice stream as it crossed the Abloviak sill.

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 - Dominik L. Rogall; Monika V. Knul; Hugues‐Alexandre Blain; Boris Gasparyan; Ariel Malinsky‐Buller (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
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) 14 C 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 14 C dating on microvertebrate remains to independently anchor Paleolithic chronologies and strengthen reconstructions of human adaptations in marginal environments.

New age‐estimate data and implications for marine isotope stage 7 and 5e sea levels in Fenland, eastern England - H. E. Langford; M. D. Bateman; R. M. Briant; D. J. Horne; K. L. Knudsen; K. E. H. Penkman; L. Wheeler; J. Whittaker (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2026)
Only one last interglacial relative sea‐level indicator point (SLIP) has been recognised for Fenland, eastern England, and the nearest penultimate interglacial SLIP is located on the north Norfolk coast. Such limited information restricts the regional input to, and hence the relevance of, global reconstructions of late Middle and Late Pleistocene sea level. Marine‐influenced deposits without such relevant data are known in Fenland, but their age and connection to past relative sea level (RSL) were largely uncertain. To improve this situation, new age‐estimate data are presented and assessed in combination with existing age‐estimate and new and existing palaeoecological data. Sea level relative to the marine‐influenced deposits of Fenland is approximated based on brackish‐marine faunal analyses. Results distinguish between marine‐influenced deposits of penultimate and last interglacial sites. Fenland marine‐influenced deposits of both interglacial stages share similar altitudinal envelopes (between a few metres above and below present ordnance datum (OD)), in common with Kirmington to the north and those of the British south coast, the Channel Islands and northwest France. Peak Fenland minimum RSL approximation (RSLA) of 2.5 m OD in the penultimate interglacial is commensurate with the north Norfolk coast SLIP but contrasts with the below OD peak of the global record. Timing of the peak Fenland maximum RSLA of 3.75 m OD late in the last interglacial at 116 ± 16 ka is commensurate with the Dutch record (116–105 ka), but contrasts with the early peak of some global records.

Making vertebrate fossil radiocarbon dates more useful for global scientific research - Salvador Herrando‐Pérez; Thomas W. Stafford (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Radiocarbon dating of bones is essential for reconstructing timelines of species' occurrences, domestication, extinction, migrations, and interactions with Quaternary environments. Many studies compile these chronologies at continental to global scales by aggregating radiocarbon dates from various sources, often balancing data quantity and quality. A major challenge, however, is the frequent lack of reported bone‐collagen pretreatment protocols, which directly affect dating accuracy. Without this information, radiocarbon dates cannot be reliably quality‐ranked, and retrieving unpublished pretreatment details is often difficult due to lost data, outdated contacts, or restricted access to records. Researchers should ensure that pretreatments are replicable in their publications; and dated materials, taxonomic identities, geolocation details and genetic sequences are linked to individual radiocarbon dates. Journals should mandate the inclusion of reproducible radiocarbon chemistry and liaise with reviewers or advisory board members with expertise in chronological methods for studies presenting new dates or compilations of published dates. Radiocarbon facilities can enhance accessibility and transparency by publishing pretreatment protocols, documenting their history and digitizing older data. We advocate for the creation of a global radiocarbon database, emphasizing the need for close collaboration among the scientific community, dating facilities, research institutions and universities, as well as the adequate allocation of resources to generate and curate reliable radiocarbon data. The scientific community should recognize that current limitations in collagen purification compromise dating accuracy and might significantly affect critical research on Quaternary chronologies, megafaunal extinctions and human evolutionary history.

Stad Slide: Preconditioning and failure of one of the world's largest megaslides - B. K. Tiller; C. L. Batchelor; B. Bellwald; B. Manton; K. Winter; N. Ross; S. Planke (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Submarine landslides can generate tsunamis and pose risks to underwater infrastructure, but a lack of direct observations of such slides hinders our understanding of their development and hazard potential. Studying the morphology of past slides can offer insights into their preconditioning and failure. Here, new high‐quality 2D and 3D seismic data were used to determine, for the first time, the extent and morphology of the Stad Slide (~0.4 Ma) on the northeast Atlantic margin. With a volume of ~4300 km 3 and a maximum thickness of ~360 m, we reveal that this slide is the largest by volume on the proximal North Sea Fan and amongst the largest known megaslides globally. Its large volume was likely facilitated by retrogressive development along layers of glacimarine and contouritic sediment. The broad timing of the Stad Slide aligns with enhanced glacial sedimentation in this region, which is likely to have preconditioned failure by increasing overpressure in underlying sediments. The slide headwalls are infilled by an ~200 m‐thick contourite drift that may have formed the weak layer for subsequent sliding on the North Sea Fan.

Palaeo‐perspectives on anthropogenic soil loss and landscape resilience: An introduction - Neil Roberts; Kevin Walsh (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Mid‐Holocene drying of K'gari lakes (subtropical eastern Australia) necessitates re‐evaluation of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate links and future drying risk - John Tibby; Haidee Cadd; Matthew Harris; Jonathan C. Marshall; Jonathan Tyler; Cameron Barr; Francesca McInerney; Patrick Moss; Claire Murphy; Patricia S. Gadd; Geraldine E. Jacobsen; Mathew Raven; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Holocene history of Australia's climate is surprisingly poorly understood. This is, in part, because of the relatively weak forcing of Holocene climate versus that of the late Pleistocene. However, it is commonly suggested that eastern Australia dried during the mid‐ to late‐Holocene and that this was in response to increased activity in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), in particular, the intensification of the El Niño phase of ENSO. While this has been inferred from numerous locations, data from K'gari (a subtropical sand island adjacent to the east coast) was amongst the first used to develop this hypothesis and features heavily in the discussion of ENSO intensification. This study examines published and new data from three ≥4.5 m deep K'gari lakes that demonstrate a strong drying event during the middle Holocene (from 7640 to 5600 cal a BP), followed by a wetter late Holocene climate. This contrasts somewhat with previous arguments about K'gari's history that suggest a late Holocene drying. In turn, this indicates a need to re‐evaluate the notion that ENSO intensification drove late‐Holocene drying in the region. It also indicates that even large, deep lakes on K'gari, which are iconic landmarks with substantial cultural, ecological and economic values, are vulnerable to drying.

Unexpected latest Pleistocene W‐dipping reverse fault‐slip in the Maritimes Alps (SE France)—Insights from passage offset in Mescla Cave - Jacek Szczygieł; Philippe Audra; Christophe Larroque; Christophe Matonti; John Hellstrom; Riccardo Vassallo (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
We investigate the late Quaternary fault reactivation within Mescla Cave, offering the first dated offset in the southwestern Alps (SW France). While our dataset is limited to one outcrop, the observed W‐dipping reverse slip displacing cave passage represents an outlier among the scarce young Quaternary tectonic structures expected in this seismically active region. Using the 230 Th/U method, we dated fractured flowstones that predate the slip and stalagmite growth on the fault plane, bracketing the reactivation time frame from 51.6 ± 2.4 ka to 11.7 ± 1.3 ka. We interpret the detected displacement (23 cm) as secondary faulting associated with a larger, possibly distributed deformation along an unrecognised primary structure. Despite limited structural data containing only one strain, our findings highlight the geochronological value of caves in preserving deformation otherwise erased by erosion and provide new insights and questions into the active tectonics of the Maritimes Alps.

Histotaphonomic patterns as paleoenvironmental proxies in eolian deposits: Insights from Last Glacial Maximum mammals in the Argentine Pampas - María Dolores Marin‐Monfort; Mariana Garrone; Claudia I. Montalvo; Gabriel Nahuel‐Ruiz; Yolanda Fernández‐Jalvo; Rodrigo Tomassini; Fernando J. Fernández (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Eolian environments provide valuable information about arid climate intervals, yet the preservation of fossil bone microstructure, which can provide evidence of past environmental conditions in these settings, remains poorly understood. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), eolian systems were more widespread than today across both hemispheres. In order to identify patterns associated with this type of environment, a series of LGM fossil specimens was selected from central Argentina, an area mantled by widespread eolian deposits. A combination of petrographic and scanning electron microscopy observations was employed, along with mineralogical (X‐ray diffraction, XRD) and elemental chemical composition (energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, EDS) analyses. Histological analysis revealed extensive bacterial bioerosion with superimposed generations, as well as radial and central microcracks, suggesting periodic environmental fluctuations. Mineral infillings, primarily carbonates and iron oxides, further reflect episodic changes in water availability over time. These taphonomic features support the interpretation of a depositional environment consistent with an interdune context characterized by alternating wet and dry conditions. The observed microstructural modifications highlight the relevance of histotaphonomic proxies for reconstructing environmental conditions in fossil‐bearing eolian deposits and provide a comparative framework for similar deposits worldwide.

Last Glacial Maximum and deglacial branched GDGT‐based palaeotemperature reconstruction from a subtropical Australian wetland - Joan Macalalad; Kevin Welsh; Harald Hofmann; Geraldine Jacobsen; Zhenyu Ni; Enlou Zhang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Future projections of climate change in the subtropics suggest warming and drying, while evidence from warm periods in the past shows increases in subtropical temperatures and precipitation. Eastern Australia is subject to interannual hydroclimate drivers and has experienced extreme flooding and droughts in recent years. To understand how the changes to the mean global conditions may affect sensitive environments, such as the wetlands in this region, baseline records of mean temperatures, especially since and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), are vital. Several palaeoenvironment records exist from the coastal sand islands of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and K'gari (Fraser Island), south‐east Queensland. However, these records appear to show divergent responses to climate change. Whilst there are a variety of proxies used for environmental reconstruction (e.g., pollen, charcoal, dust flux), there are relatively few continuous records of quantitative temperature, which limits our understanding of the causes of environmental change. Presented here is a palaeoclimate reconstruction spanning the LGM to Holocene, utilising glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGT), for Broutha Waterhole, a subtropical perched wetland in the Cooloola Sand Mass, Queensland, Australia, located between Minjerribah and K'gari. The GDGT‐based palaeotemperature reconstruction features a temperature minimum of 17.0°C (~4.3°C maximum cooling) during the LGM, which is very close to the palaeotemperature recorded from K'gari and consistent with the Australia‐wide temperature range. A progressively warming temperature during the deglacial is interrupted by a temperature decline (0.8°C–1.6°C) coincident with the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR), followed by a stable warm Holocene. It should be noted that there are possibilities of hiatuses of different periods at Cooloola Sand Mass compared to K'gari and Minjerribah, which may imply different control on the sediment deposition. This study provides a palaeotemperature record through the LGM and deglacial period that contributes to the limited quantitative temperature data in the subtropics.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Lateglacial and Holocene mountain glacier fluctuations near Cape Farewell South Greenland inferred from 10 Be moraine dating - Vincent Jomelli; Joanna Charton; José M. Fernández‐Fernández; Régis Braucher; Didier Swingedouw; Amen Al Yaari; Marc Oliva; Stephanie Gairoard; Julia García‐Oteyza (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
We report 43 new 10 Be exposure ages and six 26 Al/ 10 Be measurements from replicates from a small piedmont mountain glacier located at Cape Farewell (south Greenland) and temperature anomalies estimated from equilibrium‐line altitude (ELA) changes derived from 3D glacier reconstruction carried out using the ‘GlaRe’ toolbox. Both ELA‐derived temperature estimations and climate conditions documented from the transient simulation TraCE‐21ka help us to explore the causes of glacier changes during the investigated period. Exposure ages span from the Oldest Dryas to the Late Holocene, revealing that the GrIS retreat in this valley permitted the individualisation or formation of a mountain glacier early in the Lateglacial. Interestingly, four of the six 26 Al/ 10 Be ratios come from samples located on the oldest moraines do not reveal inheritance. The two other ratios suggest inheritance up to 6 ka. The oldest moraine combining a frontal and a lateral remain is dated to 18.4 ± 0.8 ka. Between 18 ka and ~14.7 ka, the glacier experienced a significant retreat interrupted by at least three minor advances or stillstands. We did not find any moraine formed either during the Younger Dryas, or during the Early and the Mid Holocene. The largest Holocene glacier advance occurred ~4.4 ka. Two other younger moraines were formed at ~2.9 ka and probably during the LIA. Temperatures of 3.3°C and 1.7°C colder than today may explain the glacier extent during the Lateglacial and the Holocene, respectively. Complementary dry regional climate conditions estimated from TraCE‐21ka simulations during the Early Holocene may explain why the glacier was smaller than during the Late Holocene.

Climate and catchment influence the postglacial succession of three lakes in south‐central Baffin Island (Nunavut), Canada - Isaac Armstrong; Andrew Scott Medeiros; Jennifer Eamer; Claudia Zimmermann; Biljana Narancic; Reinhard Pienitz (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Understanding postglacial ontogeny in Arctic lakes helps contextualize modern‐day climatic change. We used sediment cores to characterize ecological succession in three south‐central Baffin Island lakes from deglaciation (c. 7–8k cal a BP) to present. Trends in diatom (Bacillariophyceae) and chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) assemblages were compared between two small lakes (depth ≤ 12 m, area ≤ 0.04 km 2 ) and the north‐western lagoonal system of Nettilling Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (sampling depth = 3 m, total area = 5543 km 2 ). Ecological trajectories differed between the small lakes despite morphological similarities. The northern, lower elevation, small lake showed expected acidification and oligotrophication, while the southern, higher elevation lake experienced hydrologic disturbance likely associated with permafrost degradation. The Nettilling Lake core did not show clear ontogenetic processes, but the high sedimentation rate from approx 6.7 to 5.9k cal a BP (likely from glacial melt) obscured in‐depth analysis of subsequent changes. While the composition of chironomid assemblages varied between lakes, all three lakes showed a minor shift from Tanytarsini to Orthocladiinae taxa over their development, which could reflect ontogenetic changes to resource availability. The different trajectory experienced by each study lake highlights the relevance of catchment properties in structuring lake development.

What happened with the smaller ones? First comprehensive taphonomic analysis of microvertebrates from the Late Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea (Los Angeles, USA) - Fernando J. Fernández; Claudia I. Montalvo; M. Dolores Marin‐Monfort; Renata Sostillo; Daiana G. Coll; Emily Lindsey; Karin A. Rice; Gary T. Takeuchi; Rodrigo L. Tomassini (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Rancho La Brea (RLB) in Los Angeles, USA, is an iconic fossil locality, owing to the high number and diversity of Quaternary vertebrate remains and their excellent preservation. More than a century of study, focused predominantly on large mammals, has provided valuable information along different lines of research, including taxonomy, taphonomy, isotopic ecology, functional morphology, and paleopathology. In order to develop a better understanding of the formation of this site, we conducted a taphonomic study of the microvertebrates, using samples from asphalt seeps dating to before the Last Glacial Maximum. The taphonomic evidence suggests that direct entrapment is the most plausible process to explain the primary accumulation of the thousands of microvertebrate remains. Based on the absence of digestive corrosion and feeding marks, low percentages of juvenile individuals, relative abundance patterns, and anatomical indices (postcranial elements vs. cranial elements and distal vs. proximal limb elements), the activity of predators/scavengers is ruled out as a primary process in producing the assemblages, although other processes, such as water transport of skeletal elements from nearby areas, could also have played a role in the formation of the deposits. The occurrence of successive entrapments and episodes of fluvial transportation, combined with post‐depositional internal movement within the seeps, would have given rise to the development of time‐averaged assemblages produced through a complex interplay of factors.

An aminostratigraphy of the northern Upper Rhine Graben, Germany - Ellie Nelson; Dustin White; Lucy Wheeler; Joachim Wedel; Christian Hoselmann; Heiner Heggemann; Wolfgang Rähle; Kirsty Penkman (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The northern Upper Rhine Graben (Germany) contains a complex, quasi‐continuous Quaternary record, but constraining its chronology is challenging. This study presents the first application of amino acid geochronology for this region using Bithynia opercula to establish a relative dating framework. Intra‐crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) results from opercula have allowed their horizons to be statistically grouped into clusters of equivalent age. Independent chronological evidence associated with these clusters was evaluated to refine the sediment chronology. This framework both constrains the ages of key lithostratigraphic units and facilitates cross‐correlation of sediments across the graben, therefore providing a reference regional aminostratigraphy, which has also been extended to help constrain the age of nearby Palaeolithic sites. This approach shows the value of combining the multiparameter datasets from IcPD with other chronological evidence to cross‐correlate boreholes, hence creating a reference dataset for Quaternary deposits for a given region.

Imperial systems and local landscapes of Buldan Yayla in Western Anatolia (Türkiye) during the last 4000 years: An integrated palynological, historical, and archaeological approach - Sabina Fiołna; Mustafa Doğan; Warren Eastwood; John Haldon; Georgios C. Liakopoulos; Dilek Şenkul; Çetin Şenkul; Adam Izdebski (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This study investigates long‐term impacts of empires on local socio‐ecosystems in western Anatolia (modern western Türkiye) over the past four millennia. We focus on Buldan Yayla Lake, located in a small mountain basin north of the Büyük Menderes (Great Meander) River valley. By examining palynological data alongside historical and archaeological records, we show how four major empires—Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman—shaped land use, vegetation, and resource management practices in a specific locality within a wider regional and transregional economic network. The ebb and flow of empire resulted in cycles of land use intensification and rewilding, resembling broader patterns of regional integration and fragmentation. The different administrative and economic structures of each empire, however, left distinct ecological imprints, with evidence of shifts from extensive pastoralism to specialised crop cultivation, or from olive‐focused agriculture to one dominated by mixed agriculture. These shifts underscore both the variation and the adaptability of local socio‐ecological systems within broader imperial networks and highlight the interplay of transregional and local factors in landscape transformation.

Proteomic analysis resulting in species‐level identification of recently diverged North American arvicoline rodents - Erin M. Keenan Early; Christopher J. Bell; Matthew J. Collins; Timothy M. Shanahan (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
North American arvicoline rodents have long been considered to have high biogeographic, biochronologic, and paleoecological value. They provide relative dating of faunal assemblages when absolute dating is not possible and contribute to paleobiome characterization. However, the scientific value of Arvicolinae is often limited by the level of taxonomic identification achievable by morphological analyses. ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) is a proteomic method that permits taxonomic identification of bone material. We added 19 North American arvicoline species to the ZooMS reference database to assess the level of taxonomic resolution between those species using ZooMS. Results show species‐level taxonomic resolution for all tested arvicolines that diverged up to just under 1 mya. We estimate species‐level taxonomic resolution is achievable for arvicolines that diverged up to 273 kya and up to 170.5 kya for members of Microtus . Application to arvicoline fossils demonstrates the presence of previously unidentified species of Microtus in the Great Basin, that isolated molars are sufficient for taxonomic identification, and provides results consistent with the morphological hypothesis that Microtus paroperarius and Alexandromys oeconomus are not conspecific. ZooMS can drastically improve taxonomic identification of arvicolines, and may increase their utility for biochronological, biogeographic, and paleoecological interpretations of Pleistocene faunal response to climatic and other environmental changes.

Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) beds as a Late Pleistocene isochron in the Indian subcontinent? New geochronological and sedimentological insights - Devara Anil; Monika Devi; Prabhin Sukumaran; B. V. Lakshmi; K. Deenadayalan; Sunil Kumar; Ambili Anoop; Zakir Khan; Vrushab Mahesh; Gopesh Jha; P. Ajithprasad; Naveen Chauhan (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The ~75 ka Young Toba super‐eruption was a catastrophic extreme event that spewed vast quantities of volcanic ash and aerosols and is argued to have caused a drastic volcanic winter, climatic upheaval, and a human genetic bottleneck. The global and regional impacts of the eruption on climate dynamics and past hominin populations are strongly contested due to conflicting global climatic records and archeological datasets. The Indian subcontinent is a key place for Toba research due to its proximity to Mt. Toba (Indonesia). Most of central and peninsular India is estimated to have been covered by a ~5 cm ash layer, with deposits found in different fluvial systems across the subcontinent. For a long time, many of these Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) deposits, occurring in both archeological and non‐archeological contexts, were believed to be primary tephra deposits dating to ~75 ka. However, the use of YTT as a Late Pleistocene chronological marker is surrounded by many uncertainties, primarily due to the complex and varying nature of the depositional and sedimentary contexts of YTT and chronological irregularities. Recent sedimentological and geochronological data indicate that most of the YTT deposits in India are secondary deposits, resulting from later erosion and redeposition occurring thousands of years after the eruption. This highlights the unreliability of YTT as an isochron and raises questions about the credibility of paleoclimate (terrestrial and marine) and archeological datasets that use YTT as a chronological marker. Our study contributes to this debate and reveals the complex redepositional history of YTT deposits in the Indian subcontinent through geochronological and geoarchaeological analyses of YTT‐bearing sequences from Motravulapadu, Andhra Pradesh, India. Our findings suggest that the final burial of YTT occurred around 30 ka, highlighting a temporal gap of more than 40 000 years after the eruption. Notably, the redeposited tephra horizon appears visually uniform and compositionally pure, despite its secondary context, adding complexity to its stratigraphic interpretation. Our multiproxy sedimentological approach demonstrates the importance of integrating detailed stratigraphic, magnetic, granulometric, and chronological analyses to resolve such depositional ambiguities; it underscores the need for similar frameworks in future studies of YTT‐bearing sequences. We suggest that YTT in India cannot be used as a reliable chronological marker without independent age estimations of its deposition. However, it has significant potential for identifying regional geological events.

The Holocene sedimentary record of Mittie Glacier dynamics in Smith Bay, Ellesmere Island (eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago) - Elodie Bracquart; Jean‐Carlos Montero‐Serrano; Patrick Lajeunesse; Guillaume St‐Onge; Luke Copland (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The physical, sedimentological, mineralogical, and elemental geochemical properties of sediment cores collected in Smith Bay (22BC and 01PC), and near the front of Mittie Glacier (23BC and 01GC), were used to reconstruct glacial sediment discharge and trace the long‐term composition and provenance of detrital sediments for the northeastern part of Manson Icefield, southeast Ellesmere Island, over the last 9.2 cal ka BP. The mineralogical and geochemical signatures of core 01GC support the hypothesis of the gradual opening of Nares Strait between 8.8 and 8.2 cal ka BP and suggest a progressive retreat of glaciers surrounding Smith Bay. Lower sedimentation rates ( −1 ) recorded in core 01GC during the Middle Holocene, combined with the presence of coarse‐grained sediments, indicate a landward retreat of Mittie Glacier and sea‐ice free conditions during summer in Smith Bay from 5.4 to 3 cal ka BP. During the Late Holocene, the deposition of six coarse‐grained layers close to Mittie Glacier seems to have been triggered by subglacial lake discharges upstream of its western arm. The only known surge of Mittie Glacier, recorded between 1992 and 2007, is identified in the core 23BC by a marked increase in coarse‐grained sediment input.

A tephrostratigraphic investigation of the continuously varved Holocene Boreal lake Nautajärvi, Finland, provides precise age estimate for Lairg A/Hekla 5 eruption - Alice Carter‐Champion; Katy Flowers; Antti E.K. Ojala; Simon Blockley; Paul Lincoln; Shuang Zhang; Christina Manning; Celia Martin Puertas (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Numerous cryptotephra layers originating from Icelandic volcanoes and further afield have reached Northern Europe during the Holocene. Refining the precise timing and the relative frequency of local and distal eruptions requires well‐resolved continuous sediment archives. Lake Nautajärvi is located in central‐southern Finland (61°48′ N, 24°41′ E), and contains a continuous sequence of 9898 varves. Nautajärvi was isolated from the Baltic Sea basin at the Lake Ancylus phase ~9600 varve yr BP. We present a tephrostratigraphic record of Nautajärvi for targeted intervals within the Holocene, aiming to identify tephra from the largest eruptions, to enable an alignment with other varved lakes in Northern Europe containing tephra layers, like Diss Mere, Tiefer See and Meerfelder Maar. Geochemical analyses were produced for 26 peaks in tephra concentration, with five cryptotephra deposits corresponding to known eruptions from the mid and late Holocene. The far‐travelled KS 2 eruption from Ksudach caldera in Kamchatka is identified, enabling an alignment to Greenland, which is strengthened by the identification of the Hekla 4 tephra in Nautajärvi. Close to the KS 2 deposition in Nautajärvi, a Hekla‐type eruption correlating to the Lairg A/Hekla 5 is also identified—macroscale counting of the varves between the KS 2 and Lairg A layers enables a constrained age estimate (7001 ± 44 Cal yr BP) of the Lairg A eruption to be made. The widespread Glen Garry tephra was also identified within the Nautajärvi sequence, with an age estimate of 2088 ± 21 varve yr BP. Finally, there is also a tentative correlation to the Suduroy tephra, with an older age estimate than from the sites in which it was originally identified (8459 ± 84 varve yr BP). The remaining layers correspond to eruptions from more distal sources—several chemistries may correlate to mid‐Holocene eruptions from North America (Mount Rainier, Aniakchak, Katmai), with one shard tentatively associated with Azorean chemistry. This record provides well‐constrained age estimates for two key Holocene tephras (Glen Garry, Lairg A) and highlights the potential for far‐travelled tephras from North America and Kamchatka to reach Northern Europe, emphasising the benefits of further tephra studies in Scandinavia.

Hominin and carnivore roles during the formation of the early Middle Pleistocene site of Loreto (Venosa Basin, southern Italy) - Antonio Pineda; Beniamino Mecozzi; Alessio Iannucci; Marco Carpentieri; Raffaele Sardella; Suzanne Simone; Marie‐Hélène Moncel (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The site of Loreto (Venosa Basin, Italy) was first discovered in 1929 and subsequently excavated during the latter half of the 20th century. The excavation revealed three archaeo‐palaeontological levels, with the lowermost level (Level A) yielding the largest number of remains. Despite the site's notable fossil record, which underscores its importance within the framework of the early Middle Pleistocene, extant research on the site's substantial mammalian fauna has hitherto been confined to a modest number of palaeontological descriptions. The present study constitutes the first taphonomic research of the faunal remains recovered from Level A of Loreto. The anatomical and taxonomic diversity is low, with a marked predominance of cervids. However, the sample appears to be biased by the almost complete absence of small fragments and the high proportion of identifiable remains. The influence of water on the osteological assemblage is minimal, thereby ruling out a fluvial origin of the accumulation. Moreover, anthropogenic and carnivore activity is limited, suggesting that these predators did not significantly contribute to the formation of the assemblages as accumulating agents. It is hypothesised that carnivores and hominins acted in independent events on different carcasses, with little or no interaction among them, as part of the foraging and resource acquisition activities developed in the region. The comparison of these data with those presented for the nearby site of Notarchirico facilitates an understanding of hominin behaviour in the Venosa Basin during the early Middle Pleistocene.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Middle to Late Pleistocene valley‐slope cambering: The interglacial basin at Wing, Rutland, England - Philip Gibbard; Philip Hughes; John Lewin (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
A depression in the Jurassic bedrock at Wing, Rutland (eastern England), is infilled by deposits spanning the Late Wolstonian (=Late Saalian) to Early Devensian (=Early Weichselian) substages, including the most complete Ipswichian Stage (=Eemian Stage; ~Marine Isotope Stage 5e) sequence known in Britain. This sequence forms an enclosed pocket, the origin of which remains imprecisely determined. Re‐examination of its morphometry, infill and setting of the basin, implies it originated as a feature or gull formed by valley‐side cambering or associated landslide mass movement process of the Northampton Sand over clay bedrock. The surface glacial diamicton surrounding the hollow, collapsed into the void created, followed 880 years later by a water ponding related to rising groundwater level. By comparison to the annually laminated lake sequence at Bispingen, north Germany, the total time represented over 10 000 years. Through the temperate period, the depression developed into a raised bog and latterly a second ponded‐water phase, the hollow finally being filled by inwashed soil and slope material with passage into the subsequent cold stage. The Wing sequence is proposed as the basal boundary stratotype of the British Devensian Stage at 5.67 m below the ground surface.

The decline of permafrost after the Last Glaciation—Relicts of Thermokarst Lakes in Northern Poland - Mateusz Kramkowski; Agnieszka Noryśkiewicz; Olga Antczak‐Orlewska; Jacek Szmańda; Michał Fojutowski; Sebastian Tyszkowski; Mirosław Błaszkiewicz; Michał Słowiński (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The presence of permafrost at the foreland of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is evidenced by a range of landforms and structures characteristic of the periglacial zone. In areas once covered by the LGM ice sheet, lake and peatland sediments serve as excellent archives for paleoclimatic reconstruction and environmental change analysis. Current knowledge suggests that the melting of buried dead ice blocks and the formation of deep kettle lakes occurred in tandem with the degradation of permafrost. In the Polish Lowlands, the first phase of lake formation corresponds to the Bølling–Allerød complex (14.7–12.8 ka cal BP). However, our understanding remains limited regarding the geomorphological and hydrological dynamics immediately following ice sheet retreat—particularly in relation to air temperature changes. Until recently, no in situ biogenic sediments had been found to record environmental changes in this highly dynamic postglacial system. The period of more than 1000 years between the ice sheet's disappearance and the formation of deep kettle lakes was occupied by thermokarst lakes—depression landforms caused by permafrost degradation and ground collapse under periglacial conditions. Preliminary studies have mapped over 200 relict thermokarst lakes (RTL) within the LGM extent in Poland. These are characterized by distinctive morphologies, including aligned orientations, marginal ridges, and location on sandy outwash plains (sandurs). The lack of previous studies in the European Lowlands may be due to their subtle landscape expression. The analysis of LiDAR data, combined with field verification, has greatly facilitated their identification and geomorphological interpretation.

Mountainous vegetation succession and land use during the last millennium in the Peloponnese (southern Greece): Environmental change and economic development in an isolated periphery - Katerina Kouli; Georgios C. Liakopoulos; Grammatiki Vasileiadi; Dimitrios Lamprakis; Alexis Malliaris; Lucrezia Masci; Alessia Masi; Matthias Moros; Maria Papadaki; Cristiano Vignola; Pavlos Avramidis; Adam Izdebski (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Mediterranean mountainous areas and their valuable natural resources have long been attractive to human societies. The Peloponnese (southern Greece), with its complex topographic and climatic variability, has been the scenery for the development of numerous human communities. The existing paleovegetation records from the region derive mainly from lowland sites, while the vegetation succession of the mountains is not clearly understood. Herein, we focus on the sediment profile of Rakita, a wetland located in an isolated mountain basin in the northwestern Peloponnese. We combine pollen‐based vegetation reconstruction with detailed historical and archeological data and analyze them within a broader well‐connected region of the Peloponnese, characterized by an extensive coastline and central location in the Mediterranean trade system. In particular, we contextualize the pollen data with the detailed taxation registers, cadastres, and censuses produced by the Ottoman and Venetian authorities, which recorded agricultural production and population. The high‐resolution pollen profile covers the last 1100 years, and thus we are able to look at more than a millennium of socioeconomic change that witnessed a variety of political and economic systems that controlled the Rakita upland area. We are able to study how these different systems impacted the area of Rakita, which has sizable environmental potential for human exploitation, yet is not easily accessible, and therefore not the first choice for human actors whose goal was to maximize agricultural production of the region. We discover that a smaller scale non‐imperial but deeply market‐oriented political system of the late medieval period, such as the Principality of Achaea, was more successful in intensifying land use even in such isolated locations as Rakita than the large imperial systems of the Byzantine or Ottoman empires, even during their most intensive phases of growth.

Stratigraphy and geomorphology of Des‐Cubierta Cave (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid, Spain): Geological insights into a Neanderthal symbolic accumulation of large crania - David Manuel Martín‐Perea; Enrique Baquedano; Juan Luis Arsuaga; César Laplana; Ana Isabel Ortega; Lucía Villaescusa; Belén Márquez; Rosa Huguet; Abel Moclán; Sandra Gómez Soler; Xabier Arroyo; Laura Rodríguez; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Des‐Cubierta Cave, part of the Calvero de la Higuera complex, is situated in the intramountainous upper valley of the Lozoya River within the Guadarrama Range. The cave's geological, palaeontological, and archaeological record reveals a complex history of sedimentary and anthropogenic processes spanning hundreds of thousands of years, represented in 12 lithostratigraphic units. Among these, Unit 3 stands out for its archaeological significance, containing evidence of Neanderthal activity, including Mousterian lithic tools and an unusual assemblage of large mammal crania, which suggests symbolic behaviour. Geological data indicate that Unit 3 was deposited during cold periods (MIS 4) through multiple rockfall episodes, implying that these symbolic practices persisted across generations. The cave's geomorphology points to a possible Neanderthal entrance via a side opening created by erosion in the southern part of the cave. This study enhances our understanding of Des‐Cubierta Cave's geological development and the long‐term Neanderthal occupations, offering valuable insights into their symbolic and cultural behaviours.

Was Scotland covered by an ice sheet during Marine Isotope Stage 4? Insights from the pre‐Last Glacial Maximum marine terraces of northwest Scotland - Alexander R. Simms; Regina DeWitt; Sarah L. Bradley; Emily Huffman; Louise Best; Tom Bradwell; Jeremy M. Lloyd; Samuel B. Kachuck (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Raised shorelines provide important constraints on past sea levels, glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA), and rates and directions of vertical crustal motion. Although most raised shorelines across NW Scotland relate to post‐Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glacial‐isostatic rebound, many undated shorelines lie above the marine limit established from isolation basins. Here, we present new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages for a raised marine terrace at an elevation of 28 m in Slaggan Bay of NW Scotland. Four OSL ages suggest the feature is pre‐LGM, likely Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Global mean sea levels (GMSL) during MIS 3 are thought to have been ~40–60 m below present across most of the globe. We use a pair of GIA models to determine what ice sheet and sea‐level scenarios might provide an explanation for these anomalously high sea levels during MIS 3. Our results suggest that in the absence of tectonic activity, such high MIS 3 shorelines across NW Scotland require a MIS 4 ice sheet in Scotland, with postglacial rebound of the crustal depression following its demise during MIS 3 responsible for the elevated shoreline features at that time.

Modelling erratic dispersal accounting for shifting ice flow geometries: A new method and explanations of erratic dispersal of the British–Irish Ice Sheet - R. L. Veness; C. D. Clark; J. C. Ely; J. L. Knight; A. Igneczi; S. L. Bradley (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Glacial erratics are geologically distinctive rocks transported away from their source area by ice sheets and deposited in lithologically different bedrock areas. They have attracted much scientific curiosity with >24 000 observations across the British Isles. A common misinterpretation is that they took a nearly direct line of transport from source to resting position, neglecting to change ice flow directions during ice sheet growth and decay. To rectify this, we sequentially modelled erratic time‐space trajectories at 1000‐year timesteps using ice flowlines in an empirically constrained ice sheet model simulation to predict erratic deposition areas. We addressed the processes of entrainment and deposition by combining all potential trajectories into a single footprint of possible locations. Erratic dispersal is predicted for three geologically distinctive lithologies; Shap Granite of Northern England, Galway Granite of Ireland and the Glen Fyne igneous complex from Scotland. The footprint of predicted trajectories compared against 1883 observations of erratic locations was found to successfully explain 77% of the observed erratics. Most erratics were explained by flow directions during ice retreat; however, some required earlier ice divide shifts to produce potentially long‐duration, multiphase pathways. Our analysis demonstrates the possibility of explaining many erratics without explicitly modelling the complex processes of entrainment and deposition.

Regional onset of Holocene drying period estimated from sand deposit analyses in Kharga Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt - Makiko Watanabe; Hiroyuki Kamei (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Desertification in North Africa has progressed rapidly over the past 6000 years. The occupation of Egypt by the Achaemenid Persians and Romans occurred even in hyperarid climates. Understanding the process of environmental changes on a regional scale may improve knowledge of how people developed technologies and adapted to the natural environment during a significant drying period. This study explored past environmental indicators from a sand profile at the foot slope of a Nubia sandstone ridge in Kharga, Western Desert, Egypt. The particle size distribution, free Fe oxide content, and mineralogical properties of magnetic spherical grains were analyzed alongside radiocarbon dating. Magnetic spherical grains, predominantly black with goethite as the primary mineral phase, exhibited micromorphological features resembling fungal durable structures. The presence of black‐brown pigmented grains containing Mn and Fe indicated microbial activity in relatively humid environments. The ratio of Mn‐type to Fe‐type grain content has been proposed as a proxy for past environmental conditions preserved in sand deposits. A comprehensive analysis of the sand profile revealed an abrupt drying event around 5400 BCE, followed by a slight humid recovery around 4400 BCE in the Kharga Oasis.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Challenges in dating blanket peat and implications for understanding its initiation in Ireland - Helen Essell; Gill Plunkett; Maarten Blaauw (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Blanket peat is widespread in maritime extra‐tropical environments. Prehistoric land‐use activity was traditionally invoked as the stimulus of blanket peat initiation in the British Isles, but recently, climate has been viewed as the driver of peat formation. Understanding of the timing and thus cause of blanket peat initiation is, however, confounded by uncertainties that primarily pertain to dating well‐humified peat deposits. Here, we seek to address challenges in dating blanket peat with a view to better understanding its initiation in Ireland. Through a study of blanket peat profiles from five sites in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland, we show that radiocarbon ages from different peat fractions are younger than contemporaneous cryptotephra ages by several centuries, probably due to the translocation of humic acids and root material down sediment profiles. Peat initiation was, therefore, dated in the Mourne Mountains using tephrochronology, and reveals initiation centred on ~8700 BP, ~7900–6800 BP and ~3500 BP. Reanalysis of Irish basal peat ages emphasises climate as the driver of blanket peat from ~7500 BP, but highlights that its development was time‐transgressive at intra‐ and inter‐regional scales. We conclude that blanket peat is a natural feature of the Irish landscape and highlight the uncertainties of radiocarbon dating blanket peat deposits.

Late Quaternary population expansion in gray brocket deer [ Subulo gouazoubira (G. Fisher, 1814), Cervidae, Mammalia] in Brazil - Alex Hubbe; Mark Hubbe; Elver Luiz Mayer; Eliane Nunes Chim; Paulo Miguel Haddad‐Martim; Augusto S. Auler; Luís B. Piló; William J. Pestle; Alba Rey‐Iglesia; Isac dos Santos Antônio Machado; Paulo C. F. Giannini; Eluzai Dinai Pinto Sandoval; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
There is little information about the changes in the abundance of mammalian species in South America during the late Quaternary, which is a key parameter to understanding past ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Here, we describe a conspicuous increase in the abundance of the gray brocket deer ( Subulo gouazoubira G. Fisher, 1814; Mammalia) during the late Quaternary in Brazil based on paleontological evidence. We studied the material retrieved from pitfall deposits in Cuvieri Cave (Brazil) representing three time intervals (Late Pleistocene, Pleistocene/Holocene transition, and Holocene). The deposits in this cave were previously characterized in terms of facies composition, chronology, and overall taxa and taphonomy. We combined previous data with taxonomic identification at the species level for deer (morphological and ancient DNA analyses), quantification of the number of individuals for large mammals (>10 kg), taphonomic analyses, and stratigraphic distribution of specimens. Our results show that while in the Late Pleistocene gray brocket deer corresponded to up to 18% of 38 individuals, in the Holocene they represented at least 82% of 78 individuals. We interpret this change in frequency as a considerable increase in abundance in the surroundings of the cave, after excluding major taphonomical biases. The causes for this phenomenon are uncertain but could have involved a surplus of food availability and predation release due to the late Quaternary extinction event.

Luminescence dating of palaeoshoreline deposits from Khyargas Nuur, Western Mongolia: A comparative study of multigrain and single‐grain K‐feldspar dating - Neda Rahimzadeh; Dennis Wolf; Sumiko Tsukamoto; Manfred Frechen; Frank Lehmkuhl (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The evolution of lakes in western Mongolia and their responses to climate changes and glacial meltwater input remain poorly understood. This study evaluates the reliability of multigrain and single‐grain K‐feldspar post‐infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) (pIRIR) dating applied to palaeoshoreline sediments at Khyargas Nuur, western Mongolia. It specifically focuses on assessing the extent of pIRIR signal bleaching and proposes an improved methodology for dating shoreline sediments where quartz is unsuitable for luminescence dating. Multigrain pIRIR signals measured at 150°C (pIRIR 150 ) and 225°C (pIRIR 225 ) were used to date Holocene and older samples, respectively. Single‐grain pIRIR dating was conducted for the first time in the region to assess bleaching conditions and refine age estimates. Our comprehensive methodological approach was essential for constructing a robust lake level chronology. Single‐grain measurements, combined with the application of the minimum age model (MAM), allowed us to identify and correct for incomplete bleaching in several samples. Notably, many of the multigrain aliquots showed no clear signs of poor bleaching in their equivalent dose ( D e ) distributions, which would have resulted in significant age overestimation if single‐grain data had not been available. Without this approach, the chronology of lake level fluctuations could have been significantly misinterpreted. By addressing this issue, we confidently date the highest lake level at ~129 m above modern lake (a.m.l) to marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 (~89 ka) and a subsequent highstand (~118 m a.m.l) to the Late Glacial (~14 ka). Following this highstand, lake levels declined rapidly (~25 m/ka), reaching ~20 m a.m.l through the Late Glacial to early Holocene transition. During the late Holocene, the palaeolake experienced a gradual regression to ~7 m a.m.l before reaching its current elevation of 1029 m above sea level (a.s.l).

A Middle and Late Devensian sequence from the northern part of Kents Cavern (Devon, UK) - Rob Dinnis; John Boulton; Barry Chandler; Jesse Davies; Jennifer C. French; Thomas Higham; Louisa Jáuregui; Mark Lewis; Matthias Meyer; Danielle Schreve; Chris Stringer; Chris Proctor (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
1920s/30s excavation of a Middle Devensian sequence in the northern part of Kents Cavern recovered important Late Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic archaeological material, including Britain's oldest known Homo sapiens remains. Questions remain about this material, including how it came to be in the cave. Judged by the recorded distribution of finds it may have entered via the Northeast Gallery. A previously unrecorded entrance into the cave from the Northeast Gallery was identified in 2014, and a column through the entrance's sedimentary fill was excavated during 2015–2016. The results of that work are reported here. The entrance retains an intact and well‐stratified Pleistocene sequence comparable to the ‘Cave Earth’ unit described previously inside the cave. The uppermost part of the newly recognised Northeast Gallery entrance sequence has been removed by historical excavation, with most of the remaining sediments spanning the Middle Devensian and earlier part of the Late Devensian. The sequence contains bone and pollen, and ancient mammalian DNA is preserved within the sediments. The base of the Northeast Gallery entrance sequence is formed of a clayey diamict comparable to the cave's ‘Breccia’ unit, a deposit currently understood as Middle Pleistocene, and previously identified only in Kents Cavern's southern chambers. Comparison of the excavated sequence with the historical record of the Vestibule excavation shows that the basal cave earth deposits in the Northeast Gallery entrance are significantly higher than those inside the cave. Although requiring further work to confirm, this suggests that the Northeast Gallery could have played a major role in the accumulation of material in the Vestibule during the Middle Devensian.

Carbonate cementation in Pleistocene sediments of the mid‐western part of the Polish Lowlands: Origin, macroforms, and microstructure characteristics - Bogusz Kulus; Jan Dzierżek; Barbara Woronko (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
In the mid‐western Polish Lowlands, 14 sites of Pleistocene sediments were examined within the region of maximal extent of the Weichselian Glaciation with regard to the occurrence of different forms of carbonate cementation. Out of these sites, five were examined in detail using grain size, petrographic, calcium carbonate content, and thin‐section analyses. Rhizoliths, cemented deposits on the underside of pebbles, lumps, or blocks of conglomerates, and concretions in glacial till were found. Rhizoliths are formed in the course of calcium carbonate precipitation on the root surface (cemented sediment zone) and in root canals after their decay (micritic and microsparitic cemented zone). Some of the cementation forms are of infiltration origin (downward leaching of calcium carbonate by meteoric waters), examples of which include sub‐pebble cementation forms and some conglomerates (cemented by meniscus cements). Some of the conglomerates may have formed on the boundary between the vadose and phreatic zone (few generations of cements). Concretions in glacial till‐forming horizons of unclear origin were formed by calcite displacing sediment in dry weathering conditions of till.

Vegetation and environmental dynamics in the central part of the Kola Peninsula during the past 13.3 ka as reflected by ancient plant DNA on sediments from Lake Imandra - Anastasia Poliakova; Matthias Lenz; Martin Melles; Grigory Fedorov; Marie K. F. Merkel; Inger G. Alsos (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The first high‐resolution reconstruction of the vegetation and environmental changes during the last ca 13 300 cal a BP in the central part of the Kola Peninsula (NW Russia) was reconstructed based on sedimentary ancient DNA ( sed aDNA) metabarcoding on sediment core Co1410 from Lake Imandra. In total, 204 taxa known from modern flora are identified. The resulting sequences were assigned to vascular plants (87%), bryophytes (12%), and algae (1%). About half (111 taxa, 49%) are identified at the species level. They belong to 150 genera and 86 families. So far, this is the most diverse and taxonomically detailed palaeoflora described for the Late Pleistocene–Holocene of the Kola Peninsula and North‐European Russia. Sed aDNA studies suggest that the vegetation cover in the region developed from (1) plant colonisation of the study area after the glacier retreated during the Allerød warming at ca 13 300–13 000 a BP to (2) Younger Dryas cold period with re‐entering of the glaciers in the catchment of the Grater (Bolshaya) Imandra and establishing of the steppe–tundra communities. (3) Warming and increasing in vegetation diversity during the Early Holocene, with the formation of the birch forests by the end of this time zone. (4) Mid‐Holocene temperature maximum is correlated with the highest regional plant diversity and a pronounced role of the thermophilic taxa, that is, Lonicera species, Prunus padus, Populus tremula, Sorbus sp./Cotoneaster sp. The highest so far revealed regional diversity of the higher spore plants (10) and aquatic plants (23) is evidenced. Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests were established in the research area during this period, and a drop in plant diversity occurred afterwards. (5) During the Late Holocene, modern communities are formed with a slight increase in biodiversity because of increasing input from cultural plants and weeds. Human impact is clearly diagnosed after 250 a BP, indicated by the presence of Ribes sp., Hypericum sp., and Mentha arvensis as well as eutrophic weeds, that is, Trifolium sp. and Urtica dioica . In addition, this study revealed the past dynamics of some plants rare for the Murmansk region, namely Pteridium aquilinum, with its maximum of occurrence at ca 11 000–8000 cal a BP and a strong decrease thereafter, and Nuphar sp./ Nymphaea sp. occurring regularly since ca 7700 cal a BP and eliminating from the record after ca 3500 cal a BP.

Multi‐million‐year evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet in Inglefield Land, North Greenland - Anne Sofie Søndergaard; Jane Lund Andersen; Nicolaj Krog Larsen; Olivia Steinemann; Negar Haghipour; Jesper Olsen; David Lundbek Egholm (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Information on past sensitivity of the Greenland Ice Sheet to climate change is of importance for optimizing models simulating the future evolution of ice mass loss. While the ice‐sheet change during the Lateglacial and Holocene is relatively well constrained, the long‐term (multi‐million‐year) evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet remains poorly known. In this study, we use in situ cosmogenic 10 Be, 26 Al, and 14 C nuclide concentrations from bedrock in Inglefield Land, western North Greenland, together with Markov chain Monte Carlo inversion to constrain the multi‐million‐year ice sheet history of this area. Our results indicate that the area became ice‐covered for the first time at the beginning of the Quaternary and was glaciated for extensive periods during the Pleistocene. We cannot resolve whether the ice cover was confined to local ice caps or part of a larger ice sheet but only conclude that the ice cover was likely persistent with short interglacials. Further, our results show that the area has been characterized by low erosion rates (

Reconstructing the late Pleistocene glacial history of the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland, using paired cosmogenic 10 Be and 14 C - Samuel E. Kelley; Alice M. Doughty; Nathaniel Lifton; Simon Pendleton; Cormac O'Brien; Graeme Warren (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Chronologic and geomorphic evidence of past glaciations is largely recorded in areas at relatively low elevation and/or landscapes defined by high glacial erosion. As a result, data from areas that did not experience significant glacial erosion and the highest elevation locations are lacking from reconstructions of past ice masses. Here, we use paired 10 Be and 14 C exposure dating on quartz derived from glacial erratics and bedrock to resolve past ice mass fluctuations across an elevation and geomorphic gradient in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. We find that the highest elevation samples in our dataset, at 1140 m above sea level, yield 10 Be ages indicating 23 000 years of exposure and are at secular equilibrium for 14 C, indicative of a single period of exposure starting as a nunatak during the Last Glacial Maximum. Other samples from above 1000 m elevation produce 14 C exposure ages indicating deglaciation during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial, while 10 Be concentrations display varying levels of inheritance due to local variations in glacial and non‐glacial erosion. Samples from lower elevations indicate a Lateglacial moraine building event 15 000 years ago, coincident with the Wester Ross readvance, followed by a period of glacier retreat interrupted by moraine deposition at ~14 000 and ~11 000 years ago. This dataset reconstructs both thinning and marginal recession of paleo‐ice masses within the Cairngorm Mountains across a >600 m vertical gradient during the most recent glacial–interglacial transition, demonstrating the utility of paired 10 Be/ 14 C exposure dating in ice mass reconstructions in areas of low glacial erosion, increasing the geomorphic diversity of chronologic data available for glacial reconstructions.

Insights into the Middle Pleistocene fauna of South Africa: Zooarchaeology, stable isotopes and dating of Pniel 6 - S. Sophia Politt; Helena Pribliczki; Marc R. Dickinson; Nils Andersen; Abenicia Henderson; David Morris; Cheryl A. Makarewicz; Kirsty Penkman; Michaela Ecker (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Florisian Land Mammal Age (FLMA; 773‐12 ka) is characterised by specialist, often extinct, grazing as well as wetland species, many of which are no longer present in the southern African interior. Middle Pleistocene FLMA faunal assemblages are rare, particularly those associated with artefacts, limiting reconstruction of environmental conditions and hominin subsistence strategies. One exception is the faunal assemblages of Pniel 6 on the Vaal River, which are associated with Fauresmith lithics. Here, we present a comprehensive faunal analysis including stable isotope measurements and intracrystalline protein diagenesis (IcPD) analysis from several excavations since the 1980s. Twenty‐one animal species were identified, with size class III bovids and typical FLMA species dominating. The results suggest a rich grassland environment supported by considerable water components. While most of the assemblage exhibits signs of a natural death assemblage, a few taphonomic modifications may indicate a human factor. Two distinct IcPD data clusters provide relative age estimates, suggesting that the teeth do not represent a single short depositional event. All results support the interpretation of Pniel 6 as a series of distinctive archaeological accumulations of human origin during the Middle Pleistocene, with a minor component of younger material mixed up close to the modern surface.

Long‐term hydrologic connectivity on the Australian dryland margins: Evidence from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area over the last 60 ky - Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons; Markus L. Fischer; Tegan Smith; Tobias Lauer; Maike Nowatzki; Kanchan Mishra; Colin V. Murray‐Wallace (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The semi‐arid Australian continental inland is increasingly subject to climatic extremes such as drought and flooding. Combined with the exceptionally low topographic relief characteristic of this region, hydroclimatic extremes can have an enormous impact on the land surface. Nevertheless our understanding of dryland hydrologic connectivity and earth‐surface response remains poorly understood and largely unquantified. Here we investigate the impact of past hydroclimate on the semi‐arid Willandra Lakes over the last 60 ky, integrating sediment‐based chronologies for filling and drying of multiple basins with water‐flux modelling and reconstruction of palaeoclimate parameters. We quantify the threshold inflow volume required to fill the lake system to 2 km 3 . We establish that prior to 25 ka, permanent lakes persisted for protracted periods of time in response to increased catchment precipitation, consistent with regional geomorphic indicators for wetter conditions. By contrast, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) oversaw rapid couplets of lake filling and drying despite lower precipitation, temperature, and increasing evaporation. We propose that seasonal snow melt from the highland headwaters during this cold phase, coupled with increased effective runoff due to reduced vegetation cover, was responsible for the large quantities of water entering the system at this time.

A multi‐proxy record of climate variability during the Loch Lomond Stadial (GS‐1) at Old Buckenham Mere, East England, UK - Christopher P. Francis; Stefan Engels; Ian P. Matthews; Adrian P. Palmer; Katy Flowers; Ian Candy (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Northwest Europe experienced high‐amplitude climate change at the onset and end of the Younger Dryas (YD; ca 12 800–11 600 cal a BP), a crucial period to develop our understanding of natural climate dynamics. European palaeoclimatological records generally suggest a bipartite structure of the YD, potentially due to a northward retreat of the polar front around 12 100 cal a BP. However, several recent studies have shown more complex climate dynamics during the YD. Here we present new high‐resolution palaeotemperature records for the YD (Loch Lomond Stadial; LLS) at Old Buckenham Mere. We show cooling of ca 3°C at the onset of the LLS followed by an early LLS phase with relatively cool summer temperatures (ca 11.5°C). The mid LLS experienced milder temperatures of ca 13°C and was potentially characterised by wetter conditions. Summer temperatures initially decreased to values of ca 10°C at the onset of the late LLS, before a gradual increase. Temperatures abruptly increase by ca 3°C at the onset of the Holocene. This study is the first to show the occurrence of a tripartite LLS climate evolution in East England and fills an existing knowledge gap in our understanding of YD climate dynamics.

Dating the Middle Palaeolithic of Fumane Cave by the combined ESR/U‐series method - Christophe Falguères; Giulia Gruppioni; Jean Jacques Bahain; Jean Michel Dolo; Marco Peresani (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Fumane Cave, located in Northern Italy, is a major prehistoric site for understanding late Neandertal and early modern human behaviours. The cave contains a 12‐m‐thick stratigraphic sequence of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic layers, which have yielded a number of flint artefacts and faunal remains. The upper part of the stratigraphic sequence is well‐dated using radiocarbon analysis, placing the last Middle Palaeolithic occupations at ca. 44–45 ka cal BP and the first Upper Palaeolithic occupations (Uluzzian and Aurignacian) after around 43 ka cal BP. However, the lower part of the stratigraphic sequence remains less well‐documented chronologically. Previous thermoluminescence (TL) dating placed the entire sequence within the last climatic cycle, following the last Interglacial stage (MIS 5e). In this study, we present a revised chronology for the Middle Palaeolithic levels at Fumane Cave, based on combined Electronic Spin Resonance/Uranium (ESR/U)‐series dating of herbivorous teeth spanning much of the sequence. Our results diverge from earlier TL data, indicating that the oldest layers date to MIS 7–6 (units S9–S3) and MIS 6–5 (units BR12–BR9). For the late Mousterian (units A11–A4) and the Upper Palaeolithic (unit A2), recalculated ages using new in situ gamma measurements align with existing radiocarbon and TL dates. However, our findings highlight the methodological challenges of applying ESR/U‐series dating to samples younger than 50 ka, particularly in heterogeneous layers. These new results suggest that Middle Palaeolithic occupations at Fumane Cave spanned over 200 ka, covering the two most recent climatic cycles. This extended temporal framework parallels that of San Bernardino cave, another key site in Northern Italy, and underscores the prolonged presence of Levallois technology in the region.

Vegetation and climate history of the Tian Shan region of Xinjiang during the last millennium and their relations to past human civilization - Jian Huang; Fu‐long Yao (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The arid Central Asia has long demonstrated a correlation between human activity and climatic fluctuations, particularly during the Holocene. However, Late Holocene palaeoclimate records remain sparse, limiting our understanding of the dynamic relationship between climate variability and human civilization over the past millennium. This study based on peat sediment samples from the Zhaosu Basin on the northern slopes of the Western Tian Shan Mountains, China, reconstructs vegetation and climate changes over the past millennium by employing precise dating techniques and high‐resolution pollen analysis. The results were as follows: (1) grasslands have consistently dominated the northern slopes of the Western Tian Shan over the last millennium, as evidenced by the prevalence of pollen types, such as Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae, and Poaceae. During the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, 1046–1288 ad ), frequently fluctuating Artemisia /Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratios indicated a transition from warm–arid to warm–humid conditions. This trend shifted during the Little Ice Age (LIA, 1288–1476 ad ), marked by increased Picea pollen and positive principal component analysis axis 2 scores, suggesting a cooler and wetter environment. Pollen concentrations of arborvitae and shrubs peaked during the LIA (1476–1606 ad ), alongside high Picea content, signaling an intensified cold and wet climate. (2) Historical records correlate climate conditions with patterns of human habitation and development. The warm, humid climate during the MCA (1046–1288 ad ) coincided with the Song Dynasty, fostering population growth and cultural development on both slopes of the Tian Shan region. Conversely, during the LIA (1288–1606 ad ), cooling temperatures and frequent conflicts triggered significant migrations, particularly to the northern slopes, (i.e., during the Yuan‐Ming period) where conditions were more favorable. The center of gravity of the population relocated to the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains. This shift promoted agricultural advancements in later periods, despite the challenges posed by the harsher climate.

Cryptotephra from a ~120 ka Tondano eruption in a sediment core from Lake Towuti (Indonesia) - Jinheum Park; Christine S. Lane; Clive Oppenheimer; Céline‐Marie Vidal; Christina J. Manning; Francesca Forni; Hendrik Vogel; Satria Bijaksana; James M. Russell (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Southeast Asia is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world, yet their long‐term eruptive history has been comparatively little studied. In particular, little work has explored the potential of sedimentary archives to record distal cryptotephra, which may help in identifying some of the region's larger Quaternary eruptions. Here, we report the finding of cryptotephra in a sediment core from Lake Towuti (Sulawesi, Indonesia). Based on glass geochemistry and core stratigraphy, we attribute the deposit to a ~120 ka eruption of Tondano, a large caldera situated on the Minahasa peninsula of Sulawesi. The minimal (~38 shards per gram) amount of tephra deposition hints at the limited ecological impact and/or magnitude of the eruption as well as establishing a new isochron that may enable synchronisation of late‐Pleistocene sedimentary archives.

Grain‐size evidence of Middle Pleistocene sedimentary environmental changes in the eastern Tai‐hang Mountains, North China - Kang Qi; Chen Liang; HongJuan Jia; LiHong Chen; WenBo Hao (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Grain size is a proxy for climate and environmental change, and the results of grain size analyses can be used to infer the conditions and environment under which the sediments were formed. The eastern foothills of the Tai‐hang Mountains in northern China are on the edge of the East Asian Summer Monsoon and are extremely sensitive to climate and environmental changes. Understanding the ecological changes in this region is vital for coping with future climate change and solving related climate and environmental problems. This study uses parametric grain size end‐member analysis to discuss the depositional dynamics and ecological changes in the Middle Pleistocene of the Shijiazhuang JingXing YF profile. The results indicate that: (1) The OSL dates of the YF profile vary from 274 to 0.997 ka, and sedimentation began in the Middle Pleistocene. (2) The YF profile's sediments’ grain size is separated into four end elements: EM1 is the clay fraction produced by loam‐forming action; EM2 and EM3 are long‐distance transported fine silt and short‐distance transported silt at low altitudes, representing the variation in East Asian Summer Monsoon intensity; EM4 represents the near‐surface transported coarse silt fraction driven by East Asian Winter Monsoon power. (3) The grain size index reconstructed the paleoclimate of the Middle Pleistocene in the Shijiazhuang area, and it can be divided into four stages: 274–210 ka, the climate changed from cold to warm; 210–170 ka, was a warm period; 170–80 ka, the climate changed from warm to cold; and from 80–1 ka was a cold period. Multi‐indicator comparisons show that the monsoon evolution recorded in the Middle Pleistocene YF loess‐paleosol sequence is fundamentally consistent with changes in mid‐ to high‐latitude solar radiation, and changes in solar radiation modulate that monsoon changes in East Asia.

The lowermost last‐glacial equilibrium line altitude in the Taiwanese Central Mountain Range and its implications for the palaeoclimate and the tropospheric moisture transport in East Asia - Robert Hebenstreit; Jacob Hardt; Margot Böse (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The high mountains of Taiwan provide a unique location for Quaternary palaeoclimate research in East Asia and the north‐western Pacific. This study applies geomorphological field mapping and rock surface exposure dating with paired ( 10 Be/ 26 Al) in situ‐produced terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides to identify and date glacial landforms and boulders in a relatively low‐elevated (

Middle Pleistocene chronology of the sediment sequence from Rodderberg, Germany, Numerical dating versus wiggle matching: A reply - Bernd Zolitschka; Frank Preusser; Junjie Zhang; Felix Bittmann (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

At the far end of everything: A likely Ahrensburgian presence in the far north of the Isle of Skye, Scotland - Karen Hardy; Natasha L.M. Barlow; Edward Taylor; Sarah L. Bradley; John McCarthy; Graham Rush (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
A Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP) site containing Ahrensburgian‐type stone tools has been discovered at South Cuidrach, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Together with a group of intertidal stone circular alignments also recently discovered on the island, this new evidence for the occupation of northern Scotland also represents the most northerly LUP site in Britain. The timing of the continental Ahrensburgian culture is closely linked to the later part of the Younger Dryas, also known regionally as the Loch Lomond Stadial (LLS), a cold period that saw a significant ice cap and glacier expansion across the mainland of western Scotland. Here, we examine the climatic, environmental and relative sea‐level contexts and reflect on the location of this site on an island to the north‐west of the Younger Dryas ice mass. South Cuidrach is situated on the north coast of Skye, lying around 25 km north‐west of the maximum known local extent of the Younger Dryas ice mass. Most of the lithic assemblage is made from locally available baked mudstone. The site has good access to coastal and riverine resources and readily available ochre, suggesting it was deliberately chosen. Together with the new stone alignments and several other nearby sites, this region now contains more evidence for the LUP than anywhere else in Scotland. The geography and Late Glacial environment of west Scotland comprised a volatile landscape of water, mountains and fluctuating glaciers and coastlines, a challenging area at the north‐westerly limit of the European landmass that was very different to the Ahrensburgian core territories in mainland Europe. We anticipate that by examining this new evidence within the various broad geographical and geomorphological conditions, there is significant potential for the discovery of further LUP locations both on and off‐shore in this region.

Glacier mass loss on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau since the Little Ice Age - Hongjie Zhang; Xiangke Xu; Yingkui Li; Yaqing Sun; Baiqing Xu; Jiule Li (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Maritime glaciers on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) are experiencing rapid mass loss, yet both current rates and future projections lack centennial‐scale context. Here, we mapped the outlines of 2454 glaciers at their Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum (~1300–1700 CE ) on the SETP and reconstructed their thickness. The results show that there has been a 21.5% reduction in area and a loss of 152.9 km 3 of ice (130 Gt) since the LIA at a rate of 0.19–0.43 Gt year −1 . We estimated the long‐term average mass balance of glaciers to be between −0.028 and −0.065 m water equivalent (w.e.) year −1 . The rate of change between 2000 and 2019 CE was 10 to 23 times higher than LIA maximum to 2000 CE , far exceeding any centennial‐scale rates of change recorded elsewhere in the world. Locally, lake‐terminating glaciers lost mass faster than land‐terminating glaciers. Spatial trends in the rate of glacier mass loss and the extent of equilibrium‐line altitude (ELA) changes on the SETP are influenced by glacier size, as well as the topography and climate of the study area. Glaciers in the lowland of river valleys such as the Yarlung Zangbo‐Brahmaputra show slower mass loss and larger ELA changes. The significant spatial heterogeneity of glacier change suggests that glacier evolution is influenced by both regional and local factors.

A 7500‐year record of fire and precipitation dynamics from Clear Pond, South Carolina, USA - Zachary P. Taylor; Chelsea N. Anderson; Chad S. Lane; Grace X. Pleasant; Elizabeth Yanuskiewicz (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
We analyzed a 2.38 m sediment core from Clear Pond, South Carolina, to reconstruct fire and effective moisture over the past 7500 years in a Pinus ‐ Quercus forest. Our record of macroscopic charcoal, reconstructed precipitation isotopes from δ 2 H n‐alkane analysis, and other geochemical indicators provides a high‐resolution record of the interplays between fire and effective moisture on the Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP). Our work complements and updates an existing pollen and microscopic charcoal record from Clear Pond with additional analyses, including reconstructed effective moisture. δ 2 H n‐alkane values are indicative of soil moisture isotopic values, which are controlled by precipitation δ 2 H values and fractionation during evaporation and transpiration. Our results show that from ca. 7500–3670 cal yr bp , effective moisture was higher than modern conditions at Clear Pond, but fires were frequent. Our δ 2 H n‐alkane record of effective moisture indicates that conditions remained mesic from ca. 3670 cal yr bp until 2350 cal yr bp , but macroscopic charcoal data indicate that fires were much less frequent than before. This pattern is in opposition to several nearby records on the ACP, where much of this timespan was apparently somewhat dry with frequent fires. After ca. 2350 cal yr bp , effective moisture slightly increased, and frequent fires returned to the landscape. These conditions persisted until about ca. 860 cal yr bp , when δ 2 H‐derived effective moisture values reached their most positive values, indicating xeric conditions, and charcoal data indicate a declining importance of fire on the landscape. Over the past 7500 years at Clear Pond, there is an apparent decoupling of reconstructed paleomoisture indicators and macroscopic charcoal records, which indicates that fire is not largely controlled by climate on the ACP and that landscape burning by Native Americans may be an important control on Holocene fire regimes at Clear Pond, especially from ca. 7500–2350 cal yr bp .

Hydroclimate variability in the eastern Kimberley, Australia, since the last deglaciation - Teresa Dixon; Rachel Rudd; Justine Kemp; Samuel Marx; Patrick Moss; John Nikolaus Callow; Philip Anthony Hall; Quan Hua; Hamish McGowan (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The climate of the Kimberley region in tropical northwest Australia is dominated by the Indo‐Australian summer monsoon (IASM). Understanding of the palaeoclimate since the Last Glacial Maximum in this region, which is well placed to record IASM variations, is currently based on few records. Many of these are confounded by local environmental factors such as topography, anthropogenic activity or marine processes. Here, we present a geochemical record spanning the last 17 ka, in conjunction with pollen and charcoal records from 5.4 ± 0.1 ka (1 sigma uncertainty) to the present. The record comes from the floodplain of the Bullo River and as such represents variations in the hydroclimate of its 2000 km 2 catchment. Results show that the deglacial was characterised by a variable monsoon until the onset of a wet interval beginning at 12.9 ± 0.9 ka. The exact onset and intensity of a dry period following 5 ka are uncertain, but conditions became progressively drier until the climate amelioration to modern conditions. These results are broadly consistent with previous research and extend our understanding of deglacial and Holocene hydroclimate variability to the eastern Kimberley, 350 km east of previously published Kimberley palaeoenvironmental records.

Reconstruction and palaeoclimatic implications of Loch Lomond Readvance glaciers in the Southeast Grampians, Scotland - William Spicer (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The glaciation of Scotland during the Loch Lomond Stadial (LLS; 12.9–11.7 ka BP) left a distinct and well‐preserved geomorphological signature, permitting detailed reconstructions of former glaciers and palaeoclimatic conditions. However, the extent and style of glaciation in the Southeast Grampians remains poorly constrained. This study employs geomorphological mapping and glacier surface profile modelling to reconstruct a ∼60 km 2 icefield covering much of the Mounth Plateau. The results suggest that plateau ice was thicker and more extensive than previously considered, with a polythermal regime inferred from the geomorphological evidence. Based on contrasting landform assemblages inside and outside of reconstructed glacial limits and basal radiocarbon dates, the icefield is attributed to the LLS. The geomorphological evidence and superimposed streamlining of recessional moraines within the study site suggest that deglaciation was active and interrupted by periods of re‐advance occurring during fluctuating climatic conditions. An equilibrium line altitude of 738 m and a precipitation value at sea level of 845 ± 150 mm a −1 are calculated for the Mounth Icefield, suggesting a slightly more arid climate than present. Comparison with published glacier‐derived palaeoclimatic variables supports a strong west–east precipitation gradient across Scotland during the LLS.

MIS 7!? Comment on Zolitschka et al. (2024) Stratigraphy and dating of Middle Pleistocene sediments from Rodderberg, Germany. Journal of Quaternary Science, 39(7), 1011–1030 - Filip Van Beirendonck; Cyriel Verbruggen (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Late Pleistocene–Holocene environmental fluctuations of southern Chihuahua Desert, Mexico - C. M. Chávez‐Lara; N. B. Palacios‐García; K. García‐Macedo; D. Ibarra‐Morales; M. Caballero (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Paleoenvironmental reconstructions from the Mexican Chihuahua Desert based on biological proxies are scarce, creating a gap in our understanding of the ecological responses to climate change in this water‐scarce region. Here, we present a paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on geochemical data and biological proxies such as ostracods and ephippia from cladocerans from the Santa Clara basin, at the southern Chihuahua Desert, during the last 18.7 cal ka. Overall, cold and humid conditions between 18.7 and 15 cal ka BP prevailed in the Santa Clara region without ostracod preservation. During the warmer Bølling‐Allerød, L. axalapasco presented higher productivity; however, this species did not occur during the colder Younger Dryas. The early Holocene was marked by a general trend towards warmer and dryer conditions, and a sedimentary hiatus was detected from 10.7 to 6.4 cal ka BP. Subsequently, when the North American Monsoon reached its maximum extension, ostracods exhibit their maximum total abundance during 6–4.8 cal ka BP, indicating warmer and shallower lake conditions. The presence of only females of L. bradburyi between 4–2 cal ka BP possibly suggests lower lake water temperatures associated with enhanced winter precipitation under El Niño type conditions. Finally, during the last 2 cal ka ephippia, L. axalapasco females and geochemical data suggest the driest period of the record as the ITCZ continued moving southwards. This work reveals the marked sensitivity of southern Chihuahua Desert ecosystems to the climatic shifts that occurred since the Last Glacial Maximum, and this perhaps indicates their vulnerability to future global warming reducing monsoonal precipitation.

Reassessing stratigraphic and palaeontological interpretations of Middle Dnieper Pleistocene deposits: A commentary on Popova et al . (2024) - Przemysław Mroczek; Oleksiy Krokhmal'; Maryna Komar; Maria Łanczont (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This commentary addresses the palaeogeographical and stratigraphic interpretations of Pleistocene deposits in the Middle Dnieper Valley as presented by Popova et al . (2024a). The authors proposed a revision of the stratigraphy in this region based on biochronological analyses and vertebrate taphocenoses, highlighting potential changes in the correlation of key sedimentary units. This approach provides intriguing insights into local deglaciation and postglacial processes; however, certain aspects of the applied methodology and data interpretation require further elaboration. The commentary draws attention to challenges related to the limited availability of SDQ index data for the m1 teeth of the genus Arvicola , which may affect the precision of the correlations. Additionally, we emphasise the necessity of incorporating more detailed lithological analyses to complement the proposed stratigraphic conclusions. Assigning key sedimentary units to global chronostratigraphic frameworks, in some cases, necessitates a stronger consideration of regional correlations based on available palaeopedological and malacological data from neighbouring areas. The commentary underscores the importance of integrated, multidisciplinary research methods that can significantly enhance our understanding of the stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Middle Dnieper Valley and Eastern Europe as a whole.

Pleistocene habitats for proboscideans from five sites in the Japanese archipelago: Insights from isotopic composition of tooth enamel and dentin collagen - Yuichi I. Naito (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Megafauna became extinct during the late Quaternary, with climate changes and human activities the two main proposed extinction drivers. Palaeoloxodon naumanni (Naumann's elephant) and Mammuthus primigenius roamed the Japanese archipelago during the Pleistocene. In contrast to the increasing amount of chronological information regarding extinct elephants, stable isotopic composition of these animals is less well studied, despite its potential to reveal foraging ecologies and surrounding paleoenvironments. The isotopic compositions were measured for tooth enamel and dentin collagen of fifteen P. naumanni and five Mammuthus sp. specimens from Lake Nojiri in Honshu and four sites in Hokkaido, Japan. Statistical differences were observed between the carbon isotopic composition of tooth enamel of the Lake Nojiri elephants and those of the two elephant species in Hokkaido, suggesting more open grassland for the former. In Hokkaido, no overlap was observed in the isotopic compositions of the two species, suggesting a separation in foraging behaviors. The specimens had relatively low nitrogen isotopic composition for Late Pleistocene elephants possibly reflecting an environmental stress at the edge of their distributions. The large isotopic variations of Naumann's elephants suggest that their demise was not triggered by inflexibility in their feeding strategies.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Sedimentary ancient DNA from caves: Challenges and opportunities - Siobhan Evans; Bastien Llamas; Jamie R. Wood (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Caves are unique depositional environments that hold great potential for long‐term preservation of DNA due to their typically cool and stable internal climates, buffered from external climate extremes. Bones from caves have long been recognised as an excellent source of ancient DNA, yet the potential for DNA preservation in cave sediments themselves has only recently begun to be explored. Here, we discuss features of caves that make them well‐suited to the long‐term preservation of sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), focussing specifically on sources, taphonomy and preservation of cave sedaDNA. We also highlight opportunities for future work to improve our understanding of the processes influencing long‐term DNA preservation within cave sediments. These recommendations seek to improve our understanding of sedimentary ancient DNA taphonomy within caves and enhance the level of insights about the past that can be gained from it and include: (1) designation of reference sections and sample repositories; (2) routine collection of sediment, mineralogy and geochemistry data; (3) routine collection of cave climate data; (4) increased application of microstratigraphic and spatial analyses; (5) advocating use of multiple proxies when interpreting results and (6) ensuring ethical best practices are followed.

Repeated surging and rapid retreat of a tidewater glacier in Scotland (Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1) - Tom Bradwell; Douglas I. Benn (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This paper presents evidence of glacier surging in the British landform record. We use new high‐resolution multibeam‐echosounder bathymetry data to map the submarine geomorphology of a former tidewater glacier that drained the Skye Icefield, NW Scotland, during the Younger Dryas Stadial (Greenland Stadial 1) ca. 12.9–11.7 ka. Our onshore and offshore mapping identifies a glacial landform assemblage indicative of surge‐type behaviour, followed by rapid retreat and stagnation. We delimit three separate fjord‐mouth advances of the Ainort Glacier — interpreted as palaeo‐surges — successively decreasing in extent. During the quiescent phase of the final surge cycle, the glacier deposited a suite of cross‐fjord De Geer moraines, interpreted here as annual moraines. Their pattern and spacing suggest that net annual glacier retreat rates increased significantly from around 25–75 ma −1 to 150 ma −1 to >300 ma −1 , probably in the presence of seasonal sea ice. On this basis, we find that final post‐surge retreat of the Ainort Glacier, from fjord mouth to marine limit (a distance of 3.5 km), was very rapid — probably taking just 20 years. Once wholly terrestrial, the glacier stagnated and did not experience further frontal oscillations. This work highlights one potential cause of asynchronous ice‐mass responses in the Younger Dryas Stadial of Scotland and reinforces the importance of identifying surge‐type glaciers in palaeoglaciological studies.

Ecological responses of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot to Holocene climate change: Insights from the Lagoa Canto Grande pollen record, Espirito Santo, coastal Brazil - Antonio Alvaro Buso; Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda; Francis Edward Mayle; Flávio Lima Lorente; Paulo Eduardo de Oliveira; Marcelo Cancela Lisboa Cohen; Marlon Carlos França; Evandro Augusto de Souza Magalhães; José Albertino Bendassolli; Fabiana Monteiro de Oliveira; Geovane Souza Siqueira (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This study presents the modern pollen signature and Holocene vegetation and climate history of the evergreen forest and associated ecosystems in the Bahia Coastal Forest ecoregion of Brazil's Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. Artificial pollen traps provided the modern pollen signature of the evergreen forest, which is marked by Urticaceae/Moraceae, Simarouba , Crepidospermum / Protium , Sloanea , Sapotaceae and Diploon , and presence of rare forest tree pollen types. The pollen signature of the wooded mussununga , an associated ecosystem, is characterized by Byrsonima , Doliocarpus , Lundia and Araliaceae. Fossil pollen from Lagoa Canto Grande shows that the early to middle Holocene (11 154–7731 cal a bp ) vegetation was characterized by regional dominance of semi‐deciduous forest, under a less humid and cooler climate than today, as well as coastal vegetation on sandy soils ( restinga ), mangrove and patches of alluvial forests. Relative sea‐level rise during the middle Holocene caused regional changes in the distribution of alluvial forests, restingas and mangroves. A change to warmer and more humid climatic conditions during the middle to late Holocene (7731–434 cal a bp ) led to forest community changes, with the establishment of the modern evergreen forest.

Past hydro‐pedological events and trend reflected in the Mid–Late Holocene alluvial record of the Middle Rhône Valley and tributaries: A new reference for South East France - Jean‐Francois Berger; Jacques Leopold Brochier (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This paper proposes a new approach to quantitative geomorphology and paleopedology in the mid‐Rhône valley (MRV) based on a compilation of geomorphological metadata from 25 tributaries of the Rhône river and subordinate floodbasins, including 51 geomorphological and paleopedological sites. This study compares two types of hydrogeomorphological data formalization: a temporal similarities analysis between paleosols and fluvial aggradation of sub‐basins, and a quantitative analysis by summed probability distributions comparing floodplain stability and activity phases in cumulative density functions of categorized 14 C and chronocultural dates. Alluvial chronologies at centennial to millennial time scales, coinciding with a modification in sedimentation rate, or river style, demonstrate temporal and spatial patterning of MRV alluviation, pedogenesis and erosion across the western Prealpine region, with detection of 24 main Holocene alternative periods (activity versus stability). To explore possible large‐scale hydroclimatic teleconnections, the Holocene MRV results are aligned, and correlations are made, with those of a range of paleohydrological proxy studies from all Rhône drainage basins, Western Europe and the Mediterranean. The MRV rivers respond to the majority of Holocene rapid climatic changes and from 4000/3000 cal a bp to an accelerated sediment delivery and torrentiality from slopes and headwaters, which results in the development of sedimentary cascades from upstream to downstream in the Rhône valley to the delta (the main drivers are discussed in detail in in a companion paper to follow).

Preservation of stable isotopic composition in charred grains: Implications for paleoenvironmental and archeological research - Natálie Pernicová; Otmar Urban; Josef Čáslavský; Jana Apiar; Marek Vlach; Balázs Komoróczy; Miroslav Trnka (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The charring process can preserve archaeobotanical remains, providing valuable insights into past climates, agricultural practices, and plant growth conditions. However, the impact of charring on stable isotopes, especially at temperatures above 300°C, remains poorly understood. To investigate this, wheat (einkorn, emmer) and millet grains were experimentally charred at 300°C, 450°C, and 550°C for 15 min to 48 h under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Consequently, the stable isotopic ratios of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C; δ 13 C), nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N; δ 15 N), and oxygen ( 18 O/ 16 O; δ 18 O) were determined in fully charred grains with a blackened pericarp, visually comparable to archeological remains. Our results indicate that δ 13 C values are well preserved in charred grains, showing minimal shifts ( 15 N values retained species‐specific differences, with moderate variations ( 18 O values showed high variability in experimentally charred grains, limiting their reliability for interpretative use. These findings underscore the potential of carbon and, to a lesser extent, nitrogen isotopes in charred grains, for reconstructing ancient growth conditions and improving the understanding of formation processes in archeological research.

Corrigendum to “Within the boundaries of the Dnipro ice lobe: Biotic dynamics in the Middle Dnipro area (Ukraine) during deglaciation and postglacial stages” (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Restricted cirque glaciers in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland, during the Nahanagan Stadial (Greenland Stadial‐1/Younger Dryas) - Lauren Knight; Clare M. Boston; Harold Lovell; Timothy T. Barrows; Eric A. Colhoun; David Fink; Nicholas C. Pepin (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
In Ireland, the Nahanagan Stadial (NS) was characterised by cirque glacier, plateau icefield and mountain ice cap expansion and is named after the cirque glacier type‐site of Lough Nahanagan in the Wicklow Mountains. This period is broadly equivalent to the Younger Dryas Stadial and Greenland Stadial‐1 (GS‐1: ~12.9–11.7 ka). Here, we provide the first evaluation of the full extent of NS glaciation in the Wicklow Mountains by combining solar radiation modelling, mapping of glacial geomorphology, 10 Be and 26 Al cosmogenic surface exposure dating, 3D glacier reconstructions and analysis of snowblow and avalanching potential. We identify seven sites that hosted cirque glaciers at this time. Glacier extent was very restricted, with most glaciers only partially filling their cirques. Equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) ranged from 470 ± 5 m a.s.l. (Lough Nahanagan) to 721 ± 5 m a.s.l. (Lough Cleevaun), with an average ELA of 599 m a.s.l. Higher snowblow and avalanching contributions at sites with lower ELAs demonstrate local topoclimatic influence on glacier growth and preservation alongside regional climate. The Wicklow Mountains provides a good example of marginal cirque glaciation during GS‐1 and the importance of local topography and microclimate for sustaining glaciers in some mountain areas of Britain and Ireland.

Exploring soil erosion in the lake basins of Michoacán, Mexico: From sediment cores to conservation policies - Jahzeel Aguilera Lara; SARAH E. Metcalfe (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Understanding soil erosion, its history and links to potential drivers such as land use (particularly agriculture and deforestation), different cultural perspectives and climate change are crucial for the development of effective management and conservation strategies. Here, we explore soil erosion in two lake basins, Pátzcuaro and Zirahuen, in the highlands of Michoacán, Mexico, weaving together scientific enquiry (including lake sediment studies and monitoring data) and cultural–historical perspectives based on documentary sources. Both lake basins are within the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt, lying at >2000 m a.s.l. Pátzcuaro is large, but shallow, while Zirahuen is smaller, but deep. Archaeological evidence for long‐term human occupation is clearer for Pátzcuaro. Pátzcuaro is known for severe degradation of both the catchment and the lake, while Zirahuen has, until recently, been regarded as less disturbed. The relative impacts of pre‐Hispanic and post‐Hispanic practices have been the subject of debates across the disciplines and have impacted approaches to conservation, particularly attitudes to indigenous land use practices. Palaeoenvironmental records highlight human impact on these basins, often expressed as periods of accelerated erosion in response to forest clearance, over at least 3500 years. This shows that neither can be regarded as pristine and were not pristine at the time of the Conquest. As well as responding to varying intensities of land use, often linked to population change, erosion relates to climate, but is also affected by cultural and socio‐economic contexts and discourses. Historical documents show that concerns about deforestation and erosion have influenced the development of forest conservation policies, in the context of government reforms, tensions between agricultural expansion and forest conservation, and the growth of scientific research in limnology. These policies have also been shaped by changing cultural discourses regarding indigenous land management practices. The value of taking an holistic approach to understanding erosion is emphasized.

Land use, hydroclimate and damming influence organic carbon sedimentation in a flood pulse wetland, Malaysia - Suzanne McGowan; Jack H. Lacey; Stefan Engels; John Boyle; Charlotte Briddon; Melanie J. Leng; Heather L. Moorhouse; Virginia Panizzo; Muhammad Shafiq (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Water bodies located in floodplains and tropical forests are known to be important carbon stores, but many are subjected to intensive pressures from damming, land use and climate changes. Sedimentary records preserve long‐term archives for understanding how such changes affect the quantity and quality of carbon stores. We analysed sediment cores from seven sites across a flood‐pulse multi‐basin wetland, Tasik Chini in Peninsular Malaysia (for percentage LOI 550 , sediment density and spheroidal carbonaceous particles), and conducted more analyses on three 210 Pb‐dated cores (X‐ray fluorescence of elements, grain size analysis, carbon isotopes, C/N ratios, carotenoid pigments) to gain an understanding of the drivers of organic carbon accumulation rates (OCARs) since 1860 ce. The median OCAR of 85 g m −2 a −1 for the basin since 1945 ce was higher than in other floodplain and temperate lakes and in line with other tropical forest lakes. However, we found evidence for different mechanisms of OC deposition across the basin. In ‘autochthonous mode’, the site with minimal local land disturbance had lowest OCARs and OC was derived mainly from autochthonous production, which rose slightly around 1940 ce when regional land disturbance increased nutrient influx to the basin. The site with the most long‐term and intensive land disturbance through forest removal (1940s) and then conversion to rubber and oil palm farming (1980s) functioned mainly in ‘allochthonous mode’; that is, increases in OCARs after 1940 ce were driven by deposition of soil‐derived OC. The highest OCARs were in the basin that was converted to oil palm after the 1980s and had increased iron mining activity in the 2000s; because this site was located distal from the flood pulse and became increasingly hydrologically disconnected after a low rainfall period in the 1970s, the lake responded strongly in ‘autochthonous mode’, through encroachment of fringing swamp, the spread of benthic algae and macrophytes, and efficient sediment retention. Weir installation in 1995 ce raised water levels and increased lentic conditions, promoting autochthonous OC production and sedimentation across all basins. The long‐term fate of this more recently deposited OC remains uncertain because it is more labile. Overall Tasik Chini has responded strongly to land use changes since at least the 1940s, earlier than anticipated in this region of Southeast Asia, and the sedimentary proxies indicate large changes in the ecosystem function and capacity for C storage over the past ca. 80 years. Most of these shifts have increased OC accumulation by strengthening autochthonous production or allochthonous OC fluxes, but the implications for other aspects of the C cycle, including catchment soil C loss and greenhouse gas production, need to be accounted for when evaluating the overall impacts of land and hydrological disruption.

High‐resolution analysis of sediments from Eighteen Mile Swamp (eastern Australia) records its transition from a fluctuating coastal lagoon to stable freshwater swamp - Jonathan C. Marshall; John Tibby; Patrick Moss; Hailey Martin; Allen Gontz; Annie Lau; Geraldine E. Jacobsen; Haidee Cadd; Patricia S. Gadd; Peter Negus; GLENN B. Mcgregor; Harald Hofmann; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
This research documents the paleoenvironmental evolution of Eighteen Mile Swamp on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), Australia, from oscillating coastal lagoon into stable freshwater swamp over the last ca. 1600 years. We analyzed multiple sediment cores via physical description, acid sulfate soil assays, particle size analysis, diatom and pollen assemblages, photosynthetic pigment content, and Itrax XRF spectrometry, alongside ground‐penetrating radar cross‐sections. This provided a detailed ecological, geochemical and chronological framework, derived from radiocarbon, Pu and 210 Pb dating, for the wetland's evolution. Results indicate spatial complexity in the timing of a pronounced shift in sedimentary conditions between ca. 300 and 1000 years ago, from estuarine mud to freshwater peat, marked by abrupt chemical and ecological changes. Unexpectedly, there were at least three and potentially many periods of dominant freshwater influence within the primarily estuarine phase, suggesting episodic estuarine closure and freshening by groundwater influx. Results provide critical insights into the complex response of subtropical wetland systems to environmental change, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding both sedimentologic and geomorphic responses in coastal wetlands, and their potential vulnerability to future climate change. The study of Eighteen Mile Swamp is significant as it provides a detailed paleoenvironmental reconstruction that documents the wetland's evolving nature over the past two millennia. This research highlights the importance of understanding historical responses of wetlands to environmental changes, which helps inform their current and future management, conservation and restoration efforts, particularly in the context of climate change and human impacts. This study also serves as a tribute to the late Lynda Petherick, acknowledging her contributions in this field.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

New palaeolimnological record from West Anatolia (Paleo‐Kuleönü Lake) provides new information on the activity of the Gölcük volcanism and the distribution of the Santorini Minoan eruption - Çetin Şenkul; Yasemin Ünlü; Yavuz Özdemİr; Yusuf Kağan Kadioğlu; Şule Gürboğa (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Anatolia, which had active volcanoes during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods, was also influenced by volcanic eruptions around the Eastern Mediterranean. Therefore, tephrochronology is an important research topic in palaeoenvironmental studies conducted in Anatolia. This study focuses on the geochemical characteristics, chronologies and source areas of six different tephra layers identified in a 16 m sediment core obtained from Paleo‐Kuleönü Lake in the Lake District of West Anatolia. Whole‐rock geochemistry is used to determine the geochemical characteristics and source of the tephra layers, micro X‐ray fluorescence analysis is used to determine relative element changes throughout the cores, and 14 C analysis is performed to establish the chronologies. The geochemistry of the Paleo‐Kuleönü Lake tephra layers is consistent with the Gölcük volcanism located in West Anatolia province and the Minoan eruption within the Aegean volcanic province. The layers that resemble the geochemistry of the Gölcük volcanism accumulated at ~33 218 cal a bp (PLK‐19‐1; 30 cm), ~32 267 cal a bp (PLK‐19‐2: 18 cm), ~31 597 cal a bp (PLK‐19‐3; 8 cm), ~31 300 cal a bp (PLK‐19‐4; 17 cm) and ~26547 cal a bp (PLK‐19‐5; 13 cm) and are associated with the last eruptive cycle (Cycle III) of the volcanism. The closest tephra layer to the surface in the sediment core, designated as PLK‐19‐6 (~1.5 cm), shows geochemical similarities with the Santorini Minoan eruption. However, according to our data, the age of the tephra layer is ~4717 bp /~5542 cal a bp , which is inconsistent with the widely accepted date for the Minoan eruption in the literature. The discrepancy between the geochemical match and chronological inconsistency is discussed in the context of the results presented in the paper.

Editorial - Achim Brauer; Mary Edwards (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

New fossils from the area of the Dnipro ice lobe and the Chibanian–Late Pleistocene boundary: A reply to Mroczek et al. (2025) - Lilia Popova; Oleksandr Kovalchuk; Zoltán Barkaszi; Leonid Rekovets (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The stratigraphic and palaeogeographic interpretations in our article (Popova et al. , 2025) received criticism from Mroczek et al. (2025), who argued that our results contradict regional and global stratigraphic models and that we propose a revision of the Ukrainian regional stratigraphic scheme without sufficient data background. We want to clarify that the main focus of our study was to shed light on climatically induced biotic transformations in the Middle Dnipro area during deglaciation and postglacial stages. We did not revise the stratigraphic framework but only provided support for an already established correlation model, according to which the Dnipro stage is associated with MIS 6, the Kaidaky with MIS 5e and the Tiasmyn with MIS 5d. This stratigraphic scheme is opposed by Mroczek et al. (2025), who questioned the reliability of our results. Here, we address their comments and discuss an approach to deal with competing stratigraphic models and methods of biostratigraphic, palaeogeographical and palaeoecological interpretation.

Lake level fluctuation controls the formation, types, and abundance of coated grains in hypersaline lakes: a case study from Urmia Lake (NW Iran) - Gülgün Ertunç; Ali Mohammadi; Attila Çiner; Kürşad Kadir Eriş; Erkan Aydar; Razyeh Lak; Ömer Yetemen (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The hypersaline Urmia Lake in NW Iran offers unique sedimentary environments sensitive to climate and environmental shifts, fostering coated grain formation and serving as a vital indicator of paleoenvironmental conditions. This study characterizes coated grains within a 25‐m sediment core dating back to ~50 cal ka bp , assessing their significance through morphology, internal structures, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Coated grains in Urmia Lake exhibit concentric laminations, primarily calcite and aragonite, revealing alternating light carbonate‐rich and dark organic‐rich laminations. These reflect seasonal and long‐term variations in water chemistry and biogenic production. Dry season algal blooms contribute to lamination, highlighting the interplay between seasonal climate fluctuations and the consequent lake water enrichment in calcium, carbonate, and bicarbonate ions. The diversity and abundance of coated grains indicate three main lake level fluctuation stages in the last ~50 cal ka: a lowering stage with dominant coated grains, a low lake level with dominant terrigenous fragments and minerals, and a high lake level with prominent Artemia urmiana fecal pellets. The role of the brine shrimp A. urmiana in coated grain formation involves absorbing calcium, carbonate, and bicarbonate ions and inhibiting coated grain formation during high lake levels while providing nuclei during lake lowering. An in‐depth investigation of coated grains provides a chemical and biological formation framework, highlighting three main episodes in the lake's history.

Correction to “The Pleistocene Witch Ground Ice Stream in the central North Sea” (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Geomorphology and chronology of Late Quaternary terrace staircases of the Sakarya River, northwest Türkiye - Ebubekir Karakoca; Levent Uncu; Mehmet Akif Sarikaya; Eren Şahiner; Oğuzhan Köse (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Sakarya, one of the longest rivers in northwest Anatolia, has significant geomorphological units along its course including terrace systems that have potential to reveal the tectonic and geomorphological evolution of the region. The aim of this research was to identify the processes that have influenced the formation of terrace systems based on regional and local tectonic activities during the Late Quaternary and effects of global climatic changes on levels of the Black Sea. In particular along the İnhisar–Osmaneli section of the Sakarya River, the terrace systems, which are determined at four different levels, are crucial in terms of illuminating the geomorphological development of the region during the Late Quaternary. Our optically stimulated luminescence results revealed three different ages of deposition: 158.03 ± 12.93, 150.97 ± 8.49 and 55.07 ± 4.57 ka (Middle–Late Pleistocene). This permitted calculation of a mean regional uplift rate of 0.18 ± 0.03 mm a –1 since the Middle–Late Pleistocene. The younger terrace remnants correspond to Late Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3c (interstadial) and the older ones to Late Middle Pleistocene MIS 6b (interstadial). This implies that the Sakarya River accumulated floodplain sediments, now terraces, during relatively warm and humid periods. On the other hand, in cold and/or cold–warm transition periods, it created terraces by incision into the river bed. This interpretation implies that fluvial incision in the region was a response to regional uplift that has been continuing for at least the last 158 ka.

Distribution and palaeoenvironmental significance of mountain blockstreams in the southern hemisphere - Stefan Grab; Jasper Knight (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Openwork mountain block deposits (blockfields, blockstreams) have received much research interest globally given their visual appeal as prominent cold‐region landforms. However, studies have shown that these landforms in both glaciated and non‐glaciated environments are probably of considerable age (pre‐Quaternary), yet the environmental conditions of their formation (such as the presence of permafrost) and associated processes remain poorly understood. This paper focuses on consolidating and critically analysing current knowledge on mountain blockstreams found in the southern hemisphere. This is achieved by reviewing past published work on such landforms, from the Falkland Islands, Marion Island, southern Africa and southeastern Australia. By presenting a variety of previously proposed landscape evolutionary models, we demonstrate that southern hemisphere blockstreams are products of a range of weathering and material mobilization processes over long multiple warmer/wetter and colder/drier pre‐Quaternary and Quaternary climatic cycles. Although most southern hemisphere mountain blockstreams have some association with periglacial processes, they are not exclusively periglacial in their developmental history. This can be tested through field geomorphic, sedimentary and ecological methods; the use of remote sensing; radiometric and relative‐age dating; seismic and other subsurface methods; and modelling. However, many research questions remain unanswered, such as the potential role of permafrost in blockstream formation and dynamics, or their sensitivity to ongoing climate change.

Diatomite evidence for a small palaeo mountain lake at 3400 m asl, Lesotho, southern Africa - Jennifer M. Fitchett; Anson W. Mackay (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Eastern Lesotho Highlands experience an excess of rainfall sufficient to form the country's primary export, supplying the economic hub of southern Africa, Gauteng South Africa. However, there is currently only one natural lake in the country, Letšeng‐la Letsie, and evidence of palaeolakes in the region is therefore of particular interest. This study presents the analysis of a diatomite outcrop from a depression northwest of Mafadi Summit, at 3400 m asl. The presence of diatomite, dominated by the facultative planktonic species Staurosirella pinnata and Staurosira construens and abundant planktonic Aulacoseira ambigua , is indicative of the continuous presence of a shallow lake between ~4600 and 100 cal a bp. Comparative analysis of rainfall for the Mafadi and Letšeng‐la Letsie regions from CHIRPS gridded rainfall data demonstrates sufficient rainfall for a lake of comparable size, if not larger, as Mafadi receives considerably more rainfall than Letšeng‐la Letsie. Analysis of the SRTM 30‐m Digital Elevation Model and Topographic Position Index calculations demonstrate the feasibility of a shallow surface water feature at Mafadi. The conversion of this palaeolake into the contemporary wetland is hypothesized to be the result of post‐industrial warming, possibly augmented by migration of livestock into the Eastern Lesotho Highlands.

Twenty‐thousand‐year gap between deglaciation and peat formation on sub‐Antarctic Marion Island attributed to climate and sea level change - Werner Nel; DOMINIC A. Hodgson; DAVID W. Hedding; Alex Whittle; ELIZABETH M. Rudolph (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Radiocarbon dating of basal peats has been a key factor in determining minimum ages for deglaciation on sub‐Antarctic islands. On Marion Island, peat bogs dominate the landscape below 300 m a.s.l., and palynological assessments of peat cores have been used to assess the vegetation history and succession rates as well as the sensitivity of the indigenous flora to climatic change. Initiation of peat on the sub‐Antarctic islands signifies a major landscape change which has previously been linked to the retreat of glaciers. Here we test this hypothesis by comparing previously published and new basal peat ages from Marion Island with cosmogenic isotope dates for deglaciation, and local and regional palaeo‐environmental changes. Results show that, in common with other sub‐Antarctic islands, peat initiation occurred after the Antarctic Cold Reversal (15–13 ka) and through the early Holocene climate optimum. This substantially post‐dates cosmogenic isotope evidence for deglaciation from the basalts which shows that the areas where the peatlands dominate were ice‐free from the start of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 (~31 ka). This suggests that environmental conditions controlled peat initiation rather than deglaciation. Regional climatic proxies show that during and after MIS 2, extremely low temperatures, extensive sea ice conditions and depressed sea surface temperatures together with lower sea levels at an island scale could have maintained conditions unfavourable for peat initiation at their current locations. On Marion Island, the significant gap of ~20 000 years between the timing of deglaciation and peat formation indicates that the use of peat basal ages as a proxy for the minimum age of deglaciation in the sub‐Antarctic should be used with extreme caution.

Palaeoenvironmental implications of Late Quaternary bioerosion traces in central Patagonia (Southern Atlantic, Argentina) - Luciana M. Giachetti; Sebastián Richiano; Karla Rubio‐Sandoval; Clara B. Giachetti; Deirdre D. Ryan; Darrell S. Kaufman; Jordon Bright; Florencia Mari; Alessio Rovere; Diana E. Fernández (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Bioerosion is a valuable tool for inferring palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic changes over time and across different regions. However, studies of bioerosion traces are scarce in the Southern Hemisphere. Most ichnological studies within Argentina are concentrated in San Jorge Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina) and little is known about deposits located north of the Gulf. Here, we focus on bioerosion traces on Quaternary mollusc shells. Samples were collected from Quaternary marine deposits at the Bahía Vera–Cabo Raso sites in northern San Jorge Gulf. To resolve age discrepancies reported in the literature, we use amino acid racemization and radiocarbon dating to confirm the presence of beach ridge deposits from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 1. Fourteen ichnotaxa are recorded in the study area. Additionally, distinct variations in the pattern of bioerosion across different ages are observed, indicating that environmental changes occurred in the northern San Jorge Gulf between the MIS 5 interglacial and the Holocene. This reinforces the hypothesis that there is an association between bioerosion, productivity and circulation in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Chronology of Late Pleistocene glacial advances in a Mount Mercedario catchment, Subtropical Andes of Argentina (32° S) - Pilar Jeanneret; Stella Maris Moreiras; Silke Merchel; Frank Preusser; Jan‐Hendrik May; Andreas Gärtner; María Julia Orgeira (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Glacial fluctuations leave distinct imprints on the landscapes of mountain environments, such as moraines and outwash terraces, that allow the reconstruction of past environmental changes. Unraveling the environmental history of the valleys of the Subtropical Andes of Argentina poses challenges due to the complex interplay of various surficial processes driven by both climatic and tectonic forces, which affects the preservation of glacial deposits. Consequently, there are few studies on past glaciations in this region compared to the rest of the Andes. This study focused on the lower section of the Blanco River Basin and the piedmont of the Frontal Cordillera in the south of San Juan Province, Argentina. A comprehensive geomorphological map of glacial landforms was created, along with sedimentological studies of outwash terraces. Additionally, numerical ages were obtained for both landforms using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides for moraine boulders and luminescence dating for sandy layers in the outwash terraces. Our findings reveal at least two glacial advances since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), each associated with distinct outwash levels. The Río Blanco Advance occurred during the LGM, and the Laguna Advance is assigned to the late stages of the LGM, both with their corresponding outwash terraces. Additionally, the Amarillo Advance is believed to have occurred during the Holocene period and an older Marine Istope Stage 5 d named Guanaquito Advance. The provided data add valuable numerical information about glacial fluctuations since the LGM and also reveal the impact of glacial downwasting on piedmont landforms.

Consilience in practice: social–ecological dynamics of the Lake Volvi region (Greece) during the last two millennia - Lucrezia Masci; Georgios C. Liakopoulos; Raphael Gromig; Elias Kolovos; Katerina Kouli; Matthias Moros; Laura Sadori; Alexander Sarantis; Philip Slavin; Jakub Sypiański; Georgios Vidras; Cristiano Vignola; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Lake Volvi area, part of the region of Macedonia (northern Greece), is a biodiversity hotspot, located in the central part of a major communication corridor connecting the western and eastern parts of the Balkans. The sediment succession from Lake Volvi is investigated here to provide a unique high‐resolution pollen and geochemical record for the last 2000 years combining palaeoecological and historical methods, implementing the concept of consilience. The palaeoecological data document the environmental dynamics since the occupation of the area by the Romans. The vegetation changes reveal the development of wetland habitats and the variations of the mixed deciduous oak and thermophilous–mesophilous forests, as well as cereal cultivation, grazing and arboriculture, whose intensity varied over time. Archaeological data are available for the 1st millennium ce , but detailed historical evidence becomes accessible from the 13th century ce onwards through Byzantine and Ottoman documents. Both historical and palaeoecological data indicate that the 16th century was the period of strongest population pressure on the environment of the Volvi region. However, for other periods, it is possible to observe disagreements between the proxies. We demonstrate that these contradictions can be resolved with a more complex understanding of the region's social–ecological dynamics.

Australian subtropical vegetation and wetland response to fire, climate and nutrient availability during the Holocene - Haidee Cadd; Michela Mariani; John Tibby; Jonathan Tyler; Cameron Barr; Melanie J. Leng; Patrick Moss; Richard Lewis; Tim Cohen; Sam Marx; Glenn B. McGregor; Jonathan C. Marshall; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The iconic sand dune systems of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), in southeastern Queensland, Australia, host numerous lakes and swamps containing organic‐rich sediment deposits that record changes in climate, fire and surrounding vegetation. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from individual locations can provide insights into changes in the environment, but determining the regional extent of these changes is seldom possible from a single site. Multi‐site compilations help elucidate the geographical nature of environmental changes and determine if they are driven by local or regional forces. Here, a synthesis of palynological records from six Minjerribah wetlands using a muti‐tiered Monte Carlo empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis allows island‐wide patterns of vegetation change to be identified. Coherent changes in vegetation were recorded, with first‐order changes (EOF1) indicating a long‐term shift in vegetation composition from closed forests towards woodland and heath vegetation. A compilation of macroscopic and microscopic charcoal from the same sites shares coherent patterns of change with a rainfall record from the island, suggesting that regional fire occurrence between 7000 and 2000 cal a bp was driven primarily by long‐term variations in rainfall and its influence on biomass. Comparison with fire activity, rainfall, sedimentary carbon, nitrogen and dust records from Minjerribah suggests that regional vegetation changes occur primarily in response to long‐term changes in nutrients and increasing rainfall variability. This analysis highlights the multi‐millennial connection between vegetation composition, climate, nutrients and fire occurrence across the Holocene in subtropical environments.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Environmental history of Lake Mariout at the ‘Marea’/Philoxenite archeological site, northern Egypt, during the Hellenistic–early Islamic periods as seen by fossil diatoms - ABDELFATTAH A. Zalat; Tomasz Derda; Fabian Welc; Mariusz Gwiazda (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Diatom analysis of sediments obtained from five cores drilled in Lake Mariout and the ‘Marea’/Philoxenite archeological site southwest of Alexandria, Egypt, allows us to reconstruct the lake's environmental history during the Hellenistic–early Islamic periods. The distribution pattern and the variation in relative abundance of recognized diatoms differentiated each core section into characteristic zones. These zones are interrupted by periods of poor preservation or non‐diatom deposition that coincide with fluctuating lake phases of freshwater flooding of the Nile during humid warm episodes and arid phases associated with a reduction in the Nile's water influx that provides Lake Mariout with fresh water. A rising water level of Lake Mariout is estimated from the great abundance of riverine, planktonic Aulacoseira species. A lowering of water level was linked to a high abundance of brackish water taxa and/or periods of non‐diatom deposition. Furthermore, the absence of diatoms at two intervals in Core 1 is associated with silty clay with an abundance of gypsum crystals which point to falling water lake levels with increasing temperature during dry periods. However, the intervals of poor preservation or no diatoms in other cores at ‘Marea’/Philoxenite are presumably related to the coarser nature of the sediment that indicate a major lake level lowstand, a high‐energy depositional environment together with increased salinity and alkalinity. By comparing the diatom data in the examined cores, it is clear that the Aulacoseira granulata assemblage zone is characteristic of the Roman and Byzantine periods, which reflects relatively rising water levels due to Nile water inflow via the Canopic Nile branch and thus the connection between the canal and lake during this time. Furthermore, the predominance of Aulacoseira granulata with some pollution‐tolerant taxa indicates extensive human occupation during the Roman–Byzantine periods, which is evidenced by increased nutrient concentration with higher input of humic substances due to human activities and their influence on the lake ecosystem.

The Pleistocene Witch Ground Ice Stream in the central North Sea - Benedict T. I. Reinardy; Jens Karstens; Christoph Böttner; Anna Lichtschlag; Christian Berndt; Nichola A. Strandberg; Ben J. Callow (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The North Sea Basin has been covered by ice sheets originating from both the British Isles and Scandinavia at multiple times during the Pleistocene. The Witch Ground Basin (WGB) in the central northern North Sea is a critical location in terms of interpreting Late Pleistocene glacial to glacimarine history of the North Sea since it was the location of the Witch Ground Ice Stream that was active on multiple occasions during the Mid to Late Pleistocene. We map five mega‐scale glacial lineation flowsets corresponding to the changing ice flow direction of the Witch Ground Ice Stream and investigate the sedimentological fingerprint and corresponding subglacial depositional processes of this palaeo‐ice stream. We show that sorted sand layers within a subglacial traction till represent periodic hydraulic jacking and ice–bed decoupling at the base of the Witch Ground Ice Stream. In contrast to previous studies that have described glacitectonites deposited below the most recent grounded ice in the WGB, we present analysis of sediment cores that recovered primarily massive diamictons without any obvious deformation structures. The most recent ice cover in the WGB (~18–16 ka) was thought to have been sourced from a localized ice cap over Orkney and Shetland. The presence of chalk clasts sourced from NW of the WGB described in this study from the stratigraphically youngest till confirms this interpretation. The transition from subglacial to glacimarine deposition, while acoustically well defined (from opaque to laminated acoustic units), appears surprisingly uniform in the recovered sediment cores, but can be differentiated based on a change in colour including mottling and banding, presence of whole intact shells, and the increased number of silt and sand lenses. 14 C dating of glacimarine muds indicate high sedimentation rates of between 80 and 260 cm ka −1 . The transition from glacimarine to marine deposition is represented by a comparative decrease in sedimentation rate and deposition of Holocene age sandy mud. This study demonstrates a highly dynamic Witch Ground Ice Stream in the northern North Sea during the Late Pleistocene with evolving subglacial hydrology and depositional processes at the ice stream bed that left a distinct geomorphological and sedimentological fingerprint within the WGB.

A record of monsoon rainforest variability from the Kimberley region in northwestern Australia - Rachel C. Rudd; Teresa Dixon; John Nikolaus Callow; Patricia S. Gadd; Sabika Maizma; Geraldine Jacobsen; Patrick Moss; Hamish McGowan (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Northern Australia experiences extreme seasonality via the Indo‐Australian summer monsoon, with high inter‐annual variability in hydroclimate. Understanding the influence of hydrological variability on the landscape through the period of human occupation provides important environmental context to support the interpretation of the rich archaeological and rock art records of the region. The development of terrestrial records of environmental change has remained challenging due to the limited traditional palaeoenvironmental archives in the region. This study reports on the potential of sediments from ecologically significant monsoon rainforest patches to further elucidate the palaeoenvironmental history of the Kimberley. An ~19 000‐year record of monsoon rainforest variability is presented, inferred from pollen, charcoal and major element geochemical analysis. Monsoon rainforest‐associated taxa vary in abundance through the deglacial and the Holocene, which is compared to broad‐scale hydroclimate variability inferred from previous studies in the region. The persistence of arboreal, riparian and monsoon rainforest‐associated taxa suggest a positive moisture balance at the site throughout the period archived. Fire activity inferred from micro‐ and macrocharcoal is greatest over the last ~6000 years, and broadly corresponds to periods when monsoon rainforest‐associated taxa are less abundant. Challenges remain in using this type of site as an archive of environmental change, but they also present an opportunity to extend previous records both spatially and temporally with thousands of monsoon rainforest patches present across the Kimberley, and similar ecosystems found across northern Australia.

New records of Lutra simplicidens Thenius, 1965 from Europe - Adrian Marciszak; Alfie Bower (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
New material of Lutra simplicidens , a key species for understanding the evolution of Eurasian Lutrinae, is described from the English site of Corton (0.7‒0.6 Ma) and the Polish site of Żabia Cave (1.7‒1.5 Ma). Both records are represented by incomplete mandibles with partially preserved dentition. The record from Żabia Cave documents the presence of an older and more carnivorous Lutra simplicidens tamanensis . A less carnivorous Lutra simplicidens simplicidens was found in Corton. Both findings contribute valuable data on the evolutionary history of the species.

Paleoearthquakes along the northeastern segment of the Yabrai range‐front fault in the Alashan Block, northeast of the Tibetan Plateau - Chao Xie; Wei Li; Xiang Liu; Hao Dang; Yuemin Huang; Pengwei Long (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Yabrai range‐front fault (YRF) is a large‐scale fault within the Alashan Block, located northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, which has undergone several surface rupture events on the southwestern and middle segments since the late Quaternary. As no relevant research has been conducted on the northeastern segment, paleoseismic data for this area are lacking, which restricts our overall understanding of the spatiotemporal and intensity distribution of strong earthquakes on the YRF. To address this problem, we conducted investigations based on trench wall interpretation and stratigraphic optically stimulated luminescence ages. Four paleoearthquakes were identified in the middle of the northeastern segment, and occurred after 11.6 ± 0.7 ka and between 11.6 ± 0.7 to 6.9 ± 0.5, 6.9 ± 0.5 to 4.8 ± 0.6 and 4.8 ± 0.6 to 3.9 ± 0.7 ka, respectively. Three paleoearthquake events, one of which occurred at around 23.6 ± 1.6 ka, were identified at the northeastern end of the fault. According to the spatiotemporal distribution of the ruptured events on the YRF, the middle segment may be a long seismic gap (~8 ka), and combined with the status of tectonic stress concentration, this segment can be regarded as a zone of high seismic probability with the ability to produce a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. Furthermore, from the late Pleistocene to early Holocene, cascading ruptures may have occurred on the middle and northeastern segments of the YRF, with magnitudes approaching 7.3. In terms of tectonic relationships, we suggest that the YRF and the Langshan piedmont fault are two independent faults even though they are connected.

Charcoal morphotypes as indicators of fire fuel types and fire events along eight centuries in east‐central Mexico - Esperanza Torres‐Rodríguez; Blanca L. Figueroa‐Rangel; Margarita Caballero; Daisy Valera‐Fernández; Daniela López‐Méndez; Socorro Lozano‐García (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The study of fire and charcoal production in tropical mesophytic ecosystems provides valuable insights into the ecological and climatic history of these systems. The diverse vegetation produces charcoal in various forms and sizes, which influences its dispersion and provides key information about fire dynamics. In this study, we used an approximately 850‐year sedimentary charcoal record extracted from Lake Atezca in east‐central Mexico to reconstruct the history of fire activity, including frequency and intensity. We present innovative information on charcoal morphotypes to interpret fire regimes, identify the types of vegetation burned and analyze human impact. The results reveal a shift in fire regimes during the Spanish Conquest, transitioning from local‐scale burning associated with intensive wood burning for indigenous agriculture to regional‐scale burning characterized by the burning of herbs and grasses linked to the expansion of extensive livestock grazing. This transition is reflected in the decrease of wood charcoal and the increase of smaller particles, as well as in the rise in titanium in the sediments, indicating greater landscape alteration. The evolution of fire regimes in Lake Atezca was driven primarily by human activities since pre‐Hispanic times, although climatic factors, such as severe droughts, may have also influenced fire activity.

Climate influence on Si abundance and Si isotopes in the Yimaguan loess–paleosol sequence - Baoliang Wang; Hui‐Min Yu; Wenhan Cheng; Jianghu Lan; Fang Huang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /TiO 2 ratios of loess–paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau have been proposed as indicators recording changes of the East Asian winter monsoon. However, interference from silicon (Si) leaching induced by chemical weathering raises concerns about their applications to paleoclimate reconstruction. Silicon isotopes can serve as an effective tool for monitoring Si leaching, as the release of Si can lead to a decrease in δ 30 Si values of soils. Here we use Si isotopes to evaluate previously published SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /TiO 2 ratios in loess–paleosol sequences from the Yimaguan profile, Gansu Province, Northwest China, and examine the potential alteration caused by chemical weathering. The SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /TiO 2 ratios show opposite trends to that of the frequency‐dependent magnetic susceptibility (χ fd ) and the chemical index of alteration (CIA). However, the whole profile exhibits limited Si isotopic variation, with δ 30 Si values ranging from −0.28‰ to −0.16‰. The homogeneous Si isotopic signature indicates that Si is not significantly leached during pedogenesis. Therefore, the SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /TiO 2 ratios are not modified by Si leaching due to chemical weathering; instead, they are mainly affected by the grain size sorting effect, which is controlled by the change of winter monsoon intensity. This suggests that SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /TiO 2 can serve as reliable indicators of paleoclimate changes, with an increase in the ratios reflecting the strengthening of the East Asian winter monsoon. Based on our observation of the Yimaguan loess–paleosol samples and the global loess data previously published, we also constrained the average Si isotopic composition of the upper continental crust (UCC) to be −0.22 ± 0.06‰ (2 s.d.).

Sub‐centennial upper water column structure variability of the tropical Indian Ocean since the Last Glacial Maximum - Soni Rai; D. P. Singh; R. Saraswat; A. S. Maurya (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The upper water column (UWC) is involved in the worldwide distribution of heat and nutrients. However, global warming is expected to alter the UWC structure due to temperature‐ and precipitation‐induced stratification. This impact of global warming is comparatively more pronounced in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, to understand the fate of the UWC structure in the future, it is important to comprehend its past variability in the Indian Ocean. To achieve this, we have reconstructed sub‐centennial scale variations in the UWC structure of the tropical central Indian Ocean by using the isotopic composition (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) of surface‐dwelling planktic foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber and subsurface‐dwelling Neogloboquadrina dutertrei . The difference in the isotopic composition of the surface‐ and subsurface‐dwelling species (Δδ 18 O r‐d and Δδ 13 C r‐d ) was used to understand the UWC structure variability in the tropical central Indian Ocean. We report a deeper mixed layer and thermocline during the last glacial period, followed by a shoaling of the thermocline during the glacial–interglacial transition. The thermocline also deepened during intense boreal summer monsoon events such as in the Bølling–Allerød and early Holocene. Our findings suggest that the tropical Indian Ocean UWC is influenced primarily by the intensity of the monsoon winds. From the comparison of our record with those of the eastern and western Indian Ocean, it is evident that a similar climatic forcing governed the central and eastern regions during the last glacial–interglacial period.

Pre‐Marine Isotope Stage 2 glacial activity around the Nevado de Chañi massif in the Central Andes of Argentina and paleoclimate implications - Mateo A. Martini; Michael R. Kaplan; Lucia Guerra; Estaban Sagredo; Joerg M. Schaefer; Marc W. Caffee (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
We describe and analyze the glacial geomorphology and new 10 Be cosmogenic surface exposure ages from moraines deposited before Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 around Nevado de Chañi (24°4′ S, 65°45′ W), a north–south‐trending massif located in the arid subtropical mountains of northwestern Argentina. We combine these data with previously published ages in order to establish a glacier chronology around the massif and the central Andes. The results show at least three phases of glacier expansions occurred before the global Last Glacial Maximum, (i) during MIS 6, (ii) close to the transition from MIS 4 to MIS 3, and (iii) during mid‐late MIS 3. Based on a comparison of the timing of glacier advances with other glacial and paleoclimatic proxies elsewhere, we infer that glaciers grew in this arid region of the subtropical Andes during periods of reduced temperatures and wetter conditions, ultimately due to intensification of the South American Summer Monsoon. In contrast, during MIS 5 no glacial activity was recorded around the massif, and we infer that even if wetter conditions prevailed in the region the temperature was not sufficiently low to support glaciations.

Multi‐proxy analysis of early Holocene vegetation dynamics on the islands of proglacial Lake Ojibway (northeastern America) - Marianne F. S. Vogel; Sébastien Joannin; Mebarek Lamara; Hugo Asselin; Adam A. Ali; Sabrina Leclercq; Cécile Latapy; Franck Richard; Yves Bergeron (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Following deglaciation, lowland sites in eastern Canada that were covered by proglacial Lake Ojibway recorded direct afforestation with boreal mixedwood taxa, without an initial tundra phase, contrary to sites that were never covered by this lake. Because former islands of proglacial Lake Ojibway were colonized by vegetation before lake drainage around 8200 cal a bp , we hypothesized that these paleo‐islands went through a non‐arboreal phase which eventually transitioned to boreal mixedwoods, hence providing a source of propagules for rapid and later colonization of the lowlands. We carried out a multi‐proxy analysis combining pollen, macro‐remains, sedimentary ancient DNA and charcoal to document vegetation composition and dynamics on two paleo‐islands. Both study sites recorded progressive vegetation establishment starting with a tundra‐like phase with only herbs and shrubs, followed by open forests dominated by either larch or pine, culminating with the establishment of the boreal mixedwoods about 300 years before the final drainage of proglacial Lake Ojibway. Fire regimes seem to have partially driven vegetation dynamics and diversity on the paleo‐islands. Paleo‐islands were sources of propagules, which helps explain how the former Lake Ojibway lowlands were directly colonized by boreal mixedwoods, without an initial tundra phase.

From deglaciation to the Early Holocene in the northern Appalachians: A multiproxy palaeoenvironmental record from Scotstown Bog, Québec, Canada - Leeli Amon; Jeannine‐Marie St‐Jacques; Ekaterina Ershova; Kathryn E. Hargan; Charlotte Mary Cotter Whyte; Dirk Sachse; Oliver Rach; Matthew C. Peros (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
A multiproxy study of a sediment sequence from a Québec peatbog characterises the rapid and significant environmental responses to changing climatic conditions from the deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet to the early Holocene period. Scotstown Bog (45°30'45.0“N, 71°11'42.0“W) is an ombrotrophic peatland on the edge of the Appalachian Uplands in southern Québec, Canada. We reconstructed its Late‐glacial and early Holocene palaeoenvironments for 14 000–6 000 cal a bp using palaeobotanical (plant macrofossil, macrocharcoal, pollen analyses), faunal (chironomid analysis), sedimentological (grain‐size analysis, sediment organic content), and geochemical (sedimentary n ‐alkanes and hydrogen isotope analyses) methods. We targeted our multiproxy reconstruction on the Late‐glacial period, which provides an example of how biota can respond to profound changes in climatic and environmental conditions. A major transition occurred between 13 000 and 12 900 cal a bp , which is recorded in all palaeoecological proxies. Our reconstruction reveals two major environmental changes at this time. First, the Scotstown basin became isolated from a larger proglacial lake, as shown by sedimentological changes, sediment grain size and chironomid assemblage shift. Second, plant macrofossils and pollen influx show contemporaneous major shifts in the vegetation composition from tundra to tree‐line to closed‐canopy forested communities.

Lower Palaeolithic small flake prehension: Use‐wear and residue analyses reveal hominin grasping potential at late Acheulean sites in Israel and Italy - Flavia Marinelli; Stella Nunziante‐Cesaro; Ran Barkai; Cristina Lemorini (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
There is currently substantial debate over the use of prehension or hafting of tools by hominins. Many studies have been carried out to understand the prehension and hafting of hominin tools through experiments and through study of the anatomy and muscle system of both non‐human primates and humans. This paper discusses the results of the analyses of macro‐traces and micro‐residues of prehension found on small flakes from the late Acheulean sites of Revadim (Israel), Jaljulia (Israel) and Fontana Ranuccio (Italy). Small flakes are ubiquitous in many Late Lower Palaeolithic sites where they were used for various activities, including butchering. Their reduced size leads us to consider how they were handled and if solutions including hafting techniques were adopted. In this paper, the experimental protocol adopted, and the results obtained from macro‐traces and micro‐residues allowed us to develop hypotheses regarding free‐hand gripping of the small flakes by hominins at Revadim, Jaljulia and Fontana Ranuccio and the role that strength and pressure played in ensuring a good grip to enable the optimal use of these tools.

Comparative study of paleoflood slackwater deposits in the Yarlung Zangbo and Hanjiang Rivers, China - Shuaihu Wu; Xudong Fu; Jiangli Pang; Chunchang Huang (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Paleoflood slackwater deposits have recently been investigated in small to moderately sized rivers. However, our understanding of the characteristics of paleoflood slackwater deposits in large rivers remains limited, which poses a notable obstacle to accurately predicting the magnitude, frequency and force of extraordinary floods. To address this research gap, this study compares the characteristics of paleoflood slackwater deposits in the middle Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) and the upper Hanjiang River in China. Paleoflood slackwater deposits and aeolian deposits (e.g. loess, paleosol S 0 and aeolian sand) were investigated and sampled from these locations. For the paleoflood slackwater deposits and aeolian deposits, sedimentology (e.g. grain size distribution, magnetic susceptibility and geochemical elements) was analyzed in the laboratory. The macroscopic features of the paleoflood slackwater deposits in the middle YZR valley are very similar to those of the upper Hanjiang River valley. The paleoflood slackwater deposits were dominated by sand and silt in the middle YZR and by silt and sand in the upper Hanjiang River; this implied that the paleoflood slackwater deposits were suspended sediments of floodwater from different source regions. Compared with the paleoflood slackwater deposits in the upper Hanjiang River and other large rivers in China (e.g. the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers), the paleoflood slackwater deposits contained more coarse particles in the middle YZR; this result may be closely related to the particular hydrogeologic and geomorphic conditions (e.g. rich sandy sediment, high riverbed slope and narrow valley) in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Compared with the paleoflood slackwater deposits in the upper Hanjiang River, the paleoflood slackwater deposits presented considerably worse sorting in the middle YZR; this may be closely related to the short transport distance in the middle YZR. The magnetic susceptibility values of the paleoflood slackwater deposits were relatively higher in the middle YZR and the upper Hanjiang River, suggesting that these slackwater deposits with minimal pedogenesis may contain a relatively high ferromagnetic mineral content because of the formation process of slackwater deposits. The sediment provenance of the paleoflood slackwater deposits may be closely related to that of the loess in the middle YZR valley, which implies that the sediment provenance of deposits of different genetic types may be greatly affected by the particular hydrologic–climatic and geomorphic conditions in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Insights into human–environment interactions in tropical Africa during the Late Holocene based on the sediment sequence from Saiwa Swamp, Kenya - Lawrence Morara Kiage (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The present landscapes that define the tropical African region have evolved through the intricate interplay of climate and human interventions across various spatial and temporal scales. The late Holocene period is a valuable window for investigating how the environment responded to human influence. This study examined paleoenvironmental changes in the African tropics over the past 3500 years using proxy data, encompassing pollen, fungal spores, loss‐on‐ignition and microscopic charcoal extracted from core SS4 collected from Saiwa Swamp in western Kenya. The results show that Afromontane forests, represented by Podocarpus, Olea, Celtis and Juniperus , persisted in the region for much of the late Holocene despite prevailing conditions that favored the expansion of open savanna‐like vegetation and drought‐adapted taxa. The charcoal record reveals continuous fire occurrences throughout the sequence, raising questions about human‐induced fires and their potential role in shaping the landscape. The emergence of Sordaria fungal spores in the record between approximately 925 bce and 970 ce points to early human settlements engaging in livestock farming. Yet, these initial anthropogenic impacts did not trigger extensive forest clearing, hinting at a nuanced interplay between human activities and the environment during that era. The study emphasizes the importance of considering natural and human factors when interpreting environmental changes. It highlights the complex interplay of climatic, ecological and anthropogenic factors in shaping the landscape and vegetation dynamics over time.

The first radiocarbon and stable isotope data for megafauna remains in Kaliningrad Province, Russia - Yaroslav V. Kuzmin; Nikolai V. Martynovich; Johannes van der Plicht (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The first 14 C dates for representatives of the Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene megafauna are reported from sites in Kaliningrad Province, Russia. The dates for woolly mammoth and cave lion are older than ca. 45 000 bp , and could have corresponded to the Middle Weichselian interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 3). The age of reindeer is ca. 10 000 bp , and of aurochs ca. 7000 bp. This shows that megafauna existed in this part of the Eastern Baltic region prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). After the LGM, Kaliningrad Province was recolonized by reindeer.

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)

Holocene shoreline displacement, land‐cover change and human settlement distribution on the southeast coast of Sweden - Christos Katrantsiotis; Olena Vinogradova; Martin Dahl; Veronica Palm; Johan Rönnby; Marie‐José Gaillard; Thomas Andrén; Elinor Andrén (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
In this study, we investigate the interplay between relative sea‐level changes, the development of human settlements and land‐cover changes in the Västervik–Gamlebyviken region on the southeast coast of Sweden, an important archaeological area from the Mesolithic until recent times. The reconstruction of shore displacement was based on diatom analysis of radiocarbon‐dated sediment cores from three lake basins combined with previously published lake isolation data. The resulting curve was used to construct palaeogeographical maps for selected time windows. Land‐cover changes were inferred from pollen data from three lakes using the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm with its two models REVEALS and LOVE. Our data suggest that people took advantage of the land gained due to an overall fall in relative sea level from ~35 to ~3 metres above sea level (m a.s.l.) over the last 10 000 years, interrupted by periods of transgression and highstands. A sea‐level regression of ~16 m occurred between 10 000 and 8500 cal a bp followed by an ~3–4‐m sea‐level rise, reaching ~22 m a.s.l. at ~7500 cal a bp , which corresponds to the maximum Littorina Sea shoreline in the area. The available archaeological findings for the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic (8950–5450 cal a bp ) agree well with the shore displacement curve showing that settlements and human activities were concentrated along or above the shorelines as defined from our study. During the transgression after 8500 cal a bp , however, seasonal settlements were submerged (as shown by findings of polished stone tools and hearths buried in sand) and used again during the subsequent regression after 4600 cal a bp. The Iron Age (2450–900 cal a bp ) corresponds partly to a highstand at ~11 m a.s.l. between 3600 and 2000 cal a bp and partly to a rapid regression of ~8 m between 2000 and 1500 cal a bp, and both periods coincide with known human activities along the contemporaneous shoreline. The rapid regression after 2000 cal a bp corresponds to an increase of both regional and local landscape openness and the beginning of a continuous record of crop cultivation.

Arctic sea‐ice export as a mechanism for cold climate events during the last deglaciation - Hans Renssen; Didier M. Roche (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Recently it was proposed that a sudden drainage of accumulated Arctic sea ice could have caused cold climate events during the last deglaciation. To explore this mechanism, we performed numerical experiments with an atmosphere–ocean–sea ice model. In these experiments, the impact of a large flush of Arctic sea ice was compared to a reference glacial state of the climate. In our results, the sea ice flush produces a major surface freshening of the North Atlantic Ocean and a 17% weakening of the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Together with an increase in surface albedo, this weakening in ocean circulation leads to a cooling over the North Atlantic, extending to the downwind continents. Compared to our reference glacial state, the cooling reaches 5°C and lasts about 80 years. This climate anomaly is similar in magnitude and duration to relatively short cooling events during the last deglaciation, such as the Older Dryas, the Inter‐Allerød cold period and the Preboreal Oscillation. We thus conclude that the sea‐ice flush mechanism is consistent with the occurrence of such cooling events in the North Atlantic region. However, longer cooling events such as the Younger Dryas would require additional mechanisms.

Geochronology and ice‐flow modelling of the Late Quaternary glaciers on Mt. Soğanlı, Türkiye - M. A. Sarıkaya; A. Candaş; İ. Ege; K. M. Wilcken (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Understanding Earth's climate history through the chronology and reconstruction of palaeoglaciers is a central topic of palaeoclimatology. Examining the remnants of past glaciations preserved in isolated alpine environments provides insight into critical palaeoclimatic conditions. Accurate dating techniques, such as terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides, are crucial for understanding the timing of these changes. The Anatolian Peninsula, characterized by diverse topographical and climatic factors, witnessed the presence of glaciers during the Late Pleistocene, shaping its alpine landscape significantly. While mountain ranges such as the Taurus and Pontic favoured glacier development due to their elevation and lower temperatures, isolated mountains such as Mount Soğanlı in the interior hinterland also supported significant palaeoglaciers. Despite previous studies on Anatolia's glaciers, numerical dating of glacial deposits on Mount Soğanlı has remained elusive until now, hindering precise palaeoclimatic interpretations. This study employs cosmogenic 36 Cl surface exposure dating and physical‐based ice‐flow modelling using an open‐source framework, Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM), to determine the timing of glaciations and to reconstruct past glacier extents on Mount Soğanlı. The results reveal glacier retreat ages of 48.3 ± 13.4 and 18.3 ± 4.4 ka based on two well‐preserved moraines. Additionally, palaeoclimate simulations matched with the field observations indicate considerably colder conditions (6.65–8.15°C colder than today) necessary to sustain glaciers on Mount Soğanlı, when precipitation amounts were the same as today. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Anatolia's palaeoclimatic fluctuations and align with similar studies in neighbouring regions, enhancing our knowledge of past climate dynamics of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Climate variability in West Anatolia from Last Glacial Maximum to present based on the µXRF data from Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli) - Mustafa DoĞan; Yasemin Ünlü; Şule Gürboğa; Sabina Fiołna; Çetin Şenkul (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Studying climate changes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean region, particularly in Western Anatolia, is crucial for understanding environmental dynamics over time. We present high‐resolution, long‐term micro‐X‐ray fluorescence data from Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli‐Buldan), a key area, covering the period from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present. Sedimentological and paleoclimate data are supported by high‐resolution radiocarbon analyses, as well as two tephra chronologies from Cape Riva and Minoan. According to the results, a cold and arid climate is observed during the LGM, Post‐LGM and Younger Dryas. From the LGM to the present, there has been a trend towards increasing warmth and humidity. During the Late Glacial (LG) and Holocene (especially in the early Holocene), the climate was warmer and more humid. A short‐lived climate change associated with the Older Dryas is recorded during the Bølling–Allerød warm period (~13 200–12 350 cal a bp ) within the LG. The data indicate that the sediment cores of Buldan Yayla Lake are highly sensitive in reflecting climate information between the LGM and the present day. At the same time, the climate in Western Anatolia is recorded as more stable throughout the Holocene. In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of Western Anatolia's climate dynamics and environment–society relationship from the LGM to the present.

Palaeoenvironmental evolution and decline of the harbours of the Roman and Early Byzantine city of Elaiussa Sebaste (southeastern Turkey): natural and anthropic causes - Romana Melis; Emanuela Borgia; Samuele Agostini; Alessandra Celant; Federico Di Rita; Emanuele Forte; Gianguido Salvi; Ester Colizza (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The ancient city of Elaiussa Sebaste, currently Ayaş, is located on the southeastern coast of Turkey. It was one of the main trading Mediterranean harbours from the Augustan period until the early Byzantine era. The Arab invasion in the 7th century ce marked its definitive abandonment. A significant historical topic concerns the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the northern and southern harbours of Elaiussa Sebaste, including their decline and burial. An interdisciplinary study analysed six cores drilled in the current plains corresponding to the former harbour basins. A geoelectrical study, integrated with borehole stratigraphy, reconstructed the geometry of the carbonate bedrock that forms the accumulation base of the marine sediments. Sediments deposited from the 8th century bce to the 6th century ce include the development phases of the ancient city from the 3rd century bce onwards. Sedimentology, micropalaeontology (foraminifers, ostracods), palaeobotany (pollen, non‐pollen palynomorphs, microcharcoals, plant macroremains) and Pb isotopes provided a model of the environmental evolution in both harbour basins. The main harbour expansion phase, marked by a change in Pb concentration, is hypothesized to have occurred between 140 and 220 ce , which is consistent with the historical sources indicating the development of the city during the mid‐Roman Imperial period.

Evidence for the oldest Middle Palaeolithic cave occupation in the Romanian Carpathians - Christoph Schmidt; Daniel Veres; George Murătoreanu; Marian Cosac; Loredana Niţă; Ştefan Vasile; Gabriel Sebastian Şerbănescu; Iuliana‐Elisabeta Bartok (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in the Carpathians and Danube lowlands constitute key contexts for tracing the dispersal of Homo sapiens into central‐western Europe and the replacement of Homo neanderthalensis . Surprisingly, the Romanian archaeological inventory lacks transitional technologies and only a few sites have been systematically excavated and numerically dated, explaining the incomplete understanding of the Middle Palaeolithic and hence Neanderthal population dynamics. Here we present new age constraints for the Abri 122/1200 and Peștera Mare caves in the Romanian Carpathians, obtained by radiocarbon dating of charcoal and bone and by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of cave sediments. Methodological issues and the method's upper limit cause grossly underestimated radiocarbon ages for charcoal from Abri 122/1200 and provide only minimum ages (>41–60 14 C ka bp ) for bones from Peștera Mare cave. However, the OSL ages suggest Middle Palaeolithic cave occupation in the Carpathians since early Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 7 and lasting at least until MIS 5. These ages reinforce the vast potential of Carpathian cave sites in solidifying our understanding of Neanderthal dynamics in the region and their habitats. We discuss the reliability of this new chronology and the archaeological implications for the Middle Palaeolithic of neighbouring areas.

Dune activity history in China's east dunefields over the past millennium - Zhipeng Wu; Jinchang Li; Caixia Zhang; Ya Zhou (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Dune activity encompasses both activation and dune stabilization processes, with the former potentially threatening the sustainability of global ecosystems and human societies. Research on historical dune activity has raised concern among environmental scientists and serves as a foundation for assessing recent and future changes in arid and semi‐arid ecosystems. Disagreements related to the causes of historical dune activation persist because of the lack of a more detailed dune activity history for China's east dunefields. Based on stratigraphic evidence, historical documents and archaeological discoveries in the Mu Us and Horqin dunefields, this study presents a detailed dune activity history as well as the forcing mechanisms for China's east dunefields as a whole over the past millennium. The results revealed that two episodes of extensive dune activation (from 800 to 940 ce and from 1300 to 2000 ce ) occurred in China's east dunefields, accounting for 69% of the past millennium. The proportions of extensive dune activation driven by a cold and dry climate (from 800 to 940 ce and from 1300 to 1730 ce ), strong human activity (from 1900 to 2000 ce ) and their combined impacts (from 1730 to 1900 ce ) were approximately 68%, 12% and 20%, respectively. Thus, China's east dunefields were in a state of extensive dune activation for most of the past millennium, and most extensive dune activation was driven by climate. Local or sporadic dune activation occurred from 940 to 1300 ce and since 2000 ce in China's east dunefields, which was caused by strong human activity.

Within the boundaries of the Dnipro ice lobe: Biotic dynamics in the Middle Dnipro area (Ukraine) during deglaciation and postglacial stages - Lilia Popova; Yuriy Veklych; Oleksandr Kovalchuk; Alina Mishta; Renata Stachowicz‐Rybka; Leonid Gorobets; Vadym Yanenko; Yevheniia Nezdolii; Alina Stupak; Mykola Stakhiv; Andrii Yevstropov; Mykhailo Lyshenko; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Several new vertebrate and plant taphocoenoses of fluvial origin have been found in central Ukraine, within the area previously covered with till of the late Chibanian Dnipro glacier. These finds represent a timespan from the late Dnipro glacial to the Pryluky interglacial of the regional stratigraphic scheme of Ukraine and fill an important palaeofaunistic gap: arcto‐boreal species have been revealed for the first time in deposits of the Dnipro/Kaidaky, Tiasmyn and an intra‐Pryluky cold interval. Their appearance in the fossil record marks the most extreme periods of cooling, but even during these extremes arcto‐boreal forms did not dominate. Similarly, a few warm‐loving species appear only during interglacials. The tundra–steppe semblance of vertebrate fauna remains generally stable during this time. The new findings were also used to test existing correlation models between the stratigraphic scheme of Ukraine and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). For this, we used the Arvicola interval‐zones: the zone of the extinct water vole Arvicola chosaricus , which, in the studied area, covers the Dnipro, Kaidaky and Tiasmyn stages, and of the extant A. amphibius of the Pryluky interglacial and subsequent time periods. In different parts of Europe, replacement between these two species took place from MIS 6–MIS 5 to MIS 5. This indicates that the Tiasmyn with the latest A. chosaricus might represent both MIS 6 and a cold interval within MIS 5. For further refinement of the correlation, we use the newly discovered taphocoenoses with a clear stratigraphic sequence, together with the previously studied Maksymivka locality. They have a clear stratigraphic relation to the Dnipro till, and together with the above‐mentioned climatic signal, these proxies support the correlation of the Dnipro glacial with MIS 6, the Kaidaky interglacial with MIS 5e, the Tiasmyn cold interval with MIS 5d, and the Pryluky interglacial with MIS 5c and younger.

The Paleo‐Serchio River: history of floods between Lucca and Pisa during the Roman period - Monica Bini; Alberto Caroti; Federico Cantini; Fabio Fabiani; Marco Fiorentini; Antonio Fornaciari; Ilaria Isola; Marco Lazzarotti; Marco Luppichini; Scott Mensing; Jordan Palli; Gianluca Piovesan; et al. (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
The reconstruction of flood frequency beyond the Instrumental Era is challenging and mostly based on historical sources, but it rarely covers more than the last 1000 years when abundant documentation is preserved. To investigate the long‐term trends in flooding and obtain insight into current climatic changes it is necessary to extend these data to a larger number of rivers beyond the Instrumental Era and available period of historical documentation. In this paper we reconstruct the paleoflood record for the Roman Period of the Serchio River ( Auser in antiquity, located in Northern Tuscany, Central Italy) using geoarcheological data. The complex hydrological evolution of the river and the development of the important cities of Lucca and Pisa on the river bank allowed an important collection of data, showing a prominent peak in flood activity during the 1st century ce , which seems to correspond to an increase in regional rainfall interpreted from speleothem proxies. A secondary peak is present in the 6th century ce , which corresponds locally with an increase in precipitation recorded by speleothems. The phases of increased flooding, when compared with present‐day synoptical meteorological conditions, probably developed during a period of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index, and it is partially supported by comparison with paleoproxies for NAO. These findings confirm that an extensive collection of geoarcheological data, supported by geological and geomorphological investigation, represents a powerful tool to be integrated with historical data for the reconstruction of floods. The concomitance of local paleohydrological proxies can help in disentangling the origin of the signal from other causes.

A 47.0‐kyr record of mercury deposition in lake sediments from Dahu swamp in the East Nanling Mountains, southern China: Implications for paleoclimatic and environmental changes - Tianhang Li; Wei Zhong; Mingying Quan; Xiaojun Wang; Jian Yu (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
In this study, we provide an ~47.0‐kyr mercury (Hg) deposition record derived from a lacustrine sedimentary sequence in Dahu swamp in the eastern Nanling Mountains, China. The results indicate that organic matter (OM) input played a role in Hg accumulation, whereas the contribution of inorganic weathering detritus had a negligible impact. On the other hand, evolution of the plant community and wildfire events were also important factors affecting Hg accumulation. Compared to arboreal plants, lower (herbs and ferns) plants had stronger absorption and enrichment ability for Hg thus favoring enhanced Hg accumulation in the sediments. We therefore infer that Hg deposition in Dahu sediments was greatly controlled by changes in climatic conditions. Relatively dry and cold climatic conditions, which resulted in reduced arboreal plant communities and increased lower plants, would favor an increased Hg accumulation rate; furthermore, dry conditions may cause more wildfire events thus leading to enhanced release of Hg into the environment and increased contribution of Hg to the sediments, whereas relatively wet and warm conditions would result in the opposite situation. The record of Hg deposition demonstrates a synchronous orbital‐scale variation trend with the intensity of the East Asian summer monsoon. Period analysis reveals several millennial‐ and centennial‐scale cycles similar to solar insolation, together with several millennial events of increased Hg concentration and accumulation rate, which coincided with the corresponding Heinrich events, suggesting joint impacts of solar irradiation and the action of melting water as well as changes in zonal atmospheric circulation on Hg accumulation in Dahu sediments.

A multimethod analysis for tracing Gravettian red ochre provenance at Arene Candide Cave (NW Italy) - I. Rellini; G. Martino; R. Cabella; E. Sessa; R. Maggi; J. Riel‐Salvatore (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Arene Candide Cave, a key site for Western Mediterranean prehistory, is famous for the discovery of the richly adorned Mid–Upper Palaeolithic burial of the ‘Young Prince’ and for its use as a burial site at the end of the Pleistocene (Late Epigravettian). In both contexts, red ochre was a conspicuous element of the burial practices. Unfortunately, few provenance studies and analytical data are available for the pigments recovered in the cave. Likewise, the geographical and geological origins of these colouring materials, which are naturally abundant in the Liguro‐Provençal Arc, have received little to no attention despite their technical and symbolic value. During the 2008–2013 archaeological excavation at Arene Candide Cave, micromorphological samples were collected from the Upper Palaeolithic portion of the 1940s stratigraphic profiles, permitting a first description of site formation processes during the Gravettian. This led to the recognition of a Late Gravettian layer characterized by poorly sorted sediment rich in very small ochre fragments. This study establishes the provenance of these ochre fragments through the combined use of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The results reveal a strong correspondence between the Arene Candide ochres and local ore sites, which were never considered before as potential sources. The mineralogical composition of the samples, characterized by the presence of barium sulphate and iron oxides, indicates that the Finalese area (NW Liguria) in which the site is located was the most likely source of the colouring pigments used by the Upper Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers of the Arene Candide Cave.

A 15 000 cal a paleoclimatic record from Laguna del Viento (33°S), Subtropical Andes, central Chile - Diego Rodríguez‐Contreras; Antonio Maldonado; Valentina Flores‐Aqueveque; Tania Villaseñor; María Eugenia de Porras; Praxedes Muñoz (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2025)
Subtropical zones are crucial for understanding climate dynamics, as they strongly control the subtropical anticyclone system and serve as a bridge between the tropical and temperate regions of the planet. Therefore, understanding the long‐term dynamics of these areas is vital on a hemispheric scale. A continuous late Pleistocene climate record based on sedimentological proxies was reconstructed using a lacustrine core from the Chilean Subtropical Andes (~33°S). Since the late Pleistocene, high lake levels subjected to cold and wet conditions prevailed between ~15.4 and 14k cal a bp , followed by glacier retreat between 14 and 13.7k cal a bp . The Pleistocene–Holocene transition is marked by increasing sedimentological parameter values and organic matter content, recording a significant shift in the environmental conditions. Decreased lake levels and high‐energy events predominated until ~8.5k cal a bp , followed by warm and arid conditions with high‐energy/runoff events from 8.5 to 5.2k cal a bp , with the driest period occurring ~6.4k cal a bp . Turbiditic flows appear between 5.2 and 2.6k cal a bp , and cold conditions between 2.6 and 2.3k cal a bp . From 1720 to 960 cal a bp , cold and wet conditions predominated. Warm and wet conditions prevailed to the present, with a brief return to cold and dry conditions at 720 cal a bp . Important widely represented events such as the Last Glacial termination, early to mid‐Holocene Transition and Little Ice Age are present in the core record.

Well‐drained floodplain taphonomic mode of Late Pleistocene vertebrates from Northeast Argentina - CECILIA R. Méndez; CLAUDIA I. Montalvo; CARLOS A. Luna; Alfredo E. Zurita (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
The vertebrate assemblage recovered from the Toropí/Yupoí Formation (Late Pleistocene) in the Arroyo Toropí area, Bella Vista (Corrientes Province, Argentina), has been subjected to taphonomic evaluation. The fossil‐bearing levels have been dated to ~53 ka (MIS 3) based on Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating. This assemblage primarily comprises mammal remains, with a notable prevalence of herbivorous megamammals. Also, reptiles and birds have been documented. Sedimentological analysis suggests that the skeletal remains were preserved within a floodplain environment influenced by the dynamics of the adjacent fluvial system, and taphonomic features observed in the assemblage support this interpretation. The assemblage resulted from the deposition of disarticulated mammal remains and local dispersion over a relatively short period. Rapid burial is evident, but several processes such as weathering and breakage have contributed to the observed patterns. The loss of several skeletal elements within the assemblage may be attributed to sporadic water flows occurring on the floodplain. During the post‐burial stage, the specimens were affected by diagenetic processes, including filling, impregnation, deformation and breakage. In summary, the taphonomic evaluation of the Toropí/Yupoí Formation offers valuable comparison with other fossil fluvial assemblages. This research contributes to our understanding of the processes and environmental conditions that shaped this Late Pleistocene ecosystem.

Potential historically intertropical stable areas during the Late Quaternary of South America - Mário André Trindade Dantas; Thais Rabito Pansani; Lidiane Asevedo; Thaísa Araújo; Lucas de Melo França; Wilcilene Santos de Aragão; Franciely da Silva Santos; Elisa Cravo; Felipe Rodrigues Waldherr; Celso Lira Ximenes (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
South America is a pivotal paleontological setting for Late Quaternary megafaunal research. Nonetheless, its paleobiogeography and paleoecology, and the causes for the recent extinction of megafauna in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the potential geographical distribution and historically intertropical stable areas (HISAs) of South American megafauna. We generated maps using Paleo‐Species Distribution Models for 12 megafaunal taxa (11 herbivores and one carnivore) during interglacial and glacial periods in the Late Quaternary: 120 and 21 ka. Our models, together with isotopic data, show that the HSIAs occurred mainly in low‐altitude plains (

Issue Information (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)

Bone diseases in a Pleistocene South American native ungulate species: the case of Toxodon platensis Owen, 1837 (Mammalia, Notoungulata, Toxodontidae) - Carlos A. Luna; Fernando H. De S. Barbosa; Romina Gonzalez; Ángel R. Miño‐Boilini; Carolina Repetto; Alfredo E. Zurita (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
Knowledge of bone pathologies in South American native ungulates is very scarce, which contrasts with other groups of megamammals such as xenarthrans and proboscideans. In this paper, based on morphological and histological analysis, we describe different bone pathologies in two specimens of Toxodon platensis Owen (Notoungulata), one of the most common taxa in the Late Pleistocene faunistic associations of northeastern Argentina. Subchondral erosions on the metacarpus and magnum, non‐marginal syndesmophytes and enthesitis on the vertebral body, the neural column and the zygapophyseal joint of the lumbar vertebrae, as well as a particular periosteal reaction on the ribs, have been interpreted as manifestations of spondyloarthropathies in one of the analyzed individuals. In the same individual, a process of fusion and bone neoformation is observed in the caudal vertebrae, which seems to correspond both to the aforementioned spondyloarthropathy and to an infectious process. A lesion on the fourth metatarsus of a second individual with an evident cloaca is suggestive of osteomyelitis; this is the first report of this pathology in notoungulates. It seems possible that some of these pathologies may have been facilitated by factors such as body mass, mode of locomotion and/or environment. These findings provide insight into some aspects of the ecology of this particular group of extinct South American megamammals.

Characterization of dental calculus in the South American Quaternary proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis (Ameghino, 1888) - Ana Clara Fonseca De Paiva; Laís Alves‐Silva; Fernando Henrique De Souza Barbosa (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
Dental calculus, or tartar, is a mineralized biofilm that develops on the teeth, and is often observed on the teeth of the South American proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis . This structure can provide details on paleoecological, paleoenvironmental and paleopathological aspects of a species. However, characterization of tartar in N. platensis is lacking. The aim of this study was to provide a macromorphological characterization of tartar on N. platensis molars, and evaluate its prevalence, distribution patterns and severity. A total of 117 molariforms from Brazilian Quaternary fossiliferous assemblages were analyzed. Thirty‐five (29.9%) molars presented tartar. The majority displayed moderate severity. Calculus was present at least on one inteloph(id) of each molar, and prevailed on the posterior region. It predominated on lower and third molars. Adult individuals showed a predominance compared to juveniles. These patterns in N. platensis are probably due to the susceptible oral environment, molar morphology, mature age and tooth replacement. These results suggest that N. platensis and probably other proboscideans were relatively susceptible to tartar development.

Giants beasts updated: A review of new knowledge about the South American megafauna - Richard A. Fariña; Sergio F. Vizcaíno (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
Since the publication of Megafauna: Giant Beasts of Pleistocene South America by Fariña et al. in 2013, much has been published on this fascinating subject. Here, we sum up those contributions according to their aim: taxonomic, geographical and phylogenetic novelty, new approaches to the natural history of those species, and extinction and its aftermath. The traditional centres of interest since the 19th century, especially the Río de la Plata region, have now been complemented as a source of information by many other regions in South America, and the remains are now being studied by biogeochemistry and molecular biology, as well as with finite element analysis and constantly refined statistics. Finally, scholars and the public are becoming more interested in the demise of the megamammals as the starting point of the current process of biodiversity loss.

Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) subfossils from Abismo Anhumas, Bonito/MS, Brazil: Morphology, isotopic habitat (δ 13 C, δ 18 O), radiocarbon dating, biogeography and human impact on the species conservation in Brazil - Flavia Miranda; Leonardo Cotts; Edmundo P. Dineli Da Costa Júnior; Maíra Prestes Margarido; Alexander Cherkinsky; Mário André Trindade Dantas (Journal of Quaternary Science, 2024)
Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest extant anteater, being distributed in most biomes from southern Central America and northern South America. Herein, we analyzed cranial and postcranial elements of three partial skeletons of M. tridactyla found submerged in Abismo Anhumas cave (Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil). The bones collected were the skull (LEG 2598), left humerus (LEG 2601), ungueal phalanx (LEG 2602), and lumbar vertebrae (LEG 2599; LEG 2600). Radiocarbon dating and isotope analyses indicate that these animals lived between 360 and 560 cal a BP in an arboreal to open savanna habitat associated with the Cerrado, a Seasonal Dry Forest. Radiocarbon‐dated oxygen isotopes are possibly in agreement with dated oxygen isotopes found in stalagmites, suggesting a wet period between 442–364 cal a BP in the region. Finally, we created paleo‐species distribution models, which allowed the generation of a consensus map showing a historically stable area between 21 and 6 ka for this species. Currently, more than 50% of this area has been destroyed by human activity.