Repository logo
 
Publication

The lowermost Tejo River terrace at Foz do Enxarrique, Portugal: a palaeoenvironmental archive from c. 60–35 ka and its implications for the Last Neanderthals in Westernmost Iberia

2019Journal article Open access
Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorCunha, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorMartins, António
dc.contributor.authorBuylaert, Jan-Pieter
dc.contributor.authorMurray, Andrew
dc.contributor.authorGouveia, Maria
dc.contributor.authorFont, Eric
dc.contributor.authorPereira, Telmo
dc.contributor.authorFigueiredo, Silvério
dc.contributor.authorFerreira, Cristiana
dc.contributor.authorBridgland, David
dc.contributor.authorYang, Pu
dc.contributor.authorStevaux, José
dc.contributor.authorMota, Rui
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-10T13:45:05Z
dc.date.available2019-10-10T13:45:05Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractReconstruction of Pleistocene environments and processes in the sensitive geographical location of westernmost Iberia, facing the North Atlantic Ocean, is crucial for understanding impacts on early human communities. We provide a characterization of the lowest terrace (T6) of the Lower Tejo River, at Vila Velha de Rodao (eastern central Portugal). This terrace comprises a lower gravel bed and an upper division consisting of fine to very fine sands and coarse silts. We have used a multidisciplinary approach, combining geomorphology, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, grain-size analysis and rock magnetism measurement, in order to provide new insights into the environmental changes coincident with the activity of the last Neanderthals in this region. In addition, we conducted palynological analysis, X-ray diffraction measurement and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectra of the clay fraction and carbonate concretions. We discuss these new findings in the context of previously published palaeontological and archeological data. The widespread occurrence of carbonate concretions and rizoliths in the T6 profile is evidence for episodic pedogenic evaporation, in agreement with the rare occurrence and poor preservation of phytoliths. We provide updated OSL ages for the lower two Tejo terraces, obtained by post infra-red stimulated luminescence: (i) T5 is c. 140 to 70 ka; (ii) T6 is c. 60 to 35 ka. The single archaeological and fossiliferous level located at the base of the T6 upper division, recording the last regional occurrence of megafauna (elephant and rhinoceros) and Mousterian artefacts, is now dated at 44 +/- 3 ka. With reference to the arrival of Neanderthals in the region, probably by way of the Tejo valley (from central Iberia), new dating suggests a probable age of 200-170 ka for the earliest Mousterian industry located in the topmost deposits of T4.pt_PT
dc.description.sponsorshipAgência financiadora Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia UID/MAR/04292/2013-MARE UID/GEO/04683/2013-ICT IF/01075/2013 Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BD/116038/2016pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/quat2010003
dc.identifier.issn2571-550X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/12810
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.publisherMDPIpt_PT
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/pt_PT
dc.subjectOSL datingpt_PT
dc.subjectRiver terracespt_PT
dc.subjectLate Pleistocenept_PT
dc.subjectEnvironmental changept_PT
dc.subjectWestern Iberiapt_PT
dc.titleThe lowermost Tejo River terrace at Foz do Enxarrique, Portugal: a palaeoenvironmental archive from c. 60–35 ka and its implications for the Last Neanderthals in Westernmost Iberiapt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue1pt_PT
oaire.citation.startPage3pt_PT
oaire.citation.titleQuaternarypt_PT
oaire.citation.volume2pt_PT
person.familyNamePereira
person.givenNameTelmo
person.identifier.ciencia-id3D1E-491C-AE00
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7588-2090
person.identifier.ridAAS-2664-2021
person.identifier.scopus-author-id55951852100
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublication535b8b70-79ea-47ef-ba19-bdd74cd2a7ec
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery535b8b70-79ea-47ef-ba19-bdd74cd2a7ec

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
quaternary-02-00003-v2.pdf
Size:
9.71 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
3.46 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

FCH2-Artigos (em revistas ou actas indexadas)