The last 20,000 years of climate change in the Iberian Peninsula characterized by the small-mammal assemblages

Abstract

Climate and environments have undergone significant changes throughout the Earth's history, which are reflected in the faunal record. In that sense, small mammals provide valuable palaeoecological insights due to their close relationship with their associated environments. Our research investigates the dynamics of small mammal communities in the Iberian Peninsula from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, comparing regional environmental variations as well as anthropogenic impacts. Our review of the small mammal assemblages from 26 archaeological sites across the Iberian Peninsula revealed a differential response of the small mammal communities between the northern and southern areas. The colder climatic conditions which characterized the Late Pleistocene favoured the presence of mid-European species (e.g., Alexandromys (Oecomicrotus) oeconomus, Chionomys (Chionomys) nivalis) in northern regions until the Mid Holocene, while other taxa today restricted to northern Iberia (e.g., Arvicola amphibius, Microtus gr. (Euarvicola) arvalis, Sorex araneus-coronatus) reached southern regions during the Last Glacial Maximum but disappeared at the beginning of the Holocene period. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions indicate predominantly open landscapes and colder climates in the Late Pleistocene, with increased forest cover during the Early-Mid Holocene in northern areas. In contrast, the southern regions exhibited more stable environments compared to the northern ones. Our results underscore how the great environmental diversity and interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors affected the composition of Iberian small mammal communities during the last 20,000 years. Most specifically, during the Late Holocene, biogeographical patterns of the small mammals are mostly affected by anthropic activities, with changes in the distribution of some species (Microtus (Iberomys) cabrerae), and the entrance of new ones (synanthropic species).