Papers by Ulrich Schmölcke
In the 7th and 6th millennia cal BC, the Mesolithic hunter-gatherer populations of the North Euro... more In the 7th and 6th millennia cal BC, the Mesolithic hunter-gatherer populations of the North European Plain were confronted by massive changes in their environment, not only by the increasing reforestation of the landscape but also by the rapid and global sea-level rise. Th is process led to the fi nal fl ooding of the Baltic basin and to the origin of the present Baltic Sea. Th e investigation of the human response to this fundamental environmental change was the main task of the geoarchaeological work group of the interdisciplinary DFG Research Unit SINCOS from 2002 to 2005 and the DFG project cluster SINCOS-II from 2006 until 2009. Wismar Bay in western Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was one of the primary regions of investigation, and several Stone Age sites were located during the surveys. Research vessels used geo-scientifi c equipment, such as side-scan sonar, multibeam echo sounder, and remotely controlled underwater video camera, in 6.5-11 m deep water. Th e sites belong to diff erent phases of the Late Mesolithic and Terminal Mesolithic between 6800 and 5000 cal BC. Th e best-preserved sites were investigated by underwater archaeological excavation. Th is chapter provides an overview of the geological, archaeological, and archaeozoological results of the investigations.
Danish Journal of Archaeology, 2024
Sheep and goats are often considered to be the oldest livestock animals in Denmark. In this contr... more Sheep and goats are often considered to be the oldest livestock animals in Denmark. In this contribution, we present the results of ZooMS measurements from seven ovicaprid bones from the Femern project, an excavation in the area of the former Syltholm Fjord (Lolland, Denmark). The bones were morphologically identified as sheep or goats and represented the oldest dated remains of both species in Denmark. However, the ZooMS analysis showed that more than half of the morphological identifications were incorrect. For the other samples, we refined the identifications. Hence, our study confirms that indications of sheep and goat husbandry based on bone morphology alone should be treated with caution. The probability of misidentification in our case was high, even in the case of well-preserved bones.
Journal of Ornithology, 2024
The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) and the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) are emblematic... more The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) and the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) are emblematic birds of high conservation interest. This article examines their range history in Europe since the end of the last Glacial by analyzing subfossil bone finds of both species, mostly from archaeological excavations. It is shown that two thousand years ago, White Storks occurred exclusively in the territory of the Roman Empire, i.e. the northern border of their distribution ran along the Rhine and Danube rivers. The north-east part of the continent, with its high population density today, was only colonized in the last few centuries. The Spoonbill’s patchy occurrence in Europe today appears to be a typical distribution pattern for this species. The subfossil findings also do not indicate a large, closed distribution area for any phase of the last 10,000 years. Some of its distribution islands (e.g. those in the Netherlands) have existed for thousands of years.
Commun Biol, 2024
Yersinia pestis has been infectinghumans since the Late Neolithic (LN). Whether those early infec... more Yersinia pestis has been infectinghumans since the Late Neolithic (LN). Whether those early infections were isolated zoonoses or initiators of a pandemic remains unclear. We report Y. pestis infections in two individuals (of 133) fromtheLNnecropolis at Warburg (Germany, 5300–4900 cal BP). Ouranalyses show that the two genomes belong to distinct strains and reflect independent infection events. All LN genomesknowntoday (n = 4) are basal in the phylogenyand represent separate lineages that probably originated in different animal hosts. In the LN, an opening of the landscape resulted in the introduction of new rodent species, which may have acted as Y. pestis reservoirs. Coincidentally, the number of dogs increased, possibly leading to Y. pestis infections in canines. Indeed, we detect Y. pestis in anLN dog. Collectively, our data suggest that Y. pestis frequently entered human settlements at the time without causing significant outbreaks.
Animals, 2024
Humans have developed a special relationship with some animal species throughout history, even th... more Humans have developed a special relationship with some animal species throughout history, even though these animals were never domesticated. Based on raptors, bears, beavers, and elks, the question of whether there are similarities between the perception of these animals that triggered a special kind of fascination in humans and how the relationship between humans and these animals changed between Mesolithic age and medieval times is addressed. As we demonstrate, the categorical antagonism between ‘animal’ and ‘human’ is a concept that saw different kinds of influence, from the advent of sedentarism and husbandry to Christianity and from philosophical thinking in Classical Antiquity and the Period of Enlightenment. In prehistory and early history, we find different, opposing world views across time, cultures, and periods. Differences between animals and humans have been considered as fluid, and humans have had to engage with animals and their needs. The well-known and famous ‘bear ceremonies’ attested to different peoples and times were not unique, but were a part of belief systems that also included other animal species. Among the considered animals, certain raptor species attracted the attention of humans who tried to establish contact with them, as companions, whereas bears were almost ‘disguised humans’ due to all their similarities with humans, but they were also tabooed beings whose real names had to be avoided.
Heritage
During the Viking era and the Middle Ages, in the Baltic Sea area, the remains of alien animal sp... more During the Viking era and the Middle Ages, in the Baltic Sea area, the remains of alien animal species are found rarely but recurrently. These species, which were previously widely distributed in other regions, were originally considered “exotic” by the local people of the Baltic Sea region. Conversely, “exotic” was also used to describe the last local specimens of those indigenous species that had become very rare over time. Other categories of exotic animals can be defined: the first specimens of domesticated animals seen in an area, and mythical species whose existence was generally, but erroneously, assumed. In the present paper, the evidence of selected exotic species in the Baltic Sea area is analyzed with regard to both their cultural–historical and ecological significance. Many exotic specimens were used for social and hierarchical display, illustrating the individual’s sophistication and broad knowledge of the world, their wealth, and their supra-regional influence. As a re...
Heritage, 2022
During the Viking era and the Middle Ages, in the Baltic Sea area, the remains of alien animal sp... more During the Viking era and the Middle Ages, in the Baltic Sea area, the remains of alien animal species are found rarely but recurrently. These species, which were previously widely distributed in other regions, were originally considered "exotic" by the local people of the Baltic Sea region. Conversely, "exotic" was also used to describe the last local specimens of those indigenous species that had become very rare over time. Other categories of exotic animals can be defined: the first specimens of domesticated animals seen in an area, and mythical species whose existence was generally, but erroneously, assumed. In the present paper, the evidence of selected exotic species in the Baltic Sea area is analyzed with regard to both their cultural-historical and ecological significance. Many exotic specimens were used for social and hierarchical display, illustrating the individual's sophistication and broad knowledge of the world, their wealth, and their supraregional influence. As a result, before Christianization, these species became part of burial rites. At the same time, some of these species became or were already integral parts of the fauna of the Baltic Sea region. Some newly immigrated species were welcomed by the people, while others were considered pests. "New", initially exotic, species formed the basis for the purely anthropogenic urban ecosystems that emerged during this period. Meanwhile, other, formerly common, species had become "exotic" because of their increasing rarity; when they became extinct, they left significant gaps in the biocoenoses wherein they were interconnected. These ecological effects, as well as some of the socio-cultural characteristics of exotic species, find parallels in modern times.
Durch die Vorlage des Wohnplatzes 15 (Labenz LA 11) im Duvenseer Moor wird ein Beitrag zur Siedlu... more Durch die Vorlage des Wohnplatzes 15 (Labenz LA 11) im Duvenseer Moor wird ein Beitrag zur Siedlungsarchäologie im dritten vorchristlichen Jahrtausend in der Norddeutschen Tiefebene geleistet. Ein Zeitraum, der, insbesondere auch im Jungneolithikum, weitgehend durch Grabfunde charakterisiert wird. Der erstmalig 1994 und dann im Jahr 2017 untersuchte Fundplatz datiert absolutchronologisch zwischen 2700/2600 und 2500#calBC und umfasst eine Fläche von ca. 1#ha. Das abgelegen in einem vermoorten Feuchtgebiet angelegte Siedlungsareal umfasst mehrere Aktivitätsbereiche und ist in eine Kleinlandschaft aus Inseln, Halbinseln und Wasserflächen einzuordnen. Eingebunden ist der Fundplatz in eine dispers strukturierte Siedlungslandschaft in der Norddeutschen Tiefebene, welche sich durch wenige bekannte, weit voneinander entfernt liegende Siedlungsplätze bei gleichzeitig deutlichen Landschaftsöffnungen auszeichnet.
The article presents the results of the SINCOS research group and the SINCOS II project bundle co... more The article presents the results of the SINCOS research group and the SINCOS II project bundle concerning the changes of the socio-economic system of the communities and societies living on the shore of the southwestern Baltic rim from the mid-Holocene Mesolithic and Neolithic period to the Early Medieval Age. The main focus is laid on the stage of the Littorina Transgression from 6000 to 2000 cal. BC, when the people living in the maritime zone between the Oder estuary and the Oldenburg Rift were facing a continuous shore displacement and a coastal decline, forcing them to move their settlements successively to pretect them from inundation. Because of the regionally differing intensity of the isostatic rebound to the isostatic uplift of northern Scandinavia, the coasts of the Bay of Mecklenburg were affected by this phenomenon to a much larger scale than those of the Arkona Basin and the Pomeranian Bay. Both areas were separated by the Darss Sill, which acted as a threshold between...
Der folgende Beitrag möchte einige Aspekte der Jagdgeschichtein Norddeutschland beleuchten. Es ge... more Der folgende Beitrag möchte einige Aspekte der Jagdgeschichtein Norddeutschland beleuchten. Es geht dabei um das Leben und Überleben nicht sesshafter Jäger und Sammler, um den Übergang hin zu den ersten Bauern mit ihrem völlig gewandelten Verhältnis zur Jagd, um die Entwicklung von Pfeil und Bogen, einer der wichtigsten Jagdwaffen vor Erfindung des Gewehres, sowie um mittelalterliche Jagd als Ausdruck königlicher und adliger Sonderrechte.
The Neolithic site Riņņukalns in the Lake Burtnieks/River Salaca area in northern Latvia is the o... more The Neolithic site Riņņukalns in the Lake Burtnieks/River Salaca area in northern Latvia is the only freshwater shell midden in the eastern Baltic Sea area. An excavation carried out in 2011 revealed an intact stratigraphy with alternating layers of unburnt and burnt mussel shells and yielded various kinds of archaeological finds, among them several thousand fish remains. To get an impression of the fish species and specimens caught by the Neolithic settlers, and to look for a temporal development in the fish species composition, we analysed fish remains from different sections and layers. The results, both archaeozoological and stable isotope data, give evidence for a change in the relevance of fish species during the period of use, and they also provide an impression of the former river and lake hydrology in the vicinity of the midden. The Stone Age landscape seems to have been very similar to the present situation, so that the study area has been an extraordinarily stable ecosyst...
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2021
Ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches have been successfully used to infer the long-term impacts of clima... more Ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches have been successfully used to infer the long-term impacts of climate change, domestication, and human exploitation in a range of terrestrial species. Nonetheless, studies investigating such impacts using aDNA in marine species are rare. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), is an economically important species that has experienced dramatic census population declines during the last century. Here, we investigated 48 ancient mitogenomes from historical specimens obtained from a range of archeological excavations in northern Europe dated up to 6,500 BCE. We compare these mitogenomes to those of 496 modern conspecifics sampled across the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Our results confirm earlier observations of high levels of mitogenomic variation and a lack of mutation-drift equilibrium—suggestive of population expansion. Furthermore, our temporal comparison yields no evidence of measurable mitogenomic changes through time. Instead, our results indicate t...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
Abstract The harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), today a subarctic species with breeding popula... more Abstract The harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), today a subarctic species with breeding populations in the White Sea, around the Jan Mayen Islands and Newfoundland, was a common pinniped species in the Baltic Sea during the mid- and late Holocene. It is puzzling how an ice dependent species could breed in the Baltic Sea during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), and it remains unclear for how long harp seals bred in the Baltic Sea and when the population became extirpated. We combined radiocarbon dating of harp seal bones with zooarchaeological, palaeoenvironmental and stable isotope data to reconstruct the harp seal occurrence in the Baltic Sea. Our study revealed two phases of harp seal presence and verifies that the first colonization and establishment of a local breeding population occurred within the HTM. We suggest that periods with very warm summers but cold winters allowed harp seals to breed on the ice. Human pressure, salinity fluctuations with consequent changes in prey availability and competition for food resources, mainly cod, resulted in physiological stress that ultimately led to a population decline and local extirpation during the first phase. The population re-appeared after a long hiatus. Final extinction of the Baltic Sea harp seal coincided with the Medieval Warm Period. Our data provide insights for the first time on the combined effects of past climatic and environmental change and human pressure on seal populations and can contribute with new knowledge on ongoing discussions concerning the impacts of such effects on current arctic seal populations.
Journal of Biogeography, 2020
The Expansion‐Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of species to climatic cha... more The Expansion‐Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of species to climatic changes. During periods of unfavourable climatic conditions, species retreat to refugia from where they may later expand. This paper focuses on the palaeoecology of red deer over the past 54 ka across Europe and the Urals, to reveal patterns of change in their range and explore the role of environmental conditions in determining their distribution.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2020
It is a well‐known and geographically widespread problem in archaeozoology that the discriminatio... more It is a well‐known and geographically widespread problem in archaeozoology that the discrimination between remains of domesticated animals and their wild ancestors is not always possible. Due to an overlap in size as well as other features substantial parts of bone and teeth assemblages sometimes cannot be assigned either to the wild or the domestic form. In this paper we apply the logarithmic size index (LSI) method as a tool for discrimination between aurochs (Bos primigenius) and domestic cattle (Bos primigenius f. taurus). By comparing LSI data from definite aurochs with data from Neolithic bovids within a limited geographical area we show that the overlap of both groups is larger than previously thought. Our analysis also shows that the LSI width values are suited for both differentiating domesticated vs. wild animals as well as sexes within the single groups. For future studies but also for correcting known results we present division lines between LSI values of aurochs and cattle. The analysed data indicates that female and male aurochs had comparable heights while the latter had a generally more sturdy physique in southern Scandinavia. We consequently expect that the investigated Middle Neolithic assemblages contain a significantly higher number of aurochs bones than previously assumed.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
The Stone Age site Riņņukalns, Latvia, is the only well-stratified shell midden in the Eastern Ba... more The Stone Age site Riņņukalns, Latvia, is the only well-stratified shell midden in the Eastern Baltic. In this paper, we present new interdisciplinary results concerning its dating, stratigraphy, features, and finds to shed light on the daily life of a fisher population prior to the introduction of domesticated animals. The undisturbed part of the midden consists of alternating layers of unburnt mussel shell, burnt mussel shell and fish bone, containing artefacts, some mammal and bird bones, and human burials. Two of them, an adult man and a baby, are discovered recently and date to the calibration plateau between 3350 and 3100 cal BC, and to the later 4th millennium, respectively. Stable isotopes suggest a diet based heavily on freshwater fish, and this is supported not only by ten thousands of identified fish remains, but also by a fish bone concentration nearby the skull of the man, which is interpreted as remain of a grave gift (possible fish soup). Of special interest are the baby's stable isotope values. It shows that the mother's diet was atypical (perhaps because she was non-local), and/or that dietary stress during pregnancy increased fractionation between the mother's diet and her bloodstream.
Untersuchungen und Materialien zur Steinzeit in Schleswig-Holstein und im Ostseeraum, 2020
During the early Holocene the Mesolithic campsites at Friesack in northern Central Europe were lo... more During the early Holocene the Mesolithic campsites at Friesack in northern Central Europe were located on an island amidst a wetland landscape: a swampy valley rich of reeds with generally slowly flowing water (with the exception of spring), forests dominated by birch and pine, sandy hills covered with pine, and open grasslands. Due to excellent preservation conditions thousands of mammal remains could be excavated in the refuse areas of the site Friesack 4 by B. Gramsch and his team between 1978 and 1989. 826 identified mammal remains derive from the oldest, mid-Preboreal layers of the station, 1200 bones from the following late Preboreal layers, and further 3082 remains from the subsequent early Boreal horizons. The main game species of the inhabitants of Friesack 4 were red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. Based on the bone weight, red deer was the most relevant and important species in all the Mesolithic stages of occupation. In the course of the c. 1500 years of habitation investigated on this site the economical relevance of wild boar increased gradually, whereas in particular elk lost its importance. Significantly, red deer hunting always focused on older juveniles or young adults. Based on the number of identified specimen, remains of roe deer dominate the mammal bone assemblage in all the occupation stages, and their frequency continuously increases from the oldest to the youngest Mesolithic horizon. Roe deer hunting occurred especially in May and June and was purposefully dedicated to young females. Similarly, hunting red deer was not focussed on strong, older deer, as at some contemporaneous sites, but on young adults. Both species show that the hunter's strategy at Friesack 4 was in these cases not to get a maximum of food resources per hunting expedition, but rather to secure a successful hunt. In wild boar, in contrast, the analyses give evidence of a selective hunting of full-grown and quite old individuals, thus of wild boars for meat. Remarkably, the hunter's wild boar prey was nearly all female. A résumé of all seasonal indications concerning the mammal bones shows that Mesolithic people stayed at the location nearly exclusively in the months between May and October. There is no evidence for human presence during late autumn and winter/early spring. The portions of the body parts of the different game species show concordantly that the animals were slaughtered elsewhere. Friesack 4 was only the place of consumption. Partly, however, some valuable parts of the prey are missing at the campsite-potentially these parts were reserved for the successful hunters, who consumed them already at the kill site.
Quaternary International, 2019
Quaternary International, 2019
Two archaeological excavation sites, Fundplatz 225 "Mischwasserspeicher" and Fundplatz 290 "Ozean... more Two archaeological excavation sites, Fundplatz 225 "Mischwasserspeicher" and Fundplatz 290 "Ozeaneum", located close to the medieval town centre of Stralsund at the Strelasund were investigated. Using methods of sedimentology and (micro)palaeontology, the aim of this study was the reconstruction of environmental changes from Mesolithic to Modern Times. Foraminifers, ostracods, molluscs, plant remains, vertebrates and archaeological finds of all kind were used to establish a reliable model of coastal site development at the shore of the Strelasund from about 5300 BC to the 1860s AD, comprising naturally induced environmental changes and human impact and providing new insights into the coastal evolution and harbour transformations in Stralsund of the past seven millennia. The clam species Mya arenaria, introduced by human activities into the Baltic Sea, proved to appear not earlier than in the 17th century in this region.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Dog bones represent a rich source of information not only about their use, but also about the ico... more Dog bones represent a rich source of information not only about their use, but also about the iconic relationship between humans and dogs. Dogs have witnessed how the economic sustenance of humanity changed between Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods. Their duties became more diverse and had to be adapted towards the Neolithic economy. This change must have left imprints on dog bones: On the one hand, in the form of cut marks on the surface of bones, and on the other hand, traces left by the dogs' diet. This paper aims to present a view on dog life from this period based on cut marks and stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analyses. Basically we hypothesised out that isotopic ratios perhaps can be used to distinguish bone fragments of the Eurasian wolf from its domestic form by their diet. Furthermore the isotopic results generally confirm an influence of the environment and perhaps as well as of ritual elements.
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Papers by Ulrich Schmölcke
popular. One application of individual diet reconstruction is the detection and quantification of dietary radiocarbon reservoir effects, which are correlated with the importance of aquatic
products as foodstuffs, an important research question in itself. Even at a societal level, the archaeological record does not resolve this question, as the function of simple and barbed bone
points, in particular, as hunting weapons or fishing equipment has long been debated. Recent investigations, however, have shown that archaeozoological assemblages from early Mesolithic
sites contain more fish remains than previously suspected.
Here we present new archaeozoological and stable isotopic data for a range of herbivores (auroch, elk, red and roe deer, beaver) and freshwater fish (northern pike, European perch,
European eel and Wels catfish) species, together with radiocarbon and stable isotope data from eight prehistoric humans, from the renowned Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic site of Friesack
IV. The availability of local reference data for herbivores and fish allows the amount of fish consumed by each individual to be quantified. Using modern values for local freshwater
reservoir effects, we can then calibrate the human radiocarbon ages.
Although the number of human samples is small, it is possible to infer a decline in the dietary importance of fish from the Preboreal to the Boreal Mesolithic, and an increase in aquatic
resource consumption from the Early Neolithic onwards. Finally, we will compare these data with comparable prehistoric sites in Northern Germany, including Groß Fredenwalde and
Ostorf-Tannenwerder.
Covered by fluvioglacial sands and extensive peat, the early Holocene archaeological site of Friesack IV is located in Rhinluch, Havelland District, Brandenburg, northern Germany. At the time of occupation, the site was situated on the shoreline of a lake, which is presently a peat bog. From 1977 to 1989, excavations, headed by Bernard Gramsch, were undertaken in the refuse zone of the site (Gramsch 1992). These investigations yielded well-preserved organic materials, including antler, bone, and teeth, bark, wood and bast, as well as fragments of nets, ropes and strings that were found alongside lithic artifacts (Gramsch 1992).
Although Gramsch (1992, 69) stated ‘fish are not numerous’ at Friesack IV, no less than 7520 were recovered. This paper presents these data, drawing on contemporaneous sites throughout northern Europe. The material is quantified and estimates of total fish lengths are also provided. Interpretation focuses on the relative importance of the fishes (with wels catfish being especially well- represented), the possible fishing methods employed, and the season(s) of capture. The data demonstrate that the assemblage was anthropogenic since butchery marks were present on several specimens as well as the presence of one perforated vertebra. Interestingly, it would appear that a change in the exploitation of fish throughout the course of occupation took place, with the end result being a developed technique targeting wels catfish.
References
B. Gramsch, Friesack Mesolithic Wetlands. In B. Coles (Ed.), The Wetland Revolution in Prehistory (Exeter 1992), 65–72.
Thus, the session will bundle different aspects connected with hunting, and the overall diachronic view, given by one of the keynote speakers for parts of Northern Europa, will imply the chance to trace red threads and changes. Furthermore, the focused analysis for certain periods and regions will enable us to see specific hunting patterns and more individual solutions, in dependency of landscape. Questions, central for the session, are as follows: to which extent were intensity and purpose of hunting linked to cultural transformations (example: Neolithisation)? Were times with changing hunting patterns also times of general changes in the human-environmental interaction or interplay (example: wolf and bear extirpations in Christian societies)? What about the dynamics of human-animal-relationship, from dogs to other true mates of humans (example: late Paleolithic dog burial from Bonn-Oberkassel), in relation to domestic animals (example: Neolithic cattle graves) and wild beasts (example: bear symbolism)? What about the reconstruction of hunting episodes at particular sites, what about the earliest indications for the veneration of hunted animal species and, finally, what about the beginning of trophy hunting and the development of ‚princely hunt‘?
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Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the Last 12,000 Years:
The Creation of Landscapes IV
Call for Papers
(Deadline 15th January 2015)
Session 1-1:
Fish(ing) communities and fishing technologies
in inland waters, rivers and at the coast
Fish is an important food resource for human societies which live in various aquatic landscapes. The utilization of fish is self-evident in water rich areas but infrequently proven by archaeological findings. Therefore the proportion of fish in the human diet of past societies is still quite unknown. Certainly it varied through time and between different regions. In this session we want to collect multi-disciplinary information about fishing technologies and exploited fish species communities from different time periods and regions and discuss the implications for societies, settlement systems and use concepts of the landscape.
Information can come from finds of prehistoric fishing equipment, fish bone analysis, ethnographical sources and historical evidence as well as isotope analysis. Fishing gear (both passive gear like nets, basket traps and fishing fences or similar structures and active gear like hooks, spears, leisters and tridents) is relative simple constructed, stable in its development and widely distributed, but surely there are differences that might provide insights into contacts and communication between different fishing societies. Fish bone analysis provides detailed information about fish resources, the selectivity of fishery, seasonality, the area of fishing activities and the environmental circumstances.
We encourage contributors to announce talks concerning all the mentioned topics. The session should demonstrate possibilities and limits of the different sources and deepen the inter-disciplinary discussion about the former use of various types of waters, resources, and equipment.
Aim: The Expansion-Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of
species to climatic changes. During periods of unfavourable climatic conditions, species
retreat to refugia from where they may later expand. This paper focuses on the
palaeoecology of red deer over the past 54 ka across Europe and the Urals, to reveal
patterns of change in their range and explore the role of environmental conditions in
determining their distribution.
Location: Europe and western Asia to 63°E.
Taxon: Red deer (Cervus elaphus).
Methods: We collected 984 records of radiocarbon-dated red deer subfossils from
the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, including 93 original dates. For each deer sample
we compiled climatic and biome type data for the corresponding time intervals.
Results: During the last 54 ka changes in red deer range in Europe and the Urals
were asynchronous and differed between western and eastern Europe and western
Asia due to different environmental conditions in those regions. The range of suitable
areas for deer during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was larger than previously
thought and covered vast regions not only in southern but also in western and eastern
Europe. Throughout the period investigated the majority of specimens inhabited
forests in the temperate climatic zone. The contribution of forests in deer localities
significantly decreased during the last 4 ka, due to deforestation of Europe caused by
humans. Mean January temperature was the main limiting factor for species distribution.
Over 90% of the samples were found in areas where mean January temperature
was above −10°C.
Main conclusions: Red deer response to climatic oscillations are in agreement with
the Expansion-Contraction model but in contradiction to the statement of only the
southernmost LGM refugia of the species. During the last 54 ka red deer occurred
mostly in forests of the temperate climatic zone.
K E Y W O R D S
environmental niche modelling, expansion-contraction model, forest habitat, Holocene,
January temperature, Last Glacial Maximum refugia, palaeoecology, radiocarbon dating, temperate climatic zone, ungulates