Multiproxy paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Early Pleistocene sites from the Olteţ River Valley of Romania

摘要: Abstract The Early Pleistocene is recognized as a time of major global climatic and environmental change, including increasing aridity, significant spread grasslands, substantial faunal turnovers dispersals. Importantly, this the first hominins are found in Eurasia. Reconstructing types environments that existed during imperative for understanding mammalian, hominin, dispersal patterns relative to change. One proposed corridor across Europe Danube River. Here we characterize 2.2 ~1.1 million years ago (Ma) paleoenvironments surrounding one tributaries Danube, Olteţ River, southern Romania using multiproxy approach, taxonomic uniformitarianism, dental mesowear, microwear, enamel stable isotope (carbon oxygen), coprolite/palynology analyses, compare our results other penecontemporaneous Eurasian sites. Older sites from region, Grăunceanu La Pietris, both dating 2.2–1.9 Ma, reconstructed being primarily open, though with some nearby woodlands water resources. Fântâna lui Mitilan, which younger (1.8–1.1 Ma), slightly more closed, still relatively open nature. These similar reconstructions sites, ones without hominins, suggesting were likely not inhibited dispersing Eurasia due constraints at time.