scholarly journals The Stalagmite Record of Southern Arabia: Climatic Extremes, Human Evolution and Societal Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Luke Nicholson ◽  
Matthew J. Jacobson ◽  
Rob Hosfield ◽  
Dominik Fleitmann
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Variable Region ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Societal Development ◽  
Southern Arabia ◽  
Mis 5E

The fluctuating climatic conditions of the Saharo-Arabian deserts are increasingly linked to human evolutionary events and societal developments. On orbital timescales, the African and Indian Summer Monsoons were displaced northward and increased precipitation to the Arabian Peninsula which led to favorable periods for human occupation in the now arid interior. At least four periods of climatic optima occurred within the last 130,000 years, related to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5e (128–121 ka BP), 5c (104–97 ka BP), 5a (81–74 ka BP) and 1 (10.5–6.2 ka BP), and potentially early MIS 3 (60–50 ka BP). Stalagmites from Southern Arabia have been key to understanding climatic fluctuations and human-environmental interactions; their precise and high-resolution chronologies can be linked to evidence for changes in human distribution and climate/environment induced societal developments. Here, we review the most recent advances in the Southern Arabian Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene stalagmite records. We compare and contrast MIS 5e and Early Holocene climates to understand how these differed, benchmark the extremes of climatic variability and summarize the impacts on human societal development. We suggest that, while the extreme of MIS 5e was important for H. sapeins dispersal, subsequent, less intense, wet phases mitigate against a simplistic narrative. We highlight that while climate can be a limiting and important factor, there is also the potential of human adaptability and resilience. Further studies will be needed to understand spatio-temporal difference in human-environment interactions in a climatically variable region.

scholarly journals Hunting, Husbandry, and Human-Environment Interactions in the Neolithic Lakeshore Sites of Western Switzerland

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manar Kerdy ◽  
Patricia Chiquet ◽  
Jörg Schibler
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Cultural Influence ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Exceptional Preservation ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Interdisciplinary Framework ◽  
Exploratory Procedures

The lakeshores of western Switzerland are one of Europe's best-known Neolithic settlement areas, thanks to dendrochronological dating and the exceptional preservation of organic materials. Against this outstanding background, this study uses zooarchaeological data to answer a series of questions regarding the Neolithic economy, environment and human-environment interactions at these lakeshore sites. It also discusses, within an interdisciplinary framework, the possible impact climatic fluctuations, cultural influence, topographical conditions, and demographic growth had on economic change. The results show that the faunal economy was mainly based on animal husbandry, with fluctuations in the cattle-pig ratio. Hunting also played an important role in the food system and focused mainly on large game, especially red deer, which contributed significantly to the meat supply. The results from comparing these animal bone remains also show that multiple factors, such as topography, climatic conditions, and cultural influence, played a part in the socio-economic organisation of the Neolithic communities. Exploratory procedures such as correspondence analysis support these interpretations.

scholarly journals The Eneolithic/Bronze Age Transition at Tegole di Bovino (Apulia): Geoarchaeological Evidence of Climate Change and Land-Use Shift

Quaternary ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Guido S. Mariani ◽  
Italo M. Muntoni ◽  
Andrea Zerboni
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Sedimentary Deposits ◽  
The Bronze Age

Human communities at the transition between the Eneolithic period and the Bronze Age had to rapidly adapt to cultural and climatic changes, which influenced the whole Mediterranean. The exact dynamics involved in this crucial passage are still a matter of discussion. As newer studies have highlighted the key role of climatic fluctuations during this period, their relationship with the human occupation of the landscape are yet to be fully explored. We investigated the infilling of negative structures at the archaeological site of Tegole di Bovino (Apulia, Southern Italy) looking at evidence of the interaction between climate changes and human strategies. The archaeological sedimentary deposits, investigated though geoarchaeological and micromorphological techniques, show the presence of natural and anthropogenic infillings inside most structures. Both human intervention and/or natural events occurred in the last phases of occupation of the site and its subsequent abandonment. The transition to unfavorable climatic conditions in the same period was most likely involved in the abandonment of the site. The possible further impact of human communities on the landscape in that period, testified by multiple other archives, might have in turn had a role in the eventual change in land use.

Monitoring continental movement patterns of the Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis through community-based surveys and remote sensing

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Ziembicki ◽  
John C. Z. Woinarski
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Mail Surveys

Many birds of Australia's arid and monsoonal regions are characterized by dispersive or nomadic movements and large population fluctuations in response to variable climatic conditions. These characteristics, compounded by our generally limited knowledge of bird movements and population dynamics (in part due to limited research effort in these sparsely-populated rangelands), complicate population monitoring and conservation for such species. Here we employ mail surveys of landholders across continental Australia to assess the distribution and movement patterns of the Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis. We combine data from these simple mail surveys with more sophisticated techniques that allow for tracking the flux in rainfall patterns and vegetation greenness over broad spatial and temporal scales, to identify and describe the responses of bustards to seasonai and climatic variability. Our results demonstrate that residency patterns of bustards vary widely across Australia. The seasonality of bustard occurrence is generally more pronounced in regions characterized by predictable seasonal conditions. Seasonal patterns are also evident in more climatically unpredictable regions, although here they may be increasingly overlaid by more idiosyncratic movements as a result of longer term variation in rainfall and associated patterns of primary productivity. We found limited evidence that bustards respond to inter-regional irregularities in rainfall events, suggesting that nomadic movements are generally not continental, but rather intra-regional. However, longer term data sets that cover several more, or more extreme, climatic fluctuations than that considered here, are needed to assess these relationships adequately. To a lesser degree and differently between regions, respondents reported that bustards are also associated with fire, grasshopper outbreaks, crop agriculture and drought. They are most abundant across the savannahs of northern Australia extending to parts of the Pilbara and recently cleared regions of the Brigalow Belt in eastern Queensland. In southern Australia, bustards are perceived as shor-term, irregular visitors whereas more permanent populations persist in northern and northeastern regions. While there are inherent limitations to such data, the study illustrates the utility of incorporating rangeland users into the types of large-scale monitoring programmes required to assess the distribution and movement patterns of highly mobile birds or species characterized by large population fluctuations.

scholarly journals Demographic effects of interacting species: exploring stable coexistence under increased climatic variability in a semiarid shrub community

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana I. García-Cervigón ◽  
Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio ◽  
Adrián Escudero ◽  
Merari E. Ferrer-Cervantes ◽  
Ana M. Sánchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Demographic Models ◽  
Shrub Community

AbstractPopulation persistence is strongly determined by climatic variability. Changes in the patterns of climatic events linked to global warming may alter population dynamics, but their effects may be strongly modulated by biotic interactions. Plant populations interact with each other in such a way that responses to climate of a single population may impact the dynamics of the whole community. In this study, we assess how climate variability affects persistence and coexistence of two dominant plant species in a semiarid shrub community on gypsum soils. We use 9 years of demographic data to parameterize demographic models and to simulate population dynamics under different climatic and ecological scenarios. We observe that populations of both coexisting species may respond to common climatic fluctuations both similarly and in idiosyncratic ways, depending on the yearly combination of climatic factors. Biotic interactions (both within and among species) modulate some of their vital rates, but their effects on population dynamics highly depend on climatic fluctuations. Our results indicate that increased levels of climatic variability may alter interspecific relationships. These alterations might potentially affect species coexistence, disrupting competitive hierarchies and ultimately leading to abrupt changes in community composition.

A multi-proxy reconstruction of climate during the late-Pleistocene to early Holocene transition in the northeastern, USA

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Laurie D. Grigg ◽  
Kevin J. Engle ◽  
Alison J. Smith ◽  
Bryan N. Shuman ◽  
Maximilian B. Mandl
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Environmental Preferences ◽  
The North ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Components Analysis

Abstract A multiproxy record from Twin Ponds, VT, is used to reconstruct climatic variability during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene transition. Pollen, ostracodes, δ18O, and lithologic records from 13.5 to 9.0 cal ka BP are presented. Pollen- and ostracode-inferred climatic reconstructions are based on individual species’ environmental preferences and the modern analog technique. Principal components analysis of all proxies highlights the overall warming trend and centennial-scale climatic variability. During the Younger Dryas cooling event (YD), multiple proxies show evidence for cold winter conditions and increasing seasonality after 12.5 cal ka BP. The early Holocene shows an initial phase of rapid warming with a brief cold interval at 11.5 cal ka BP, followed by a more gradual warming; a cool, wet period from 11.2 to 10.8 cal ka BP; and cool, dry conditions from 10.8 to 10.2 cal ka BP. The record ends with steady warming and increasing moisture. Post-YD climatic variability has been observed at other sites in the northeastern United States and points to continued instability in the North Atlantic during the final phases of deglaciation.

Paleoecological and archaeological implications of a Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene record of vegetation and climate from the Pacific coastal plain of Panama

2003 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolores R. Piperno ◽  
John G. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Tropical Deciduous Forest ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Core Sediment ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Holocene Record

AbstractA phytolith record from Monte Oscuro, a crater lake located 10 m above sea level on the Pacific coastal plain of Panama, shows that during the Late Pleistocene the lake bed was dry and savanna-like vegetation expanded at the expense of tropical deciduous forest, the modern potential vegetation. A significant reduction of precipitation below current levels was almost certainly required to effect the changes observed. Core sediment characteristics indicate that permanent inundation of the Monte Oscuro basin with water occurred at about 10,500 14C yr B.P. Pollen and phytolith records show that deciduous tropical forest expanded into the lake’s watershed during the early Holocene. Significant burning of the vegetation and increases of weedy plants at ca. 7500 to 7000 14C yr B.P. indicate disturbance, which most likely resulted from early human occupation of the seasonal tropical forest near Monte Oscuro and the development of slash-and-burn methods of cultivation.

scholarly journals Testing Farmers’ Perception of Climate Variability: A Case Study from Kirtipur of Kathmandu Valley

2012 ◽  
pp. 30-34
Author(s):  
Jiban Mani Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Kathmandu Valley ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Climate Fluctuations ◽  
Global And Local

In the 21st century, global climate change has become a public and political discourse. However, there is still a wide gap between global and local perspectives. The global perspective focuses on climate fluctuations that affect the larger region; and their analysis is based on long-term records over centuries and millennium. By comparison, local peoples’ perspectives vary locally, and local analyses are limited to a few days, years, decades and generations only. This paper examines how farmers in Kirtipur of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, understand climate variability in their surroundings. The researcher has used a cognized model to understand farmers’ perception on weather fluctuations and climate change. The researcher has documented several eyewitness accounts of farmers about weather fluctuations which they have been observing in a lifetime. The researcher has also used rainfall data from 1970-2009 to test the accuracy of perceptions. Unlike meteorological analyses, farmers recall and their understanding of climatic variability by weather-crop interaction, and events associating with climatic fluctuations and perceptions are shaped by both physical visibility and cultural frame or belief system.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v11i1.7200 Hydro Nepal Special Issue: Conference Proceedings 2012 pp.30-34

scholarly journals Marine late Saalian to Eemian environments and climatic variability in the Danish shelf area

2000 ◽  
Vol 79 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 335-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz ◽  
Karen Luise Knudsen ◽  
Peter Kristensen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Shelf Area ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Mis 5E

AbstractThe marine Eemian (marine oxygen-isotope substage 5e: MIS 5e) is represented by shallow-water deposits in southern and western Denmark, while relatively deep-water environments occurred to the north and north-east, where complete interglacial successions seem to be present. We present an overview of the marine Eemian deposits in Denmark, and discuss in more detail indications of climate variability, both for the late Saalian and within the Eemian.

Human occupation strategies and related environmental-climate during the middle and late Holocene in central Pampas of Argentina

The Holocene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo G Messineo ◽  
Marcela S Tonello ◽  
Silvina Stutz ◽  
Alfonsina Tripaldi ◽  
Nahuel Scheifler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Hard Material ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Depositional Rate ◽  
Archeological Site ◽  
Middle And Late Holocene

The main objective of this work is to generate and integrate interpretations of human occupation strategies and inferences of the environmental-climatic conditions in the central Pampas during the middle and late Holocene. We present a novel archeological–geological–paleoecological analysis in the area of the Cabeza de Buey lake, placed in an aeolian landscape. During the middle Holocene, two events of human occupations were recognized at Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 archeological site. Both events present a small amount of lithic materials, a low diversity of tools and activities developed with them (principally hard material), and the hunting and primary processing of artiodactyls. These evidences suggest a locus of specific activity associated with an ephemeral human settlement under climate conditions drier than present and the presence of small, brackish, and shallow water bodies. For the late late Holocene, the hunter-gatherer occupation has a higher depositional rate of lithic assemblage, stones with diverse origins, presence of pottery fragments, a great lithic tool diversity, knapping techniques, and activities developed with these tools (processing wood, bone, hide, non-woody plant, and soft material). These evidences reveal an occupation with a higher degree of recurrence represented by a locus of multiple activities associated with a more stable landscape, such as an environment of dunes fixed by grass vegetation, and the establishment of a permanent water body. The different environmental characteristics for the middle and late Holocene in this area promoted that human groups develop two different patterns of mobility, settlement and use of space.

Climate forcing of volcano lateral collapse: evidence from Mount Etna, Sicily

2010 ◽  
Vol 368 (1919) ◽  
pp. 2559-2577 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Deeming ◽  
B. McGuire ◽  
P. Harrop
Keyword(s):  
Slope Failure ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Watershed Development ◽  
Eastern Flank ◽  
Consequent Reduction ◽  
Water Saturated ◽  
Excess Pore Pressures ◽  
Exposure Ages

In this study, we present evidence for early Holocene climatic conditions providing circumstances favourable to major lateral collapse at Mount Etna, Sicily. The volcano’s most notable topographic feature is the Valle del Bove, a 5×8 km cliff-bounded amphitheatre excavated from the eastern flank of the volcano. Its origin due to prehistoric lateral collapse is corroborated by stürtzstrom deposits adjacent to the amphitheatre’s downslope outlet, but the age, nature and cause of amphitheatre excavation remain matters for debate. Cosmogenic 3 He exposure ages determined for eroded surfaces within an abandoned watershed flanking the Valle del Bove support channel abandonment ca 7.5 ka BP, as a consequence of its excavation in a catastrophic collapse event. Watershed development was largely dictated by pluvial conditions during the early Holocene, which are also implicated in slope failure. A viable trigger is magma emplacement into rift zones in the eastern flank of a water-saturated edifice, leading to the development of excess pore pressures, consequent reduction in sliding resistance, detachment and collapse. Such a mechanism is presented as one potential driver of future lateral collapse in volcanic landscapes forecast to experience increased precipitation or melting of ice cover as a consequence of anthropogenic warming.

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