Environmental dynamics in a Middle Pleistocene refugium: palynological and charcoal evidence from the Megalopolis Basin (Southern Greece)

Abstract

A fundamental climate transformation commenced at the onset of the Quaternary period, where the recurring glacial and interglacial cycles became progressively extreme, leading to a major build-up of global ice volume towards the Middle Pleistocene. This major climate shift had inescapable consequences on biota. Glacial refugia in southern Europe played a crucial role in the survival and evolution of the temperate biota, including hominins, during the Middle Pleistocene glaciations. This dissertation focuses on the Lower Palaeolithic site Marathousa 1, located in the Megalopolis Basin (Peloponnese, southern Greece), providing a new three-step analysis of its palaeoenvironmental record. The studied profile is dated between 485 and 410 thousand years before present, corresponding to the severe glaciation of the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12. By performing palaeoecological analytical methods, the aim is to explore the environmental and climatic context of a putative hominin refugium in the Megalopolis Basin, at the southernmost tip of the Balkans, through the contribution of palynological and charcoal evidence. A particular focus is placed on the reconstruction of the vegetation, both wetland and terrestrial, providing new insights into environmental and climatic conditions at the site local to hominins, as well as the ecosystem responses to changing climate. Analysis of algae and fungi, including coprophilous fungal spores, has allowed further conclusions about the highly local (wetland) environment, where Marathousa 1 was situated. For the first time, a multi-species record of coprophilous fungal spores from a Middle Pleistocene site in Greece is available to track the presence of large herbivores and deepen our understanding of the available sources of subsistence for Middle Pleistocene hominins. Another central point is the analysis of the local fire history, using pollen-slide and sedimentary charcoal and charcoal morphotypes, which allows further insights into the Megalopolis ecosystem. Finally, these new palaeoecological records from Marathousa 1 are compared with other proxy records to highlight spatial and temporal patterns of climate variability in southern Europe during the MIS 12 glaciation and the MIS 12/11 transition. In summary, a variety of new insights have been gained, thereby contributing to our understanding of hominin evolution and dispersal in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.

Die Dissertation ist gesperrt bis zum 15. Juli 2027 !