Aurélien Royer

Bien qu’aujourd’hui largement méconnue, la corniche rocheuse de la Peyzie s’inscrit pourtant dans l’histoire de l’archéologie préhistorique locale. Localisée dans la moyenne vallée de la Dronne (Dordogne), à proximité de sites de renom comme Pont d’Ambon ou le Fourneau du Diable, elle a livré plusieurs grottes dont l’une (Peyzie I) fut fouillée dès les années 1930 par Paul-Émile Jude alors en quête d’une première expérience de fouille. Menées dans des conditions difficiles (liées aux remontées de la nappe phréatique), ces fouilles n’ont laissé que peu de données exploitables, parmi lesquelles figurent plusieurs objets remarquables, d’origine douteuse ou aujourd’hui disparus. À travers la compilation d’archives inédites, assortie d’un retour sur le terrain à des fins géomorphologique et archéologique, cette contribution fait le point sur les apports et les limites des grottes de la Peyzie à la construction de l’archéologie préhistorique régionale. Si cette reprise d’étude invalide le potentiel archéologique de Peyzie I (dont l’archéo- séquence est plus étendue que ce que P.-É. Jude avait initialement perçu), la campagne de sondages à laquelle nous avons procédé le long de la corniche a permis de mettre au jour un nouveau site magdalénien, Peyzie IV, dont l’étude (en cours) s’avère prometteuse pour éclairer l’évolution des sociétés humaines au cours du Dryas ancien (équivalent terrestre de l’évènement d’Heinrich 1).

Since rodent fossils are preserved in many low- and high-latitude archaeological and paleontological sites from a wide variety of environments, their associations are a commonly useful proxy for inferring past local climate and environmental conditions. Such a frequent and widespread geographic distribution can help us to better understand past climate evolution by providing access to high spatiotemporal resolution at large geographical scales. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to generate continental-scale temperature maps based on rodent associations and to assess their reliability compared to state-of-the-art general circulation models (GCMs). We used the Bioclimatic Analysis, based on fossil and modern rodent associations, to infer climate zone distribution and local temperatures (mean annual temperature, mean temperature of the warmest month and mean temperature of the coldest month), at the Western Palearctic (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) for six different periods: the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Heinrich Stadial, Bølling, Allerød, Younger Dryas and present-day conditions. The Bioclimatic Analysis is combined with a spatial generalized linear mixed model to interpolate these surface temperatures across the Western Palearctic. We show that the spatial patterns in mean annual temperature and mean temperature of the warmest and coldest months are very similar between our interpolations and GCMs for both present-day and LGM conditions, but the rodent-based approach provides slightly cooler LGM estimations in western Europe and warmer ones in eastern Europe. Throughout the Late Glacial oscillations, the rodent-based model infers globally small variations in mean annual temperature and mean temperature of the warmest months and slightly larger changes in mean temperature of the coldest months. Nonetheless, some events show weak but significant regional variations depending of the events and the climate variable. For instance, the most important shifts in mean annual temperature between the Allerød and Younger Dryas are observed in northwestern regions. Northeastern regions, on the other hand, experienced relatively stable mean annual temperature, although they did experience considerable warming of the warmest month and cooling of the coldest month. Minor discrepancies appear between GCMs and the rodent-based model, the latter showing colder temperature in northwestern Europe and hence a differential west–east gradient in ice-sheet influence. Our results demonstrate that rodent associations are robust proxies for reconstructing and regionalizing past temperatures at broad scales, offering a readily reproducible approach to be reimplemented in future studies incorporating new rodent data.

Since rodent fossils are preserved in many low and high latitude archaeological and paleontological sites from a wide variety of environments, their associations are a commonly useful proxy for inferring past local climate and environmental conditions. Such a frequent and widespread geographic distribution can help us to better understand past climate evolution by providing access to high spatiotemporal resolution at large geographical scales. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to generate continental scale temperature maps based on rodent associations and to assess their reliability compared to state-of-the-art General Circulation Models (CGMs). We used the Bioclimatic Model, based on fossil and modern rodent associations, to infer climate zone distribution and local temperatures (Mean Annual Temperature, Mean Temperature of the Warmest month and the Mean Temperature of the Coldest month), at the western Palearctic (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) for six different periods: LGM, Heinrich Stadial, Bølling, Allerød, Younger Dryas and present-day conditions. The Bioclimatic Model is combined with a spatial generalized linear mixed model to interpolate these surface temperatures across the western Palearctic. We show that the spatial patterns in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest and Coldest months are very similar between our interpolations and GCMs for both present-day and LGM conditions, but the rodent-based approach provides slightly cooler LGM estimations in western Europe and warmer in eastern Europe. Throughout the Late Glacial oscillations, the rodent-based model infers globally small variations in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest months and slightly larger changes in Mean Temperature of the Coldest months. Nonetheless, some events show weak but significant regional variations depending of the events and the climate variable. For instance, the most important shifts in mean annual temperature between Allerød and Younger Dryas are observed in northwestern regions. Northeastern regions, on the other hand, experienced relatively stable mean annual temperature, although they did experience considerable warming of the warmest month and cooling of the coldest month. Minor discrepancies appear between GCMs and the rodent-based model, the latter showing colder temperature in northwestern Europe, hence a differential west-east gradient in ice-sheet influence. Our results demonstrate that rodent associations are robust proxies for reconstructing and regionalizing past climates at broad scales, offering a readily reproducible approach to be reimplemented in future studies incorporating new rodent data.

Since rodent fossils are preserved in many low and high latitude archaeological and paleontological sites from a wide variety of environments, their associations are a commonly useful proxy for inferring past local climate and environmental conditions. Such a frequent and widespread geographic distribution can help us to better understand past climate evolution by providing access to high spatiotemporal resolution at large geographical scales. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to generate continental scale temperature maps based on rodent associations and to assess their reliability compared to state-of-the-art General Circulation Models (CGMs). We used the Bioclimatic Model, based on fossil and modern rodent associations, to infer climate zone distribution and local temperatures (Mean Annual Temperature, Mean Temperature of the Warmest month and the Mean Temperature of the Coldest month), at the western Palearctic (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) for six different periods: LGM, Heinrich Stadial, Bølling, Allerød, Younger Dryas and present-day conditions. The Bioclimatic Model is combined with a spatial generalized linear mixed model to interpolate these surface temperatures across the western Palearctic. We show that the spatial patterns in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest and Coldest months are very similar between our interpolations and GCMs for both present-day and LGM conditions, but the rodent-based approach provides slightly cooler LGM estimations in western Europe and warmer in eastern Europe. Throughout the Late Glacial oscillations, the rodent-based model infers globally small variations in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest months and slightly larger changes in Mean Temperature of the Coldest months. Nonetheless, some events show weak but significant regional variations depending of the events and the climate variable. For instance, the most important shifts in mean annual temperature between Allerød and Younger Dryas are observed in northwestern regions. Northeastern regions, on the other hand, experienced relatively stable mean annual temperature, although they did experience considerable warming of the warmest month and cooling of the coldest month. Minor discrepancies appear between GCMs and the rodent-based model, the latter showing colder temperature in northwestern Europe, hence a differential west-east gradient in ice-sheet influence. Our results demonstrate that rodent associations are robust proxies for reconstructing and regionalizing past climates at broad scales, offering a readily reproducible approach to be reimplemented in future studies incorporating new rodent data.

Collared lemmings (genus Dicrostonyx ) are an emblematic group of Arctic‐tundra mammalian communities, comprising six different species in North America. As other northern fauna, most of their diversity is impacted by Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. While D. hudsonius and D. richardsoni have a restricted distribution area on both sides of the Hudson Bay, D. groenlandicus is widespread in all Nearctic northernmost regions, from Alaska and Canadian mainland to the High Arctic Archipelago and Greenland, occupying a highly fragmented area. Using extensive data, this paper investigates the morphological variability of the molar of Nearctic Dicrostonyx using geometric morphometrics. Our results show weak interspecific differences among Nearctic Dicrostonyx , while demonstrating the existence of a clear geographical structure: a north–south gradient that structures collared lemming's phenotype, surpassing interspecific differences. The possible causes of such patterns are explored, whether they are environmental (e.g. due to local to regional climatic conditions) or phylogeographic (e.g. isolation of the populations during the glacial periods) using ERA5‐Land reconstruction climatic data, and a reconstruction of the Laurentide Ice Sheet extent with isometric variations. The peculiar status of several populations, including Greenland and Victoria Island specimens, can be linked with their survival and isolation in Pleistocene ice‐free refugia in the High Arctic in agreement with both genetic and morphological signals. We argue that studying present‐day morphological variability can provide meaningful information on the Quaternary biogeography of modern species.

Since rodent fossils are preserved in many low and high latitude archaeological and paleontological sites from a wide variety of environments, their associations are a commonly useful proxy for inferring past local climate and environmental conditions. Such a frequent and widespread geographic distribution can help us to better understand past climate evolution by providing access to high spatiotemporal resolution at large geographical scales. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to generate continental scale temperature maps based on rodent associations and to assess their reliability compared to state-of-the-art General Circulation Models (CGMs). We used the Bioclimatic Model, based on fossil and modern rodent associations, to infer climate zone distribution and local temperatures (Mean Annual Temperature, Mean Temperature of the Warmest month and the Mean Temperature of the Coldest month), at the western Palearctic (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) for six different periods: LGM, Heinrich Stadial, Bølling, Allerød, Younger Dryas and present-day conditions. The Bioclimatic Model is combined with a spatial generalized linear mixed model to interpolate these surface temperatures across the western Palearctic. We show that the spatial patterns in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest and Coldest months are very similar between our interpolations and GCMs for both present-day and LGM conditions, but the rodent-based approach provides slightly cooler LGM estimations in western Europe and warmer in eastern Europe. Throughout the Late Glacial oscillations, the rodent-based model infers globally small variations in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest months and slightly larger changes in Mean Temperature of the Coldest months. Nonetheless, some events show weak but significant regional variations depending of the events and the climate variable. For instance, the most important shifts in mean annual temperature between Allerød and Younger Dryas are observed in northwestern regions. Northeastern regions, on the other hand, experienced relatively stable mean annual temperature, although they did experience considerable warming of the warmest month and cooling of the coldest month. Minor discrepancies appear between GCMs and the rodent-based model, the latter showing colder temperature in northwestern Europe, hence a differential west-east gradient in ice-sheet influence. Our results demonstrate that rodent associations are robust proxies for reconstructing and regionalizing past climates at broad scales, offering a readily reproducible approach to be reimplemented in future studies incorporating new rodent data.

Since rodent fossils are preserved in many low and high latitude archaeological and paleontological sites from a wide variety of environments, their associations are a commonly useful proxy for inferring past local climate and environmental conditions. Such a frequent and widespread geographic distribution can help us to better understand past climate evolution by providing access to high spatiotemporal resolution at large geographical scales. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to generate continental scale temperature maps based on rodent associations and to assess their reliability compared to state-of-the-art General Circulation Models (CGMs). We used the Bioclimatic Model, based on fossil and modern rodent associations, to infer climate zone distribution and local temperatures (Mean Annual Temperature, Mean Temperature of the Warmest month and the Mean Temperature of the Coldest month), at the western Palearctic (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) for six different periods: LGM, Heinrich Stadial, Bølling, Allerød, Younger Dryas and present-day conditions. The Bioclimatic Model is combined with a spatial generalized linear mixed model to interpolate these surface temperatures across the western Palearctic. We show that the spatial patterns in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest and Coldest months are very similar between our interpolations and GCMs for both present-day and LGM conditions, but the rodent-based approach provides slightly cooler LGM estimations in western Europe and warmer in eastern Europe. Throughout the Late Glacial oscillations, the rodent-based model infers globally small variations in Mean Annual Temperature and Mean Temperature of the Warmest months and slightly larger changes in Mean Temperature of the Coldest months. Nonetheless, some events show weak but significant regional variations depending of the events and the climate variable. For instance, the most important shifts in mean annual temperature between Allerød and Younger Dryas are observed in northwestern regions. Northeastern regions, on the other hand, experienced relatively stable mean annual temperature, although they did experience considerable warming of the warmest month and cooling of the coldest month. Minor discrepancies appear between GCMs and the rodent-based model, the latter showing colder temperature in northwestern Europe, hence a differential west-east gradient in ice-sheet influence. Our results demonstrate that rodent associations are robust proxies for reconstructing and regionalizing past climates at broad scales, offering a readily reproducible approach to be reimplemented in future studies incorporating new rodent data.

The Combe-Cullier site (Lacave, Lot) is one of the few sites with a Magdalenian archaeosequence investigated using modern excavation methods. Its exceptional archaeological fill covers the entire Magdalenian period between 21,000 and 14,000 cal. BP. The cave was excavated in the early 20^th century under the aegis of A. Viré, yielding remains of occupations for which no contextual data are available. Then, at the end of the 1960s, J.-F. Flies began a new operation on the slope in front of the cave, and carried out meticulous excavations using modern methodology until the mid-1970s. Most of the artefacts unearthed in the nearly five-metre-thick stratigraphic sequence are still unpublished to this day. Following academic work on elements of this collection, a multidisciplinary team was formed to re-examine all the remains in a revised chronostratigraphic framework. The results of this work are presented here by archaeostratigraphic unit (AU) and according to the different analysed artefacts (siliceous materials, bone industry, adornments, fauna). It is thus possible to track evolution at the site over nearly 7,000 years, highlighting continuities and changes. A comparison of the results obtained at Combe-Cullier with other sites in south-western France backs up the recent proposal for a new evolutionary scenario for the Aquitaine Magdalenian.