Climate deteriorations and Neanderthal demise in interior Iberia

Area of Science:

• Paleoclimatology
• Paleoanthropology
• Quaternary Geology

Background:

• The extinction of Neanderthals and their interaction with Modern Humans remain debated, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula.
• Understanding past climate is key to determining if environmental changes or human competition caused Neanderthal extinction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reconstruct paleoclimatic conditions in the Iberian Peninsula during the last glacial period.
• To assess the role of climate versus Modern Human presence in Neanderthal disappearance.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a high-resolution loess record from the Upper Tagus Basin, Spain.
• Stratigraphic findings and stable isotope analyses to determine environmental conditions.
• Correlation of climate data with archaeological evidence of Modern Human activity.

Main Results:

• Neanderthal abandonment of inner Iberian territories 42,000 years ago coincided with severe environmental conditions.
• This abandonment occurred independently of Modern Human activities in the region.
• The period was among the driest of the last glacial, with climate deteriorations aligning with Northern Hemisphere cold periods (Heinrich Stadials) during Marine Isotope Stages 4 and 2.

Conclusions:

• Climate deterioration, characterized by extreme dryness, was the primary driver of Neanderthal disappearance from inner Iberia.
• The complex relationship between climate and Neanderthal presence during Marine Isotope Stage 3 highlights the intricate nature of glacial period climate dynamics.