Last Glaciation Cold-Adapted Faunas in the Iberian Peninsula

N. García & J.L.Arsuaga Universidad Complutense de Madrid Last Glaciation cold-adapted faunas in the Iberian Peninsula García, N. & Arsuaga, J.L., 2003 - Last Glaciation cold-adapted faunas in the Iberian Peninsula - in: Reumer, J.W.F., De Vos, J. & Mol, D. (eds.) - ADVANCES IN MAMMOTH RESEARCH (Proceedings of the Second International Mammoth Conference, Rotterdam, May 16-20 1999) - DEINSEA 9: 159-169 [ISSN 0923-9308] Published 24 May 2003 The present paper presents a compilation and update of sites which contain last glaciation faunas in the Iberian peninsula. Some authors consider that, except in the Pyrenees, the Iberian glaciation was restricted to the OIS 2 and they only include this mountain range (sometimes together with the Cantabrian mountain range) in the distribution maps of cold-adapted faunas in Europe. Nevertheless, there were glaciation processes on other mountain systems placed at a more southern latitude than the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, and cold-adapted species have been found even in the Andalusian territory. The aim of this study is to provide detailed and updated information about Iberian sites with the presence of Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer tarandus, Saiga tatarica, Ovibos moschatus, Gulo gulo and Alopex lagopus. This association represents typical cold-resistent forms of the last glacial in Eurasia and extends also to the Far East and Beringia (Kahlke 1999) so their presence in a number of sites in the Iberian Peninsula suggests cold conditions. Correspondence: N. García & J.L. Arsuaga, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, ISCIII, C/Sinesio Delgado 4, Pab-14, 28029 Madrid, Spain, e-mail: [email protected] & [email protected] Keywords: Spain, Late-Pleistocene, fauna INTRODUCTION In addition to either fossilised remains of For the selection of cold-adapted large mam- arctic fauna or artistic representations, there mals species, we have followed the sugge- is other evidence to indicate that large areas stions of Kahlke (1999: 77), and only consi- of the Iberian Peninsula had very open eco- der those inhabiting the arctic to subarctic or systems with few trees during the OIS 2 cold inner-continental regions: Mammuthus primi- period, and perhaps in earlier cold periods as genius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer well. This evidence of periglacial conditions tarandus, Saiga tatarica, Ovibos moschatus, comes from three sources: the pollen record, Gulo gulo and Alopex lagopus. Since the idea glacial landforms and cave sediments. is to clearly separate the arctic faunas which The pollen spectra of the Cantabrian archae- provide clear data about the glaciation condi- ological caves (Sánchez Goñi 1993) show tions in the Iberian Peninsula, we have not cold and dry conditions with steppe-like included Ursus spelaeus, Bison priscus, vegetation during the maximum upper pleni- Megaloceros or other species in our study. glacial and lateglacial (Younger Dryas) or Although these species are usually associated OIS 2. These caves are all located below 400 with typical cold-adapted faunas, they are m above sea level. In Carihuela Cave, in also found in woody temperate zones without Southeastern Spain (and at around 1020 m arctic faunas. above sea level), the pollen spectra show 159 ADVANCES IN MAMMOTH RESEARCH DEINSEA 9, 2003 Figure 1 Art findings from caves or open air sites representing cold adapted species.We have indicated the questionable occurrences with a question mark in the legends and with a square symbol (instead of the corresponding faunal symbol) on the maps. 160 GARCÍA & ARSUAGA: Iberian cold-adapted faunas similar forest regressions in the same periods, below 1000 m of altitude and descending to in levels containing thermoclastic scree. Even as low as 340 m in one exceptional case in the Levant caves, where fossil remains of (Asón Gorge). The larger glaciers of the arctic fauna have never been found, the sedi- Iberian Peninsula developed in the Pyrenees, ments assigned to the maximum upper pleni- with some descending to 700-800 m above glacial and late glacial indicate very dry sea level, with lengths of dozens of kilome- conditions with naked soils (Fumanal 1986). ters (52 km in one case, the glacier of Aneu The pollen spectra obtained in lakes or peat in the Noguera Pallaresa river) and with ice bogs seem to follow a similar pattern, such as thicknesses of more than 500 m and in some the continuous sequence from the site of cases more than 900 m. Padul, south of the city of Granada and loca- Although in the past some authors recognized ted at 1000 m above sea level. Grass steppes a Riss and a Würm glaciation, most researchers and open coniferous parklands would have today believe that the Iberian glaciers were been largely dominant during the maximum restricted to the maximum upper pleniglacial upper pleniglacial and lateglacial on the enti- and lateglacial (except, of course, in the re Iberian Peninsula. However, in coastal Pyrenees, where some glacial cirques and refuges of the Atlantic Ocean and the snowy hollows even survive today). Two Cantabrian and Mediterranean seas and levels of moraines corresponding to two lowermost valleys (Costa et al. 1990), deci- major ice advances are usually recognized: duous or Mediterranean woodlands survived the lowest belonging to the maximum upper and later expanded in the Holocene. The pleniglacial and the highest to the late glacial. annual mean temperature was perhaps 10º C However, some authors recognize very degra- colder than that of the present day. ded moraines in the Sierra Nevada, at a lower Before the maximum upper pleniglacial, altitude, that could correspond to an earlier the pollen record of the Iberian Peninsula is ‘Riss’ glaciation (Rubio et al. 1993). much poorer, although in Carihuela Cave a Although there is still not much information maximum lower pleniglacial is also recorded available for Portugal, it seems that there and there is a steppe phase recorded in the were no glacial processes nor a cold climate Padul sequence (Dupré 1988) of probably affecting the vegetation until the maximum equivalent age. Glaciers were present in the upper pleniglacial (Raposo 1995). main mountain ranges of the Iberian The chronology of the Last Glacial Peninsula during the maximum upper plenig- Maximum in the Iberian Peninsula has beco- lacial and lateglacial (Gómez & Pérez 1998). me a matter of great interest in relation to the In the Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountain Range, problem of modern human colonisation of Galaico-Leonés System, Sierra de la Estrela Europe and Neandertal extinction, that took and Sierra de Gredos (the last two in the place during OIS 3 (van Andel & Tzedakis Central System), and Sierra Nevada, valley 1998). In the 1980s, some Spanish scholars glaciers developed. There were also icecaps established that Neandertals were replaced by irradiating valley glaciers in the Galaico- modern humans in the Iberian Peninsula later Leonés System. The Sierra Nevada glaciers than in other areas (Vega-Toscano et al. were the Southernmost ones in Europe. In 1988), and climatically at the beginning of a Sierra de Guadarrama and the Iberian cold period (‘Würm III’) that would corre- System, the glaciers were restricted to basins, spond to the end of OIS 3. Since then, it has which were the focal point for their nourish- become clearer that in what is nowadays eco- ment, or to deep snowy hollows. Some of the logically the Mediterranean Iberia (i.e. south end moraines descended to a very low altitu- of the Ebro River), the Neandertals lasted for de in the Galaíco-Leonés System and Canta- perhaps more than 10.000 yrs after the first brian Mountain Range, in many instances modern humans arrived in the Atlantic Iberia 161 ADVANCES IN MAMMOTH RESEARCH DEINSEA 9, 2003 Figure 2 Fossil remains of cold adapted species from Iberian sites. Most of the fossil evidence occurs in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, but also in southern sites.We have indicated the questionable occurrences with a question mark in the legends and with a square symbol (instead of the corresponding faunal symbol) on the maps. 162 GARCÍA & ARSUAGA: Iberian cold-adapted faunas (north of the Ebro River). The ‘Ebro frontier’ stone tools. When the fossil remains are out model suggests that the basin of the Ebro of archaeological context it is noted as ‘unde- represented an ecological barrier to the dis- fined cultural level’. The study includes not persal of the first modern humans in Iberia only the fossil remains recovered but also (Duarte et al. 1999). Some authors believe diverse artistic representations (portable and that a climatic deterioration around 30.000 parietal art) depicting arctic animals. However, yBP in the Mediterranean ecosystems caused since in some cases the art interpretations are the dispersal of modern humans south of the open to debate, we have indicated the Ebro river and the subsequent extinction of questionable occurrences with a question the last Neandertals, which would have disap- mark in the tables and with a square symbol, peared together with other Mediterranean instead of the corresponding faunal symbol, endemic fauna and flora (Raposo & Cardoso on the maps. The sites with absolute chrono- 1998). metric dates are also included in the text. MATERIAL AND METHODS COLD ADAPTED TAXA IN THE The tables include an inventory of cold adap- IBERIAN PENINSULA ted faunal remains from Iberian archaeological sites and represent a compilation based on Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) numerous published studies. The maps are elaborated by us to better show the approxi- art findings (Fig. 1) At Guadalajara, two mate geographic location of the sites. No arc- caves show reindeer representations, Cueva tic species have been reported up to now in del Reno, with one engraving (Alcolea et al. Portugal, and for this reason we did not 1997) and Cueva de la Hoz also with one include this territory in the maps.

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