Evolución de la diversidad taxonómica de los micromamíferos en la península ibérica y cambios paleoambientales durante el Pleistoceno Superior.

Identifier:  TDX:1626

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX1626

Authors:  López García, Juan Manuel

Abstract:
The Upper Pleistocene is a short time phase (ca. 128 - 10 ka) compared with the other Pleistocene periods, Early and Middle Pleistocene. However, the Upper Pleistocene is a very important age, where finds relevant climatic, environmental, faunistic and cultural changes regarding precedent and posterior periods.<br/>The beginning of the Upper Pleistocene coincide with an increase of temperatures during the Marine Isotopic Stage 5 (MIS5) which cause the sea level descends around 128 ka. In the Upper Pleistocene finds MIS4, MIS3 and MIS2 yet, this last one phase provides the maximum glacial period in the Pleistocene, ca. 20-18 ka, called Late Glacial Maximum (LGM). <br/>The Iberian Upper Pleistocene faunas and specifically the small mammal (Insectivores, Chiropters, Rodents) are characterized by taxa with nowadays representation which allows to observe geographical species distribution changes regarding their currently geographical distribution and construe probably palaeoenvironmental changes.<br/>The most important cultural changes produced during the Upper Pleistocene match up with the MIS3 to MIS2 transition (ca. 35-40 ka), and the last Neanderthals persistence in the Iberian Peninsula together with the first appearance of the anatomically modern humans.<br/>The aims of this work are: 1) the systematic characterization of the small mammal (Insectivores, Chiropters, Rodents) taxa studied in eight Iberian Late Pleistocene sites (El Portalón, El Mirador, Cova del Gegant, l'Abric Romaní, Cova de l'Arbreda, Cova Colomera, Gorham's cave y Valadavara - 1); 2) to observe the connection between the small mammal association in the Late Pleistocene studied localities regarding to nowadays Iberian Biotic Regions; 3) to detect the relevant small mammal taxa to the knowledge of the Upper Pleistocene biostratigraphy; 4) to clarify the causes of the geographical distribution changes for the some small mammal species; 5) to characterize the climate and the environment in the studied localities trough the small mammal assemblage regarding to the total Upper Pleistocene peninsular territory.