Using the data
from the Gibraltar caves, supplemeted by a regional survey of Middle and
Upper Palaeolithic sites and published studies of other sites in
southern Iberia, a start has been made at interpreting the effects of
climate-induced environmental change on the Palaeolithic populations of
southern Iberia during Oxygen Isotope Stages (OIS) 4-2 and at modelling
the wider context of the evolution of these populations in Iberia. Our
results have highlighted the constancy of the species composition of the
large mammal community of the region during the Late Pleistocene and its
similarity to the contemporary fauna with the exception of the loss of
several of the larger carnivores, such as the Spotted Hyaena and the
Leopard Panthera pardus, and rare megafaunal species, such as the
Narrow-nosed Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. The avifauna
is similarly that of open woodland and savanna-like environments to
which are added local components associated w ith cliffs and wetlands.
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Fossil
humerus from an Atlantic Grey Seal. These seals are not found
further south than the British Isles at present. >> |
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Fossil lower mandible of a Lynx. The Lynx can still be found in
restricted areas of the Iberian Peninsula.
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