Rodent’s assemblage from the Middle to the Late Pleistocene site of Azokh-1 cave (southern Caucasus)
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6 juillet 2021
- handle: 10670/1.9u2lr9
- hal: hal-03430275
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Ivan Rey-Rodríguez et al., « Rodent’s assemblage from the Middle to the Late Pleistocene site of Azokh-1 cave (southern Caucasus) », HAL-SHS : archéologie, ID : 10670/1.9u2lr9
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Résumé
Azokh 1 Cave is located in Southern Caucasus, being an important site for the understanding of human evolution in its archaeological, paleontological, environmental and ecological context. The site presents a continuous archaeological record ranging from Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene with some Holocene infill at the top of the sequence. Rodents are one of the most significant tool for the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction because of their rapid evolution and their limited geographic range. Rodent´s remains used in this study come from Unit V, Unit III-IV and Unit II. A total of 434 molars were identified following the keys of systematic paleontology, representing a minimum number of 237 individuals, composed of at least 13 taxa: seven arvicoline, two cricetine, two gerbilline, one dipodid and one murine species.Unit III-IV do not yield enough material to draw palaeoecological inferences (MNI < 30). However, these inferences have been made for Units V (with a D/LAsp dating of 300ka), and II (with a ESR dating of ca. 184ka).Firstly, a preliminary taphonomic study (based on 90 molars and 100 incisors from both units) indicate that the rodent´s assemblage was probably accumulated by a category 1 predator. Then, the inferred weather shows a relatively warm-temperate climate with continental conditions in both units. Finally, a landscape mainly composed by shrubland and steppe has been detected, indicated by the presence of the gerbils (Meriones spp.) and the Brandt´s hamster (Mesocricetus brandti), with patches of deciduous forests and desert, similar to the one found nowadays in the area.