Papers by George Iliopoulos
Historical Biology
More than 3000 fossil vertebrate specimens have been unearthed from the new Lower Pleistocene loc... more More than 3000 fossil vertebrate specimens have been unearthed from the new Lower Pleistocene locality of Karnezeika, Peloponnese, Greece. The vast majority of the material (~90%) represents bovids, and their systematic study is provided herein. The bovid assemblage consists of four taxa. A significant portion of the collected bovid material belongs to a small sized gazelle, attributed to Gazella bouvrainae, and to the large Rupicaprini Gallogoral meneghinii. A relatively small sized form of Gazellospira torticornis has been recorded as well, and in addition the scarce dental material belonging to an unspecified Caprini form is mentioned as Caprini gen. et sp. indet. This combination of taxa is typical for the Middle Villafranchian of Greece (2.6–1.8 Ma).
Quaternary International, 2020
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Quaternary International, 2018
The coastal areas of Eastern Mediterranean have long been the subject of research, due to their r... more The coastal areas of Eastern Mediterranean have long been the subject of research, due to their rapid geomorphological changes, but also because of their archaeological interest. Our study is focused on a shallow coastal lagoon of Peloponnese, Gialova Lagoon, which for several years has attracted the scientific interest of archaeologists, geomorphologists as well as sedimentologists. Gialova lagoon is located near the ancient city of Pylos, the kingdom of king Nestor during the Mycenaean period (1600e1100 BC). The objectives of this study are: (a) to reconstruct the middle to late Holocene depositional environments of the lagoon and (b) to correlate our data to already existing publications, in order to shed new light on the Holocene evolution of the lagoon and the associated coastal palaeoenvironmental changes. An 8 m deep vibracore was drilled and a multi proxy analysis was carried out on the sediment sequence, including sedimentological (grain size analysis and moment measures, total organic carbon e TOC, total nitrogen e TN and total phosphorus e TP), high resolution geochemical (XRF-scanning) and palaeontological (micro-and macro faunal) analysis. The chronological framework is based on five 14 C datings forming the basis for an age depth model, calculated using the OxCal software. The radiocarbon dates from previous studies (6 cores,~20 dates) were also taken into account. The data synthesis and interpretation provided robust and coherent indications regarding the palaeoenvironment, shoreline changes and the rate of geomorphological changes of the coastal area of Gialova Lagoon, as well as useful information about the palaeonvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions that prevailed during the Mycenaean period. The interpretation, reveal a transition from a shallow marine environment (6500-5800 yr B.P.) to a brackish/lagoonal (5800-3300 yr B.P.), followed by a shift towards a freshwater/marsh environment (3300 yr B.P. to present).
Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2017
This study presents sedimentological and palaeontological data retrieved from a coastal lagoon ne... more This study presents sedimentological and palaeontological data retrieved from a coastal lagoon near Ayvalik in NW Turkey. The objective of this study is to interpret the depositional environments and reconstruct the evolution of the study area during the late Holocene. 42 sediment samples have been retrieved from a 13m core. Sedimentological analyses such as grain size analysis, moment measures of mean, sorting, skewness and kurtosis, definition of total organic carbon (T.O.C.), total nitrogen (T.N.), colour and CaCO3 (%) were employed. Moreover, macro and microfossils were collected to reconstruct the depositional environments. The palaeoenvironmental - palaeoecological analyses indicated a closed shallow shelf environment (around 4000 to 2400 yr BP) that gradually turned into a leaky lagoon (around 2400 yr BP to present).
Geosciences, 2022
Field investigation, Microfacies analysis, and biostratigraphy have been carried out in the centr... more Field investigation, Microfacies analysis, and biostratigraphy have been carried out in the central parts of the Ionian Basin (Aetoloakarnania area, Western Greece) in order to decipher the depositional environments that developed during the accumulation of the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene carbonate succession. Three different Standard Microfacies types (SMF) have been observed, corresponding to two different depositional environments (Facies Zones or FZ) of a platform progradation. The three SMF types which occur in the study area during the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene are: 1. SMF 3 that includes mudstone/wackestone with planktic foraminifera and radiolaria, corresponding to toe-of-slope (FZ: 3), 2. SMF 4, which can be classified as polymict clast-supported microbreccia, indicating a toe-of-slope-slope environment (FZ: 4) and 3. SMF 5 which is characterized by allochthonous bioclastic breccia and components deriving from adjacent platforms and which reflects a slope environment. Micro...
At Boleika site, which lies on the southern slopes of Mt. Skaros, in the Nydri plain, an excavati... more At Boleika site, which lies on the southern slopes of Mt. Skaros, in the Nydri plain, an excavation, carried out in 2008, brought to light part of a ΜΗ cemetery. This paper presents the graves and their goods, and examines the cemetery's location and its connection to the nearby MH tumulus S, discovered by the German archaeologist W. Dörpfeld. Additionally, the study of the skeletal material is presented, as well as a dental pulp DNA analysis procedure .
Minerals
The studied area is situated in northwestern Greece and corresponds to the northern end of the Pr... more The studied area is situated in northwestern Greece and corresponds to the northern end of the Pre-Apulian Zone, in contact with the Apulian platform to the west and the Ionian Basin to the east. The proposed model is based on fieldwork, measured deformation structures, and age determination of the studied deposits. Until now, the known Pre-Apulian platform or Pre-Apulian zone represents the margins of the Apulian platform to the Ionian Basin and was formed due to the normal faults’ activity during the Mesozoic to Cenozoic Eras. Soft sediment deformation (SSD) structures are widespread within the upper Paleocene to lower Miocene limestones/marly limestones that are exposed in both Paxoi and Anti-Paxoi Islands, mostly along their eastern coasts, across sections of 2–3 km long and up to 60 m high. SSD structures, with a vertical thickness up to 10 m, have been observed in limestones and were formed during or immediately after deposition, during the first stage of sediment consolidatio...
Geosciences
The assessment of the geosites of Chelmos-Vouraikos UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) was carried out ... more The assessment of the geosites of Chelmos-Vouraikos UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) was carried out based on an established methodology for the evaluation of geoparks’ geosites. Such assessments should be used for sustainable development and geoconservation in geoparks. The selected methodology is based on a wider range of criteria concerning the overall value of each geosite, compared to other locations. Each criterion was scored and then three indices, Vedu, Vprot and Vedu were estimated for each geosite. The application of this methodology at Chelmos-Vouraikos UGGp has produced results which not only highlight the value of each geosite, but also provide ways for their utilization. The assessment of the 40 geosites of the geopark, identified geosites with high educational and touristic value (such as Portes–Triklia and the Cave of the Lakes), while geosites with increased protection-need value (the Tectonic Graben of Kalavryta) were also highlighted. Therefore, the assessment results...
Minerals
In this study, siliceous nodules from the world-famous Myrtos beach, as well as from Avithos beac... more In this study, siliceous nodules from the world-famous Myrtos beach, as well as from Avithos beach, in the western flanks of Kefalonia Island in Greece are examined by means of petrographical, mineralogical, geochemical and micropaleontological methods. The objectives of this study are to characterize the textural and compositional features of the nodules, with the aim to provide an initial interpretation of their origin and their diagenetic evolution. The studied siliceous nodules are hosted within Lower Cretaceous thin-bedded limestones at Myrtos and Upper Eocene limestones at Avithos. Nodules from both areas display a characteristic concentric texture at a macroscopic and microscopic scale. They both have a dense fine-grained siliceous sedimentary fabric, composed mainly of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz and moganite with common residual calcite in the case of Avithos. These results, and in particular the shape of the nodules, along the textural and compositional ch...
Frontiers in Earth Science
Lithics and cut-marked mammal bones, excavated from the paleo-lake Marathousa 1 (MAR-1) sediments... more Lithics and cut-marked mammal bones, excavated from the paleo-lake Marathousa 1 (MAR-1) sediments in the Megalopolis Basin, southern Greece, indicate traces of hominin activity occurring along a paleo-shoreline ca. 444,000 years (444 ka) ago. However, the local environment and climatic conditions promoting hominin activity in the area during the MIS12 glacial remain largely unknown. In order to reconstruct the paleo-environment including paleo-lake levels and governing paleo-climatic factors on a high temporal resolution, we analyzed a 6-meter-long sediment sequence from the archeological site MAR-1 and a Bayesian age model was computed for a better age constrain of the different sedimentary units. A multiproxy approach was applied using ostracods, sponge spicules, diatoms, grain sizes, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon and conventional X-ray fluorescence analysis. The results from the site represent a protected region surrounded by high mountains under the constant influ...
Heliyon
In the present study, results from the examination of mammalian teeth from the cave of Kalamakia ... more In the present study, results from the examination of mammalian teeth from the cave of Kalamakia with modern techniques, as well as a qualitative overview of the microvertebrate and lithic material, are presented together with a revision of previous related work done for the site, in order to assess the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the area and the role they played in the Neanderthal's repeated occupation of the cave. Geometric morphometrics analyses performed on the first lower molars of Microtus spp. individuals revealed persistent populations of the subgenus Terricola, in which the presence of Microtus thomasi and Microtus subterraneus are continuous through the stratigraphic units. Mesowear analyses performed on ruminant teeth showed no significant variation in toothwear through time, except for relatively elevated levels of dietary abrasion for the more recent samples. The study of the lithics revealed that Neanderthals visited the cave in alternating short and more permanent episodes of occupation, with the human occupants exhibiting special concern for raw material economy, while exploiting poor raw materials for the construction of their tools. The overview of the microvertebrate remains showed a growing trend towards the upper stratigraphic units, where taxa typical of temperate climate, open woodland and shrubland become more dominant. These results, along with observations derived from previous studies, suggest that temperate climate and open environment were the factors that mainly contributed to making the cave of Kalamakia attractive as a habitation site to the humans of the area.
Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome
The microfaunal remains recovered at the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia (Poros island, Greece... more The microfaunal remains recovered at the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia (Poros island, Greece) are abundant and varied. They belong to a number of different animal taxa, including snakes, frogs, lizards, and some micromammals. They have been found in several locations but the largest concentration originates in a closed Late Hellenistic/Early Roman deposit within a cistern (Feature 03). The snakes in this assemblage are numerous, belonging to terrestrial and aquatic species, and to both venomous and non-venomous varieties. Bones of some of them along with certain frog bones show traces of burning, which may suggest some type of manipulation before the deposition. The microfaunal remains from the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia also strongly suggest that these types of animal were involved in ritual activities—dead or alive.
Scientific reports, Jan 23, 2018
Many hirundine species construct their nests by carrying mud particles from adjacent areas. This ... more Many hirundine species construct their nests by carrying mud particles from adjacent areas. This study aimed to investigate for the first time the materials that mud-nesting hirundines choose for nest construction from a mineralogical and sedimentological perspective. For this purpose, we sampled nests of three sympatric species, namely the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), the Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica) and the House Martin (Delichon urbicum), from southeastern Europe. Our results showed that all species tend to use clay minerals as a cement and especially smectite and illite and if these minerals are not present in the adjacent area, they use halloysite, kaolinite or chlorite. The amounts of clay minerals in the nests are generally low indicating that the studied species can accurately identify the properties of the nesting materials. Most of the non clay minerals that they use are the common, easily accessible colourless or white minerals with low specific gravity values...
Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece
In the last five years, the discovery of several new localities of fossil Sirenians found in the ... more In the last five years, the discovery of several new localities of fossil Sirenians found in the Neogene sediments of Crete has increased drastically the number of sirenian localities on the island. Some of the most important findings consist of almost complete post cranial skeletons (localities of Stilos, Panassos near Zaros and Tripitos in Agia Fotia near Siteia). Furthermore, the locality Kotsiana near Chania, where in 1973 Symeonidis and Schultz reported the first sirenian findings from Crete, was revisited and several new sites were recorded. The most recent findings not thoroughly studied yet, are situated in three new fossiliferous sites near Panassos village (Ampelouzos, Panasos 2 and Kefala), and in Afrata at Rodopou peninsula. The preliminary morphological and metrical study of the remains from Panassos and Tripitos, and their comparison with other findings from Crete, as well as with Sirenian material from European localities, has shown that all studied individuals belong...
Dwarf elephants and dwarf deer are now extinct, but between 800,000 and 3,000 years ago they live... more Dwarf elephants and dwarf deer are now extinct, but between 800,000 and 3,000 years ago they lived on islands throughout the Mediterranean, Indonesia and off the coasts of Siberia and California. They are remarkable examples of rapid evolution during a period of fluctuating climate and sea level change. As sea levels rose and fell in the Mediterranean, the size of the islands and their distance from the mainland altered dramatically, accompanied by shifts in resource availability and type, and opportunities for dispersal. Indeed, at times of low sea level, land bridges may have been formed. Here, we present efforts to provide chronological constraint on the fossil record (dwarf elephants and deer) preserved in coastal caves and karst settings of the Mediterranean and make preliminary correlations with climate change. We have revisited numerous sites on the Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus, following in the footsteps of pioneering verterbrate paleontologists. Not least, among these research...
Revue de Micropaléontologie
Quaternary International
Abstract Pollen analysis was performed on a Lower Pleistocene lacustrine sedimentary sequence out... more Abstract Pollen analysis was performed on a Lower Pleistocene lacustrine sedimentary sequence outcropping in Sousaki Basin, eastern Gulf of Corinth, Greece for the first time. The palynological assemblages revealed a stable climate, with regard to the glacial/interglacial climate variability timescale, with minor fluctuations in humidity, expressed as a relatively wet phase between 13.1 and 19.3 m and some transient increased aridity and humidity events. A Mediterranean type of vegetation presenting altitudinal zonation was evidenced for the first time in this region. Pinus and Quercus dominate, accompanied by other arboreal and non arboreal plants. The presence of rare taxa such as Taxodiaceae, Engelhardia, Liquidambar, Tsuga and Cedrus in very low percentages shows that these taxa remained in the area as relicts sometime between 2.8 and 1.5Ma. Palaeovegetation patterns from the Balkan Peninsula are lacking, especially during the Early Pleistocene. Thus, in this study a palaeoclimate reconstruction of the Early Pleistocene Sousaki Basin based on palynological data, is presented accentuating the effect of global climate changes in an area where no other similar records exist.
Cretaceous Research
Abstract Sedimentological studies of the Upper Cretaceous–lower Eocene limestones in the western ... more Abstract Sedimentological studies of the Upper Cretaceous–lower Eocene limestones in the western part of the Ionian basin (Araxos area) indicate that these deposits are composed of calciturbidites interbedded with breccia-microbreccia. Breccia - microbreccia deposits are structureless, display channelized geometry with calciturbiditic blocks internally to the channels. Most of the clasts were sourced from the underlying Lower Cretaceous “Vigla limestones”. Calciturbidites include Ta to Te Bouma sub-divisions, and are organized in cycles that form channelized deposits with a high degree of amalgamation. Statistical analysis confirms the presence of order in the sub-division sequence. The thickness of event beds in the studied section shows a lognormal statistical distribution, typical of turbidite successions. Limestone microfacies suggest deep-water deposits and reworked shelf deposits. The intense extensional tectonic activity in the Ionian basin during the Early Cretaceous, with synthetic and antithetic faults, produced active platform margins and asymmetrical grabens. In this regime, large amounts of coarse-grained material became available and accumulated in the basin. High slope gradients led to slumping. During the Late Cretaceous, the uplifted margins of the grabens caused erosion of the pre-existing deposits of the Lower Cretaceous “Vigla Formation”. This event led to the accumulation of channelized microbreccia and breccia units and transport of platform deposits by turbidity currents. The Early Cretaceous to early Eocene depositional history in the Ionian Basin indicates that the regional tectonic activity, rather than the eustatic sea-level changes, was the major factor that influenced the basin evolution, suggesting a syn-rift stage being active from the Jurassic to the early Eocene.
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Papers by George Iliopoulos