The Central Balkans are a key biogeographical region in Southern Europe, influenced by a central European-Mediterranean climate, which acted as a refugium for flora and fauna, and favored the ...dispersion of Neanderthals and migration of modern human populations during Late Glacial Period. This study presents pollen analyses of sediment and hyaena coprolites from Pešturina Cave in Serbia to reconstruct the vegetation landscapes faced by Balkan Neanderthals and early Anatomically Modern Humans between MIS 5e-3. Between MIS 5e-5c (archaeological layers 4c and 4b) and MIS 5b-5a (layer 4a), semi-forested environments prevailed, characterized by Pinus, deciduous Quercus, Tilia and other angiosperm woody taxa, accompanied by heliophytes such as Artemisia and Poaceae. During MIS 4-3 (layers 3-2), the vegetation was dominated by Artemisia-Poaceae steppes with Quercus patches, conifers and legumes. Overall across the sequence, pollen assemblages are highly diverse and include a number of deciduous trees and sclerophylls. In addition, the occurrence of several herbaceous taxa reinforces the view that the Balkans were outstanding for endemicity. Neanderthals and early Upper Palaeolithic hominins lived in a highly diverse refugium, offering multiple opportunities for survival during the warm interstadials and, more critically, the cold stadials of the Pleistocene.
•Pešturina Cave in southern Serbia is dated from MIS 5e to MIS 3.•Palynological study of sediment and hyaena coprolites reconstruct the vegetation landscapes.•The Late Pleistocene vegetation around Pešturina Cave was a mosaic of different landscapes.•The vegetation of the Balkan Neanderthals included high plant diversity.
The country of Serbia is situated on the Balkan Peninsula and has a moderate continental climate. Dramatic tectonic activity in the early Miocene generated two main mountain ranges and led to the ...retreat of Paratethys. This meant the Balkan Peninsula became a crossroads for many migrating species. Currently, the majority of central European species, along with some Mediterranean, and even Euro-Siberian taxa can be found in Serbia. Fossil records from caves reveal changes in fossil fauna from the Pleistocene to Holocene. There is evidence that the distinct configuration of the terrain in the Balkans led to many isolated areas, enabling large mammal species, together with Neanderthals that were living in the area, to find refuge and survive longer than in the rest of Europe. The best fossil associations containing small vertebrates come from the Baranica, Hadži Prodanova, Pešturina, and Smolućka caves. Based on available numerical dating, an attempt has been made to fit these within the chronological context of the Mousterian-Aurignacian-Gravettian cultural succession. The stratigraphy of the layers corresponds to the so-called MIS 5 to MIS 2 (i.e., from 70,000 to 14,000 years ago). This paper presents a review of the herpetofaunal findings from Serbia, and analyses the data collected. Statistical approaches, involving hierarchical clustering and correspondence analysis, have been used on the fossil amphibian and reptile assemblages. As associated context is often not sufficient, small mammal assemblages have been used as a comparative proxy for reconstructing the palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment, through the application of taxonomical habitat indexes and bioclimate analysis. The overall analysis reveals that the herpetofaunal composition experience substantial change between MIS 3 and MIS 2, when there were a loss of diversity and the concurrence of species adapted to cold climates and environments, in accordance with the glacial cycle.
•This paper presents a review of the herpetofaunal findings from Serbia.•Fossil records from caves reveal changes in fossil fauna from the Pleistocene to Holocene.•Herpetofaunal composition experience substantial change between MIS 3 and MIS 2.•During MIS 2, there were a loss of diversity and the concurrence of cold adapted species.
The results of stratigraphy of the Sombor and Subotica boreholes were first results of geological examination of borehole material from Vojvodina published by Halaváts in 1895. These geological ...profiles, alongside the borehole profile in Zrenjanin, were recognized as “standard” profiles for Quaternary geology and stratigraphic correlation pertaining to Vojvodina. However, the results of taxonomical revisions for malacologic material, published in 1977 by Krolopp and which presented significant changes in stratigraphy, have not been implemented in the results of geological mapping/surveying. According to new advances and results regarding Quaternary stratigraphy, Lower Pleistocene sediments can be better defined using Pleistocene Corbicula beds, the Viviparus boeckhi Horizon and the results yielded by this paper.
In the case of the Sombor borehole, the Lower Pleistocene was defined at a depth from 48.13 m to 149.5 m, according to its palaeonological record (molluscan assemblage). The Lower- and/or Middle Pleistocene were defined as the interval between a 35.45 m and 48.13 m depth, based on sedimentology (lignite) and malacology. The interval from 15.21 m to 35.45 m depth was identified as Pleistocene, based on superposition and palaeontological material. The yellow quartz sand horizon at 9.74 m–15.21 m remains undefined. The Holocene yellow silty-clay horizon, which ascends to a 9.74 m depth, was identified as Holocene, according to the palaeontological content of the same sediments found in the brickyard in the vicinity of Sombor.
In the case of the Subotica borehole, the Lower Pleistocene – based on palaeontological records – was defined at a depth between 99.6 m and 124.5 m. The depth from 2.2 m to 99.6 m could not be exactly identified as Pleistocene, while Holocene quicksand ascended to a 2.2 m depth.
Recent research in the southern Central Balkans has resulted in the discovery of the first Middle Paleolithic sites in this region. Systematic excavations of Velika and Mala Balanica, and Pešturina ...(southern Serbia) revealed assemblages of Middle Paleolithic artifacts associated with hominin fossils and animal bones. This paper focuses on Pešturina Layer 4, radiometrically and biostratigraphically dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, which yielded traces of temporary hunting camps. The remains of large ungulate prey are associated with predominantly Quina-type artifacts made of quartz. Artifacts from Pešturina Cave have no parallels at Mousterian sites in the Balkans but are rather similar to the Central European Charentian, which demonstrates that this cultural unit was widespread during MIS 5, not only in the southern Pannonian Basin but also in the Central Balkans. The position of the site – on the outskirts of the known spread of the Quina model of techno-economic behavior during MIS 5 – raises several questions related to population movements, residential mobility, and technological variability in the early Middle Paleolithic of Central and Southeast Europe.
During the Late Pleistocene, the Balkans came to be an important region with many isolated areas, enabling fauna, alongside Neanderthals, to thrive in the area. This work is focused on ...paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes that occurred in the northern Balkan Peninsula with a special focus on fossil record from Smolućka cave aging from MIS 5 to MIS 3. Based on available data, an attempt has been made to establish a synthetic chronological context for the faunal assemblages recovered from Smolućka cave. Tentative attribution of layer 5 to MIS 5 relies on the interstadial pattern of our reconstructions, with favorable climate conditions for a large diversity of species and with mean annual temperature (MAT) reaching up to 3 °C higher than present values and abundant rainfall in the area. Cold conditions for MIS 4 are not present in Smolućka, although layer 4 (late MIS 5 or early MIS 4) shows somewhat dryer and cooler climate when compared with other layers. Layers 3z and 3 (MIS 3) are characterized by temperate and humid conditions together with a complex system of mosaic habitats with high environmental heterogeny but generally favorable conditions for a large diversity of life. Although still not fully chronologically constrained, Smolućka cave presents an interesting opportunity for future research, in the time period when only Neanderthals occupied the Balkans and thrived in local conditions. The transition between the Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans has not yet been established but can be expected in future research.
Sixteen early and middle Albian bivalve species, belonging to fourteen genera, eleven families and seven orders, and one brachiopod species are systematically described from the Mitrovčić section ...near Topola (Oplenac Hill), Vardar Zone of central Serbia. Four bivalve species: Acesta subrigida (Roemer, 1836), Acesta cf. dorbignyana (Mathéron, 1843), Neithea (Neithea) sexcostata (S. Woodward, 1833), “Cardium” cottaldinum d'Orbigny, 1844, and one terebratulide species, Praelongithyris rogeri Gaspard, 1974 are recorded from the lower and middle Albian rocks of central Serbia for the first time. The section comprises reddish ferruginous calcareous sandstones that are assigned to the lower Albian as indicated by the presence of the ammonite Douvilleiceras mammillatum (Schlotheim), while yellowish sandy wackestones/packstones located below the late Albian Mortoniceras (M.) inflatum (J. Sowerby), are middle Albian in age. Most of the identified bivalve taxa have a Tethyan affinity and seem to be closest to faunas from western and eastern Europe. This indicates that these regions were close to Serbia during the early–middle Albian. The occurrences of some of these Tethyan bivalves at the northern and western Pacific coast of South America and southern coast of North America is explained by dispersal through the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean during the Albian (Proto-North Atlantic Ocean). Meanwhile, the occurrence of some other Albian taxa along the eastern coast of South America (South Atlantic) was probably a result of the opening of the equatorial Atlantic gateway during that time. The faunas are not endemic, indicating that the larvae were long-lived and possessed a high dispersal potential, facilitated by seaways during the Albian.
Fossils of non-marine molluscs are among the most prominent in Pleistocene deposits. With stabilization of taxonomies in the 19th century, numerous publications appeared with faunal lists of ...Quaternary warm stage molluscs, but few attempts were made to use those data for interpretation. The purpose of this work, along with reevaluation of sites and their molluscan assemblages described in the literature, is to make it possible for non-marine molluscan faunas to be used as biostratigraphic indicators. Biostratigraphic data obtained in this work are comparable with parallel investigation of other fossil records and lithostratigraphy, combined with geochronologic methods. The four most important localities with Viviparus boeckhi in Serbia are Subotica, Sombor, Zrenjanin, and the vicinity of Belgrade. According to the available data, the molluscan assemblage of the V. boeckhi Horizon is identified as fluvial warm stage assemblage which corresponds to the oldest part of the Pleistocene Corbicula Beds.
It is generally considered that the age of the V. boeckhi Horizon(s) corresponds to the younger parts of the Early Pleistocene. However, according to the regional data, the V. boeckhi Horizon of Serbia is younger than the Paludina Beds (of Pliocene–Early Lower Pleistocene age). According to the vertebrate fauna, it is older than the upper Biharian stage (younger part of the Middle Pleistocene).
Fossils of non-marine molluscs are among the most prominent in continental Pleistocene deposits of Europe. With stabilization of taxonomies in the 19th century, numerous publications appeared with ...faunal lists of warm/temperate stage taxa, but few attempts were made to interpret the data. The goal of recent work, along with the re-evaluation of sites and their molluscan assemblages described in the literature, is to enable non-marine molluscan faunas to be used as guide fossils for the analysed fluvial sequences in the classification of climato-lithostratigraphic principles. The biostratigraphic scheme developed in this work is comparable with parallel investigations of other fossil records and climato-lithostratigraphy combined with geochronologic methods. In earlier literature, the Pleistocene Corbicula record was mentioned in Makiš beds (“Makiški slojevi”), in the Corbicula fluminalis beds (“slojevi sa C. fluminalis”) of Szentes deposits (“Senteški slojevi”), as well as being associated with the Viviparus boeckhi Horizon as defined by Halaváts in the late 19th century.
In Serbian records, the most important locations of the Pleistocene Corbicula beds are in the south-eastern part of the Pannonian Plain, which corresponds to the lowland river valleys of the (paleo) Danube, (paleo)Sava and (paleo)Tisza, and the western margin of the Dacian realm. Pleistocene Corbicula beds were formed as warm stage fluvial (and palustrine) deposits, and they are climate-lithostratigraphic units. Pleistocene Corbicula beds are younger than Upper Paludina beds (defined as the lower part of the Lower Pleistocene) in the Pannonian realm or the Romanian stage in the Dacian realm. According to the molluscan assemblage, palaeogeographical features and other paleontological contents (vertebrate fauna, ostracods), they are older than the Upper Pleistocene. According to the reference data and the composition of the molluscan assemblage, the V. boeckhi Horizon has been identified as a biostratigraphic unit. Fortunately, the V. boeckhi Horizon can be adopted to the Serbian climato-lithostratigraphy model of the fluvial warm stages and represents the lowermost part/subunit of the Pleistocene Corbicula beds of Lower Pleistocene age.
