RT Journal Article
T1 Multidisciplinary approach to Mammuthus meridionalis from the late-Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, North-East Iberia)
A1 Fidalgo, Darío
A1 Rosas, Antonio
A1 Pineda, Antonio
A1 Ramírez-Pedraza, Iván
A1 Ros-Montoya, Sergio
A1 Rodríguez de la Fuente, David
A1 López-Polín, Lucía
A1 Gómez-Morgado, Laura
A1 Martínez-Navarro, Bienvenido
A1 Moreno-Ribas, Elena
A1 García-Tabernero, Antonio
A1 Huguet, Rosa
A1 Ollé, Andreu
A1 Vallverdú, Josep
A1 Saladié, Palmira
K1 Paleoecología
AB Proboscideans have been used as a keystone in Quaternary palaeoecology and biostratigraphy studies throughout Europe, with genera such as Mammuthus and Palaeoloxodon widely represented in their fossil record. This study presents a multidisciplinary analysis of proboscidean remains from the late-Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Iberian Peninsula; 1.07–0.87 Ma), offering new insights into their biochronology, palaeoecology and human interactions. The fossil assemblages includes several fossils attributed to Mammuthus meridionalis advanced form, based on biometric, morphological and Schreger angle analyses. Stable carbon isotope (δ1 3 C) data in the enamel indicate a diet related to C3 grasslands under a Mediterranean climate, consistent with previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Taphonomic evidence reinforces the published idea of an archaeological context with anthropogenic processing of a mammoth carcass, including cut marks and spatial association with Acheulean lithic tools. In addition, carnivore modifications suggest the hyenas activity. These findings underline the ecological importance of proboscideans in Early Pleistocene ecosystems and provide decisive evidence for human-megafaunal interactions during the early Acheulean dispersal in Europe. The study reinforces the importance of Mammuthus meridionalis as a palaeoenvironmental and biochronological proxy and contributes to broader debates on the role of large herbivores in Pleistocene ecosystems.
PB Taylor & Francis Group
YR 2025
FD 2025-09-18
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/44727
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/44727
LA eng
NO Darío Fidalgo, Antonio Rosas, Antonio Pineda, Iván Ramírez-Pedraza, Sergio Ros-Montoya, David Rodríguez de la Fuente, Lucía López-Polín, Laura Gómez-Morgado, Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro, Elena Moreno-Ribas, Antonio García-Tabernero, Rosa Huguet, Andreu Ollé, Josep Vallverdú & Palmira Saladié (18 Sep 2025): Multidisciplinary approach to Mammuthus meridionalis from the late-Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, North-East Iberia), Historical Biology, DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2025.2551767
NO El estudio analiza restos de proboscídeos del yacimiento de Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, 1,07–0,87 Ma) y confirma la presencia de una forma avanzada de Mammuthus meridionalis. Los análisis isotópicos indican una dieta de pastizales C3 bajo un clima mediterráneo. La evidencia tafonómica sugiere el procesamiento humano de un mamut y la actividad de hienas, en asociación con herramientas achelenses. Estos resultados aportan pruebas clave sobre la interacción entre humanos y megafauna durante la expansión inicial del Achelense en Europa y destacan el valor de Mammuthus meridionalis como indicador paleoambiental y biocronológico.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 15 abr 2026