[Bradley, Dawn M.|PublicAdministrativeSpace:Bradley, Dawn M.]
Title:
IMPLICATIONS OF LATE PLEISTOCENE CLIMATIC CHANGE ON THE MORPHOLICAL VARIATIONS OF THE NEANDERTHAL
Year:
2005
School:
Georgia State University
Keywords:
Neanderthal morphology, Pleistocene, European paleoclimate, Mediterranean Paleoclimate, Paleopalyogeny, Speleothems, GIS
ISBN:
ISSN:
URL:
Abstract:
In this research, the relationship of climatic changes between 130ka to 28ka BP to concurrent morphological variations in Neanderthals was tested. Traditional anthropological studies attribute robust Neanderthal morphological traits as an adaptation to a cold environment. A database of previously completed terrestrial paleoclimatic reconstructions in Europe and the Mediterranean was compiled to create a series of GIS-generated time-slice maps. Regional paleoclimatic conditions were then related to changes in Neanderthal appearances, morphology and disappearances as evident in the archaeological record. Existing studies were compiled from two regions: Europe and the Mediterranean. The European data are based on pollen assemblages from terrestrial lacustrine cores. The Mediterranean data are based on established d18O and d13 C events recorded in speleothems. The GIS perspective allows climatic changes to be viewed at significant time-slices with known Neanderthal morphological variation and to extend the investigation both temporally, including Stage 4 and Stage 5e, and geographically, into the Mediterranean from similarly completed studies.
